The schedule of play confirmed for the World Matchplay Darts later this month; Nathan Aspinall is the defending champion as we return to Blackpool's Winter Gardens for the 2024 tournament; Watch the World Matchplay Darts from July 13-21 live on Sky Sports
Friday 5 July 2024 14:38, UK
Reigning champion Nathan Aspinall and World Champion Luke Humphries will headline the opening night of the 2024 World Matchplay on Saturday July 13, with the schedule of play confirmed for the showpiece event.
Aspinall will begin his title defence against debutant Luke Woodhouse when the £800,000 tournament gets underway as the Stockport star bids to join Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in winning back-to-back World Matchplays.
World Champion Humphries - the No 1 seed - will open his challenge against Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko on a star-studded opening night at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, as former finalists Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and Raymond van Barneveld also feature.
2023 runner-up Clayton takes on five-time World Champion Van Barneveld for a place in the last 16, while 2022 finalist Price will play two-time semi-finalist Daryl Gurney in the opening match of the tournament.
The first round will conclude with a bumper evening session on Monday July 15, as three-time champion Michael van Gerwen goes head-to-head with debutant Luke Littler in one of the most highly-anticipated first-round ties in World Matchplay history.
World number three Michael Smith and 2018 champion Gary Anderson will lock horns in another heavyweight showdown, while Australian number one Damon Heta plays Ryan Searle in a battle of last year's quarter-finalists.
Chris Dobey - who also reached the last eight 12 months ago - will round off the first-round action when he takes on Ritchie Edhouse, one of five debutants in this year's 32-player field.
The second round will take place on Tuesday July 16 and Wednesday July 17, before the quarter-finals are staged across Thursday July 18 and Friday July 19.
The semi-finals will be held on Saturday July 20, before the final takes place on Sunday July 21, as the remaining two players compete for the £200,000 top prize and the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy.
This year's visit to the Winter Gardens will once again feature the Betfred Women's World Matchplay, which will see eight players competing in the third edition of the event on the afternoon of Sunday July 21.
First Round
Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
Jonny Clayton v Raymond van Barneveld
Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko
Nathan Aspinall v Luke Woodhouse
Afternoon Session (1pm)
First Round:
Ross Smith v Josh Rock
Danny Noppert v James Wade
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Martin Schindler
Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce
Evening Session (7pm)
First Round:
Rob Cross v Gian van Veen
Joe Cullen v Brendan Dolan
Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding
Dave Chisnall v Krzysztof Ratajski
(Should England reach the Euro 2024 final, session times for Sunday July 14 will be amended)
First Round:
Damon Heta v Ryan Searle
Michael Smith v Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler
Chris Dobey v Ritchie Edhouse
Second Round x4
Second Round x4
Quarter-Finals x2
Quarter-Finals x2
Semi-Finals
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Women'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
Final
Evening Session (8pm)
World Matchplay Final
The World Matchplay kicks off on Saturday July 13 and runs until Sunday July 21, with every dart live on Sky Sports.
The tournament takes place at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool and 2024 marks the 31st edition of the Matchplay, the ballroom hosting some of darts' most iconic moments.
With the darts calendar in full swing, the World Matchplay is the second major of the season after the UK Open, which Dimitri Van den Bergh won with an 11-10 victory over world champion Luke Humphries.
As the top 32 in the world prepare to face off, this prestigious event is not to be missed!
The World Matchplay is a legs format, with the number of legs required to win increasing as the rounds go on.
Each match must be won by two clear legs unless the score is tied after six legs.
The World Matchplay has a long list of stellar winners, with Aspinall heading into the 2024 tournament as the defending champion.
The first winner was Larry Butler back in 1994 before Phil Taylor then picked up his first win of 16 (yes, 16) in 1995.
Taylor also won the 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017 Matchplays.
During his 2002 win, Taylor also threw the first-ever televised nine-darter and such dominance led to the trophy being renamed after him in 2018.
Other winners include 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 live on Sky Sports.
