Preview final World Matchplay 2024: Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen battle for title Sunday night

We started the 2024 World Matchplay with 32 players, but just over a week later only two of those remain. Sunday night Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen will decide who will run away with the title in Blackpool. Read our preview of the World Matchplay final here.

It is certainly on paper the dream final. It is the first time since 2014 that the world's number one and two will face each other in the World Matchplay final. Van Gerwen will not have fond memories of the last time, as he lost 18-9 to Phil Taylor then.

The final will be played over a format of best of 35 legs. Eighteen legs will have to be won to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy. However, this is subject to a difference of at least two legs at that point. If the score is 17-17 after 34 legs, then an extension will be started. If the score is still tied after six additional legs, a sudden-death leg will be played.

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There is only one man left who can hold off Luke Humphries from another major title. The reigning world champion began the tournament as the big favorite for the overall win, and for now "Cool Hand Luke" is more than living up to that status.

In the first round, he pulverized strong-playing rookie Ricardo Pietreczko 10-4 thanks to an average of 108.76. Then the reigning world champion added a second 100+ average in the second round. At the last sixteen, Stephen Bunting was defeated 11-7. In that match, Humphries averaged 102.34 points per turn.

In the last eight, Humphries struggled with Dimitri van den Bergh for a long time. 'The Dreammaker' did not let Humphries get into his rhythm and was able to keep up with the world number one for much of the match. However, Van den Bergh made the mistake in the 22nd leg when the score was 11-10 in the Englishman's favor by provoking Humphries. The Belgian made a gesture that did not please Humphries and that unleashed the fire in Humphries' body. 'Cool Hand Luke' threw out 106, served Van den Bergh of audience and did not surrender a leg after that. It was then 16-10 for Humphries. In the semifinal match, James Wade could not shake his compatriot either. 'The Machine' struggled considerably in the early stages, but Humphries eventually won the match comfortably 17-10.

The World Matchplay should be the next tournament Luke Humphries can start ticking off on his record. With a semifinal place in 2023, 'Cool Hand Luke' was already close to his final breakthrough last year. That finally came a few months later at the World Grand Prix, and then Humphries also won the Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and the World Darts Championship.

Can Van Gerwen use his experience in the final?

In the final, he will meet someone who has already won the World Matchplay three times. Van Gerwen took the title in 2015, 2016 and 2022, while he thus lost in the final in 2014. It will already be his fifth final in Blackpool for the Dutchman, experience that Van Gerwen can put to good use in Sunday night's final.

Van Gerwen has at least already gagged the betting shops. Van Gerwen was paired with Luke Littler in the draw. Along with Humphries, the teenage sensation was the big favorite to take the title. However, the Dutchman proved the bookies wrong by beating the 17-year-old Englishman 10-6. Moreover, Van Gerwen ended up playing another old-fashioned good match with an average of 102 and a finishing percentage of 43 percent.

In his second round against Joe Cullen, Van Gerwen was a lot more shaky, but he did show that his B-game is on the rise. The 35-year-old from Vlijmen was ahead 4-1 and 9-5 against Cullen, but for a moment the game seemed to slip out of his hands and Cullen returned to 10-8. At the key moment, however, Van Gerwen was there again and drew the match 11-8. In the quarterfinals against Andrew Gilding, 'Mighty Mike' played his worst match to date, but Gilding was still beaten 16-10. His semi-final match against Michael Smith again proved to be a struggle with the doubles, but in the end the victory went to Van Gerwen 17-13.

What do the statistics say?

At this tournament, Humhries is outperforming his upcoming Dutch opponent in all statistics. The Englishman's tournament average is 102.47, compared to 97.99 for Van Gerwen. The scoring average (first 9 average) is slightly closer: 111.63 versus 108.06.

Humphries made the difference mainly with finishing. 'Cool Hand Luke' needed only 122 darts on the dice to win his 54 legs at this tournament, representing a finishing percentage of 44.26 percent. Van Gerwen has had a little more trouble hitting the dimes, as he needed 159 attempts to win his legs already this tournament, or a finishing percentage of 33.96 percent.

In the head-to-head, the two world's top players are hardly any different these days. After their first sixteen duels, Van Gerwen had a 12-4 lead, but Humphries quickly caught up. Since then, the reigning world champion has lost only once to Van Gerwen, and today 'Mighty Mike' is only 13-12 ahead in the mutual balance.