The PDC World Matchplay celebrates its 20th anniversary at Winter Gardens in Blackpool and Sky Sports will be at the oche to show live matches throughout the week-long event.
Widely regarded as the second most prestigious tournament on the PDC circuit behind the World Championship, the BetVictor World Matchplay features 32 of the world’s finest players battling for a total prize fund totalling £400,000, with the winner receiving a cheque for a cool £100,000.
Last year, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor lifted his 13th Matchplay title after the world number one beat James Wade in a thrilling final.
Wade had fought back 15-11 down to move within a leg of Taylor, but the 14-time world champion held his nerve to close out the match.
The Power will be back to defend his title but, with the likes of the high-flying Michael van Gerwen, who defeated Taylor to win the 2013 Premier League Darts crown, eyeing the trophy, he could be facing an uphill battle.
Dutchman van Gerwen is the bookmakers’ favourite to lift the trophy, despite the 24-year old’s best finish to date at the tournament being a quarter-final defeat to James Wade last year.
Since then, his game has gone from strength to strength. He won the World Grand Prix last October, which was then followed by a defeat in the final of the World Championship to Phil Taylor.
This year has shown further improvement by winning the Premier League along with several other events on the PDC Pro Tour.
One player who can consider himself in the frame for the title is former two-time world champion Adrian Lewis.
The current world number three’s form has been in the doldrums in the past year or so, but shot back to form with a win in the recent European Championship in Germany at the beginning of the month, which included a victory over van Gerwen along the way.
Other big name stars from the PDC circuit, including Raymond van Barneveld, Simon Whitlock, James Wade, Mervyn King and Andy Hamilton will also fancy their chances of securing the prestigious title.
The World Matchplay is contested over five rounds and challenges players to hold their nerve during some tense contests.
The opening round pits throwers in best-of-nineteen-leg matches, with the length gradually increasing until the best-of-35-leg final.
In a change to previous years, if a contest had not been decided within the specified number of legs, the duel would continue until one player had gained a two-leg lead.
In 2013, however, any match that is tied at the end of regulation play will continue for five extra legs.
Should neither player have gained a two-leg lead by that stage, a deciding round will take place.
There will also be no ‘bull-off ’ to decide which player throws first, meaning the match will continue in the current order of play.
This will give some added zest to those closer ties and make the pre-match bull-off even more important.
Darts generates one of the most electric atmospheres in sport and Sky Sports viewers will feel all of that energy as the arrows are thrown in Blackpool for the 20th staging of the World Matchplay.
Dave Clark will introduce Sky Sports’ live coverage across all nine days from Blackpool, with commentary from Rod Studd, Stuart Pyke, Wayne Mardle, Rod Harrington and Eric Bristow
Calling his last tournament for Sky Sports in Blackpool will be the popular voice of John Gwynne, who decided earlier this year to retire from darts commentary after the World Matchplay.
Gwynne has been a integral part of the Sky Sports darts team since its inception following the formation of the World Darts Council (later Professional Darts Corporation) in 1994.
During his two decade stint, he formed memorable and long-standing partnerships in the commentary box with Dave Lanning, who retired in 2010, as well as the ‘voice of darts’ Sid Waddell.
In a statement earlier this year, Gwynne said: “I have decided to end my near-20 year association with Sky Sports as a darts commentator at the end of the World Matchplay in July.
“I have agreed with head producer, Rory Hopkins, to finish in Blackpool on July 28. I will have done 20 World Championships and 20 World Matchplays.”
“I am greatly indebted to Sky for giving me two decades of bliss; I feel privileged to have been a part of one of it’s greatest successes.
“I will walk away with no regrets, with an abundance of happy memories and having made many, many friends.”
A special programme looking back at ’20 Years of Blackpool Darts’ will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the build-up to the tournament.
All of Sky Sports’ live coverage will be available to watch for subscribers via Sky Go on PCs, mobiles, laptops and tablet devices.
The Sky Sports darts website will feature all the latest news, interviews and features from Blackpool throughout the week.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE DRAW/SCHEDULE LIVE SCORING
Format
Round 1 – Best of 19 legs Round 2 – Best of 25 legs Quarter Finals – Best of 31 legs Semi Finals – Best of 33 legs Final – Best of 35 legsIn the previous stagings of the event all matches had to be won by two clear legs with no sudden-death legs.
However, in a change for 2013, matches will now only proceed for a maximum of five extra legs before a tie-break leg is required.
For example, in a best of 19 legs first round match, if the score reaches 12–12 then the 25th leg will be the decider.
James Wade 10-8 John Part
Simon Whitlock 10-8 Jelle Klassen
Kim Huybrechts 4-10 Peter Wright
Brendan Dolan 10-8 Steve Beaton Evening Session | Round 1 LIVE: 7.00pm-11.00pm Sky Sports 1 Mervyn King 5-10 Gary Anderson Dave Chisnall 10-8 Paul Nicholson
Phil Taylor 10-1 Stuart Kellett
Michael van Gerwen 10-8 Colin Lloyd
Adrian Lewis 10-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Andy Hamilton 10-1 Ronnie Baxter
Simon Whitlock 13-10 Kevin Painter
Phil Taylor 14-12 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 13-9 Gary Anderson
Adrian Lewis 13-5 Brendan Dolan
Michael van Gerwen 13-3 Peter Wright
Jamie Caven 10-13 Dave Chisnall