Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor and the five to watch at Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters

Action Images / Andrew Boyers

Sarah Dea/The National

Pawan Singh / The National

Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

Michael van Gerwen is looking to extend his monopoly on the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters title into a fourth season as action starts at Dubai Tennis Stadium on Thursday but the Dutchman has plenty of competition, Paul Radley writes.

The pedigree of those vying to become the only name other than Van Gerwen to be inscribed on the Dallah Trophy is rich.

Click on the arrows to view the next photo or just swipe on your mobile device

Michael van Gerwen

The Dutch master might wish all darts events were played in the open air. He has never been beaten in the pro circuit’s only outdoors event, and he completed a hat-trick of Dubai titles last year. But then the world No 1 is pretty handy when the oche is indoors, too. The world No 1 won the Premier League last week in London, and is clearly the man to beat this weekend.

Gary Anderson

The Scotsman arrived in Dubai for the first time last season as the newly-crowned world champion, but his challenge for the title fell short, and he was livid about something that had been shouted at him from the raucous crowd.Twelve months on and he is still the world champion. He defended that title in January by beating Adrian Lewis in the final of a competition in which he also threw a perfect nine-dart finish.

Phil Taylor

The 16-time world champion has cut a frustrated figure on each of his trips to Dubai to date, as he has failed to make a significant impression on the Masters, let alone win it. The sport’s most decorated player obviously remains a contender, though, as he showed in reaching the final of the Premier League Darts in London.

Adrian Lewis

A Dubai regular, “Jackpot” is perhaps the one player who has been most visibly affected by the unique conditions of playing outdoors at the Aviation Club in the past. The amiable Englishman, who was defeated in the final of the world championship at the start of the year, is looking for a first Dubai Darts Masters title.

Peter Wright

The elaborately garbed Scotsman seems to have a rare knack for riling his opponents, if previous Dubai Darts Masters are anything to go by. Fifth in the world darts order of merit, “Snakebite” has had his detractors among his playing colleagues in previous years, but his matches are rarely dull.