Michael van Gerwen has been handed a nightmare first round draw against Luke Littler at the World Matchplay, with the PDC confirming when the match will take place
Michael van Gerwen is facing a £200,000 headache after being drawn to face Luke Littler at the World Matchplay.
The three-time Matchplay champion and the young prodigy are set to go head-to-head in first round at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The clash between Van Gerwen and Littler is scheduled for the third day of the tournament, Monday, July 15.
Despite Littler’s meteoric rise in darts since his World Championship final appearance at Christmas, he currently sits 25th in the world rankings as events like the Premier League, which he won, and the World Series don’t contribute ranking points. The Nuke secured his spot in Blackpool thanks to his Pro Tour success and was sure to face one of the 16 seeds in the first round.
Unfortunately for MVG, he is the unlucky seed, which could negatively impact his ranking. Van Gerwen bagged £200,000 for winning the Matchplay in 2022. As the PDC Order of Merit is based on prize money over a two-year period, the Dutchman will be defending that sum this year.
His challenging draw against Littler means he has a tough task to progress beyond the first round, let alone win the entire tournament. An early exit would see the three-time world champion slide down to third in the rankings.
The PDC have confirmed the schedule for the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday, July 13, with Nathan Aspinall and world champion Luke Humphries in action on the opening day. Aspinall will start his title defence against newcomer Luke Woodhouse, as he aims to join the ranks of Rod Harrington, Phil Taylor and Van Gerwen in securing consecutive World Matchplays.
Top seed Humphries will begin his campaign against Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko, with former finalists Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and Raymond van Barneveld also in action on the opening night. Clayton is set to face five-time world champion Van Barneveld, while 2022 runner-up Price will go head-to-head with Daryl Gurney.
After a double session on Sunday, the first round will wrap up with a star-studded session on the Monday. In addition to the Van Gerwen-Littler showdown, world number three Michael Smith and 2018 champion Gary Anderson will square off in another high-profile match. Meanwhile, Australia’s top player, Damon Heta, will take on Ryan Searle.