Overview
- Jermaine Wattimena beat Peter Wright 10–8 in the first round and will face Luke Littler in the second round on July 23.
- He criticized the Winter Gardens for providing only six backstage practice boards and said Blackpool’s crumbling facades mar the event setting.
- In an interview with Sportnieuws.nl, Wattimena joked that Polish workers should be brought in to plaster the seaside town’s dilapidated buildings.
- The Professional Darts Corporation said it offers six practice boards in two rooms with scheduled access and that installing additional boards in hotels is unfeasible due to varied accommodations.
- Established in 1994, the World Matchplay ranks just below the Darts World Championship in prestige and awards a £200,000 prize to the winner.