Can Newton upset Phil Taylor at the Grand Slam of Darts?
Published:It should be a formality. The greatest player in the history of darts faces a man who has yet to make it past the last 32 at the World Darts Championship.
However, there has probably never been a better time for Wes Newton to upset the darts betting odds and see off Phil Taylor in their final Grand Slam of Darts Group H game this evening.
‘The Power’ lost his last game against Stoke rival Ted Hankey 5-4 on Monday evening to leave him needing victory tonight against Newton – who can also qualify with a win – to make it through to the second round.
Taylor – who has won the tournament every year since its inception in 2007 – is, of course, the massive favourite at 1/9 to win.
There is one big factor working in Newton’s favour though. Taylor admits he has been struggling with his vision for quite some time now and has decided to wear glasses for the first time in this tournament.
It didn’t seem to give him any problems in his opening 5-1 victory against Michael van Gerwen, but against Hankey it was a different story.
He said: “I’m struggling with the glasses, and because it’s new for me I’m thinking about it all the time but I’ve got to get used to them.
“I’ll have a tough challenge against Wes Newton but both of us know the task. We probably prefer a shoot-out between us to see who gets through. I’ll get ready and I’ll be up for it.”
Newton may be out at 5/1, but he could certainly be worth a cheeky bet. With Taylor is such relatively poor form – It could be a case of now or never for the Fleetwood man.
Could Newton cause the biggest shock yet? Click here for the full Grand Slam of Darts market.
