LUKE Humphries will begin his defence of the Betfred World Matchplay against Gian van Veen, as Dutch icons Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld go head-to-head in Blackpool.
The 2025 Betfred World Matchplay will take place from July 19-27 at the iconic Winter Gardens, as a star-studded 32-player field compete for the £200,000 top prize at the Empress Ballroom.
Humphries lifted the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time 12 months ago, and the world number one will mark his Winter Gardens return with a blockbuster clash against World Youth Champion Gian Van Veen.
The first round of the sport’s summer showpiece sees the world’s top 16 players seeded and pitted against the top 16 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Rankings, as two Dutch legends collide.
Van Gerwen – the runner-up to Humphries last year – will begin his bid for a fourth World Matchplay title against five-time World Champion Van Barneveld, the runner-up at this event back in 2010.
World Champion Luke Littler will open his title challenge against 2023 quarter-finalist Ryan Searle, while former runner-up Jonny Clayton begins his campaign against German number one Martin Schindler.
Fourth seed Stephen Bunting will play Ryan Joyce in a repeat of their first round showdown 12 months ago, with 2023 champion Nathan Aspinall drawn against Dutch debutant Wessel Nijman.
Rob Cross and Peter Wright – the winners in 2019 and 2021 respectively – also face Dutch opposition in Dirk van Duijvenbode and Jermaine Wattimena, while 2018 champion Gary Anderson plays Luke Woodhouse for a place in the last 16.
2007 champion James Wade – also a five-time runner-up – will make his 20th consecutive World Matchplay appearance later this month, and he gets his bid underway against 2023 semi-finalist Joe Cullen.
Former finalist Gerwyn Price meets Northern Ireland’s newly crowned World Cup champion Daryl Gurney, whose Northern Ireland team-mate Josh Rock takes on former European Champion Ross Smith for the second straight year.
World number six Chris Dobey faces German number two Ricardo Pietreczko, as Australian number one Damon Heta goes up against former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding.
Five-time quarter-finalist Dave Chisnall and World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker also collide, with 2022 semi-finalist Danny Noppert awaiting debutant Cameron Menzies in round one.
The sport’s biggest names will compete across nine days of action at the Empress Ballroom, with £800,000 in prize money and the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy up for grabs.
Humphries will take centre stage on Saturday’s opening night, as former champions Aspinall and Wade also star in a bumper line-up.
Littler will headline Sunday’s double-session alongside the likes of Bunting, Clayton, Cross and Anderson, before Van Gerwen and Price enter the fray on Day Three, as the first round draws to a close on Monday evening.
This year’s visit to the Winter Gardens will also feature the fourth staging of the Betfred Women’s World Matchplay, as eight players compete on the afternoon of Sunday July 27. Click here to buy tickets.
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Images: PDC
