Mike De Decker is bidding to build on his sensational World Grand Prix success when he makes his Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts return in Wolverhampton this year.
De Decker broke new ground at last month's World Grand Prix, defeating a host of the sport’s biggest names to capture his maiden televised title in Leicester.
The Belgian overcame Damon Heta, Gary Anderson, James Wade and Dimitri Van den Bergh on his way to glory, before clinching the double-start title with a thrilling victory over world number one Luke Humphries.
This earned De Decker an automatic place in this year’s Grand Slam, and the Belgian returns to WV Active Aldersley as a different proposition to the player that made his debut in 2021.
“I’m feeling more confident than ever before,” insisted De Decker, who also claimed a first PDC ProTour title back in August.
“Winning the World Grand Prix gave me the belief that I can perform on the big stage, so hopefully I can do the same during the Grand Slam.
“I believe if I can bring my floor game entirely into TV tournaments then I can be very dangerous.”
The £650,000 event will see the 32 players split into eight groups of four, with De Decker set to feature in Group E alongside world number two Michael Smith – a Grand Slam champion in 2022.
De Decker will also take on European Championship runner-up Jermaine Wattimena and Austrian veteran Mensur Suljovic in the round-robin phase, which culminates on Tuesday evening.
The 28-year-old is one of the sport’s form men heading into Wolverhampton, although he’s refusing to get carried away in his pursuit of a second televised crown in as many months.
“I think what makes the tournament so special is how open it is with the group stages,” continued De Decker, currently ranked 25th on the PDC Order of Merit.
“It’s such a short format with [games being] first to five legs, which means it’s easier for upsets to happen.
“There aren’t any easy draws anymore, and all the players in this tournament are very talented.
“I will have to be at my best to get through the group, but I’m looking forward to the challenge!”
The Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).