Betfred World Matchplay 2025 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
The 2025 Betfred World Matchplay begins in Blackpool on Saturday with three former champions among a star-studded opening night line-up.
The curtain is raised on this year’s summer showpiece at the iconic Winter Gardens as a host of big names bid to avoid suffering an early exit.
Luke Humphries triumphed here 12 months ago to become the 13th different winner of this prestigious title and is now vying to become only the only the fourth player to successfully retain the crown.
The 30-year-old averaged over 100 in all five matches en route to glory in 2024, becoming only the second player, behind Phil Taylor, to achieve that feat.
The world number one, who has also claimed the World Masters and Premier League titles this season, marks the start of his fifth Betfred World Matchplay campaign with a mouth-watering tie against World Youth Champion Gian van Veen.
Van Veen heads into only his second Matchplay appearance as the fourth highest ranked player on the ProTour Order of Merit, having finished runner-up in Players Championship Five in March before winning Players Championship Six the following day.
The 23-year-old has also finished runner-up in this year’s German Darts Grand Prix and is eying a first win on the Empress Ballroom stage after losing out to Rob Cross in an epic tie break on debut 12 months ago with a 100.8 average.
The opening match of the tournament sees 2007 champion James Wade take on 2023 semi-finalist Joe Cullen.
Wade boasts an incredible record of longevity in this event, having finished runner-up on debut in 2006 before lifting the trophy a year later and going on to reach a further four finals.
The 42-year-old is now making his 20th consecutive appearance in the World Matchplay, with his run to last year’s semi-finals sparking a superb spell of resurgence which has seen him reach the UK Open final and return to the winner’s circle on the ProTour in 2025.
Provisionally back up to world number five, Wade will look to hit the ground running when he faces former Masters champion Cullen – who has also picked up a Players Championship title this season.
Former Premier League finalist Cullen has not lost in the opening round in Blackpool since 2019 but is under pressure to defend his semi-final prize money from two years ago against his Order of Merit tally.
Nathan Aspinall is another player facing a crucial week in terms of his ranking position, with £200,000 to defend from his title triumph in 2023.
Aspinall enjoyed the greatest moment of his career to date on this stage by thrashing Jonny Clayton 18-6 in the final, but comes into the latest staging provisionally ranked world number 23.
However, the Stockport star boasts a rich vein of form, having reached the Premier League play-offs in May as well as securing a brace of European Tour titles and a ProTour final in Rosmalen.
Aspinall faces a tricky opener against emerging Dutch star Wessel Nijman to round off the opening night.
Nijman is one of two debutants in this year’s field, having comfortably qualified as the fifth highest ranked player on the ProTour Order of Merit.
The power-scoring 25-year-old claimed his first Players Championship title in 2024 and has reached two European Tour semi-finals this season, defeating a host of former World Champions in the process.
Meanwhile, Cameron Menzies marks his debut at the Winter Gardens with a showdown against 16th seed Danny Noppert.
Menzies has enjoyed a magnificent 18 months on the ProTour, claiming two titles and reaching a further two finals to put himself on the brink of a place in the world’s top 32.
The maverick Scotsman also reached the quarter-finals of last November’s Grand Slam and has two European Tour quarter-finals to his name this season.
Noppert returns for his seventh consecutive World Matchplay appearance, having notably reached the semi-finals in 2022, and was also a semi-finalist in this year’s World Masters.
The former UK Open champion has reached two ProTour semi-finals this season and is vying to retain his top 16 status this week.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with First Round matches to be contested over the best of 19 legs.
Matches will be 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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Betfred World Matchplay 2025 Day One Schedule
Saturday July 19
First Round
7pm-11pm
James Wade v Joe Cullen
Danny Noppert v Cameron Menzies
Luke Humphries v Gian van Veen
Nathan Aspinall v Wessel Nijman
