The 2010 Stanjames.com World Matchplay gets underway in just over two weeks time with the 32-man field being finalised after a gruelling four days darting action in Las Vegas over the weekend.
As ever, reigning Matchplay champion Phil Taylor was amongst those in the money in Vegas as he followed up victory in the inaugural World Cricket Championship on Saturday (defeating Mark Walsh in the final) by claiming the first of the three ranked Players Championships by taking the scalp of in-form Denis Ovens in Sunday’s final. There was respite for the remainder of those who made the journey across the pond (of all the PDC’s elite minus Raymond van Barneveld, Mervyn King, Dennis Priestley & Wayne Jones) as Taylor came unstuck in Monday & Tuesday’s tournaments with defeats to Chris Thompson & Matt Clark. The two events were won by Gary Anderson, who took out Simon Whitlock in the final, and by Co Stompe, who notched his first PDC Pro Tour title courtesy of a 6-3 win over James Wade.
The World Matchplay becomes a nine-day event this year with first round action getting underway on Saturday 17th July, culminating in the showpiece final at the Winter Gardens on Sunday 25th July. Taylor will be looking for an 11th success in darts’ flagship summer event whilst 2005 winner Colin Lloyd will also be joined by 2007 champion James Wade in what is possibly the strongest ever field assembled for a major darts tournament. Such is the strength of the aforementioned elite 32, the likes of John Part, Wayne Mardle, Peter Manley & Michael van Gerwen will be amongst those in the crowd with the rest of us having not done enough throughout the year to qualify.
Predictably, Taylor heads the market at a general 2/5 with the layers believing that his main challengers will be James Wade (12/1), Simon Whitlock (14/1), Gary Anderson (16/1) & Raymond van Barneveld (18/1). It’s worth noting that Anderson & Whitlock have landed themselves in the same half of the draw as ‘The Power’ and that one of them is likely to meet the world number one over the best of 33 legs at the semi final stage. The best of the rest sees two men who are long overdue a PDC TV title – Mervyn King & Adrian Lewis chalked up at 40/1.
The first round draw and tournament bracket became known at the culmination of Tuesday’s play in Vegas and sees a series of humdingers that would not look out of place at the quarter final stage rather than round one. Taylor begins his bid against Welshman Barrie Bates before a potential second round showdown with Australian Paul Nicholson in a repeat of the Players Championship semi final earlier this year (which Nicholson took). Despite only being seen once on the PDC Pro Tour in 2010, three-time quarter finalist Raymond van Barneveld assumes the number two seeding and will face off against Denis ‘The Heat’ Ovens, with the Stevenage ace in red-hot form, following up his televised semi final at the UK Open last month with two Pro Tour runner up spots in recent weeks. Number twelve seed Simon Whitlock drew Tony Eccles, James Wade takes on Andy Smith whilst Gary Anderson will face number 13 seed Robert Thornton in a battle of the Scots.
World Series of Darts Festival results:
World Cricket Championship Final
Phil Taylor 3-2 Mark Walsh
PDC US Open Final
Phil Taylor 6-3 Denis Ovens
Las Vegas Players Championship 1 Final
Gary Anderson 6-4 Simon Whitlock
Las Vegas Players Championship 2 Final
Co Stompe 6-3 James Wade
Stanjames.com 2010 World Matchplay Tournament Outright (Seeding) Best Prices
Phil Taylor (1) 2/5
James Wade (3) 12/1
Simon Whitlock (12) 14/1
Gary Anderson 16/1
Raymond van Barneveld (2) 18/1
Mervyn King (4) 40/1
Adrian Lewis (7) 40/1
Andy Hamilton (10) 66/1
Colin Lloyd (9) 80/1
Colin Osborne (11) 80/1
Mark Walsh (8) 80/1
Ronnie Baxter (6) 80/1
Terry Jenkins (5) 80/1
Mark Webster 80/1
Paul Nicholson (16) 100/1
Wes Newton 100/1
Vincent van der Voort 100/1
Alan Tabern (15) 125/1
Denis Ovens 125/1
Kevin Painter 125/1
Jamie Caven 125/1
Robert Thornton (13) 125/1
Jelle Klaasen 150/1
Co Stompe 150/1
Mark Dudbridge 150/1
Steve Beaton 150/1
Wayne Jones 150/1
Dennis Priestley (14) 125/1
Andy Smith 200/1
Barrie Bates 250/1
Steve Brown 400/1
Tony Eccles 400/1
Stanjames.com 2010 World Matchplay 1st Round Draw & Bracket
Dennis Priestley (6/5) v Vincent van der Voort (4/6)
James Wade (1/3) v Andy Smith (9/4)
Colin Osborne (4/7) v Wayne Jones (11/8)
Ronnie Baxter (4/7) v Jamie Caven (11/8)
Andy Hamilton (4/6) v Co Stompe (6/5)
Adrian Lewis (8/15) v Mark Webster (6/4)
Alan Tabern (10/11) v Wes Newton (10/11)
Raymond van Barneveld (4/11) v Denis Ovens (2/1)
Robert Thornton (9/4) v Gary Anderson (1/3)
Mervyn King (4/11) v Jelle Klaasen (2/1)
Simon Whitlock (2/9) v Tony Eccles (3/1)
Terry Jenkins (4/110 v Steve Brown (2/1)
Colin Lloyd (4/6) v Kevin Painter (6/5)
Mark Walsh (8/15) v Mark Dudbridge (6/4)
Paul Nicholson (8/15) v Steve Beaton (6/4)
Phil Taylor (1/14) v Barrie Bates (13/2)
