The world's top darts players have gathered in Blackpool, where the 30th edition of the World Matchplay kicks off Saturday night.
The prestigious tournament at the Winter Gardens is also described by darts followers as the summer World Championship. In terms of attention, the World Matchplay cannot match the status of the World Darts Championship, but the Winter Gardens is possibly even more beloved by players and fans than Alexandra Palace, while the prize pool is also pretty well filled during this major tournament.
We begin the tournament with one of the two debutants at the World Matchplay. Mike de Decker has the honor of being the first player to walk to the stage. The Belgian will take on Joe Cullen, the number thirteen seed.
De Decker owes his qualification to his strong performance on the Pro Tour in recent months, including a final and a semi-final place. He also met Cullen last week on the Players Championship circuit. Then 'The Rockstar' won 6-3. Cullen leads 3-1 and suffered his only defeat against Decker in 2020.
The second duel is an interesting one between former World Matchplay champion Rob Cross and two-time major-winner Daryl Gurney. When Cross managed to win the 2019 World Matchplay, he scored a memorable victory over Gurney in the semifinals. Gurney was ahead as much as 14-7, but Cross won 17-15 thanks to a huge comeback and would thus later take the title in Blackpool.
Gerwyn Price is the first major favorite in action at this tournament. 'The Iceman' will lock horns with former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting. This match was also scheduled during the 2019 edition and again we saw a comeback. Price was ahead 4-1 in this match and led almost the entire match, but after extension the victory went 13-12 to 'The Bullet'.
The first-round cracker is also scheduled for opening night. This one is between Dave Chisnall and the revived Gary Anderson. The latter seemed written off after a disappointing World Championship, but is having a strong season with three Pro Tour finals already. Chisnall also posted good results this year, winning two Euro Tour titles.
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.
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 at the PDC.
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.
Saturday, July 15 (from 7 p.m.)
First round
Joe Cullen v Mike De Decker
Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
Gerwyn Price v Stephen Bunting
Dave Chisnall v Gary Anderson
The draw for the 2023 World Matchplay has been made and the number one seeded World Champion Michael Smith will face Steve Beaton in the first round. However the outstanding tie is without a shadow of a doubt: Dave Chisnall versus Gary Anderson. #Darts I #WorldMatchplay I #WM23
