2007 World Matchplay

The 2007 Stan James World Matchplay was the 14th annual staging of a professional darts tournament by the Professional Darts Corporation. It was held at its traditional home, the Winter Gardens, Blackpool between July 22 and July 29. James Wade won his first major title, defeating Terry Jenkins in the final.

Defending and eight times champion, Phil Taylor suffered a semi-final defeat to Jenkins, meaning that he had surrendered both the World Championship and World Matchplay titles for the first time since the PDC began in 1994. Raymond van Barneveld, who went into this event having won the first three televised majors of the year (World Championship, UK Open and Las Vegas Desert Classic) saw his hopes of the first ever clean-sweep evaporate with a quarter-final defeat to Adrian Lewis. Barneveld was making his debut in the event having failed to qualify in 2006.

Both Lewis and Jenkins suffered hangovers from their epic victories over the two favourites as they lost their next matches - with James Wade capitalising. He beat Lewis in the semi-final and Jenkins in the final. Wade became the youngest winner of a PDC televised title at the age of 24 and also rose to number three in the world rankings - the highest position of his career to date.

First Round

Phil Taylor 10 - 2 Wes Newton
Kevin Painter 12 - 10 Adrian Gray
Wayne Mardle 10 - 7 Mark Dudbridge
Roland Scholten 13 - 11 Chris Mason
Terry Jenkins 10 - 5 Alan Tabern
John Part 10 - 5 Alan Warriner - Little
Peter Manley 9 - 11 Michael Van Gerwen
Ronnie Baxter 10 - 6 Bob Anderson
Raymond Van Barneveld 10 - 7 Dennis Ovens
Barrie Bates 10 - 8 Andy Smith
Adrian Lewis 10 - 4 Steve Beaton
Andy Hamilton 10 - 6 Mick McGowan
Dennis Priestley 10 - 5 Colin Osborne
James Wade 10 - 7 Wayne Jones
Colin Lloyd 4 - 10 Mervyn King
Andy KJenkins 10 - 6 Mark Walsh
Second Round

Taylor 13 - 6 Painter
Mardle 6 - 13 Scholten
T.Jenkins 13 - 8 Part
V Gerwen 12 - 14 Baxter
V Barneveld 13 - 5 Bates
Lewis 13 - 9 A. Hamilton
Priestley 14 - 16 Wade
King 13 - 4 A.Jenkins
Quarter Finals

Taylor 16 - 1 Scholten
T.Jenkins 16 - 13 Baxter
V Barneveld 14 - 16 Lewis
Wade 16 - 11 King
Semi Finals

Taylor 11 - 17 T.Jenkins
Lewis 7 - 17 Wade
Final

Terry Jenkins 7 - 18 Wade
-wikipedia