Dave Chisnall’s Blackpool challenge starts against World Grand Prix winner
Dave Chisnall’s Betfred World Matchplay campaign will begin with a clash against Mike De Decker on Sunday.
Chisnall, a five-time quarter-finalist, faces De Decker, the defending World Grand Prix champion, in the last of Sunday afternoon’s first-round matches at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
The winner will then play either Jonny Clayton or Martin Schindler, who meet in Sunday’s evening session on the Fylde coast.
Thirty-two players are taking part, looking to win the £200,000 top prize in addition to taking home the Phil Taylor Trophy.
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.
Last year’s winner, Luke Humphries, will begin his title defence against Gian van Veen, as Dutch icons Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld go head-to-head.
World champion Luke Littler will open his title challenge against 2023 quarter-finalist Ryan Searle.
Fourth seed Stephen Bunting will play Ryan Joyce in a repeat of their first-round showdown 12 months ago.
The opening stage also sees Nathan Aspinall, the winner in 2023, drawn against Dutch debutant Wessel Nijman.
Chisnall’s preparations for Blackpool, however, saw him beaten in round two of the Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open.
The 2023 champion, Chisnall was beaten 6-3 on Saturday by Daryl Gurney who then lost to James Wade in Sunday’s afternoon’s last-16 stage.
Welshman Gerwyn Price took the overall victory in Austria, beating Gary Anderson 8-3 in the final to win his ninth European Tour title and first since 2023.