Watch: From Phil Taylor to Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen: These are all nine-darter in World Matchplay history

Raymond van Barneveld (2010)

Fans in Blackpool had to wait another eight years for the next perfect leg. It came from Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld, who struck perfection in his first-round match against Denis Ovens. It turned out to be the start of a strong run for Barney, who made it all the way to the final — only to fall short with an 18–12 defeat to, who else, Phil Taylor.

John Part (2011)

A year later, it was Canada’s John Part who added his name to the list. Darth Maple hit the perfect leg in his first-round match against Welshman Mark Webster. It was both the first and last nine-darter of Part’s career — though it didn’t lead to victory. He went on to lose the match 10–8, becoming the first player to hit a nine-darter at the World Matchplay but still end up on the losing side.

Michael van Gerwen (2012)

In 2012, Michael van Gerwen became the second Dutchman after Van Barneveld to hit a nine-darter at the World Matchplay. Mighty Mike produced the moment of brilliance in his second-round clash with The Bronzed Adonis, Steve Beaton. However, Van Gerwen would bow out in the next round to James Wade. At that time, a £5,000 bonus was awarded for a nine-darter — though it later turned out he’d have to share it.

Wes Newton (2012)

Just one day after Van Gerwen’s nine-darter, Wes Newton managed the same feat. The Warrior delivered perfection in his match against Justin Pipe, meaning he and Van Gerwen had to split the prize. Newton didn’t have long to savour the moment, though — he was beaten 13–10 and sent packing.

Phil Taylor (2014)

After a year’s gap, Taylor struck again in 2014 — landing his second World Matchplay nine-darter and the tenth of his televised career, a staggering figure at the time. He hit it in the second round against Michael Smith and went on to enjoy another strong campaign, eventually beating Van Gerwen 18–9 in the final.

Gary Anderson (2018)

Following Taylor’s 2014 effort, things went quiet on the nine-darter front — until four years later, when Gary Anderson wrote his own piece of history. The Flying Scotsman hit his in the quarter-finals against The Rockstar, Joe Cullen. Anderson carried that momentum all the way to the final, where he edged out Austria’s Mensur Suljovic 21–19 in a thrilling contest.

Gerwyn Price (2022)

Fast-forward another four years to 2022, and it was Gerwyn Price ’s turn to shine. The Iceman was already enjoying a superb tournament, having come through tough battles with Martin Schindler (10–8), Dave Chisnall (11–8), and José de Sousa (16–14) to reach the semi-finals. There, he hit a nine-darter in the 13th leg against Danny Noppert, finishing the match with a 102.37 average and sealing a spot in the final. However, he was denied the title by yet another Dutchman — Michael van Gerwen.

Dimitri van den Bergh (2024)

The most recent nine-darter at the World Matchplay came just last year, when Belgium’s Dimitri Van den Bergh produced the perfect leg in his first-round tie against Martin Schindler. The Dreammaker, who famously won the tournament in 2020, went on to reach the quarter-finals, where he was defeated by eventual champion Luke Humphries.

With the standard in darts rising all the time, there’s no doubt more nine-darters will follow in Blackpool. Could Van Gerwen, Price, or Van den Bergh make more history this year — or will a new name be added to the list? We won’t have long to wait to find out.