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2020 World Matchplay
2020 World Matchplay
2020 World Matchplay
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2020 Betfred World Matchplay
Tournament information
Dates18–26 July 2020
VenueArena MK
LocationMilton Keynes, England
Organisation(s)Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
FormatLegs
Prize fund£700,000
Winner's share£150,000
High checkout
Champion(s)
 Dimitri Van den Bergh (BEL)
«2019 2021»

The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay was the 27th annual staging of the World Matchplay, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place, behind closed doors, at the Arena MK, Milton Keynes, from 18 to 26 July 2020.

Rob Cross was the defending champion, having won his first World Matchplay title with an 18–13 win over Michael Smith in the 2019 final. However, he was beaten by Gabriel Clemens 10–8 in the first round.

Dimitri Van den Bergh became the first unseeded player since James Wade in 2006 to reach the World Matchplay final; like Wade, Van den Bergh was making his debut in the competition. He went on to win his first major title, beating Gary Anderson 18–10 in the final. Van den Bergh was the first debutant to win the World Matchplay, excluding Larry Butler's win in the inaugural tournament.[1]

The tournament was moved from its planned venue of Winter Gardens, Blackpool, due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first and so far only time the tournament has not been held in Blackpool.[2]

Prize money

[edit]

The prize fund remained at £700,000, with the winner's earnings being £150,000.[3]

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

[edit]

All games have to be won by two clear legs, with a game 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 reaches 12-12 then the 25th leg will be the decider. The first round is played first to 10 legs, second round first to 11 legs, quarter finals first to 16 legs, semi final first to 17 legs and final first to 18 legs.

Qualification

[edit]

Under the published rules, the top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit as of 12 July 2020 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.[3][4]

The following players have qualified for the tournament:[5]

Draw

[edit]
First round (best of 19 legs)
18–21 July 		Second round (best of 21 legs)
21–22 July 		Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs)
23–24 July 		Semi-finals (best of 33 legs)
25 July 		Final (best of 35 legs)
26 July
               
1  Michael van Gerwen 99.82 10
 Brendan Dolan 91.88 7
1  Michael van Gerwen 90.80 4
16  Simon Whitlock 98.11 11
16  Simon Whitlock 89.96 10
 Ryan Joyce 90.11 4
16  Simon Whitlock 95.29 12
8  Gary Anderson 98.09 16
8  Gary Anderson 90.59 10
 Justin Pipe 87.41 5
8  Gary Anderson 92.91 11
9  James Wade 93.96 8
9  James Wade 96.58 12
 Keegan Brown 99.45 10
8  Gary Anderson 97.99 18
5  Michael Smith 93.85 16
4  Rob Cross 94.40 8
 Gabriel Clemens 89.22 10
 Gabriel Clemens 96.89 10
13  Krzysztof Ratajski 99.69 12
13  Krzysztof Ratajski 107.53 10
 Jermaine Wattimena 96.47 4
13  Krzysztof Ratajski 93.82 13
5  Michael Smith 98.32 16
5  Michael Smith 101.02 10
 Jonny Clayton 91.10 3
5  Michael Smith 94.99 14
12  Mensur Suljović 91.70 12
12  Mensur Suljović 100.47 12
 Jamie Hughes 101.13 10
8  Gary Anderson 92.81 10
 Dimitri Van den Bergh 98.31 18
2  Peter Wright 98.94 10
 José de Sousa 96.21 8
2  Peter Wright 100.87 8
15  Glen Durrant 98.36 11
15  Glen Durrant 106.93 10
 Jeffrey de Zwaan 96.71 3
15  Glen Durrant 95.21 18
 Vincent van der Voort 93.79 16
7  Daryl Gurney 92.37 10
 Ricky Evans 90.29 5
7  Daryl Gurney 93.79 5
 Vincent van der Voort 97.67 11
10  Dave Chisnall 94.20 6
 Vincent van der Voort 98.95 10
15  Glen Durrant 98.44 15
 Dimitri Van den Bergh 98.97 17
3  Gerwyn Price 90.73 7
 Danny Noppert 90.92 10
 Danny Noppert 87.63 7
14  Adrian Lewis 99.81 11
14  Adrian Lewis 97.27 11
 Steve Beaton 89.94 9
14  Adrian Lewis 96.26 12
 Dimitri Van den Bergh 99.67 16
6  Nathan Aspinall 93.54 5
 Dimitri Van den Bergh 98.42 10
 Dimitri Van den Bergh 93.19 11
 Joe Cullen 92.81 9
11  Ian White 93.80 12
 Joe Cullen 90.42 13

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

2020 World Matchplay

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from Grokipedia
The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay was a professional organized by the (PDC), held from 18 to 26 July 2020 at the Marshall Arena in , , behind closed doors due to the . It featured 32 players—comprising the top 16 from the and 16 qualifiers from the ProTour Order of Merit—competing for the Phil Taylor Trophy and a total prize fund of £700,000. The event marked a historic first for the , as debutant won his maiden televised major title by defeating Gary Anderson 18–10 in the final, becoming the first debut winner since Larry Butler in 1994. The tournament adopted a single-elimination format with matches played in sets of legs: the first round consisted of best-of-19-legs games, the second round best-of-21, quarter-finals best-of-31, semi-finals best-of-33, and the final best-of-35, with games decided by two clear legs or sudden-death if necessary. Van den Bergh, ranked 17th on the , navigated a surprise-filled draw that saw all top four seeds—, Peter Wright, , and defending champion Rob Cross—eliminated before the quarter-finals, including van Gerwen's 10–7 first-round win over before his second-round exit. His path to victory included defeating seeded players such as , , and in the semi-finals (17–15), earning him £150,000 as winner while Anderson received £70,000 as runner-up. Notable for its relocation from the traditional Winter Gardens venue in Blackpool and its status as the first major PDC event post-lockdown, the 2020 World Matchplay highlighted emerging talents amid the disruptions of the global health crisis, with van den Bergh's triumph solidifying his rise in the sport. The prize money distribution further rewarded progression, with £50,000 each for semi-finalists Durrant and Michael Smith, £25,000 for quarter-finalists, £15,000 for second-round exits, and £10,000 for first-round exits.

Background and Context

Event History

The World Matchplay was established in 1994 by the (PDC) as a major non-ranking tournament in professional , quickly becoming a cornerstone of the sport's elite calendar. Held annually during the summer months, the event has traditionally taken place at the Winter Gardens in , , across all editions prior to 2020, drawing large crowds to its historic venue and contributing to its reputation as a festive highlight of the PDC schedule. Originally structured as an invitation-only competition for the top 16 ranked players, qualification evolved into a merit-based system tied to performance in PDC events, emphasizing the rankings and allowing broader access for high-achieving professionals while maintaining its elite status as one of ' most prominent televised majors. The tournament's significance is exemplified by Phil Taylor's unparalleled dominance, as the PDC legend secured a record 16 titles from 1995 to 2017, amassing 99 match victories and reaching 17 finals, which underscores the event's role in showcasing exceptional skill and rivalries in professional .

COVID-19 Adaptations

Due to the ongoing and associated government restrictions, the 2020 World Matchplay was relocated from its traditional venue at the Winter Gardens in to the Marshall Arena in , , marking the first time the event was not hosted in . This move was necessitated by the inability to safely accommodate crowds at the original site amid lockdown measures, and it positioned the tournament within a centralized hub that the (PDC) had already utilized for earlier events in their condensed summer schedule. The change allowed the PDC to maintain the event while adhering to health guidelines, with all sessions conducted behind closed doors and without any spectators present—the first such occurrence since the tournament's inception in 1994. To ensure participant safety, the tournament operated within a biosecure environment, featuring comprehensive health protocols including mandatory for all players, staff, officials, and guests (98 tests in total) upon arrival at the venue. Those tested underwent a period of at the Marshall Arena until results were confirmed negative, with no positive cases reported, thus avoiding any alterations to the lineup or schedule. These measures aligned with broader PDC responses to the , such as a streamlined calendar that consolidated multiple tournaments in to minimize travel and exposure risks, alongside ongoing requirements for activities like player interviews. The event's schedule was adjusted slightly to run from to 26, 2020, starting two days earlier than the previous year's July 20–28 timeline, to coincide with easing of initial restrictions while still falling in the customary late window. This timing enabled the tournament to proceed as one of the PDC's events in a post- phase, with enhanced broadcasting elements like simulated crowd noise and video fan messages to compensate for the absence of live audiences.

Tournament Rules and Structure

Match Format

The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay employed the standard rules of professional , utilizing a 501-point scoring system where players begin with a score of 501 and subtract points from throws of three darts until reaching exactly zero, with the final leg requiring a double-out finish—meaning the last dart must land on a double segment or the bullseye to complete the leg. Matches were contested in a best-of-legs format, escalating in length across rounds to increase competitive intensity: the first round consisted of best-of-19 legs (first to 10), the second round best-of-21 legs (first to 11), quarter-finals best-of-31 legs (first to 16), semi-finals best-of-33 legs (first to 17), and the final best-of-35 legs (first to 18). To determine a winner, a player needed to secure a lead of two clear legs beyond the target number. If a match reached the target score tied (e.g., 10-10 in the first round), play continued with additional until one player achieved a two- advantage; however, this extension was capped at a maximum of five additional legs, after which—if still tied—the sixth additional leg became a sudden-death tie-break, where the first player to win that leg claimed victory. The tournament featured 32 players, with the top 16 ranked on the seeded directly into the second round, receiving a bye from the opening round. The remaining 16 qualifiers, drawn from the ProTour Order of Merit, competed in the first round, with winners advancing to face the seeds in the second round. Due to the event's behind-closed-doors format at the Marshall Arena in amid the , sessions were structured for television broadcast efficiency, typically including afternoon and evening play where applicable, with evening sessions starting around 7:00 PM BST in later stages, though early rounds began at 6:00 PM BST; breaks between matches allowed for board resets and player preparation, ensuring matches did not exceed scheduled session times.

Prize Money

The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay offered a total prize fund of £700,000, sponsored by as part of their title sponsorship agreement with the PDC. This represented an increase from previous years, reflecting the event's status as one of the sport's premier televised . The was distributed in a tiered structure based on tournament progression, with the following breakdown:
StagePrize per PlayerNumber of PlayersTotal
Winner£150,0001£150,000
Runner-up£70,0001£70,000
Semi-finalists£50,0002£100,000
Quarter-finalists£25,0004£100,000
Second round losers£15,0008£120,000
First round losers£10,00016£160,000
Total£700,000
As a ranking event on the PDC calendar, earnings from the tournament directly affected players' standings on the , with even first-round participants guaranteed £10,000—equivalent in ranking value to winning a Players Championship event.

Qualification

PDC Order of Merit Qualifiers

The PDC Order of Merit qualifiers for the 2020 World Matchplay consisted of the top 16 players based on as of the July 12, 2020, cutoff date. This system aggregates earned by players in PDC ranking events over the preceding two-year period, rewarding consistent performance across majors, Players Championships, and other televised and floor tournaments. The approach prioritizes elite players who have demonstrated sustained success, ensuring their automatic inclusion in high-profile events like the World Matchplay. The seeded field was led by world number one , winner of the by defeating Michael Smith 7-3 in the final. Other notable qualifiers included Rob Cross, the defending World Matchplay champion from 2019 after his 18-13 victory over Michael Smith in the final, and , who had recently claimed the 2019 UK Open title. The full list of seeded players is as follows:
RankPlayer
1
2Peter Wright
3
4Rob Cross
5Michael Smith
6
7
8Gary Anderson
9
10
11Ian White
12
13
14
15
16
These benefited from key advantages in the structure, including an automatic bye into the second round and strategic draw positioning that matched them against non-seeded opponents in their opening games, thereby protecting higher-ranked players from early clashes. This seeding mechanism plays a crucial role in upholding the event's prestige by guaranteeing the involvement of the sport's top talents, fostering competitive balance alongside the 16 ProTour qualifiers.

ProTour Qualifiers

The 16 unseeded places in the 2020 World Matchplay were awarded to players based on their positions in the PDC ProTour Order of Merit, which ranks participants by prize money earned in ProTour events—including Players Championships and European Tour tournaments—over the previous 12 months. This pathway provided opportunities for players outside the top 16 of the main to qualify through consistent or standout performances in these non-televised ranking events. Due to the , the 2020 ProTour calendar was drastically shortened, with activity suspended from March to early , limiting the total events considered for qualification to just a handful before the cutoff date of July 12, 2020. To address this, the PDC organized the Summer Series—a block of five events held consecutively from July 8 to 12 at the Marshall Arena in —allowing players a concentrated chance to boost their earnings and rankings in the lead-up to the tournament. This structure placed heavy emphasis on recent form, enabling breakthroughs for emerging talents like , who capitalized on strong results in the Summer Series to secure his debut appearance despite not being seeded. The full list of ProTour qualifiers is as follows:
PlayerNotes
Joe Cullen
Debut
Debut
Jamie Hughes
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Ryan JoyceDebut
Debut
Justin Pipe
Ricky Evans
As first-round entrants, the ProTour qualifiers were randomly drawn against the 16 seeded players from the main , immediately pitting them in high-stakes matches that often led to early upsets and showcased the competitive depth beyond the elite rankings.

Tournament Results

Draw and Early Rounds

The 2020 Betfred World Matchplay adopted a traditional single-elimination for its 32-player field, with the top 16 seeds from the receiving byes into the second round to face the winners of the opening matches between the 16 non-seeded qualifiers. This structure ensured seeded players avoided early clashes among themselves, building tension as unseeded challengers vied for upsets in the best-of-19-leg first round. The first round, held from July 18-21 at the Marshall Arena in , produced several notable upsets that reshaped the draw. Fourth Rob Cross fell 8-10 to unseeded German , who capitalized on Cross's inconsistent finishing despite averaging 94.40 to Clemens's 89.22. Third Gerwyn suffered a 7-10 defeat to , with both players posting similar averages around 90.73 and 90.92, highlighting Noppert's edge in key doubles. Sixth was stunned 5-10 by , who dominated with a 98.42 average and controlled the tempo from the outset. Tenth lost 6-10 to , averaging 94.20 against Voort's sharp 98.95. Eleventh Ian White edged out by Joe Cullen in a thriller, 12-13, with White's 93.80 average narrowly outdone by Cullen's clutch performance at 90.42. Other seeded victors included top Michael van Gerwen's 10-7 win over (99.82 average) and fifth Michael Smith's comfortable 10-3 rout of (101.02 average).
First Round Key MatchesWinnerScoreLoserWinner Avg.Loser Avg.
vs. van Gerwen10-7Dolan99.8291.88
vs. Ryan JoyceWhitlock10-4Joyce89.9690.11
Gary Anderson vs. Justin PipeAnderson10-5Pipe90.5987.41
vs. Wade12-10Brown96.5899.45
Rob Cross vs. Clemens10-8Cross89.2294.40
vs. Ratajski10-4Wattimena107.5396.47
Michael Smith vs. Smith10-3Clayton101.0291.10
Mensur Suljovic vs. Jamie HughesSuljovic12-10Hughes100.47101.13
Peter Wright vs. Jose de SousaWright10-8de Sousa98.9496.21
vs. Jeffrey de ZwaanDurrant10-3de Zwaan106.9396.71
vs. Ricky EvansGurney10-5Evans92.3790.29
vs. van der Voort10-6Chisnall98.9594.20
vs. Noppert10-7Price90.9290.73
vs. Lewis11-9Beaton97.2789.94
vs. van den Bergh10-5Aspinall98.4293.54
Ian White vs. Joe CullenCullen13-12White90.4293.80
The second round, contested in best-of-21 legs from July 22-23, amplified the unpredictability with further shocks among the favorites. Top seed was emphatically ousted 4-11 by , who averaged 98.11 to Van Gerwen's uncharacteristically low 90.80, marking one of the tournament's biggest upsets. Second seed Peter Wright lost 8-11 to fifteenth seed , despite Wright's higher 100.87 average, as Durrant maintained composure at 98.36. Unseeded challengers continued their runs: advanced 11-9 over Joe Cullen (93.19 average), setting up his deep tournament path, while dispatched seventh seed 11-5 (97.67 average). Other results saw Michael Smith edge Mensur Suljovic 14-12 (94.99 average), Gary Anderson defeat 11-8 (92.91 average), overcome 12-10 (99.69 average), and beat 11-7 (99.81 average). Statistically, the early rounds showcased elevated scoring, with first-round averages peaking at 107.53 for in his dominant win over , and Glen Durrant's 106.93 against Jeffrey de Zwaan establishing a benchmark for precision. Second-round play maintained intensity, highlighted by Peter Wright's 100.87 average in defeat and Adrian Lewis's 99.81 in victory, underscoring the field's competitive depth despite the absence of crowds due to protocols.

Later Rounds and Final

The quarter-finals of the 2020 Betfred World Matchplay took place on 23 and 24 July at the Marshall Arena in , reducing the field to four players in best-of-31-legs matches. In the first quarter-final, eighth seed Gary Anderson defeated 16th seed 16-12, maintaining his strong form with consistent scoring and key checkouts to advance. Michael Smith, the fifth seed, edged out 13th seed 16-13 in a tight contest marked by Smith's recovery from an early deficit through precise doubling. , the 15th seed, defeated 18-16 in a tight contest. ProTour qualifier , making his debut, defeated 16-12, with a 99.67 average to secure his spot in the semi-finals. The semi-finals on 25 July featured intense best-of-33-legs encounters. Anderson faced Smith in a thrilling match, leading 14-9 before Smith mounted a comeback to level at 16-16; Anderson then prevailed 18-16 in the tiebreak leg with a crucial 121 checkout, averaging 97.99 to reach his fourth World Matchplay final. In the other semi-final, van den Bergh outlasted Durrant 17-15 after trailing 8-5 early on, maintaining a strong performance to book his place in the final on debut. The final on 26 July pitted Anderson against van den Bergh in a best-of-35-legs showdown, with van den Bergh emerging as a 200/1 outsider at the tournament's start. Van den Bergh dominated after a nervy opening, leading 10-8 at the second interval and then reeling off eight of the next ten legs, including a 170 checkout to level at 6-6 and ton-plus finishes of 124 and 132 on the bullseye to pull away. He sealed an 18-10 victory with a 98.31 average, claiming the £150,000 top prize and the Phil Taylor Trophy in his debut appearance, becoming only the third unseeded winner in the event's history, following Larry Butler (1994) and (1996), and the second debutant champion after Butler. Also Belgium's first PDC major champion. Post-match, van den Bergh described the win as "my dreams have come true," crediting his preparation amid the adaptations, while Anderson praised his opponent, saying "all credit to , he deserves it," despite admitting his own performance fell short. Van den Bergh was named Player of the Tournament for his run, which included 29 maximums across the event.

References

  1. https://www.pdc.tv/tournament/betfred-world-matchplay-0
  2. https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/world-matchplay-2020-results/181522
  3. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/12/2020-betfred-world-matchplay-draw-field
  4. https://www.dartscorner.com/blogs/darts-fun/darts-world-matchplay
  5. https://www.sportsbreaks.com/5-of-the-best-a-look-back-through-world-matchplay-darts-history
  6. https://news.williamhill.com/darts/mens-matchplay/history-and-previous-winners/
  7. https://dartsnews.com/pdc/16-titles-and-99-wins-phil-taylors-unimaginable-numbers-at-the-world-matchplay
  8. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/18/2020-betfred-world-matchplay-whats-different
  9. https://www.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/12018773/pdc-darts-world-matchplay-to-be-held-in-milton-keynes-behind-closed-doors
  10. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/20/all-covid-19-tests-negative-betfred-world-matchplay
  11. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/13/2020-betfred-world-matchplay-schedule-play
  12. https://www.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/12022395/2020-world-matchplay-results-draw-schedule
  13. https://dartsnews.com/pdc/prize-money-breakdown-world-matchplay-2020-with-700000-on-offer
  14. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/16/ranking-money-risk-2020-world-matchplay
  15. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/26/dimitri-van-den-bergh-wins-2020-betfred-world-matchplay
  16. https://www.pdc.tv/pdc-order-merit-rules
  17. https://www.pdc.tv/order-of-merit/pdc-order-merit
  18. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/06/26/grand-slam-spot-pdc-summer-series-rankings-update
  19. https://www.pdc.tv/news/2020/07/11/world-matchplay-race-latest-after-summer-series-day-four
  20. https://www.dartsdatabase.co.uk/display-event.php?eid=24219
  21. https://www.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/12035623/world-matchplay-glen-durrant-beats-vincent-van-der-voort-in-epic-semi-final
  22. https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/anderson-into-matchplay-final/182456
  23. https://www.skysports.com/darts/news/12288/12036932/world-matchplay-dimitri-van-den-bergh-stuns-gary-anderson-in-final
  24. https://www.bbc.com/sport/darts/53547119
  25. https://www.sportinglife.com/darts/news/world-matchplay-final-recap/182482
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