The World Matchplay, one of the PDC's most revered majors, is back.
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From July 21, the cream of the PDC crop meet at the majestic Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The Order of Merit's top 16 and the 16 best of the rest in the Pro Tour Order of Merit clash with a £115,000 top prize at stake. The wealth of talent means that, on paper, close-looking matches are in abundance. Here, dartsnews.com highlights three games that will capture the attention in the first round of the World Matchplay.
Michael van Gerwen vs Jeffrey de Zwaan
It's always a big game when Michael van Gerwen is involved. The two-time World Matchplay champion bowed out in the quarter-finals last year. But Phil Taylor will be safely tucked away in the commentary box this time. Mighty Mike has been in fine fettle in 2018 - not that he's yet reached his peak. Cracking the European Tour nine-dart curse was quickly balanced out by a hasty exit in the US Darts Masters. Van Gerwen took the Masters title and also won the Premier League, a pseudo-major. The one player to knock him off his perch in a big event this year is Jeffrey de Zwaan. As luck would have it, the Dutch prodigy meets his compatriot again in Blackpool. The Black Cobra stunned van Gerwen , and has since claimed Players Championship 10 as his maiden PDC title. The youngster is a threat, and van Gerwen will know it.
Raymond van Barneveld vs Kyle Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld has found himself in a devilish part of the draw. Should he beat Kyle Anderson, he'd face Gary Anderson or Stephen Bunting. Win that, and he faces the prospect of taking on Gerwyn Price, Joe Cullen, Daryl Gurney or Steve West. And all that's for a semi-final berth, probably against Michael van Gerwen. Given his current form and lack of recent stage action, it seems like a tall order for Barney.
Anderson is tough enough to deal with. The Aussie enjoyed a morale-boosting World Cup with Australia - a tournament which van Barneveld eventually won - and is starting to combine a more solid finishing game with his big scoring. Van Barneveld has won the last four meetings between the pair, knocking Anderson out of the World Championship and the World Grand Prix in the last 12 months. But the Original has more than enough quality to cause a shock.
Anderson is tough enough to deal with. The Aussie enjoyed a morale-boosting World Cup with Australia - a tournament which van Barneveld eventually won - and is starting to combine a more solid finishing game with his big scoring. Van Barneveld has won the last four meetings between the pair, knocking Anderson out of the World Championship and the World Grand Prix in the last 12 months. But the Original has more than enough quality to cause a shock.
Gerwyn Price vs Joe Cullen
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On paper, Gerwyn Price might be the seed most likely to be toppled in round one. The Welshman was on a high going into the Premier League, but it proved to be a demoralising experience. Price has often struggled to put on a decent run. When he has, like at the Austrian Darts Open, it hasn't quite been enough. Yet Price remains an excellent player, capable of pulling out a big finish when he needs one.
He definitely could've had an easier draw, that's for sure. Joe Cullen is highest in the Order of Merit of the unseeded players, and for good reason. The Rockstar is slowly but surely building on his incredible potential. All that's missing is a truly inspiring cup run. He's Gareth Southgate's England, essentially. If Cullen unlocks his vast reserves of talent, and crucially keeps some consistency, then it's coming home. Price better watch out.
He definitely could've had an easier draw, that's for sure. Joe Cullen is highest in the Order of Merit of the unseeded players, and for good reason. The Rockstar is slowly but surely building on his incredible potential. All that's missing is a truly inspiring cup run. He's Gareth Southgate's England, essentially. If Cullen unlocks his vast reserves of talent, and crucially keeps some consistency, then it's coming home. Price better watch out.
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- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- 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