World Matchplay: Gerwyn Price has yet to win in Blackpool, but he wants to put that right | Darts News

You can watch the 29th staging of the World Matchplay across nine days from July 16-24, as the sport’s biggest names compete for a tournament-record £800,000 in prize money and the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy – live on Sky Sports

Gerwyn Price is ready to flex his muscles at the World Matchplay in Blackpool on Monday night

Gerwyn Price has yet to win the World Matchplay in Blackpool, but the world No 2 is determined to add the Phil Taylor Trophy to his collection.

The Welshman is now a perennial winner on the PDC circuit with three Grand Slam of Darts titles in four years, along with the World Grand Prix and World Cup of Darts, while he was crowned world champion for the first time in January 2021.

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Price averaged a remarkable 117.88 in a dominant win over Martin Schindler, where he reeled in a 170 finish and did not miss a dart at a double at the World Cup of Darts! The pair meet again on Monday night in Blackpool

‘The Iceman’ has reached the quarter-finals at the Winter Gardens in 2015 and 2021, but has seemingly struggled with the relentless nature of the leg-by-leg format of the competition.

It is something the Markham thrower is determined to put right this time around.

“I want to win every major this year,” said Price, who plays Germany’s Martin Schindler on Monday evening. “The World Matchplay is probably the second-biggest ranking event of the whole calendar, so to win that one would be special.

“I want to win the Grand Slam again too, because people can’t seem to beat me in that venue, but I want to win this title first.

“I’m looking forward to it [the Matchplay]. I need to play my A-game all the way through if I want to win it, because everybody is playing well, and anybody can beat anybody these days.

“I’m on the practice board, I’m playing well and I’m looking forward to Monday night.”

James Wade is desperate to mark the 15th anniversary of his World Matchplay title triumph with more glory beside the seaside.

Wade was a 24-year-old when he won his first major tournament at the Winter Gardens in 2007, beating Terry Jenkins 12 months after losing to Phil Taylor in the final.

He has been back in the final four times since, losing three more to Taylor and one to Michael van Gerwen, and it is an event he ranks as his favourite, with this year’s edition beginning on Saturday.

“I can’t believe it’s 15 years since I won in Blackpool. It’s a long time but it doesn’t feel like it,” said Wade, who opens his campaign against Martin Lukeman on Sunday.

“To win it any year, it would be special but it’s probably one that annoys me that I’ve not won for a while. I really want to win another World Matchplay.

“I want to win every tournament I play in, but this one means a little bit more to me. It’s always meant more to me, I don’t know if it’s because it was the first TV tournament I won, or I just like the venue.

“It is my favourite venue, definitely. The first time I played there in 2006 was amazing and it was the first big stage where I got to the final.”

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Take a look at how James Wade became World Matchplay champion in 2007

Wade added: “There’s something there and I still can’t put my finger on it, but something is a bit special for me. There are so many different little factors that it could be, or it could be the fact that it is my favourite tournament.

“I do like it there and that’s why it hurts even more when I don’t perform well there because it’s got everything there for me to perform well for – but it’s also a joy when I do play well.”

Sunday afternoon’s action features a clash between 2018 champion Gary Anderson and two-time TV title winner Daryl Gurney, with former World Grand Prix finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode opening proceedings against Ryan Searle.

Michael Smith, the 2019 runner-up, and this year’s UK Open champion Danny Noppert kick off their campaigns against Andrew Gilding and Brendan Dolan respectively.

Two-time World Matchplay winner Michael van Gerwen and 2013 runner-up Adrian Lewis then lock horns in a blockbuster clash on Sunday evening, with Wade also part of the stellar line-up.

Luke Humphries – a four-time European Tour winner in 2022 – will aim to continue his blistering form when he meets former UK Open champion Nathan Aspinall, while Sunday evening’s action gets under way with Premier League runner-up Joe Cullen locking horns with World Cup winner Damon Heta.

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Check out some of the best moments from the World Matchplay including Phil Taylor’s first televised nine-darter with Andrew Flintoff commentating…

Price, the 2021 world champion, enters the fray on Monday night as the first round draws to a close, and the Welshman faces Schindler, who is making his first Winter Gardens appearance.

Meanwhile, 2019 champion Rob Cross faces Chris Dobey in Monday’s opener, before seventh-seed Jose De Sousa and five-time quarter-finalist Dave Chisnall play Gabriel Clemens and Kim Huybrechts respectively.

Check out daily Darts news on skysports.com/darts, our app for mobile devices and our Twitter account @skysportsdarts. We’re back for the World Matchplay at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Saturday, July 16 – live on Sky Sports Action.