The full results, round-ups and highlights from the 2019 Betfred World Matchplay, which took place in Blackpool from July 20-28.
The biggest darts event of the summer at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool has concluded, with Rob Cross becoming the ninth player to get his hands on the trophy.
Voltage's victory over Michael Smith also sees him add this prestigious title to this 2018 world championship crown, which makes him the fourth player to achieve this feat behind Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.
Here, you can look back at how the drama unfolded with all the results and links to daily reviews and highlights.
The 16 seeded players were paired with the 16 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Order of Merit.
SCROLL FURTHER DOWN FOR DAY-BY-DAY RESULTS, HIGHLIGHTS & ROUND-UPS
ROUND TWO
QUARTER-FINALS
SEMI-FINALS
FINAL
๐๐ฏ Rob Cross overcomes Michael Smith's gutsy comeback to become World Matchplay champion!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ The 2018 World champion has now won the two biggest prizes in the sport!
* Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death
Saturday July 20 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Gary Anderson hits nine-darters here when he's at his best, so we'll just have to settle for 160 checkouts when he's not.
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
Sunday July 21
Afternoon Session (1300 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Ouch.
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
Ian White-washes Joe Cullen 10-0 at the World Matchplay.
Evening Session (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
๐ช James Wade fought back from 9-6 down and survived five match darts before winning a sudden death leg!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ฏ Big celebrations at the end there!
Monday July 22 (1900 BST)
First Round (best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
This 164 checkout helped Peter Wright win his 19th match on the trot and he's averaged over 100 in 10 of them, including tonight.
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
No need to change his darts anytime soon.
Tuesday July 23 (1900 BST)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
The three-time BDO world champion beats the three-time PDC world champion in a World Matchplay epic for the ages!
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
To think this is Glen Durrant's Blackpool debut and his first season in the PDC. Incredible player. What a moment.
Wow, the King's still got it hasn't he? At 53 he knocks out defending champion Gary Anderson to reach his first TV quarter final since the 2016 World Matchplay.
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
Anyone fancy him to finally win a first PDC TV title?!
Wednesday July 24 (1900 BST)
Second Round (best of 21 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Not sure what I enjoyed most, the actual 170 checkout or Wayne Mardle's bullish psychic commentary.
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
Thursday July 25 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Twenty Two missed darts at doubles in one leg!
โ Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180)
But you've got to love the way Mervyn King got the crowd going before finally getting out of the madhouse! Great sportsmanship too from Michael Smith despite all the pressure.
๐๐ฏ What a way for Glen Durrant to complete a demolition job against James Wade!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐Treble 19, Double Tops, Double Tops!
๐ Duzza is into the semi-finals of his debut World Matchplay!
๐ What an incredibly humble guy Glen Durrant is as he "dares to dream" of World Matchplay glory.
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
โค๏ธ An emotional opens up about his remarkable journey and winning the hearts of the nation's darts fans...
Friday July 26 (1900 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 31 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
๐ 2018 World Champion
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐๐ค 2019 World Matchplay champion?
โก๏ธ Two more wins and Rob Cross will have lifted the two biggest prizes in darts...and it's still only his third year as a pro!
๐ฝ๏ธ๐ gives his reaction to tonight's victory...
๐ช Daryl Gurney proved, again, he's the man for the big stage!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ฝ๏ธ๐คซ Two-time major winner talks about silencing some 'two-faced' experts (but not our who tipped him for glory at 25/1!), being regarded the outsider & defying his own negativity...
๐๐ฏ Daryl Gurney and Peter Wright served up a real treat at the World Matchplay!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ช Averages
Wright 104.57
Gurney 101.86
๐ 180s
Wright 12
Gurney 9
๐ In the end it was who emerged triumphant 16-13 to reach the semi-finals!
๐ฃโก๏ธ Rob Cross catches the Big Fish at the World Matchplay!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
Saturday July 27 (1900 BST)
Semi-Finals (best of 33 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
โก๏ธ Best darting comeback ever??
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ฏ Rob Cross 14-7 down to Daryl Gurney
๐ฏ Took 16 legs to hit first 180
๐ฏ Won 11 out of 12 legs
๐ฏ The last nine legs on the spin
๐ Simply brilliant stuff from to book his spot in the final v Rob Cross
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ Who'll take home the Phil Taylor trophy??
Sunday July 28 (1900 BST)
Final (best of 35 legs)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
๐๐ฏ Rob Cross overcomes Michael Smith's gutsy comeback to become World Matchplay champion!
โ Sporting Life (@SportingLife)
๐ The 2018 World champion has now won the two biggest prizes in the sport!
Click here for final predictions & guide
Michael van Gerwen will head the World Matchplay betting, with Rob Cross, Gary Anderson, Michael Smith and Peter Wright also among the favourites.
The BetVictor World Matchplay will be broadcast on Sky Sports from July 20-28.
Tickets are available through the .
Alternatively, tickets are available via or by calling 0844 871 8807.
The World Matchplay is played in a legs format. Each game must be won by two clear legs, with up to a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth additional leg is sudden-death. For example, should a First Round game (best of 19 legs) reach 12-12, then the 25th leg would be the final and deciding leg.
Since the World Matchplay was first held back in 1994, when Larry Butler beat Dennis Priestley, there has only been eight different winners of this PDC major.
Unsurprisingly the most dominant player in its 21-year history is Phil Taylor with 15 titles while Michael van Gerwen and Rod Harrington are the only other players to have lifted the trophy more than once.
The Power hit the first ever nine-dart finish to be broadcast live on UK television during the 2002 World Matchplay while he repeated the feat during the 2014 edition on his way to a seventh-straight Blackpool title.
The previous year he'd managed an astonishing three-dart average of 111.23 during his final victory over Adrian Lewis.
Taylor's seven-year winning streak from 2008 to 2014 was ended in 2015 when Michael van Gerwen emerged triumphed with a 18-12 victory over James Wade before winning it again 12 months later.
The Dutchman was favourite to defend his crown for a third time but Taylor had other ideas as he knocked him out en route to winning an emotional 16th title before his retirement.
The final of 2018 ended up being one of the most dramatic in the tournament's history, with Gary Anderson clinching the title for the first time thanks to a 21-18 victory over Mensur Suljovic.
Past Finals
Final scores in legs
World Matchplay Most Titles