World Matchplay: Fixtures, outcomes, format with Luke Littler vs Michael van Gerwen in first-round motion | Darts Information

Reigning champion Nathan Aspinall and World Champion Luke Humphries will headline the opening night time of the 2024 World Matchplay on Saturday July 13, with the schedule of play confirmed for the showpiece occasion.

Aspinall will start his title defence in opposition to debutant Luke Woodhouse when the £800,000 event will get underway because the Stockport star bids to affix Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in successful back-to-back World Matchplays.

World Champion Humphries – the No 1 seed – will open his problem in opposition to Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko on a star-studded opening night time at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, as former finalists Gerwyn Value, Jonny Clayton and Raymond van Barneveld additionally function.

2023 runner-up Clayton takes on five-time World Champion Van Barneveld for a spot within the final 16, whereas 2022 finalist Value will play two-time semi-finalist Daryl Gurney within the opening match of the event.

The primary spherical will conclude with a bumper night session on Monday July 15, as three-time champion Michael van Gerwen goes head-to-head with debutant Luke Littler in probably the most highly-anticipated first-round ties in World Matchplay historical past.

World quantity three Michael Smith and 2018 champion Gary Anderson will lock horns in one other heavyweight showdown, whereas Australian primary Damon Heta performs Ryan Searle in a battle of final 12 months’s quarter-finalists.

Chris Dobey – who additionally reached the final eight 12 months in the past – will spherical off the first-round motion when he takes on Ritchie Edhouse, one among 5 debutants on this 12 months’s 32-player area.

The second spherical will happen on Tuesday July 16 and Wednesday July 17, earlier than the quarter-finals are staged throughout Thursday July 18 and Friday July 19.

The semi-finals will probably be held on Saturday July 20, earlier than the ultimate takes place on Sunday July 21, because the remaining two gamers compete for the £200,000 prime prize and the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy.

This 12 months’s go to to the Winter Gardens will as soon as once more function the Betfred Girls’s World Matchplay, which can see eight gamers competing within the third version of the occasion on the afternoon of Sunday July 21.

World Matchplay schedule:

Saturday July 13 (7.30pm)

First Spherical

Gerwyn Value v Daryl Gurney

Jonny Clayton v Raymond van Barneveld

Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko

Nathan Aspinall v Luke Woodhouse

Sunday July 14

Afternoon Session (1pm)

First Spherical:

Ross Smith v Josh Rock

Danny Noppert v James Wade

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Martin Schindler

Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce

Night Session (7pm)

First Spherical:

Rob Cross v Gian van Veen

Joe Cullen v Brendan Dolan

Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding

Dave Chisnall v Krzysztof Ratajski

(Ought to England attain the Euro 2024 last, session instances for Sunday July 14 will probably be amended)

Monday July 15 (7pm)

First Spherical:

Damon Heta v Ryan Searle

Michael Smith v Gary Anderson

Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler

Chris Dobey v Ritchie Edhouse

Tuesday July 16 (7pm)

Second Spherical x4

Wednesday July 17 (7pm)

Second Spherical x4

Thursday July 18 (8pm)

Quarter-Finals x2

Friday July 19 (8pm)

Quarter-Finals x2

Saturday July 20 (8pm)

Semi-Finals

Sunday July 21

Afternoon Session (1pm)

Girls’s World Matchplay:

Quarter-Finals:

Beau Greaves v Katie Sheldon

Mikuru Suzuki v Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Fallon Sherrock v Anastasia Dobromyslova

Lisa Ashton v Rhian O’Sullivan

Semi-Finals:

Greaves/Sheldon v Suzuki/Van Leuven

Sherrock/Dobromyslova v Ashton/O’Sullivan

Closing

Night Session (8pm)

World Matchplay Closing

When and the place is the World Matchplay?

The World Matchplay kicks off on Saturday July 13 and runs till Sunday July 21, with each dart dwell on Sky Sports activities.

The event takes place on the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool and 2024 marks the thirty first version of the Matchplay, the ballroom internet hosting a few of darts’ most iconic moments.

With the darts calendar in full swing, the World Matchplay is the second main of the season after the UK Open, which Dimitri Van den Bergh received with an 11-10 victory over world champion Luke Humphries.

As the highest 32 on the earth put together to face off, this prestigious occasion is to not be missed!

What’s the format?

The World Matchplay is a legs format, with the variety of legs required to win rising because the rounds go on.

Every match have to be received by two clear legs until the rating is tied after six legs.

• Spherical 1: first to 10 legs (sudden demise at 12-12)
• Spherical 2: first to 11 legs (sudden demise at 13-13)
• Quarter-finals: first to 16 legs (sudden demise at 18-18)
• Semi-finals: first to 17 legs (sudden demise at 19-19)
• Closing: first to 18 legs (sudden demise at 20-20)

Who’re the earlier winners?

The World Matchplay has an extended checklist of stellar winners, with Aspinall heading into the 2024 event because the defending champion.

The primary winner was Larry Butler again in 1994 earlier than Phil Taylor then picked up his first win of 16 (sure, 16) in 1995.

Taylor additionally received the 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017 Matchplays.

Throughout his 2002 win, Taylor additionally threw the first-ever televised nine-darter and such dominance led to the trophy being renamed after him in 2018.

Different winners embrace Michael van Gerwen (2015, 2016 and 2022), Gary Anderson (2018), Rob Cross (2019), Dimitri Van den Bergh (2020), and Peter Wright (2021).

Watch the World Matchplay Darts from July 13-21 dwell on Sky Sports activities.