Michael van Gerwen, Michael Smith, Gerwyn Price and Dimitri van den Bergh are among the big names to have fallen so far at the World Matchplay and Peter Wright has joined them.
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Albeit not as clinical as his win over Raymond van Barneveld, Ryan Searle was in superb form again as 'Heavy Metal' claimed an 11-8 win over 'Snakebite'.
He is now through to the Quarter-Finals with a 95 average, six 180's and two ton plus checkouts.
He led 3-2 early on with a 98.4 average and two maximums and stretched his lead from there. It went to 5-2 starting to up his average towards 101 and pinned a 77 checkout to hold.
Wright aimed for flair with an 80 checkout using two double 20's to make it 3-5 but Searle always maintained a cushion. Even at the next interval with Wright making it 4-6.
He returned to make it 8-4 with a 107 checkout but a pivotal moment came amid a mini Wright revival as Wright squandered three darts at double 16 and Searle went one away.
Wright prolonged the tie but Searle sealed it next leg with a 112 checkout for a showstopping end.
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Where can I watch the World Matchplay on TV?
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 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.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
SEARLE BLOWS THE MATCHPLAY WIDE OPEN!! 🤘
It's a huge win for Ryan Searle as he beats Peter Wright 11-8, sealed with a 112 finish to reach the Quarter-Finals!
We will have a new name on the trophy as Wright crashes out!
📺 bit.ly/WM23Live | #WMDarts R2