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The Darts World Matchplay is back this weekend, with Markham’s Gerwyn Price seeking to win the competition for the first time.
Price goes into the event, held in Blackpool, in fine form – having won both the Baltic Sea Darts Open and the Poland Darts Masters so far this month.
The 32-player tournament gets underway on Saturday July 19, but Price will have to wait until Monday to face Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney in the opening round – a repeat of last year’s opening round fixture, which Price won 10-4.
The winner of that clash will play either Chris Dobey or Ricardo Pietreczko in the second round on Wednesday July 23.
The competition concludes with the final on Sunday July 27, when the winner will lift the coveted Phil Taylor Trophy.
Speaking after his Baltic Sea Darts Open victory last weekend, which saw him climb to ninth in the PDC Order of Merit, Price said: “I’ve lost in the final before, so now I need to lift that trophy.”
Price, who was runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in the World Matchplay three years ago, continued: “I won in Poland, I reached the semi-finals and final on the ProTour, so to come here and win here definitely puts me in good stead ahead of the World Matchplay.
“I’m playing really well at the moment, but it’s all on the day. There are so many good players in the tournament, so anybody can win it.”
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