Darts: PDC Blackpool World Matchplay

Darts PDC: Blackpool World Matchplay

On Saturday 21^st July it’s time for the 2018 World Matchplay held in Blackpool. The schedule of play has now been full confirmed and we have a fantastic opening night to look forward to – with the battle of the Dutch men: Michael van Gerwen and Jeffrey de Zwaan.

The massive event will be held in Blackpool’s world famous Winter Gardens; it will be host to 32 of the world’s top players all competing live for the trophy that has been newly retitled the ‘Phil Taylor Trophy’ in honour of the most successful competitor of the history of the tournament.

The first round of the Word Matchplay will be held over three consecutive days, starting on the 21^st July, then with a double session on 22^nd July, followed by the final session on the 23^rd July. The opening night is set to launch the tournament with a bang.

The very first match of the entire tournament will see Adrian Lewis, a former finalist, go head to head with James Wilson. This will then be followed by the very impressive Dave Chisnall, a four-time quarter finalist, face off against Keegan Brown. However, the match that everyone will be waiting to see will be between the World Number One, Van Gerwen, against Blackpool’s first timer, De Zwaan. This will be a real case of firm favourite against the underdog – so if you fancy trying out different darts betting strategies, aside from match winner, this is a great match to experiment with. This match will be followed by Jonny Clayton, another first timer, competing against the 2018 Premier League finalist, Michael Smith.

Sunday’s Double Trouble and Funday Monday

If you can bear the excitement after a heavy Saturday night’s darts session, then you’re in for a double treat on Sunday. The afternoon session will start off with the 2017 World Grand Prix champion, Daryl Gurney, taking on Steve West. This is followed by the second session, the evening session, which kicks off with the current World Champion, Rob Cross, take on Gary Anderson, a two-time World Champion.

Then we have Monday – the final day of the first round matches. This day will feature exciting pairings such as Peter Wright – last year’s runner up, who’ll be looking to go one better this year, against Jelle Klaasen. There’ll also be an exciting match between former champion, James Wade and Jermain Wattimena.

The Winners

When the first rounds are over, the tournament really starts taking off. On Tuesday, round 2 of the tournament will begin, which will see the 16 winners competing to make it to the final 8. The second round matches will be played across the Monday and Tuesday evenings. Here, the players from the top half of the draw will have their second matches on Tuesday, whilst those at the bottom half of the draw will play again on Wednesday.

The remaining 8 will then go straight through to the quarter finals, which will be played on Thursday and Friday, the semi-finals will be on the Saturday, and the eagerly anticipated grand finale will be held on Sunday 29^th July.

So, what should you expect to get if you’re a tournament winner? Well, there’s a pretty impressive £500,000 prize pool this year, with £115,000 that will go straight to the outright winner. As well as this, any player that manages a 9-dart finish will be rewarded with a very generous £45,000 bonus.

Van Germen is the clear favourite to win, with odds of 8/11 being offered by Ladbrokes. This is closely followed by Anderson and Cross, who are second favourites with odds of 7/1 each from Coral. Wright comes in as fourth favourite with odds of 10/1 at 888sport.

World Matchplay Full Schedule

Round 1 – Saturday

Round 1 – Sunday Afternoon

Round 1 – Sunday Evening

Round 1 – Monday

Round 2 – Tuesday

Round 2 – Wednesday

Quarter-Finals – Thursday

Quarter-Finals – Friday

Semi-Finals – Saturday

Final – Sunday