2019 World Matchplay
# 2019 World Matchplay

The 2019 Betfred World Matchplay was the 26th annual staging of the World Matchplay, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, from 20–28 July 2019.

Gary Anderson was the defending champion, after defeating Mensur Suljović 21–19 after extra time in the longest final in the tournament's history. However, he lost 11–8 to Mervyn King in the second round.

Rob Cross won his first World Matchplay title with an 18–13 win over Michael Smith in the final. He also became just the fourth player in history to win both the PDC World Championship and the World Matchplay.

## Prize money

The prize fund rose from £500,000 to £700,000, with the winner's earnings being up from £115,000 in 2018 to £150,000.

| Position (no. of players) | Position (no. of players) | Prize money (Total: £700,000) |
| - | - | - |
| Winner | (1) | £150,000 |
| Runner-up | (1) | £70,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £50,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £25,000 |
| Second round | (8) | £15,000 |
| First round | (16) | £10,000 |

## Format

In previous stagings of the event all games had to be won by two clear legs with no sudden-death legs. However, after consulting the host broadcaster Sky Sports in 2013, the PDC decided that games will now only proceed for a maximum of six extra legs before a tie-break leg is required. For example, in a first to 10 legs first round match, if the score reaches 12-12 then the 25th leg will be the decider.

## Qualification

The top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit as of 30 June 2019 were seeded for the tournament. The top 16 players on the ProTour Order of Merit, not to have already qualified on the cut-off date were unseeded.

The following players qualified for the tournament:

## Draw

| First round (best of 19 legs) 20–22 July | First round (best of 19 legs) 20–22 July | First round (best of 19 legs) 20–22 July | Second round (best of 21 legs) 23–24 July | Second round (best of 21 legs) 23–24 July | Second round (best of 21 legs) 23–24 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 25–26 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 25–26 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 25–26 July | | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 27 July | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 27 July | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 27 July | | Final (best of 35 legs) 28 July | Final (best of 35 legs) 28 July | Final (best of 35 legs) 28 July |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen 93.00 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Steve Beaton 89.86 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Steve Beaton 89.86 | 6 | 1 | Michael van Gerwen 98.67 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Glen Durrant 99.33 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Adrian Lewis 94.69 | 4 | | Glen Durrant 99.33 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Glen Durrant 101.05 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Glen Durrant 101.05 | 10 | | | | | Glen Durrant 92.84 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 8 | James Wade 85.68 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | James Wade 96.16 | 13 | | | | | | | 8 | James Wade 85.68 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | Jeffrey de Zwaan 95.26 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jeffrey de Zwaan 95.26 | 12 | 8 | James Wade 93.86 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Mensur Suljović 92.91 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Mensur Suljović 96.76 | 10 | 9 | Mensur Suljović 92.91 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jermaine Wattimena 82.02 | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jermaine Wattimena 82.02 | 1 | | | | | | | | | Glen Durrant 94.16 | 10 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Michael Smith 100.77 | 17 | | | | |
| 5 | Michael Smith 98.78 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Michael Smith 100.77 | 17 | | | | |
| | Jamie Hughes 97.54 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jamie Hughes 97.54 | 7 | 5 | Michael Smith 96.72 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Max Hopp 92.98 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Dave Chisnall 97.69 | 9 | | Max Hopp 92.98 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Max Hopp 94.71 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Max Hopp 94.71 | 11 | | | | 5 | Michael Smith 96.54 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Mervyn King 88.37 | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Gary Anderson 93.75 | 10 | | | | | | | | Mervyn King 88.37 | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| | Danny Noppert 87.77 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Danny Noppert 87.77 | 6 | 4 | Gary Anderson 94.95 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Mervyn King 94.88 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Nathan Aspinall 102.96 | 5 | | Mervyn King 94.88 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mervyn King 100.55 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mervyn King 100.55 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Michael Smith 95.91 | 13 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Rob Cross 95.16 | 18 |
| 2 | Rob Cross 100.60 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 2 | Rob Cross 95.16 | 18 |
| | Chris Dobey 91.34 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Chris Dobey 91.34 | 3 | 2 | Rob Cross 98.47 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Krzysztof Ratajski 94.45 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Darren Webster 88.61 | 5 | | Krzysztof Ratajski 94.45 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Krzysztof Ratajski 89.23 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Krzysztof Ratajski 89.23 | 10 | | | | 2 | Rob Cross 101.83 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Stephen Bunting 96.08 | 14 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Gerwyn Price 92.02 | 12 | | | | | | | | Stephen Bunting 96.08 | 14 | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephen Bunting 95.11 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephen Bunting 95.11 | 13 | | Stephen Bunting 92.82 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 10 | Ian White 94.63 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Ian White 98.24 | 10 | 10 | Ian White 94.63 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Cullen 88.63 | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Cullen 88.63 | 0 | | | | | | | | 2 | Rob Cross 96.64 | 17 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Daryl Gurney 92.46 | 15 | | | | |
| 6 | Peter Wright 102.04 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | Daryl Gurney 92.46 | 15 | | | | |
| | Vincent van der Voort 97.40 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vincent van der Voort 97.40 | 5 | 6 | Peter Wright 103.01 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Simon Whitlock 87.42 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Simon Whitlock 94.99 | 10 | 11 | Simon Whitlock 87.42 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | John Henderson 101.33 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | John Henderson 101.33 | 8 | | | | 6 | Peter Wright 104.57 | 13 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 3 | Daryl Gurney 101.86 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Daryl Gurney 96.34 | 10 | | | | | | | 3 | Daryl Gurney 101.86 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | Ricky Evans 89.33 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Ricky Evans 89.33 | 7 | 3 | Daryl Gurney 93.44 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Keegan Brown 92.44 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Jonny Clayton 93.46 | 8 | | Keegan Brown 92.44 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Keegan Brown 95.59 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Statistics

| Player | Eliminated | Played | Legs Won | Legs Lost | 100+ | 140+ | 180s | High checkout | 3-dart average | Checkout success |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Rob Cross | Winner | 5 | 72 | 50 | 140 | 84 | 34 | 170 | 98.14 | 43.90% |
| Michael Smith | Runner up | 5 | 68 | 56 | 141 | 99 | 33 | 147 | 97.61 | 38.42% |
| Glen Durrant | Semi-finals | 4 | 49 | 39 | 98 | 55 | 22 | 137 | 97.08 | 44.55% |
| Daryl Gurney | Semi-finals | 4 | 52 | 46 | 140 | 65 | 36 | 124 | 94.63 | 32.31% |
| Peter Wright | Quarter-finals | 3 | 34 | 23 | 105 | 64 | 15 | 170 | 102.53 | 48.84% |
| Mervyn King | Quarter-finals | 3 | 32 | 29 | 60 | 48 | 12 | 160 | 94.60 | 42.67% |
| Stephen Bunting | Quarter-finals | 3 | 41 | 40 | 94 | 59 | 22 | 120 | 93.97 | 39.71% |
| James Wade | Quarter-finals | 3 | 33 | 39 | 106 | 47 | 12 | 160 | 91.90 | 43.42% |
| Ian White | Second round | 2 | 22 | 14 | 34 | 28 | 14 | 121 | 96.44 | 32.35% |
| Michael van Gerwen | Second round | 2 | 21 | 19 | 41 | 25 | 11 | 134 | 95.84 | 32.81% |
| Mensur Suljović | Second round | 2 | 21 | 14 | 51 | 25 | 8 | 101 | 94.84 | 42.00% |
| Gary Anderson | Second round | 2 | 18 | 17 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 160 | 94.35 | 35.29% |
| Keegan Brown | Second round | 2 | 19 | 19 | 45 | 17 | 8 | 148 | 94.02 | 40.43% |
| Max Hopp | Second round | 2 | 21 | 21 | 66 | 27 | 10 | 128 | 93.85 | 42.86% |
| Krzysztof Ratajski | Second round | 2 | 15 | 16 | 36 | 23 | 3 | 160 | 91.84 | 45.45% |
| Simon Whitlock | Second round | 2 | 12 | 19 | 38 | 12 | 7 | 124 | 91.21 | 46.15% |
| Nathan Aspinall | First round | 1 | 5 | 10 | 17 | 3 | 4 | 127 | 102.96 | 26.32% |
| John Henderson | First round | 1 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 16 | 4 | 97 | 101.33 | 47.06% |
| Dave Chisnall | First round | 1 | 9 | 11 | 26 | 9 | 10 | 81 | 97.69 | 29.03% |
| Jamie Hughes | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 25 | 13 | 2 | 128 | 97.54 | 36.84% |
| Vincent van der Voort | First round | 1 | 5 | 10 | 21 | 12 | 2 | 52 | 97.40 | 31.25% |
| Jeffrey de Zwaan | First round | 1 | 12 | 13 | 28 | 21 | 6 | 119 | 95.26 | 37.50% |
| Adrian Lewis | First round | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 80 | 94.69 | 40.00% |
| Jonny Clayton | First round | 1 | 8 | 10 | 23 | 13 | 2 | 101 | 93.46 | 44.44% |
| Gerwyn Price | First round | 1 | 12 | 13 | 23 | 11 | 6 | 106 | 92.02 | 51.17% |
| Chris Dobey | First round | 1 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 5 | 2 | 145 | 91.34 | 33.33% |
| Steve Beaton | First round | 1 | 6 | 10 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 46 | 89.86 | 35.29% |
| Ricky Evans | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 20 | 8 | 2 | 85 | 89.33 | 58.33% |
| Joe Cullen | First round | 1 | 0 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 2 | — | 88.63 | 00.00% |
| Darren Webster | First round | 1 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 12 | 1 | 105 | 88.61 | 33.33% |
| Danny Noppert | First round | 1 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 2 | 86 | 87.77 | 31.58% |
| Jermaine Wattimena | First round | 1 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 32 | 82.02 | 14.29% |

Source: Match reports from the draw.

