On Saturday 21st July, the World Matchplay darts tournament got underway at the Winter
Gardens in Blackpool. It is the 25th year that the tournament has been run, all of them at the same venue, and it is a tournament that is widely regarded as the second most important in the darts schedule, behind only the World Championship.
Of course, that means that there is plenty of interest in who will win the tournament this year and plenty of punters will be itching to enjoy a bet on each game as well as the outright winner. Bet365 Sport offer a wide selection of betting on the tournament and once again, we have used their odds (correct at the time of writing) for any odds used in this article.
Before we examine some of the key players in with a chance of victory at the weekend, let’s first learn a little about the World Matchplay, why it differs from other golf tournaments and why it is such a key component of every dart professional’s season.
The World Matchplay in Focus
The first World Matchplay was contested back in 1994 and since the tournament began, it has been held at the same venue, the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The first tournament provided something of a shock with unheralded American player Larry Butler winning the title ahead of the clear favourite Dennis Priestley.
However, over the 25 years of the tournament one name has dominated at Blackpool. Phil Taylor won 16 World Matchplay titles over the years, his last coming just last year on the eve of his retirement from the game. He played in 17 finals in total and lost just eight matches at the venue since the tournament began. No player ever beat Taylor twice at the Winter Gardens. It is because of this that when Phil Taylor announced his retirement from the game last year, the PDC decided to name the World Matchplay trophy after him, calling it the Phil Taylor trophy.
Let’s take a look at the winners of the tournament since it began back in 1994.
World Matchplay Darts Winners
- 1994 – Larry Butler beat Dennis Priestley – 16-12
- 1995 – Phil Taylor beat Dennis Priestley – 16-11
- 1996 – Peter Evison beat Dennis Priestley – 16-14
- 1997 – Phil Taylor beat Alan Warriner – 16-11
- 1998 – Rod Harrington beat Ronnie Baxter – 19-17
- 1999 – Rod Harrington beat Peter Manley – 19-17
- 2000 – Phil Taylor beat Alan Warriner – 18-12
- 2001 – Phil Taylor beat Richie Burnett – 18-10
- 2002 – Phil Taylor beat John Part – 18-16
- 2003 – Phil Taylor beat Wayne Mardle – 18-12
- 2004 – Phil Taylor beat Mark Dudbridge – 18-8
- 2005 – Colin Lloyd beat John Part – 18-12
- 2006 – Phil Taylor beat James Wade – 18-11
- 2007 – James Wade beat Terry Jenkins – 18-7
- 2008 – Phil Taylor beat James Wade – 18-9
- 2009 – Phil Taylor beat Terry Jenkins – 18-4
- 2010 – Phil Taylor beat Raymond van Barneveld – 18-12
- 2011 – Phil Taylor beat James Wade – 18-8
- 2012 – Phil Taylor beat James Wade – 18-15
- 2013 – Phil Taylor beat Adrian Lewis – 18-13
- 2014 – Phil Taylor beat Michael van Gerwen – 18-9
- 2015 – Michael van Gerwen beat James Wade – 18-12
- 2016 – Michael van Gerwen beat Phil Taylor – 18-10
- 2017 – Phil Taylor beat Peter Wright – 18-8
Other World Matchplay Moments
Alongside these victories for players the tournament has also produced some moments that will be remembered throughout the history of darts. The first ever live televised nine-dart finish was landed by Phil Taylor at the tournament in 2002 and Taylor then repeated the feat once again in 2014. Four other players have also landed perfect legs over the years; Raymond van Barneveld, John Part, Wes Newton and Michael van Gerwen.
While Taylor has dominated final victories and appearances over the years a number of players have also made multiple appearances in the final. James Wade is the next most numerous in terms of final appearances, making six but winning just the one tournament. Michael van Gerwen has reached three finals, winning two, but Dennis Priestley suffered defeat on each one of his trio of final appearances.
Rod Harrington won both his final appearances, but other double-finalists have all lost their matches, Alan Warriner, John Part and Terry Jenkins.
Several of the top stars of today are yet to reach the final of the World Matchplay and that includes Gary Anderson, Rob Cross, Mensur Suljovic, Michael Smith, Daryl Gurney and Dave Chisnall. Furthermore, Adrian Lewis, Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright have made just one losing appearance in the final.
Who are the players to back at this year’s World Matchplay?
With Phil Taylor retiring and not back to defend the title he won last year, the stage seems set for Michael van Gerwen (8/11 with bet365) to claim what would be his fourth final appearance and third World Matchplay win. The Dutchman is the undoubted number 1 talent in darts, not only is he a heavy scorer and outstanding finisher, it is his relentless consistency that sees him perform at the very highest level week in week out. The World Number 1 has won 15 tournaments already this season and we think he is a solid bet to win his 16th in Blackpool.
If van Gerwen isn’t going to land the expected victory, then his most likely vanquisher will be Scottish ace Gary Anderson (7/1). In terms of pure darts talent, Anderson is perhaps the only match for van Gerwen on his day but Anderson does not match the Dutchman in terms of consistency. Anderson jas won one major this season, the UK Open, and has bounced back well from injury that blighted his early Premier League campaign. However, this is a tournament that has not been kind to him over the years and he’ll need to improve on two semifinal finishes in 2014 and 2016 if he wants to be the champion at Blackpool.
Other players to watch this weekend include the current World Champion Rob Cross (7/1) who defeated van Gerwen at the Worlds earlier in the season but who has struggled to beat him whenever the players have met since. Peter Wright (9/1) has a decent record against van Gerwen and is one of the few who would relish taking on the Dutchman, another being Raymond van Barneveld (33/1) who has a knack of raising his game against his compatriot.
For a decent outside bet though, take a look at Adrian Lewis (40/1). The former two-time World Champion had a dismal season last year but has worked hard on the floor to get his form back and is starting to show why he was expected to be Taylor’s eventual successor. He may well be worth an each-way bet if he gets a few favourable results going his way in the draw.
If you’re interested in coverage of darts including betting tips all year around, we recommend checking out BettingDarts.com – of course, we’ll continue to report on the biggest events here.
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