Like Dolan, Daryl Gurney is a two-time quarter-finalist at the World Championship with his last appearance in the last eight coming in 2021.
However, since then, the 38-year-old has not got past the fourth round as he slipped down the rankings after being a consistent top-10 player in the years leading up to the Covid pandemic.
Gurney won the World Grand Prix in 2017 and the Players Championship finals the following year, when he beat Van Gerwen. He will be dreaming that he can rediscover that form over the festive period.
‘Superchin’, seeded 26th at this year’s championship, takes on Germany’s Florian Hempel in the evening session on Monday.
If he wins that, there could be a potential all-Northern Ireland match with Mansell in the third round.
In fact, if the stars align then Gurney or Mansell could face Rock in the quarter-finals, but there are a lot of darts to be played before that becomes a possibility.