2018 PDC World Matchplay (July 21-29)

[Rogg]

Inspired by upsetting references to Spamilton and Newtno in the other thread...

Five-year changes to the World Matchplay field (2013 v 2018).
17 out. 15 survive.

At a glance, 12 of the 17 newcomers are early-30s or under. Will it become rare for 'new' people aged 40+ to make a splash at this kind of level in the PDC?


OUT
Phil Taylor (1)
Andy Hamilton (6)
Wes Newton (7)
Justin Shite (9)
Robert Thornton (11)
Kevin Painter (12)
Brendan Dolan (14)
Terry Jenkins (16)
Jamie Cave-in
John Part
Stuart Kellett
Paul Nicholson
Ronnie Baxter
Colin Lloyd
Jamie Lewis
Ronny Huybrechts
Mark Webster

IN
Rob Cross (3)
Daryl Gurney (5)
Gerwyn Price (12)
Darren Webster (14)
Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen
Stephen Bunting
Max Hopp
Jermaine Wattimena
Steve West
Kyle Anderson
James Wilson
John Henderson
Keegan Brown
Steve Lennon
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Richard North

If you're worrying about where all the seeds went, five players who were ProTour qualifiers in 2013 are seeds in 2018:

Peter Wright (main ranking then 21; ranking now 2)
Gary Anderson (18; 4)
Mensur Suljovic (51; 6)
Michael Smith (34; 9)
Ian White (30; 11)

King is the only player here to have done the opposite. Seed in 2013, ProTour qualifier in 2018.

[Rogg]

Trail on Talksport 2 now for the darts. Nicho and Gwynne making funny noises. Every dart live from Blackpool, lovely stuff.

[Zeyes]

Think the "out" list is missing Andy Smith and the "in" Michael Smith?

For kicks, the average ages (generously rounded):

2013 seeds: 40
2013 non-seeds: 39.5

2018 seeds: 40
2018 non-seeds: 35.5

[Rogg]

Quite right. Says Michael Smith here but it was Andy at the 2013 edition. (Michael was on the rise tho, main ranked 32 by the time the Worlds came around, which is how he came to play Taylor in Round 2.)

So only 14 players have survived five years. 13 of the 18 new lads are early-30s or under.

Some players be feeling absolutely ancient looking at those numbers dropping.

[Rogg]

Horrifying Kim stat. What the hell.


Dan Dawson @DanDartsDawson
Of the 32 man field for the BetVictor World Matchplay:
11 of them have won titles in 2018 already
9 more have featured in finals in 2018 and
7 have beaten MvG on a big stage this year.

Dan Dawson @DanDartsDawson
Players to have lost in round 1 in their first 6 appearances at the World Matchplay:
Eric Bristow (never played a 7th)
Andy Smith (won his 7th, then lost in rnd 1 in his next 2)
Robert Thornton (won his 7th, then lost in rnd 1 next year)
Kim Huybrechts - this is his 7th year.

[thegentle]

Horrifying Kim stat. What the hell.


Dan Dawson @DanDartsDawson
Of the 32 man field for the BetVictor World Matchplay:
11 of them have won titles in 2018 already
9 more have featured in finals in 2018 and
7 have beaten MvG on a big stage this year.

Dan Dawson @DanDartsDawson
Players to have lost in round 1 in their first 6 appearances at the World Matchplay:
Eric Bristow (never played a 7th)
Andy Smith (won his 7th, then lost in rnd 1 in his next 2)
Robert Thornton (won his 7th, then lost in rnd 1 next year)
Kim Huybrechts - this is his 7th year.

The Matchplay really is the hardest competition out there. Those are all quality players who all had varying levels of success in the game, yet all struggled in Blackpool. Kim doesn't have the best record on TV anyway, but you really can't fluke a lucky run at Blackpool like you can elsewhere, they're all quality players

[thegentle]

Inspired by upsetting references to Spamilton and Newtno in the other thread...

Five-year changes to the World Matchplay field (2013 v 2018).
17 out. 15 survive.

At a glance, 12 of the 17 newcomers are early-30s or under. Will it become rare for 'new' people aged 40+ to make a splash at this kind of level in the PDC?


OUT
Phil Taylor (1)
Andy Hamilton (6)
Wes Newton (7)
Justin Shite (9)
Robert Thornton (11)
Kevin Painter (12)
Brendan Dolan (14)
Terry Jenkins (16)
Jamie Cave-in
John Part
Stuart Kellett
Paul Nicholson
Ronnie Baxter
Colin Lloyd
Jamie Lewis
Ronny Huybrechts
Mark Webster

IN
Rob Cross (3)
Daryl Gurney (5)
Gerwyn Price (12)
Darren Webster (14)
Jonny Clayton
Joe Cullen
Stephen Bunting
Max Hopp
Jermaine Wattimena
Steve West
Kyle Anderson
James Wilson
John Henderson
Keegan Brown
Steve Lennon
Jeffrey de Zwaan
Richard North

If you're worrying about where all the seeds went, five players who were ProTour qualifiers in 2013 are seeds in 2018:

Peter Wright (main ranking then 21; ranking now 2)
Gary Anderson (18; 4)
Mensur Suljovic (51; 6)
Michael Smith (34; 9)
Ian White (30; 11)

King is the only player here to have done the opposite. Seed in 2013, ProTour qualifier in 2018.

I almost forgot Gando was ranked so low for so long, despite playing poorly in the ranked events, it didn't really reflect his form given he could get himself up for the non-ranked events. Good to see him put more graft in this year

[Rogg]

The Matchplay really is the hardest competition out there. Those are all quality players who all had varying levels of success in the game, yet all struggled in Blackpool. Kim doesn't have the best record on TV anyway, but you really can't fluke a lucky run at Blackpool like you can elsewhere, they're all quality players

Backed up by these numbers I think. Kim's First Round opponent has only once averaged under 95 and he's never played especially badly himself.

The better way to frame it nowadays is to say that appearing in seven consecutive World Matchplays is a considerable achievement.


2012 (96.88) Terry Jenkins 11-9 Kim Huybrechts (98.69)
2013 (96.06) Peter Wright 10-4 Kim Huybrechts (91.59)
2014 (101.06) Mervyn King 10-4 Kim Huybrechts (92.53)
2015 (108.13) Peter Wright 10-5 Kim Huybrechts (95.82)
2016 (95.10) Gerwyn Price 10-8 Kim Huybrechts (97.89)
2017 (90.59) Alan Norris 10-6 Kim Huybrechts (93.45)

[M H]

The business end of the season begins.................

[Randall]

The business end of the season begins.................

Finally.
Finding it difficult to care about world series etc.

[M H]

Absolutely. The exbos can be entertaining but the real majors matter, a lot at stake

[sennafan24]

The business end of the season begins.................

Finally.
Finding it difficult to care about world series etc.

+1

Same with the PDC World Cup.

[Randall]

The business end of the season begins.................

Finally.
Finding it difficult to care about world series etc.

+1

Same with the PDC World Cup.

I didn't mind that so much, felt like it meant something to the players.
The world series just feels exactly like what it is, a pointless exbo.

[sennafan24]

I've never really got into the PDC World Cup.

I would much rather they had a pairs tournament with the top 64 of the OOM.

[Randall]

That wouldn't mean anything to the players though.
At least there seems to be genuine emotion at the world cup.

[thegentle]

The business end of the season begins.................

Finally.
Finding it difficult to care about world series etc.

+1

Same with the PDC World Cup.

I didn't mind that so much, felt like it meant something to the players.
The world series just feels exactly like what it is, a pointless exbo.

At least we've seen career-best performances from the likes of Smith and Van den Bergh, hopefully they'll kick on from that (been saying that for a while with Dimitri though). But yeah, the World Series is just a bit of fun, the World Matchplay and beyond is serious

[thegentle]

Got tickets for this, bit limited for time with work and that so the only session I could get is the final, but I'm not complaining at that!

[Randall]

The business end of the season begins.................

Finally.
Finding it difficult to care about world series etc.

+1

Same with the PDC World Cup.

I didn't mind that so much, felt like it meant something to the players.
The world series just feels exactly like what it is, a pointless exbo.

At least we've seen career-best performances from the likes of Smith and Van den Bergh, hopefully they'll kick on from that (been saying that for a while with Dimitri though). But yeah, the World Series is just a bit of fun, the World Matchplay and beyond is serious

Oh it's great experience for the players and great for the game. It's just difficult to invest anything in them.
Over before they start.

[Randall]

Got tickets for this, bit limited for time with work and that so the only session I could get is the final, but I'm not complaining at that!

I always assumed you were in China!

[thegentle]

Got tickets for this, bit limited for time with work and that so the only session I could get is the final, but I'm not complaining at that!

I always assumed you were in China!

I am, back in England for the summer