Betfred World Matchplay 2023 | Day Three Preview and Order of Play
Two former World Matchplay champions are among those looking to complete the Second Round line-up at the Winter Gardens on Monday.
Day Two saw defending champion Michael van Gerwen sensationally dumped out of the tournament by Brendan Dolan, a result which has sent shockwaves through the field.
A clutch of other top-ranked throwers will now be aiming to avoid suffering the same fate as the opening round draws to a close.
Peter Wright faces a critical World Matchplay campaign as he bids to defend his £150,000 title-winning prize money from two years ago against his world ranking.
The world number two became the fifth player to win both the PDC World Championship and World Matchplay when he triumphed in 2021 and has since gone on to add the Players Championship Finals crown and a second world title.
However, his form in 2023 has proved to be hit and miss, with a miserable Premier League campaign seeing him finish bottom of the table, though he has picked up titles at the Nordic Masters and Czech Open.
Runner-up at the World Cup of Darts alongside Gary Anderson for Scotland last month, ‘Snakebite’ has opted out of a number of recent events in order to gear up for the Matchplay – where he faces a tricky opener against Andrew Gilding.
Gilding sent shockwaves through the sport when he stunned Michael van Gerwen in the final to seal his first major title at the UK Open in March.
The 52-year-old, now ranked world number 23, is set for his fourth World Matchplay appearance, with his only previous win coming against Mervyn King in 2015, before he was beaten 13-7 by Wright in Round Two.
Dimitri van den Bergh looks to continue his love affair with this tournament when he starts out against European Champion Ross Smith.
The Belgian number one famously claimed the title on his debut in 2020 behind closed doors and went on to finish runner-up the following year.
He was denied 17-14 by eventual champion Michael van Gerwen in last year’s Semi-Finals and returns in search of another tilt at glory, having reached the Semi-Finals of the recent World Cup alongside Kim Huybrechts.
Smith’s only previous World Matchplay appearance came in 2021 when he was beaten 10-8 by Rob Cross in the opening round, but he is now a major title winner and within touching distance of a place in the world’s top 16.
Smith notably defeated Van den Bergh in the Second Round en route to his fairy-tale European Championship crown last October and also added a Players Championship title in March.
Elsewhere, Raymond van Barneveld marks his return to the Matchplay following a five-year absence as he takes on 15th seed Ryan Searle.
Van Barneveld’s best display in Blackpool came in 2010 when he hit a nine-darter in Round One before going on to reach the final – where he was denied by his nemesis Phil Taylor.
However, this venue has generally proved to be an unhappy hunting ground for the Dutch legend, with just one Quarter-Final run in eight subsequent appearances.
The five-time World Champion, though, has enjoyed a remarkable renaissance since coming out of retirement, winning a ProTour title in 2021 and reaching the Semi-Finals of last November’s Grand Slam, as well as a first European Tour Quarter-Final since 2017.
Barney narrowly defeated Searle 6-5 en route to the Last Eight of the European Matchplay earlier this month, surviving five match darts in the process.
Searle is searching for his first win at the Matchplay in three attempts and has struggled for consistency since making a flying start to the season by winning the opening Players Championship event and reaching the Semi-Finals of the opening Euro Tour.
The final match of the evening sees World Cup of Darts winner Jonny Clayton face German number one Gabriel Clemens.
Clayton has claimed a title apiece on the ProTour and European Tour this term, while also reaching the Premier League play-offs for the third consecutive season.
The tenacious Welshman partnered Gerwyn Price to a second World Cup crown last month and is out to improve on a below-par record in this event which has seen him win just one match in five previous appearances.
Clemens embarked on a ground-breaking run to the Semi-Finals of the World Championship but has struggled to hit the heights since, with his best run so far this season seeing him reach the final of Players Championship Three.
The German Giant defeated Cross on his World Matchplay debut in 2020 but is yet to taste victory on the Winter Gardens stage in two subsequent appearances.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 19 legs.
All matches must be won by two clear legs, with a match being extended if necessary for a maximum of six extra legs before a sudden death leg is required. For example, in a first to ten First Round match, if the score reaches 12-12 then the 25th leg will be the sudden death decider.
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World Matchplay 2023 Day Three Schedule
Monday July 17
First Round
7.15pm Dimitri Van den Bergh v Ross Smith
8.15pm Ryan Searle v Raymond van Barneveld
9.15pm Peter Wright v Andrew Gilding
10.15pm Jonny Clayton v Gabriel Clemens
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