# 2015 World Matchplay

The 2015 BetVictor World Matchplay was the 22nd annual staging of the World Matchplay, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation. The tournament took place at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, from 18 to 26 July 2015.
Phil Taylor was the defending champion, having won the last seven editions of the event and he reached the semi-finals, where his 38-game unbeaten run came to the end against James Wade. Michael van Gerwen won his first World Matchplay title by defeating Wade 18–12 in the final.

## Prize money

The prize fund was increased to £450,000 after being £400,000 for the previous five editions of this event.
| Position (no. of players) | Position (no. of players) | Prize money (Total: £450,000) |
| Winner | (1) | £100,000 |
| Runner-Up | (1) | £50,000 |
| Semi-finalists | (2) | £27,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | (4) | £17,500 |
| Second round | (8) | £10,000 |
| First round | (16) | £6,000 |

## Format

In previous stagings of the event all games had to be won by two clear legs with no sudden-death legs. However, in 2013 after consulting the host broadcaster Sky Sports, the PDC decided that games will now only proceed for a maximum of six extra legs before a tie-break leg is required. For example, in a best of 19 legs first round match, if the score reaches 12–12 then the 25th leg will be the decider.

## Qualification

The top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit qualified as seeded players. The other 16 places went to the top 16 non-qualified players from the PDC ProTour Order of Merit who were unseeded players. The field was confirmed on 5 July following Players Championship 14.

## Draw

| First round (best of 19 legs) 18–20 July | First round (best of 19 legs) 18–20 July | First round (best of 19 legs) 18–20 July | Second round (best of 25 legs) 21–22 July | Second round (best of 25 legs) 21–22 July | Second round (best of 25 legs) 21–22 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 23–24 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 23–24 July | Quarter-finals (best of 31 legs) 23–24 July | | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 25 July | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 25 July | Semi-finals (best of 33 legs) 25 July | | Final (best of 35 legs) 26 July | Final (best of 35 legs) 26 July | Final (best of 35 legs) 26 July |
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen 99.19 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Benito van de Pas 93.62 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Benito van de Pas 93.62 | 4 | 1 | Michael van Gerwen 110.93 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Jamie Lewis 98.86 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 16 | Justin Pipe 90.08 | 7 | | Jamie Lewis 98.86 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jamie Lewis 92.43 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jamie Lewis 92.43 | 10 | | | | 1 | Michael van Gerwen 102.04 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 9 | Ian White 96.42 | 13 | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | Simon Whitlock 98.45 | 10 | | | | | | | 9 | Ian White 96.42 | 13 | | | | | | | | |
| | Jelle Klaasen 91.46 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jelle Klaasen 91.46 | 4 | 8 | Simon Whitlock 92.43 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 9 | Ian White 97.11 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Ian White 103.51 | 10 | 9 | Ian White 97.11 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephen Bunting 101.62 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Stephen Bunting 101.62 | 6 | | | | | | | | 1 | Michael van Gerwen 101.96 | 17 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Peter Wright 102.44 | 12 | | | | |
| 5 | Peter Wright 108.13 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 5 | Peter Wright 102.44 | 12 | | | | |
| | Kim Huybrechts 95.82 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kim Huybrechts 95.82 | 5 | 5 | Peter Wright 95.65 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Andrew Gilding 90.79 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Mervyn King 94.99 | 8 | | Andrew Gilding 90.79 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Andrew Gilding 96.72 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Andrew Gilding 96.72 | 10 | | | | 5 | Peter Wright 98.27 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Gerwyn Price 88.17 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Adrian Lewis 99.06 | 10 | | | | | | | | Gerwyn Price 88.17 | 7 | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Murnan 93.79 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Joe Murnan 93.79 | 7 | 4 | Adrian Lewis 99.20 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Gerwyn Price 97.88 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 13 | Michael Smith 91.17 | 4 | | Gerwyn Price 97.88 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gerwyn Price 92.59 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Gerwyn Price 92.59 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Michael van Gerwen 99.91 | 18 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | James Wade 90.37 | 12 |
| 2 | Phil Taylor 95.30 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | James Wade 90.37 | 12 |
| | John Henderson 81.86 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | John Henderson 81.86 | 2 | 2 | Phil Taylor 99.37 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Andy Hamilton 89.71 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 15 | Raymond van Barneveld 89.08 | 7 | | Andy Hamilton 89.71 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Andy Hamilton 95.90 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Andy Hamilton 95.90 | 10 | | | | 2 | Phil Taylor 102.68 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | 7 | Dave Chisnall 102.94 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Dave Chisnall 94.63 | 13 | | | | | | | 7 | Dave Chisnall 102.94 | 8 | | | | | | | | |
| | Jamie Caven 92.57 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Jamie Caven 92.57 | 11 | 7 | Dave Chisnall 96.04 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Keegan Brown 89.63 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Robert Thornton 92.90 | 7 | | Keegan Brown 89.63 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Keegan Brown 97.00 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Keegan Brown 97.00 | 10 | | | | | | | | 2 | Phil Taylor 103.69 | 14 | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | | | 6 | James Wade 97.85 | 17 | | | | |
| 6 | James Wade 103.59 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | James Wade 97.85 | 17 | | | | |
| | Kyle Anderson 99.06 | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Kyle Anderson 99.06 | 7 | 6 | James Wade 94.67 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | 11 | Brendan Dolan 90.87 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Brendan Dolan 88.52 | 10 | 11 | Brendan Dolan 90.87 | 8 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vincent van der Voort 92.78 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vincent van der Voort 92.78 | 6 | | | | 6 | James Wade 100.20 | 16 | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | Mensur Suljović 92.48 | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | Gary Anderson 95.59 | 10 | | | | | | | | Mensur Suljović 92.48 | 11 | | | | | | | | |
| | Steve Beaton 89.70 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Steve Beaton 89.70 | 4 | 3 | Gary Anderson 94.29 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | Mensur Suljović 92.58 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Terry Jenkins 90.24 | 9 | | Mensur Suljović 92.58 | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Mensur Suljović 89.57 | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

## Statistics

| Player | Eliminated | Played | Legs Won | Legs Lost | LWAT | 100+ | 140+ | 180s | High checkout | 3-dart average | Checkout success |
| Michael van Gerwen | Winner | 5 | 74 | 43 | 28 | 127 | 98 | 39 | 156 | 102.81 | 46.25% |
| James Wade | Final | 5 | 68 | 58 | 25 | 195 | 103 | 17 | 150 | 97.34 | 41.98% |
| Peter Wright | Semi-finals | 4 | 51 | 36 | 18 | 118 | 81 | 29 | 161 | 101.12 | 45.54% |
| Phil Taylor | Semi-finals | 4 | 53 | 33 | 24 | 112 | 59 | 26 | 161 | 100.27 | 39.85% |
| Ian White | Quarter-finals | 3 | 36 | 31 | 10 | 76 | 46 | 25 | 127 | 99.01 | 37.11% |
| Dave Chisnall | Quarter-finals | 3 | 34 | 38 | 9 | 84 | 43 | 29 | 136 | 97.87 | 31.19% |
| Gerwyn Price | Quarter-finals | 3 | 30 | 30 | 13 | 81 | 34 | 16 | 120 | 92.88 | 41.10% |
| Mensur Suljović | Quarter-finals | 3 | 35 | 34 | 16 | 111 | 54 | 10 | 128 | 91.54 | 35.71% |
| Adrian Lewis | Second round | 2 | 20 | 20 | 10 | 37 | 31 | 16 | 136 | 99.13 | 44.44% |
| Jamie Lewis | Second round | 2 | 12 | 20 | 2 | 40 | 30 | 4 | 128 | 95.65 | 50% |
| Simon Whitlock | Second round | 2 | 19 | 17 | 5 | 33 | 25 | 10 | 78 | 95.44 | 41.30% |
| Gary Anderson | Second round | 2 | 19 | 17 | 8 | 38 | 26 | 13 | 118 | 94.94 | 33.93% |
| Andrew Gilding | Second round | 2 | 17 | 21 | 6 | 51 | 25 | 6 | 121 | 93.76 | 42.50% |
| Keegan Brown | Second round | 2 | 21 | 20 | 5 | 51 | 26 | 9 | 114 | 93.32 | 43.75% |
| Andy Hamilton | Second round | 2 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 43 | 24 | 5 | 158 | 92.66 | 34.78% |
| Brendan Dolan | Second round | 2 | 18 | 19 | 7 | 43 | 22 | 7 | 170 | 89.70 | 32.14% |
| Stephen Bunting | First round | 1 | 6 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 9 | 49 | 101.62 | 33.33% |
| Kyle Anderson | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 26 | 5 | 9 | 124 | 99.06 | 30.43% |
| Kim Huybrechts | First round | 1 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 30 | 6 | 1 | 101 | 95.82 | 41.67% |
| Mervyn King | First round | 1 | 8 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 6 | 90 | 94.99 | 42.11% |
| Joe Murnan | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 21 | 13 | 2 | 86 | 93.79 | 41.18% |
| Benito van de Pas | First round | 1 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 66 | 93.62 | 40.00% |
| Robert Thornton | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 21 | 14 | 4 | 81 | 92.90 | 41.18% |
| Vincent van der Voort | First round | 1 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 25 | 9 | 4 | 68 | 92.78 | 26.09% |
| Jamie Caven | First round | 1 | 11 | 13 | 2 | 42 | 11 | 3 | 60 | 92.70 | 37.93% |
| Jelle Klaasen | First round | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 20 | 3 | 3 | 108 | 91.46 | 40.00% |
| Michael Smith | First round | 1 | 4 | 10 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 121 | 91.17 | 33.33% |
| Terry Jenkins | First round | 1 | 9 | 11 | 4 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 140 | 90.24 | 28.13% |
| Justin Pipe | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 1 | 26 | 10 | 5 | 116 | 90.08 | 26.92% |
| Steve Beaton | First round | 1 | 4 | 10 | 2 | 21 | 9 | 1 | 40 | 89.7 | 16.67% |
| Raymond van Barneveld | First round | 1 | 7 | 10 | 2 | 22 | 12 | 3 | 96 | 89.08 | 33.33% |
| John Henderson | First round | 1 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 26 | 81.86 | 33.33% |
Source: Match reports from the draw.