World Matchplay (darts)
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| File:BlackpoolWinGar.JPG | |
| Founded | 1994 |
|---|---|
| First season | 1994 |
| Country | England |
| Venue(s) | Winter Gardens (1994–2019, 2021–) Marshall Arena (2020) |
| Most recent champion(s) | England Luke Humphries (2024) |
| Tournament format | Legs |
The World Matchplay, also known as the Betfred World Matchplay for sponsorship purposes,[1] is a professional darts tournament and one of three legs of the Triple Crown. It is played in a legs format, and is run by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). Luke Humphries is the current champion after winning the 2024 edition.
History
The World Matchplay has been played annually since 1994 in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool. The first ever winner was Larry Butler, who beat Dennis Priestley 16–12, and the current holder is Luke Humphries. The 1995 World Matchplay turned out to be Jocky Wilson's last appearance in a major televised event. Wilson had reached the quarter-finals of the inaugural tournament in 1994 and he beat Rod Harrington in the 1st round in 1995, but a 2nd round defeat against Nigel Justice was effectively the end of his career. From 1994 to 2012, matches at the World Matchplay had to be won by two clear legs. For example, the first round was usually played over the first to 10 legs, but if the score reached 9–9, play continued until either player gained a two-leg lead. Starting with the 2013 World Matchplay, if a two leg-lead hadn't been established after six extra legs, then a sudden death leg is played, so sudden death would come into play in a first round match at 12–12.[2] Over the course of the tournament's 31-year existence, there have been thirteen different winners: Phil Taylor (16), Michael van Gerwen (3), Rod Harrington (2), Gary Anderson (1), Nathan Aspinall (1), Larry Butler (1), Rob Cross (1), Peter Evison (1), Luke Humphries (1), Colin Lloyd (1), Dimitri Van den Bergh (1), James Wade (1) and Peter Wright (1). Dennis Priestley was also runner-up for three consecutive years. From 2018 onwards, the World Matchplay champion will receive the Phil Taylor Trophy, as was announced by the PDC following the retirement of the sixteen-time winner of the tournament.[3] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, the 2020 World Matchplay was held at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, behind closed doors.[4]
World Matchplay finals
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Records and statistics
- As of 21 July 2024.
Total finalist appearances
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- Active players are shown in bold
- Only players who reached the final are included
- In the event of identical records, players are sorted in alphabetical order by family name
Champions by country
| Country | Players | Total | First title | Last title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Flag of England.svg England | 8 | 24 | 1995 | 2024 |
| File:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands | 1 | 3 | 2015 | 2022 |
| File:Flag of the United States.svg USA | 1 | 1 | 1994 | 1994 |
| File:Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland | 2 | 2 | 2018 | 2021 |
| File:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium | 1 | 1 | 2020 | 2020 |
Nine-dart finishes
Nine nine-dart finishes have been thrown at the World Matchplay. The first one was in 2002, when Phil Taylor hit the first live 9-darter in UK television history.
| Player | Year (+ Round) | Method | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England Phil Taylor | 2002, Quarter-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | England Chris Mason | Won |
| Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld | 2010, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | England Denis Ovens | Won |
| Canada John Part | 2011, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Wales Mark Webster | Lost |
| Netherlands Michael van Gerwen | 2012, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | England Steve Beaton | Won |
| England Wes Newton | 2012, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 | England Justin Pipe | Lost |
| England Phil Taylor | 2014, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 | England Michael Smith | Won |
| Scotland Gary Anderson | 2018, Quarter-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | England Joe Cullen | Won |
| Wales Gerwyn Price | 2022, Semi-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 | Netherlands Danny Noppert | Won |
| Belgium Dimitri Van den Bergh | 2024, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 | Germany Martin Schindler | Won |
Tournament records
- Longest match in Matchplay history
- The 2018 final went to 40 legs as a result of the format of "2 clear legs".
- Longest unbeaten run
- Phil Taylor from 2008 to 2015: Won 38 matches in a row. Taylor only lost eight matches in the history of the event:
- 1994 Bob Anderson 9–11 (tiebreak, second round)
- 1996 Peter Evison 1–8 (second round)
- 1998 Ronnie Baxter 10–13 (quarter-finals)
- 1999 Peter Manley 14–17 (semi-finals)
- 2005 John Part 11–16 (quarter-finals)
- 2007 Terry Jenkins 11–17 (semi-finals)
- 2015 James Wade 14–17 (semi-finals)
- 2016 Michael van Gerwen 10–18 (Final)
Averages
An average over 100 in a match in the PDC World Matchplay has been achieved 142 times, of which Phil Taylor is responsible for 62. In 2010, Phil Taylor became the first player to average over 100 in all five rounds of the tournament. He repeated this feat in 2011 and 2013. An average of over 105 in a match in the World Matchplay has been achieved 35 times, of which Phil Taylor is responsible for 24. The highest match average ever in the World Matchplay is 114.99 by Phil Taylor in his Last 32 victory over Barrie Bates in 2010. The highest match average ever in the World Matchplay Final is 111.23 by Phil Taylor against Adrian Lewis in 2013.
| Ten highest PDC World Matchplay one-match averages[5] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
| 114.99 | England Phil Taylor | 2010, Last 32 | Wales Barrie Bates | 10–6 |
| 113.43 | England Phil Taylor | 1997, Last 32 | Canada Gary Mawson | 8–0 |
| 112.17 | England Phil Taylor | 2002, Quarter-Final | England Chris Mason | 16–7 |
| 111.23 | England Phil Taylor | 2013, Final | England Adrian Lewis | 18–13 |
| 110.93 | Netherlands Michael van Gerwen | 2015, Last 16 | Wales Jamie Lewis | 13–2 |
| 110.51 | England Adrian Lewis | 2014, Last 32 | England Andrew Gilding | 10–0 |
| 110.37 | Scotland Peter Wright | 2021, Semi-Final | Netherlands Michael van Gerwen | 17–10 |
| 109.71 | England Phil Taylor | 2008, Last 16 | England Colin Osborne | 13–5 |
| 109.47 | England Phil Taylor | 2008, Final | England James Wade | 18–9 |
| 109.47 | England Phil Taylor | 2009, Last 16 | England Kevin Painter | 13–3 |
| Five highest losing averages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year (+ Round) | Opponent | Result |
| 105.92 | England Adrian Lewis | 2013, Final | England Phil Taylor | 13–18 |
| 105.68 | Scotland Gary Anderson | 2014, Semi-Final | England Phil Taylor | 15–17 |
| 105.17 | Scotland Gary Anderson | 2017, Last 16 | Northern Ireland Daryl Gurney | 9–11 |
| 104.57 | Scotland Peter Wright | 2019, Quarter-Final | Northern Ireland Daryl Gurney | 13–16 |
| 104.43 | Austria Mensur Suljović | 2018, Final | Scotland Gary Anderson | 19–21 |
| Different players with a 100+ match average (Updated 21/07/24) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Total | Highest Av. | Year (+ Round) |
| England Phil Taylor | 62 | 114.99 | 2010, Last 32 |
| Netherlands Michael van Gerwen | 20 | 110.93 | 2015, Last 16 |
| Scotland Peter Wright | 15 | 110.37 | 2021, Semi-Final |
| Scotland Gary Anderson | 11 | 106.06 | 2018, Semi-Final |
| England Adrian Lewis | 9 | 110.51 | 2014, Last 32 |
| England James Wade | 8 | 103.59 | 2015, Last 32 |
| England Luke Humphries | 7 | 108.76 | 2024, 1st Round |
| England Rob Cross | 7 | 106.99 | 2024, 2nd Round |
| Belgium Dimitri Van den Bergh | 6 | 103.68 | 2021, Last 16 |
| Wales Gerwyn Price | 4 | 104.64 | 2022, Quarter-Final |
| England Michael Smith | 4 | 102.08 | 2024, 1st Round |
| England Ryan Searle | 3 | 105.19 | 2023, Last 32 |
| Northern Ireland Daryl Gurney | 3 | 104.43 | 2023, Last 16 |
| Netherlands Raymond van Barneveld | 3 | 103.86 | 2010, Last 16 |
| England Mervyn King | 3 | 101.06 | 2014, Last 32 |
| Poland Krzysztof Ratajski | 2 | 107.53 | 2020, Last 32 |
| England Glen Durrant | 2 | 106.93 | 2020, Last 32 |
| Austria Mensur Suljović | 2 | 104.43 | 2018, Final |
| England Peter Evison | 2 | 103.77 | 1996, Last 16 |
| England Ian White | 2 | 103.51 | 2015, Last 32 |
| England Dave Chisnall | 2 | 103.02 | 2018, Last 16 |
| England Stephen Bunting | 2 | 102.48 | 2016, Last 32 |
| Netherlands Danny Noppert | 2 | 102.36 | 2022, Last 16 |
| Wales Jonny Clayton | 2 | 101.90 | 2023, Last 16 |
| England Steve Beaton | 2 | 100.98 | 2011, Last 32 |
| England Joe Cullen | 2 | 100.67 | 2023, Last 32 |
| Netherlands Dirk van Duijvenbode | 1 | 103.61 | 2022, Last 32 |
| Portugal José de Sousa | 1 | 103.26 | 2022, Last 16 |
| Netherlands Jeffrey de Zwaan | 1 | 103.22 | 2018, Quarter-Final |
| England Nathan Aspinall | 1 | 102.96 | 2019, Last 32 |
| England Colin Lloyd | 1 | 102.57 | 2005, Last 16 |
| England Shayne Burgess | 1 | 102.03 | 1999, Last 16 |
| England Andy Hamilton | 1 | 101.88 | 2006, Semi-Final |
| England Alan Warriner-Little | 1 | 101.55 | 1997, Quarter-Final |
| Scotland John Henderson | 1 | 101.33 | 2019, Last 32 |
| Spain Cristo Reyes | 1 | 101.29 | 2017, Last 32 |
| England Rod Harrington | 1 | 101.22 | 1997, Last 32 |
| England Jamie Hughes | 1 | 101.13 | 2020, Last 32 |
| England Kevin Painter | 1 | 101.01 | 2009, Last 32 |
| Australia Damon Heta | 1 | 100.93 | 2024, 1st Round |
| England Luke Littler | 1 | 100.83 | 2024, 1st Round |
| Netherlands Gian van Veen | 1 | 100.81 | 2024, 1st Round |
| Germany Ricardo Pietreczko | 1 | 100.74 | 2024, 1st Round |
| England Mark Walsh | 1 | 100.41 | 2008, Last 32 |
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| Five highest tournament averages | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average | Player | Year | ||
| 106.31 | England Phil Taylor | 2010 | ||
| 105.81 | England Phil Taylor | 2013 | ||
| 105.73 | England Phil Taylor | 2009 | ||
| 105.50 | England Phil Taylor | 2011 | ||
| 104.82 | England Phil Taylor | 2008 | ||
Format
From the beginning of the tournament in 1994, the World Matchplay has always been a legs only event. The length of matches for each round has changed several times over the years, as shown below.
1994
- First Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Second Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Quarter Finals: First to 11 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Semi Finals: First to 11 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Final: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
1995–1996
- First Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Second Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Quarter Finals: First to 11 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Semi Finals: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Final: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
1997
- Preliminary Round: First to 6 legs (no tiebreak; sudden death leg at 5–5)
- First Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Second Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Quarter Finals: First to 11 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Semi Finals: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Final: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
1998
- First Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Second Round: First to 8 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Quarter Finals: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Semi Finals: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Final: First to 18 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
1999–2012
- First Round: First to 10 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Second Round: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Quarter Finals: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Semi Finals: First to 17 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
- Final: First to 18 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs)
2013–2015
- First Round: First to 10 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 12–12)
- Second Round: First to 13 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 15–15)
- Quarter Finals: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 18–18)
- Semi Finals: First to 17 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 19–19)
- Final: First to 18 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 20–20)
2016–present
- First Round: First to 10 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 12–12)
- Second Round: First to 11 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 13–13)
- Quarter Finals: First to 16 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 18–18)
- Semi Finals: First to 17 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 19–19)
- Final: First to 18 legs (match must be won by 2 clear legs; sudden death leg at 20–20)
Media coverage
The World Matchplay has been broadcast in the UK by Sky Sports since the first tournament.[6]
Sponsors
There have been seven different sponsors for the World Matchplay:
| Sponsor | Years |
|---|---|
| Proton Cars | 1994 |
| Webster's | 1995–1997 |
| No sponsor | 1998–1999 |
| Stan James | 2000–2010 |
| Skybet | 2011 |
| Betfair | 2012 |
| BetVictor[1] | 2013–2018 |
| Betfred | 2019– |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "BetVictor To Sponsor World Matchplay". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ↑ "News | PDC". pdc.tv. Archived from the original on 23 June 2013.
- ↑ "Taylor Receives World Matchplay Honour". PDC.
- ↑ Phillips, Josh. "Betfred World Matchplay to take place behind closed doors". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ↑ dartsdatabase.co.uk; best winning averages
- ↑ "PDC & Sky Sports Extend Partnership". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 28 July 2013.