THE FACTS
When is Michael van Gerwen vs Steve Beaton taking place? Sunday 21st July, 2019
Where is Michael van Gerwen vs Steve Beaton taking place? Winter Gardens, Blackpool
What channel is Michael van Gerwen vs Steve Beaton on? Sky Sports Arena
Where can I stream Michael van Gerwen vs Steve Beaton? Sky Sports subscribers can stream the match online via Sky Go
Where can I get tickets for Michael van Gerwen vs Steve Beaton? Check https://www.pdc.tv/betfred-world-matchplay-tickets for ticket information
THE STATISTICS
All-time meetings: Michael van Gerwen 17-4 Steve Beaton
Last meeting: Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Steve Beaton
THE PLAYERS
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
- World number one Michael van Gerwen is seeking his third success at the World Matchplay having previously won the event in 2015 and 2016. Last year he suffered an upset in round one when he exited the tournament at the hands of young Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan.
- Van Gerwen claimed his third PDC World Championship title at the start of January and has won eight tournaments since then which includes winning the Premier League for the fourth consecutive year.
- Despite his success, he is not immune to an early exit having been ousted from the UK Open by Mervyn King in March and only a week ago he crashed out of the German Darts Masters against Martin Schindler in round one.
STEVE BEATON
- 1996 BDO World Champion Steve Beaton made his Matchplay debut in 1998 and is second only to Phil Taylor on the list of most appearances in the history of the tournament.
- He has lost in the opening round at Winter Gardens in five of the last six years with the exception being in 2016 when he reached the quarter-finals before losing 16-13 to Gary Anderson.
- Although he is a regular in TV ranking tournaments, his progression into the later stages of those tournaments is few and far between these days though he did manage to reach the last eight at the UK Open in March.
THE PREDICTION
Michael van Gerwen will be hungry for success in Blackpool having not won the event since 2016 and he is also aiming to exorcise the demons of last year when he crashed out in round one against De Zwaan. The experienced Beaton is playing with no pressure and certainly won’t be phased by the dominant Dutchman. The match might be tight for the first ten legs but then Van Gerwen is capable of stepping up a gear and pulling away from his opponent.
