World Seniors Matchplay 2023 | Day One Preview and Order of Play

The 2023 World Seniors Matchplay commences in York on Saturday with eight unmissable First Round ties on the cards.

The second staging of the televised over-50s tournament will feature 16 players battling it out at the York Barbican from September 2-3.

A decorated field includes six former World Champions and a host of recent PDC Tour Card holders as they vie for the £10,000 top prize in the final televised seniors event of the year.

A bumper double session on opening day kicks off with a clash between 2015 BDO World Champion Scott Mitchell and three-time BDO World Championship quarter-finalist – Paul Hogan.

Since dropping off the main tour, Mitchell has reached three PDC Challenge Tour finals this year, finishing runner-up on each occasion, and was beaten by eventual champion Robert Thornton in the Second Round of the World Seniors Championship in February.

He faces a tricky opener here against in-form Hogan – who came through the qualifiers in July to secure his spot in the event, defeating the likes of Mark McGeeney, Colin McGarry and Mike Huntley along the way.

The afternoon session also sees former Players Champion and PDC World finalist Kevin Painter take on two-time Women’s World Master Deta Hedman.

Painter suffered a second successive Semi-Final defeat to Thornton in the World Seniors Championship this year and was also a semi-finalist in this event last July – losing out to his nemesis Phil Taylor.

Hedman was called up as a late replacement for Martin Adams, after the three-time BDO World Champion withdrew for personal reasons.

Hedman, 63, has been a stalwart of women’s darts for more than four decades, finishing runner-up at Lakeside on three occasions, as well as competing in the 2020/21 PDC World Championship.

Richie Howson has lost in all three televised finals on the World Seniors circuit this year and is aiming to go one better at the fourth time of asking.

Howson begins his latest title challenge with a clash against ten-time Women’s World Champion Trina Gulliver MBE – who is seeking her first win on the World Seniors stage.

Leonard Gates, who secured the Champion of Champions title in March before adding the World Seniors Masters crown in June, is targeting a hat-trick of silverware this season.

The American ace has produced some scintillating arrows this year and will be out to continue his fine form when he meets dangerous qualifier Colin McGarry.

McGarry reached the Quarter-Finals of last year’s World Seniors Matchplay and has stormed to the top of WSDT Order of Merit in 2023.

The evening session includes a box office clash between old rivals Phil Taylor and John Part.

The legendary duo contested five PDC major finals, including two World Championships, with Part famously triumphing at the Circus Tavern in a last set epic in 2003 after Taylor had whitewashed the Canadian 7-0 in the final two years earlier.

Taylor served up a 4-0 whitewash when the pair met in last year’s World Seniors Masters at Lakeside and remains in pursuit of his first seniors silverware.

He was beaten in the final of this event in Hull last year and has suffered Quarter-Final exits at the Circus Tavern, Champion of Champions and Masters this term.

Part, meanwhile, edged out Painter in an epic tussle in Yeovil in June before going down four sets to three to Thornton in the Quarter-Finals.

Robert Thornton kicks off the defence of his title with a show-down against reigning WDF World Champion Neil Duff.

Thornton dispatched Duff by three sets to one en route to retaining his World Seniors Championship crown earlier this year and will be hoping to do the double over the Northern Irishman.

Thornton remains the most decorated player since the inception of the World Seniors Tour, while Duff has picked up an Open Series title this year and is out to go beyond the Quarter-Final stage of a televised WSDT event for the first time.

John Henderson marks his eagerly-awaited seniors debut with a tie against 2022 World Seniors Masters champion David Cameron.

Former World Cup of Darts winner Henderson, who dropped off the PDC circuit last year, turned 50 in May and has enjoyed an impressive resurgence in 2023, picking up a Challenge Tour title and featuring in a number of ProTour events.

Canadian ace Cameron was a semi-finalist in the Champion of Champions in March and also qualified for last year’s PDC World Championship – losing out to Danny Noppert in Round Two.

Three-time BDO World Champion Glen Durrant returns to televised action to face dangerous debutant Jim McEwan.

Former Premier League champion Durrant dropped off the PDC circuit at the end of last season and opted not to enter Qualifying School, instead making his seniors debut at the Circus Tavern – where he was beaten in straight sets by Mark Dudbridge.

The tenacious Teessider will make the short journey to York with a travelling army of fans behind him as he looks to recapture the form which saw him dominate the BDO and go on to establish himself among the elite echelons of the PDC.

Scottish stalwart McEwan reached the Quarter-Finals of last year’s WDF World Championship, losing out to eventual champion Duff in a last set epic, and ended his long wait for a televised seniors debut by coming through a qualifying event in July.

The action gets under way from 1pm BST, with First Round ties to be contested over the best of 15 legs. Matches will be extended for a maximum of six extra legs if necessary before a sudden death leg is required.

WATCH THE WORLD SENIORS MATCHPLAY STREAMED LIVE HERE

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World Seniors Matchplay 2023 Day One Schedule

Saturday September 2

First Round

1pm-5pm
Scott Mitchell v Paul Hogan
Richie Howson v Trina Gulliver
Deta Hedman v Kevin Painter
Leonard Gates v Colin McGarry

7pm-11pm
John Henderson v David Cameron
Phil Taylor v John Part
Robert Thornton v Neil Duff
Glen Durrant v Jim McEwan

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