Schedule Sunday evening at World Matchplay 2024 including Peter Wright, Rob Cross & Joe Cullen

Although most eyes in England will be focused on the final of Euro 2024 as Gareth Southgate's team takes on Spain, there will still be high-level darts first. Because of the importance of the final, the schedule of play for the Sunday evening session at the World Matchplay has been brought forward.

Instead of the usual 19:00 start time, the evening session will now start at 16:30. In this way, the PDC hopes to be ready in time for the European Championship final. The fans in the Winter Gardens have also been thought of with the ban of football shirts being lifted and after the darts the European Championship final will be broadcast live on the big screens in the venue. The PDC will no doubt hope that the four matches will be over in time.

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Rob Cross v Gian van Veen

Gian van Veen's long-awaited debut at the World Matchplay opens the session. After an excellent year and a half on the Pro Tour, 'GVV The Giant' will experience his baptism of fire at the Winter Gardens. With wins over Stephen Bunting, Nathan Aspinall, Jonny Clayton, Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler, among others, van Veen has already won over a number of great players. Rob Cross has also been a victim of the talent of the 22-year-old Dutchman on more than one occasion. In the head-to-head it is 3-2 for Van Veen, who did lose the only meeting in 2024 so far.

For Cross, it is his eighth participation at the World Matchplay. 'Voltage' won the tournament in 2019, but otherwise has a poor record in Blackpool. Last year, as in 2020, he lost there in the first round, while in 2017, 2018, 2021 and 2022 the second round was the finish line. This year, Cross has a good chance to go far, as the Englishman has already shown several times to be in top form. The former world champion already won a Euro Tour tournament and a World Series title in 2024.

Joe Cullen v Brendan Dolan

A former World Matchplay semi-finalist, Joe Cullen has made the final of a Euro Tour tournament in April, but is otherwise having a very poor year. That time Cullen was in the Euro Tour final was also the only time in 2024 that Cullen got past the last sixteen at a PDC tournament. In fact, at nine of the 14 Players Championship tournaments, he was eliminated in the first round. It is the tenth time Cullen has competed in the World Matchplay. In recent years, the darter from Bradford, England, has been doing reasonably well. Last year he was a semifinalist, while in his last six participations, he lost only once in the first round.

It will also be his tenth appearance at the World Matchplay for Dolan. He has so far survived the first round four times and last year provided a huge shock by eliminating Michael van Gerwen in the first round. Earlier this year 'The History Maker' already showed good form by winning a Players Championship tournament.

Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding

Peter Wright, due to his form over the last 18 months, hasn't been credited with much chance of a good result at the 2024 World Matchplay. The Scot has been struggling with his form for a year and a half, but still shows at times what he can do. Perhaps Andrew Gilding can be the ideal opponent to build some confidence heading into the busy second half of the season for 'Snakebite'. It has also been 10 years since Wright failed to get past the first round at the World Matchplay, the tournament he managed to win in 2021.

For Gilding, it is the fifth time he may participate in Blackpool. After participating in 2014 and 2015, he made his comeback at this event in 2022. Last year, "Goldfinger" was also qualified. Only in 2015 however, did Gilding survive his first round. The Englishman already managed to beat Wright once this year on the stage of a Euro Tour tournament. That was one of his two victories over Wright, the other eight duels all went to 'Snakebite'.

Dave Chisnall v Krzysztof Ratajski

The evening will conclude with a duel between Dave Chisnall and Krzysztof Ratajski. For 'Chizzy' it will be the fourteenth time he has participated in this prestigious tournament. Between 2013 and 2018, he reached the quarter-finals five times in six editions, but since then Chisnall lost three times in the first round and twice in the second round.

Krzysztof Ratajski only lost his first match at the World Matchplay in 2023, a tournament that has previously proved successful for "The Polish Eagle. He made it to the second round on his debut in 2019, and improved his performance in the following years with a quarterfinal finish in 2020 and even a semifinal in 2021. In 2022, Ratajski again made it to the second round.

Schedule World Matchplay 2024

Sunday, July 14

Evening session (from 4:30 p.m.)

First round

Rob Cross v Gian van Veen

Joe Cullen v Brendan Dolan

Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding

Dave Chisnall v Krzysztof Ratajski