Nathan Aspinall wins the World Matchplay (Picture: PDC/Taylor Lanning)
Nathan Aspinall wins the World Matchplay (Picture: PDC/Taylor Lanning)

World Matchplay Darts 2023: Draw, schedule, results, betting odds and Sky TV coverage details


The full draw, schedule and results from the 2023 Betfred World Matchplay, which takes place at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool from July 15-23.

The 30th edition of the PDC's second-longest running major, which was first staged in 1994 darts event of the summer, is over as Nathan Aspinall became the 12th different player to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy.

Here, you can follow the event unfold with the results and daily round-ups while there's also details on stats, how the players qualified, prize money and a history section.

World Matchplay Darts 2023: Draw and tournament bracket

FINAL

  • (9) Nathan Aspinall 18-6 Jonny Clayton (7)

CLICK HERE FOR FINAL REPORT

SEMI-FINALS

  • (9) Nathan Aspinall 17-9 Joe Cullen (13)
  • (7) Jonny Clayton 17-15 Luke Humphries (6)

QUARTER-FINALS

  • Chris Dobey 12-16 Nathan Aspinall (9)
  • (13) Joe Cullen 16-11 Daryl Gurney
  • (15) Ryan Searle 12-16 Jonny Clayton (7)
  • (14) Damon Heta 13-16 Luke Humphries (6)

ROUND TWO

  • (1) Michael Smith 7-11 Chris Dobey
  • (8) Danny Noppert 9-11 Nathan Aspinall (9)
  • (4) Gerwyn Price 11-13 Joe Cullen (13)
  • Daryl Gurney 11-4 Gary Anderson
  • (2) Peter Wright 8-11 Ryan Searle (15)
  • (7) Jonny Clayton 11-6 Dimitri Van den Bergh (10)
  • Brendan Dolan 1-11 Damon Heta (14)
  • (6) Luke Humphries 14-12 Dirk van Duijvenbode (11)

ROUND ONE

  • (1) Michael Smith 10-2 Steve Beaton
  • (16) James Wade 8-10 Chris Dobey
  • (8) Danny Noppert 10-8 Martin Schindler
  • (9) Nathan Aspinall 10-7 Krzysztof Ratajski
  • (4) Gerwyn Price 10-3 Stephen Bunting
  • (13) Joe Cullen 10-7 Mike De Decker
  • (5) Rob Cross 10-12 Daryl Gurney
  • (12) Dave Chisnall 6-10 Gary Anderson
  • (2) Peter Wright 10-4 Andrew Gilding
  • (15) Ryan Searle 10-4 Raymond van Barneveld
  • (7) Jonny Clayton 10-8 Gabriel Clemens
  • (10) Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-8 Ross Smith
  • (3) Michael van Gerwen 7-10 Brendan Dolan
  • (14) Damon Heta 10-5 Josh Rock
  • (6) Luke Humphries 10-2 Jose de Sousa
  • (11) Dirk van Duijvenbode 12-10 Kim Huybrechts
WHO'S HIT MOST NINE-DART FINISHES?

World Matchplay Darts: Daily Schedule

  • Click here for Sky Bet odds
  • * Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death

Saturday July 15 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Joe Cullen 10-7 Mike De Decker
  • Rob Cross 10-12 Daryl Gurney
  • Gerwyn Price 10-3 Stephen Bunting
  • Dave Chisnall 6-10 Gary Anderson

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Sunday July 16
Afternoon Session (1300 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Danny Noppert 10-8 Martin Schindler
  • Dirk van Duijvenbode 12-10 Kim Huybrechts
  • Damon Heta 10-5 Josh Rock
  • James Wade 8-10 Chris Dobey

Evening Session (1930 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Nathan Aspinall 10-7 Krzysztof Ratajski
  • Luke Humphries 10-2 Jose de Sousa
  • Michael van Gerwen 7-10 Brendan Dolan
  • Michael Smith 10-2 Steve Beaton

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Monday July 17 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-8 Ross Smith
  • Ryan Searle 10-4 Raymond van Barneveld
  • Peter Wright 10-4 Andrew Gilding
  • Jonny Clayton 10-8 Gabriel Clemens

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Tuesday July 18 (1900 BST)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Daryl Gurney 11-4 Gary Anderson
  • Danny Noppert 8-11 Nathan Aspinall
  • Gerwyn Price 11-13 Joe Cullen
  • Michael Smith 7-11 Chris Dobey

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Wednesday July 19 (1900 BST)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Brendan Dolan 1-11 Damon Heta
  • Jonny Clayton 11-6 Dimitri Van den Bergh
  • Peter Wright 8-11 Ryan Searle
  • Luke Humphries 14-12 Dirk Van Duijvenbode

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

TOP FIVE MAJOR DARTS CHAMPIONS

Thursday July 20 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Joe Cullen 16-11 Daryl Gurney
  • Chris Dobey 12-16 Nathan Aspinall

CLICK HERE FOR FULL REPORT

Friday July 21 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Saturday July 22 (1900 BST)
Semi-Finals (best of 33 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

Sunday July 23 (2030 BST)
Final (best of 35 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports

  • Nathan Aspinall 18-6 Jonny Clayton

CLICK HERE FOR FINAL REPORT

Sky Bet's World Matchplay Pre-Tournament Odds

  • 4/1 Michael Smith
  • 9/2 Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen
  • 14/1 Luke Humphries
  • 16/1 Peter Wright
  • 20/1 Josh Rock, Jonny Clayton
  • 25/1 Dirk van Duijvenbode, Nathan Aspinall, Dave Chisnall, Gary Anderson, Rob Cross
  • 28/1 Dimitri van den Bergh
  • 40/1 Danny Noppert
  • 50/1 Damon Heta, Joe Cullen, James Wade, Ross Smith, Chris Dobey
  • 66/1 Ryan Searle, Krzysztof Ratajski
  • 80/1 Martin Schindler
  • 100/1 Raymond van Barneveld, Gabriel Clemens
  • 125/1 Daryl Gurney, Stephen Bunting, Andrew Gilding, Mike de Decker
  • 150/1 Jose de Sousa
  • 250/1 Brendan Dolan, Kim Huybrechts, Steve Beaton

Click here for a full list of Sky Bet's odds

Where can I watch the World Matchplay on television?

The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).

Can I still buy tickets for the World Matchplay?

Standard tickets for the 2023 Betfred World Matchplay are now sold out. If you'd like to be at this year's event, please only book through our official Hospitality and Travel partners (below).

Click here to purchase tickets

World Matchplay Format

  • First Round - Best of 19 legs
  • Second Round - Best of 21 legs
  • Quarter-Finals - Best of 31 legs
  • Semi-Finals - Best of 33 legs
  • Final - Best of 35 legs

The World Matchplay is played in a legs format. Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death. For example, should a First Round game (best of 19 legs) reach 12-12, then the 25th leg would be the final and deciding leg.

Prize Fund

  • Winner - £150,000
  • Runner-Up - £70,000
  • Semi-Finalists - £50,000
  • Quarter-Finalists - £25,000
  • Second Round Losers - £15,000
  • First Round Losers - £10,000
  • Total - £700,000

How the players qualified

SEEDS

  1. Michael Smith
  2. Peter Wright
  3. Michael van Gerwen
  4. Gerwyn Price
  5. Rob Cross
  6. Luke Humphries
  7. Jonny Clayton
  8. Danny Noppert
  9. Nathan Aspinall
  10. 10 Dimitri Van den Bergh
  11. Dirk van Duijvenbode
  12. Dave Chisnall
  13. Joe Cullen
  14. Damon Heta
  15. Ryan Searle
  16. James Wade

UNSEEDED PLAYERS

The unseeded players are the top 16 on the one-year ProTour Order of Merit who hadn't already qualified via the above list.

  • Josh Rock
  • Martin Schindler
  • Ross Smith
  • Krzysztof Ratajski
  • Jose de Sousa
  • Andrew Gilding
  • Gary Anderson
  • Stephen Bunting
  • Gabriel Clemens
  • Chris Dobey
  • Raymond van Barneveld
  • Daryl Gurney
  • Mike De Decker
  • Steve Beaton
  • Brendan Dolan
  • Kim Huybrechts

World Matchplay History

Since the World Matchplay was first held back in 1994, when Larry Butler beat Dennis Priestley, there has only been 11 different winners of this PDC major.

Unsurprisingly the most dominant player in its 28-year history is Phil Taylor with 16 titles - the last of which coming on his farewell appearance in 2017 - while Michael van Gerwen and Rod Harrington are the only other players to have lifted the trophy more than once.

The Power hit the first ever nine-dart finish to be broadcast live on UK television during the 2002 World Matchplay while he repeated the feat during the 2014 edition on his way to a seventh-straight Blackpool title.

The previous year he'd managed an astonishing three-dart average of 111.23 during his final victory over Adrian Lewis.

Taylor's seven-year winning streak from 2008 to 2014 was ended in 2015 when Michael van Gerwen emerged triumphed with a 18-12 victory over James Wade before winning it again 12 months later.

The Dutchman was favourite to defend his crown for a third time but Taylor had other ideas as he knocked him out en route to winning an emotional 16th title before his retirement.

The final of 2018 ended up being one of the most dramatic in the tournament's history, with Gary Anderson clinching the title for the first time thanks to a 21-18 victory over Mensur Suljovic having earlier hit a nine-dart finish against Joe Cullen.

Rob Cross, Dimitri Van den Bergh and Peter Wright are the other recent players to get their names on the trophy.

Past Finals

Final scores in legs

World Matchplay Most Titles

  • Phil Taylor - 16
  • Michael van Gerwen - 3
  • Rod Harrington - 2
  • Peter Wright - 1
  • Dimitri Van den Bergh - 1
  • Rob Cross - 1
  • Gary Anderson - 1
  • Larry Butler - 1
  • Peter Evison - 1
  • Colin Lloyd - 1
  • James Wade - 1

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