The Winter Gardens in Blackpool opens its doors to the darting world for the next week when the World Matchplay takes place as the stars of the sport take to the oche to compete in the second biggest ranking event of the year.
Michael van Gerwen enjoyed his week in Lancashire last year when he won the title against the odds and he will be looking to make a successful defence of the crown. Arguably the best field this event has ever had will look to dethrone him.
Recent Winners
2022 – Michael van Gerwen
2021 – Peter Wright
2020 – Dimitri Van den Bergh
2019 – Rob Cross
2018 – Gary Anderson
2017 – Phil Taylor
2016 – Michael van Gerwen
2015 – Michael van Gerwen
2014 – Phil Taylor
2013 – Phil Taylor
The Format
Much has changed in the world in recent times but the format of the World Matchplay hasn’t. The event begins with the first round over the best of 19 legs with the second round moving up to the best of 21 legs. The quarter finals take place over the best of 31 legs with the semi-finals the best of 33. The winner will then be determined on the second Sunday of the tournament in a best of 35 leg final. Each match in the tournament has to be won by two clear legs unless each player reach two beyond the scheduled winning number (12-12 in the first round, 13-13 in the second round etc). If that happens the next leg will be a deciding leg.
Top Quarter
Michael Smith has never won this title but the world champion is number one in the world and as such he is the top seed for a tournament which is pretty much on his doorstep. As a result of that he is in the top quarter of the draw. Smith might not have won this title before but James Wade has and he is one of the other three seeds in this section of the bracket. The other two have both won the UK Open in the past with Danny Noppert and Nathan Aspinall both heading to Blackpool dreaming of success.
There is no such thing as a weak unseeded player in this tournament because the qualifiers are taken from the money list this season but two standout in this part of the draw in Chris Dobey and Krzysztof Ratajski. Both have had good years and will be looking to translate that into the biggest title of their career. Martin Schindler has made it through to the tournament and this top quarter is completed by the veteran Steve Beaton who just about held on in the lead up to the event to secure his place in Blackpool.
Second Quarter
Gerwyn Price is another who is yet to get his hands on this title and the great players always want all of the top trophies on their cabinet so the Welsh player should be motivated to add this crown to the World Cup he won last month. He is the top seed in the second quarter with the former champion Rob Cross his potential quarter final opponent if the week goes to the rankings. Dave Chisnall has won on the European Tour stage this season and he is in here hoping to stop that from happening as is the former winner of The Masters in Joe Cullen.
This might be the pick of the quarters for the qualifiers because all four players are real stars. We have a former champion here in Blackpool in Gary Anderson who looks back to some of his best form this year. Stephen Bunting is another local player who will be motivated to go well in this tournament while Daryl Gurney has shown in the past that he can win big events and will look to remind everyone of what he can do here. Mike De Decker makes his debut in the draw but has had a very good first half of the year.
Third Quarter
The 2021 champion Peter Wright is under a bit of pressure this week as he is defending the money he won two years ago so he needs a big week to protect his ranking. He hasn’t been in great form this year but has a chance to remind everyone of his class from inside the third quarter. He is scheduled to meet Jonny Clayton in what would be a standout quarter final should this go with the rankings but plenty of darts are to be thrown before we get there and 2020 winner Dimitri Van den Bergh will be one of the seeds out to stop that from happening. He won this title behind closed doors during Covid and will be eyeing up a win in front of a crowd. Ryan Searle is the other seed.
This section is stacked in terms of the qualifiers that are in it. The UK Open champion Andrew Gilding is probably now the standout among them as he goes in search of a second TV title of the year. Raymond van Barneveld is no stranger to winning TV titles but he has never won this tournament and he’ll be looking to come out of this third quarter and launch a title bid this week. World Championship semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens and the European champion Ross Smith are the other two players in a tasty quarter.
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Bottom Quarter
The defending champion Michael van Gerwen is the star attraction in the bottom quarter of the draw. He has been up and down by his standards in 2023 but he has still made the final of the World Championship and won the Premier League so he is the player to beat. Luke Humphries won a Players Championship event earlier in the week and he could be a quarter final opponent for MVG if all goes to plan. Dirk van Duijvenbode is having a good year while Damon Heta is in good form coming in here and they are the other two seeds.
The qualifiers in this part of the draw are anything but shabby too. Josh Rock has been touted as one of the next big things in the sport for a while and he has the chance to show everyone why in this section this week. Jose de Sousa is a former TV title winner and he will be looking to get back into the big time this week having dropped out of the top 16 in the world rankings. The veteran pair of Brendan Dolan and Kim Huybrechts complete the draw.
Outright Betting
When I look at the betting market one man jumps out with the draw that he has and that is Jonny Clayton. I think he is in the section of the draw which is most likely to open up with Peter Wright a very vulnerable top seed in it and Dimitri Van den Bergh having questions to answer in front of a crowd in the big events while Ryan Searle is a little hit or miss in the top events too which should allow Clayton as comfortable a passage through as there is.
Admittedly the qualifiers in this section are very strong but in Gabriel Clemens, Clayton might have landed the weakest of them which is another bonus. You can back the Welsh star at 20/1 on the best prices but the sponsors Betfred have got a market to four places which means we can get a pay out before we might have to run in to Michael van Gerwen. Clayton has won a Players Championship event and a European Tour event this season. I can only assume his price here is because his record in this event is terrible but in a part of the draw that could open up I very much like him here.
Quarter Betting
I can’t find anyone to oppose Michael van Gerwen with at a price that I like in the bottom quarter but I do have a couple of value bets in the top two quarters. In the first quarter James Wade looks to be a favourable alternative to Michael Smith. Smith has never won this tournament before and although he looked good at times in the recent European Tour event and in Poland, he is playing with new bats which makes me think he is beatable. Wade made the semi-final of that last European Tour event where he went down averaging nearly 110 in that match. He also reached the last eight in a Players Championship event earlier in the week where the eventual winner Damon Heta took care of him. Wade loves Blackpool and looks to be heading there in excellent form. The 10/1 on him has plenty of juice if he can get rid of Smith in the second round.
In the second quarter there is a lot to like about Gerwyn Price obviously but he has never won this tournament and it might be worth taking a chance on the former winner Rob Cross to come through. Cross has already reached the final of The Masters and the quarter final of the UK Open this season Within the last two months Cross has won a Players Championship event and a European Tour tournament so he carries a fair bit of form into this tournament with him. Cross has an awkward draw but we often see it open up in this event and if it does I think Cross is placed as well as anyone to take advantage.
Tips
Back J.Clayton to win World Matchplay (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 19.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-4)
Back J.Wade to win 1st Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 11.00 with Boylesports
Back him here:
Back R.Cross to win 2nd Quarter for a 1/10 stake at 8.50 with BetVictor
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