Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler will face off in a thrilling first-round tie at the Betfred World Matchplay, while Nathan Aspinall begins his title defense against Luke Woodhouse.
Aspinall, who captured World Matchplay glory last year, is set to launch his campaign against Woodhouse, one of five debutants in this year’s 32-player field.
“Luke is a great player. He’s played some fantastic darts this year – that’s why he’s in this tournament,” Aspinall commented after the draw on Thursday. “I’ve played Luke quite a few times and I’ve got a good record against him, so while it’s going to be a tough game, it’s one I am confident I can come through.”
Tournament Details
The £800,000 event will run from July 13-21 at Blackpool’s iconic Winter Gardens. The first round will see the world’s top 16 players seeded and paired against 16 ProTour Order of Merit qualifiers.
Key Matches
- Michael van Gerwen vs. Luke Littler
- Michael Smith vs. Gary Anderson
- Gerwyn Price vs. Daryl Gurney
- Jonny Clayton vs. Raymond van Barneveld
Quotes from the Draw
Premier League champion Littler, who has made a significant impact in the sport over the last nine months, is set for a challenging match against three-time World Matchplay winner Van Gerwen. World number three Michael Smith will face 2018 champion Gary Anderson, while World Champion Luke Humphries takes on German newcomer Ricardo Pietreczko.
Gerwyn Price, a 2022 World Matchplay finalist, faces a tough opener against two-time semi-finalist Daryl Gurney. Rob Cross will battle Dutch debutant Gian van Veen, and Jonny Clayton will meet five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld in a heavyweight showdown.
Dimitri Van den Bergh, the 2020 World Matchplay winner, will play against German number one Martin Schindler, while Peter Wright will face Andrew Gilding for a second consecutive year. Australian Damon Heta will play Ryan Searle, and James Wade, making his 19th consecutive Blackpool appearance, will face Danny Noppert.
Full Draw Bracket
(1) Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko
(16) Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce
(8) Jonny Clayton v Raymond van Barneveld
(9) Dimitri Van den Bergh v Martin Schindler
(4) Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
(13) Ross Smith v Josh Rock
(5) Nathan Aspinall v Luke Woodhouse
(12) Danny Noppert v James Wade
(2) Michael van Gerwen v Luke Littler
(15) Joe Cullen v Brendan Dolan
(7) Dave Chisnall v Krzysztof Ratajski
(10) Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding
(3) Michael Smith v Gary Anderson
(14) Chris Dobey v Ritchie Edhouse
(6) Rob Cross v Gian van Veen
(11) Damon Heta v Ryan Searle
Betfred Odds
- Luke Humphries: 7/2
- Luke Littler: 4/1
- Gerwyn Price: 8/1
- Michael van Gerwen: 9/1
- Rob Cross: 14/1
- Gary Anderson: 16/1
- Michael Smith: 16/1
- Stephen Bunting: 25/1
- Chris Dobey: 28/1
- Nathan Aspinall: 28/1
- Josh Rock: 33/1
- Jonny Clayton: 33/1
- Danny Noppert: 40/1
- Dave Chisnall: 40/1
- Dimitri Van den Bergh: 40/1
- Martin Schindler: 40/1
- Ross Smith: 40/1
- Damon Heta: 50/1
- Ryan Searle: 50/1
- Peter Wright: 66/1
- Raymond van Barneveld: 80/1
- Daryl Gurney: 80/1
- James Wade: 80/1
- Joe Cullen: 100/1
- Gian van Veen: 100/1
- Luke Woodhouse: 125/1
- Brendan Dolan: 150/1
- Krzysztof Ratajski: 150/1
- Ryan Joyce: 150/1
- Ritchie Edhouse: 150/1
- Andrew Gilding: 200/1
- Ricardo Pietreczko: 200/1
Event Highlights
The 2024 World Matchplay promises to be an action-packed event with the sport’s biggest names competing for the Phil Taylor Trophy. The schedule of play will be confirmed soon, with the first round matches being played from July 13-15. The Betfred Women’s World Matchplay will also take place on July 21, featuring eight players in its third edition.
Stay tuned for more updates and coverage of this prestigious event.
