2023 World Matchplay

2023 Betfred World Matchplay
Tournament information
Dates	15–23 July 2023
Venue	Winter Gardens
Location	Blackpool, England
Organisation(s)	Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
Format	Legs
Prize fund	£800,000
Winner's share	£200,000
High checkout	170 Rob Cross Jonny Clayton Nathan Aspinall
Champion(s)
Nathan Aspinall
«2022 2024»

The 2023 World Matchplay (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2023 Betfred World Matchplay) was a professional darts tournament that was held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England, from 15 to 23 July 2023. It was the 30th staging of the World Matchplay by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC). The total prize fund was £800,000, with the winner receiving £200,000. The second edition of the Women's World Matchplay also took place on 23 July and was won by Beau Greaves.

The tournament, sponsored by Betfred, featured 32 players: the top 16 players on the two-year PDC Order of Merit and the top 16 players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit who had not yet qualified.

Michael van Gerwen was the defending champion, after winning his third World Matchplay title in 2022, defeating Gerwyn Price 18–14, ^{[1] [2]} but was eliminated in the first round, losing 10–7 to Brendan Dolan.

Nathan Aspinall won his first World Matchplay title and second Premier title overall, defeating Jonny Clayton 18–6 in the final. ^{[3] [4]}

The 2023 Women's World Matchplay also took place during the event, as Beau Greaves won her first televised championship by defeating Mikuru Suzuki 6–1 in the final.

Prize money

The prize fund remained at £800,000, with £200,000 going to the winner. ^[5]

Position (no. of players)		Prize money (Total: £800,000)
Winner	(1)	£200,000
Runner-up	(1)	£100,000
Semi-finalists	(2)	£50,000
Quarter-finalists	(4)	£30,000
Second round	(8)	£15,000
First round	(16)	£10,000

Format

All matches had to be won by two clear legs, with a match being extended if necessary 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 had reached 12–12 then the 25th leg would have been the decider.

Round	First to (legs)
First	10
Second	11
Quarter-finals	16
Semi-finals	17
Final	18

Qualification

The top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit at the cut-off point on 11 July 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:

PDC Order of Merit   Michael Smith (second round)   Peter Wright (second round)   Michael van Gerwen (first round)   Gerwyn Price (second round)   Rob Cross (first round)   Luke Humphries (semi-finals)   Jonny Clayton (runner-up)   Danny Noppert (second round)   Nathan Aspinall (champion)   Dimitri Van den Bergh (second round)   Dirk van Duijvenbode (second round)   Dave Chisnall (first round)   Joe Cullen (semi-finals)   Damon Heta (quarter-finals)   Ryan Searle (quarter-finals)   James Wade (first round)

PDC ProTour Qualifiers   Josh Rock (first round)   Martin Schindler (first round)   Ross Smith (first round)   Krzysztof Ratajski (first round)   José de Sousa (first round)   Andrew Gilding (first round)   Gary Anderson (second round)   Stephen Bunting (first round)   Gabriel Clemens (first round)   Chris Dobey (quarter-finals)   Raymond van Barneveld (first round)   Daryl Gurney (quarter-finals)   Mike De Decker (first round)   Steve Beaton (first round)   Brendan Dolan (second round)   Kim Huybrechts (first round)

Schedule

Saturday, 15 July ^[6]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2
01	1	Joe Cullen 100.67	10 – 7	Mike De Decker 91.86	4 – 1	7 – 3
02		Rob Cross 98.08	10 – 12	Daryl Gurney 95.33	1 – 4	4 – 6
03		Gerwyn Price 96.88	10 – 3	Stephen Bunting 92.34	3 – 2	7 – 3
04		Dave Chisnall 91.49	6 – 10	Gary Anderson 94.07	3 – 2	3 – 7

Sunday, 16 July ^[7]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2
05	1	Danny Noppert 94.73	10 – 8	Martin Schindler 88.57	3 – 2	7 – 3
06		Dirk van Duijvenbode 95.52	12 – 10	Kim Huybrechts 93.08	3 – 2	5 – 5
07		Damon Heta 94.16	10 – 5	Josh Rock 95.53	3 – 2	7 – 3
08		James Wade 97.42	8 – 10	Chris Dobey 96.22	1 – 4	4 – 6
09		Nathan Aspinall 98.60	10 – 7	Krzysztof Ratajski 96.78	3 – 2	6 – 4
10		Luke Humphries 101.78	10 – 2	José de Sousa 94.30	4 – 1	8 – 2
11		Michael van Gerwen 98.98	7 – 10	Brendan Dolan 95.50	1 – 4	5 – 5
12		Michael Smith 88.96	10 – 2	Steve Beaton 81.54	4 – 1	8 – 2

Monday, 17 July ^[8]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2
13	1	Dimitri Van den Bergh 101.24	10 – 8	Ross Smith 90.71	2 – 3	5 – 5
14		Ryan Searle 105.19	10 – 4	Raymond van Barneveld 89.59	3 – 2	7 – 2
15		Peter Wright 96.41	10 – 4	Andrew Gilding 87.91	3 – 2	7 – 2
16		Jonny Clayton 87.91	10 – 8	Gabriel Clemens 94.51	4 – 1	7 – 3

Tuesday, 18 July ^[9]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2
17	2	Daryl Gurney 104.43	11 – 4	Gary Anderson 102.47	5 – 0	8 – 2
18		Danny Noppert 91.68	9 – 11	Nathan Aspinall 98.07	2 – 3	4 – 6
19		Gerwyn Price 100.31	11 – 13	Joe Cullen 94.33	1 – 4	4 – 6
20		Michael Smith 99.81	7 – 11	Chris Dobey 98.24	3 – 2	5 – 5

Wednesday, 19 July ^[10]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2
21	2	Brendan Dolan 89.08	1 – 11	Damon Heta 95.68	0 – 5	1 – 9
22		Jonny Clayton 101.90	11 – 6	Dimitri Van den Bergh 93.49	3 – 2	6 – 4
23		Peter Wright 91.90	8 – 11	Ryan Searle 95.22	2 – 3	4 – 6
24		Luke Humphries 95.17	14 – 12	Dirk van Duijvenbode 93.04	2 – 3	5 – 5

Thursday, 20 July ^[11]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2	Break 3	Break 4
25	QF	Joe Cullen 97.11	16 – 11	Daryl Gurney 92.18	5 – 0	7 – 3	9 – 6	12 – 8
26		Chris Dobey 96.79	12 – 16	Nathan Aspinall 99.33	3 – 2	6 – 4	7 – 8	8 – 12

Friday, 21 July ^[12]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2	Break 3	Break 4
27	QF	Ryan Searle 94.72	12 – 16	Jonny Clayton 97.55	3 – 2	5 – 5	8 – 7	9 – 11
28		Damon Heta 93.22	13 – 16	Luke Humphries 95.50	2 – 3	5 – 5	6 – 9	8 – 12

Saturday, 22 July ^[13]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2	Break 3	Break 4
29	SF	Nathan Aspinall 95.26	17 – 9	Joe Cullen 91.22	3 – 2	6 – 4	10 – 5	13 – 7
30		Jonny Clayton 98.92	17 – 15	Luke Humphries 95.86	2 – 3	4 – 6	7 – 8	9 – 11

Sunday, 23 July ^[14]

Match #	Round	Player 1	Score	Player 2	Break 1	Break 2	Break 3	Break 4
31	F	Nathan Aspinall 96.21	18 – 6	Jonny Clayton 93.56	3 – 2	5 – 5	10 – 5	15 – 5

Draw

	First round (best of 19 legs) 15–17 July					Second round (best of 21 legs) 18–19 July					Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 20–21 July					Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 22 July					Final (best of 35 legs) 23 July
	1	Michael Smith 88.96	10
		Steve Beaton 81.54	2
						1	Michael Smith 99.81	7
							Chris Dobey 98.24	11
	16	James Wade 97.42	8
		Chris Dobey 96.22	10
												Chris Dobey 96.79	12
											9	Nathan Aspinall 99.33	16
	8	Danny Noppert 94.73	10
		Martin Schindler 88.57	8
						8	Danny Noppert 91.68	9
						9	Nathan Aspinall 98.07	11
	9	Nathan Aspinall 98.60	10
		Krzysztof Ratajski 96.78	7
																9	Nathan Aspinall 95.26	17
																13	Joe Cullen 91.22	9
	4	Gerwyn Price 96.88	10
		Stephen Bunting 92.34	3
						4	Gerwyn Price 100.31	11
						13	Joe Cullen 94.33	13
	13	Joe Cullen 100.67	10
		Mike De Decker 91.86	7
											13	Joe Cullen 97.11	16
												Daryl Gurney 92.18	11
	5	Rob Cross 98.08	10
		Daryl Gurney 95.33	12
							Daryl Gurney 104.43	11
							Gary Anderson 102.47	4
	12	Dave Chisnall 91.49	6
		Gary Anderson 94.07	10
																					9	Nathan Aspinall 96.21	18
																					7	Jonny Clayton 93.56	6
	2	Peter Wright 96.41	10
		Andrew Gilding 87.91	4
						2	Peter Wright 91.90	8
						15	Ryan Searle 95.22	11
	15	Ryan Searle 105.19	10
		Raymond van Barneveld 89.59	4
											15	Ryan Searle 94.72	12
											7	Jonny Clayton 97.55	16
	7	Jonny Clayton 87.91	10
		Gabriel Clemens 94.51	8
						7	Jonny Clayton 101.90	11
						10	Dimitri Van den Bergh 93.49	6
	10	Dimitri Van den Bergh 101.24	10
		Ross Smith 90.71	8
																7	Jonny Clayton 98.92	17
																6	Luke Humphries 95.86	15
	3	Michael van Gerwen 98.98	7
		Brendan Dolan 95.50	10
							Brendan Dolan 89.08	1
						14	Damon Heta 95.68	11
	14	Damon Heta 94.16	10
		Josh Rock 95.53	5
											14	Damon Heta 93.22	13
											6	Luke Humphries 95.50	16
	6	Luke Humphries 101.78	10
		José de Sousa 94.30	2
						6	Luke Humphries 95.17	14
						11	Dirk van Duijvenbode 93.04	12
	11	Dirk van Duijvenbode 95.52	12
		Kim Huybrechts 93.08	10

Top averages

The table lists all players who achieved an average of at least 100 in a match. ^[15] In the case one player has multiple records, this is indicated by the number in brackets.

#	Player	Round	Average	Result
1	Ryan Searle	1st Round	105.19	Won
2	Daryl Gurney	2nd Round	104.43	Won
3	Gary Anderson	2nd Round	102.47	Lost
4	Jonny Clayton	2nd Round	101.90	Won
5	Luke Humphries	1st Round	101.50	Won
6	Dimitri Van den Bergh	1st Round	101.24	Won
7	Joe Cullen	1st Round	100.67	Won
8	Gerwyn Price	2nd Round	100.31	Lost

References

1. "Vintage Van Gerwen stuns Price to claim World Matchplay hat-trick". PDC. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
2. "World Matchplay Final: Michael van Gerwen beats Gerwyn Price at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool". Sky Sports. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
3. "Darts results: Nathan Aspinall crowned World Matchplay champion after thrashing Jonny Clayton in the Blackpool final". Sporting Life. 24 July 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
4. "Awesome Aspinall storms to Betfred World Matchplay title". PDC. 23 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
5. "Increased prize funds confirmed for PDC televised events". PDC. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
6. "2023-07-15 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
7. "2023-07-16 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
8. "2023-07-17 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
9. "2023-07-18 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
10. "2023-07-19 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
11. "2023-07-20 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
12. "2023-07-21 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
13. "2023-07-22 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
14. "2023-07-23 Matchcenter". Mastercaller. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
15. "Results of World Matchplay 2023 - Mastercaller". mastercaller.com. Retrieved 17 December 2023.