There's a special kind of magic about the PDC World Matchplay.
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Normally, a competition that has been previously staged 24 times and won 16 times by the same person would have the same competitive edge as the Scottish Cup. But that 16-time winner is gone now. Phil Taylor, the 2017 World Matchplay champion, won't defend his crown in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. So the 25th edition of the biggest PDC major other than the World Championship will see a new champion. Unless Michael van Gerwen or James Wade claims the Phil Taylor Trophy, that is. Mighty Mike is one of eight players kicking off their Matchplay campaign on Saturday night.
Adrian Lewis v James Wilson
Kicking off the 2018 event is 2017 semi-finalist Adrian Lewis ( for schedule World Matchplay). Since that Blackpool run, his form has dive-bombed, before a stirring recovery in 2018. That was mostly down to injury woes that seem to be behind him. It's allowed Lewis a place as a seed, though being 16th means he could face van Gerwen in the second round. He's however, and for good reason. James Wilson is a renowned 180-hitter, and would be regarded as a serious contender if he wasn't so regularly let down by finishing at crucial moments. The last time Jackpot was on the big stage, he lost in the World Championship first round to Kevin Munch. That Lewis would get wiped out by Wilson. The new, revitalised Lewis should be a different prospect.
Dave Chisnall v Keegan Brown
It says something for Dave Chisnall's enduring quality that despite some atrocious form of late, he is still the world number eight, ahead of Michael Smith. Yet Chizzy must know that a decent run at events like the Matchplay will be needed to stay there. He meets the world number 42 in the first round. Keegan Brown did enough on the Pro Tour to earn a spot in Blackpool. He can point to his Ally Pally win over James Wade to show that any opponent should be wary of him. Right now, Chisnall is the favourite, but doesn't have the form to show that this is a banker.
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Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey de Zwaan
It might be fair to say that van Gerwen got what he deserved last year. Texting Vincent van der Voort to write off Simon Whitlock's chances, while still competing in their second round tie, was a classless move from the Dutchman. An irate Phil Taylor wiped the floor with him, then ordered him to 'grow up'. Whether he has grown as a person isn't obvious, yet van Gerwen's darting momentum remains ominous. He's the Masters champion, the Premier League champion, and a dominant force on the European Tour. Yet he's not the UK Open champion. It wasn't even close. That's because Jeffrey de Zwaan stunned him in Minehead. De Zwaan is and fancies himself over a longer format. Plus isn't bad. This is one almighty banana skin for the Green Machine to avoid, and that's before thinking of a potential meeting with Adrian Lewis.
Michael Smith v Jonny Clayton
He's a Premier League finalist, he's a winner in the World Series. Michael Smith is going places. Bully Boy has enjoyed a remarkable 2018, and it feels like he's not far away from doing something special in a major. For all we know, it could be the World Matchplay.
Yet Jonny Clayton is no mug. In the past 12 months he has become a major finalist himself, and even took the Austrian Darts Open crown to edge himself one ahead of Smith in terms of European Tour titles won this year. Clayton has disappeared at times on the stage, but if he unleashes his full arsenal at the Winter Gardens, this could be a seriously entertaining match.
Saturday July 21 (7pm)
First Round
19.00 hours Adrian Lewis v James Wilson
20:00 hours Dave Chisnall v Keegan Brown
21:00 hours Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey de Zwaan
22:00 hours Michael Smith v Jonny Clayton
Yet Jonny Clayton is no mug. In the past 12 months he has become a major finalist himself, and even took the Austrian Darts Open crown to edge himself one ahead of Smith in terms of European Tour titles won this year. Clayton has disappeared at times on the stage, but if he unleashes his full arsenal at the Winter Gardens, this could be a seriously entertaining match.
Saturday July 21 (7pm)
First Round
19.00 hours Adrian Lewis v James Wilson
20:00 hours Dave Chisnall v Keegan Brown
21:00 hours Michael van Gerwen v Jeffrey de Zwaan
22:00 hours Michael Smith v Jonny Clayton
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- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026
- Littler lost to crabtree in the youth/junior/whatever you call it. He had no point in being there. He's unfortunately now got to the stage,he feels all he has to do is get on the stage to win. Well,I hope he realises part of his fear factor has gone. Happened to Taylor,then van gerwen,and it's causing him to realise pretty sharp,he isn't unstoppable. It's good for the sport,not 1 single player in my 60 years has ever,or will ever be, unbeatable.rick6725-10-2026
- I think it's great to see Mark Webster looking good,good ladrick6725-10-2026
- I agree,I can't believe the lack of coverage of this sad loss. Always enjoyed watching him,but I guess now it's all about littler,well it seems that way. Darts has sadly lost a good manrick6717-10-2026
- In the absence of a report regarding the death of Stefan Lord, I'll assist. An excellent player in the late 70s and early 80s, he actually won the now defunct 3rd place match at two World Championships and a couple of the News of the World Championships. A fabulous player and easily the best Swedish player ever. Rest peacefully Stefan.richieburnettrocks16-10-2026