Monthly Archives: July 2018

Here Darts commentator Stuart Pyke takes his own look back at one of the best tournaments in the history of the prestigious World Matchplay And breathe! I write this piece sat with World Matchplay Champion Gary Anderson and another Team Unicorn star Michael Smith. We are at Manchester Airport ahead of a marathon journey for the latest adventure on the World Series of Darts. The journey with these two will be entertaining! The journey that Anderson made at Blackpool was nothing short of sensational.

Bottle, bravery, breathtakingly brilliant! Team Unicorn superstar Gary Anderson is the 2018 World Matchplay Champion after winning the greatest final in the 25-year history of the tournament as he saw off Mensur Suljovic 21-19 in an epic at the Winter Gardens. Four times Gary threw for the match and was pegged back before finally hitting one of the sweetest double 10s of his career in what was also the longest ever Blackpool final. It also completes the PDC Triple Crown for Anderson as he adds the

Gary Anderson has reached his first World Matchplay final in Blackpool with a sensational display on Saturday night. He won a thrilling all Unicorn semi-final 17-12 against an inspired Jeffrey de Zwaan but this time ‘The Black Cobra’ bit off more than he could chew. Anderson hit an incredible 16 x 180s and averaged a brilliant 106 and he will face Mensur Suljovic in the Winter Gardens final after the Austrian beat an out-of-sorts Peter Wright 17-13. “I had to play as well as that to beat Jeffrey,”

It will go down as one of the best nights in the 25-year history of the World Matchplay. Gary Anderson hit an amazing 9-darter as he edged out Joe Cullen 19-17 in one of the best matches ever seen on the Winter Gardens stage. And Jeffrey de Zwaan has done it again! A magnificent display to beat Dave Chisnall 16-8. Real quality to set up an all Unicorn semi-final clash with Anderson. But the Scot raised the Winter Gardens roof with another televised 9 darter which earns him a £45,000 bonus! “Joe was

James Wade, Kim Huybrechts and Ian White have missed out on a place in the World Matchplay quarter-finals. Wade lost to Simon Whitlock, Huybrechts was beaten by Peter Wright, while White went down to Mensur Suljovic. For Wade, it was just one of those days. Normally so reliable on the doubles, he suffered a nightmare hitting seven from 29 attempts and all those misses were crucial. In the end it was the difference between winning and losing. The stats don’t lie. Wade had at least one dart at double

It was a sensational night at the World Matchplay as the Team Unicorn trio of Gary Anderson, Joe Cullen and Jeffrey de Zwaan powered into the quarter-finals. But for Michael Smith, it is the Winter Gardens exit door as he lost a big lead and went down to Dave Chisnall. De Zwaan was nerveless as he edged out Adrian Lewis 11-9, while Cullen thrashed Daryl Gurney with a composed display. And it’s Cullen against Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals on Thursday. Anderson staged a magnificent fightback

The PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship is to expand to 96 players with a prize fund of £60,000 this year, providing greater opportunities for young players from across the globe. Team Unicorn’s Dimitri Van den Bergh will defend his title in November, having claimed the honour in 2017 by defeating Josh Payne in the final. In a move which mirrors the expansion of the William Hill World Darts Championship, an additional 32 places will be made available as the tournament grows to a new level. There

It’s taken seven long years but Kim Huybrechts has tasted victory at the World Matchplay....and what a win it was! After six successive 1st Round defeats, the Team Unicorn ace edged out John Henderson in a last leg shoot-out. James Wade was also involved in a thriller as he was forced to dig deep to beat Jermaine Wattimena in a tie-break 12-10. But for Jelle Klaasen a night to forget as he slumped to a heavy defeat against Peter Wright. But Huybrechts thriller took top billing on Monday night in

Gary Anderson justified his favourite tag on day two of the World Matchplay. He upped the ante beating Stephen Bunting 10-7 on Sunday night at the Winter Gardens. There were also key victories for fellow Unicorn stars Joe Cullen and Ian White, but Kyle Anderson bowed out. Gary stepped up when it mattered. “There was a bit of pressure up there with everyone making me favourite and I made a bit of a mess of things at the start, but pleased with the way I finished it off and happy to get through that

It will rank as one of the biggest upsets in the 25-year history of the World Matchplay and it is Unicorn new boy Jeffrey de Zwaan who stunned World No.1 Michael van Gerwen on the opening night at the Winter Gardens. De Zwaan shocked Van Gerwen 10-6 with a classy, cultured and cool display. A sensational result and the second time he’s beaten the World No.1 in a TV ‘Major’ this year after his triumph at the UK Open. Make no mistake, this was thoroughly deserved as he forced Van Gerwen into a series