Michael van Gerwen is gone from the World Matchplay and the same can now be said for Gerwyn Price who was dumped out on Tuesday night in a Winter Gardens epic against Joe Cullen.
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Cullen sealed it 13-11 over last year's finalist coming from 10-8 down to claim it in a dramatic tie-break. Michael Smith will aim not to be the next to be dumped out next up as he now assumes the favorite mantle outright.
Cullen stretched his lead early on to put Price into trouble going 4-1 up at the first interval. But as ever with 'The Iceman' being a slow starter, he grew into the tie.
He went 5-3 down and after Cullen missed one at the bull, Price broke on 90 for 5-4 down.
Cullen though continued to keep him at arms length going 8-5 up after Price had hit a 116 checkout to make it 6-5.
But Price again reversed it, this time leading with an 88 checkout at 9-8 and he went one away suddenly.
Cullen though showed supreme bottle and after Price missed one match dart at the bull, he hit the same target for 81 to make it 10-10 and force overtime.
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They exchanged legs with a 90 on the bull from Cullen and 100 with two double 20's from Price at 11-11 but Cullen cleaned up 74 to go one away before sealing the win with an epic 112 checkout after Price missed 74 himself.
The tournament will be broadcast in full on Sky Sports going between Action and Main Event.
From Saturday, July 15 through Wednesday, July 20, broadcasts will begin around 7 p.m. ET. In addition, on Sunday, July 16, there will be an afternoon session starting at 1 p.m. After the second round, the starting time of the evening sessions moves up one hour.
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On Sunday afternoon, July 24, the second edition of the Women's World Matchplay is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm. Here, eight ladies will compete for the title at the most important women's tournament in the PDC.
How much prize money can be earned at the World Matchplay
After the World Darts Championship, the World Matchplay is the ranking tournament with the largest prize pool at the PDC. A total of 800,000 pounds of prize money is up for grabs at this event.
All 32 participants are guaranteed £10,000 in prize money. This could eventually add up to a check of as much as £200,000 for the darter who gets to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy on Sunday, July 23.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
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CULLEN BEATS PRICE IN A THRILLER! 🎸
A magical moment as Joe Cullen takes out 112 to win a tie-break against Gerwyn Price in a Winter Gardens classic!
📺 bit.ly/WM23Live | #WMDarts R2