2010 PDC World Darts Championship

Format and qualifiers

The televised stages featured 72 players, an increase of 2 from last year. The top 32 players in the PDC Order of Merit on 1 December 2009 were seeded for the tournament. They were joined by the 16 highest non qualified players in the Players Championship Order of Merit from events played on the PDC Pro Tour.

The final field as of 1 December 2009:

These 48 players were joined by 24 international players: the 4 highest names in the European Order of Merit not already qualified, the 3 highest names in the North American Order of Merit not already qualified and 15 further international qualifiers to be determined by the PDC and PDPA. Some of the players, such as the 4 from the European Order of Merit, the top 2 Americans, and Australian players are entered straight into the first round, while others, having won qualifying events in their countries, were entered into the preliminary round.

Prize money

The 2010 World Championship featured a prize fund of £1,000,000 - a rise of £260,000 on the previous year, to become darts' first £1 million tournament. All rounds featured more money compared to 2009, and also sees a £10,000 highest checkout prize being to make the fund go up to a million.

In addition, the losing semi-finalists contested a third place play off match on the same night as the Final, played for an extra £20,000 "winner takes all" pot on top of the £40,000 they both already received for being losing semi finalists. Therefore, third place won £60,000, and fourth place £40,000 - both an increase from last years £30,000 for the losing semi finalists.

The prize money is allocated as follows:

Winner: £200,000 (up from £125,000) Runner-Up: £100,000 (up from £60,000) Third: £60,000 (up from £30,000 for losing semi finalists in 2009) Fourth: £40,000 (up from £30,000 for losing semi finalists in 2009) Quarter Finals: £25,000 (up from £20,000) Third Round losers: £15,000 (up from £12,000) Second Round losers: £10,000 (up from £8,000) First Round losers: £6,000 (up from £5,000) Preliminary Round losers (8): £3,500 (up from £2,500) Highest checkout: £10,000 Nine-dart finish: £25,000 (up from £20,000)

Preliminary round

The preliminary round draw was made on 29 November, and the format is best of 7 legs.

Shi Yongsheng was originally drawn to play Tomas Seyler. However, he was forced to withdraw from the competition after he was unable to receive a visa to travel to the UK. Jan van der Rassel, the next non-qualified player from the Players Championship Order of Merit, took his place.

Last 64

The first round draw was made live on Sky Sports News on 7 December, and was conducted by Rod Harrington and Eric Bristow.

All sets best of five legs, unless there is a final set tie-break. Match distances in sets are quoted at the top of each round of the bracket

Scores after player's names are three-dart averages (total points scored divided by darts thrown and multiplied by 3)

All games that went to a final set had to be won by 2 clear legs, if after six more legs the players still couldn't be separated, a sudden death leg would take place to decide the winner, i.e. if the set goes to 5-5, a decider is played

Mark Webster defeated Raymond van Barneveld 10 legs to 8 on 3 January in a 3rd/4th place playoff, the first time since 1998 such a playoff has occurred

Television coverage

As they had done for every WDC/PDC World Darts Championship, Sky Sports provided coverage in the UK, broadcasting all 72 matches live in high-definition. Dave Clark presented the coverage with analysis from Rod Harrington and Eric Bristow. They also commentated on matches along with Sid Waddell, John Gwynne, Dave Lanning, Nigel Pearson, Rod Studd and Stuart Pyke. Interviews were either handled by Clark, Bristow or Studd.

Technical elements

Technical crew were supplied by Yorkshire-based Sports Event Services Limited, with Mark Leak heading up their crew and assuming the role of stage manager.