James Wade has reclaimed a place in the world’s top five following his superb run to Sunday’s Betfred World Matchplay final in Blackpool.
Wade rolled back the years at the Winter Gardens, producing a string of superb performances to progress to his seventh World Matchplay final.
The 2007 champion overcame Joe Cullen, Wessel Nijman, Gian van Veen and Jonny Clayton in advancing to Sunday’s showpiece, where he succumbed 18-13 to Luke Littler.
However, Wade pocketed £100,000 for his exploits at the Empress Ballroom, which has seen him climb three places to fifth on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder.
Littler succeeded Wade in becoming the youngest ever World Matchplay champion, also overcoming Ryan Searle, Jermaine Wattimena, Andrew Gilding and Josh Rock on his way to glory.
The teenage wonderkid shattered a host of records in lifting the iconic Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time, as he breaks the £1,500,000 barrier on the Werner Rankings Ladder.
Littler is now less than £300,000 adrift of world number one Luke Humphries, who was dumped out on the opening night of the tournament by World Youth Champion Van Veen.
Van Veen also defeated his World Cup partner Danny Noppert in reaching the quarter-finals, which catapulted him up four places to a career-high of world number 18.
Northern Ireland’s Rock is also up to a career-high of 11th following his run to the semi-finals, which featured terrific wins over Ross Smith, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price.
Price averaged 108 in his dominant second round win over Chris Dobey, and the Welshman has subsequently leapfrogged his Premier League rival into sixth on the Werner Rankings Ladder.
The Markham star also climbed above his World Cup partner Clayton, who slipped three places to eighth despite progressing to the semi-finals.
Clayton was defending £100,000 after competing in the 2023 final alongside Nathan Aspinall, who has plummeted to 23rd following his first round exit to Dutch debutant Wessel Nijman.
Joe Cullen – a semi-finalist in 2023 – has fallen to world number 29, with Gilding moving up to 25th after featuring in his second consecutive World Matchplay quarter-final.
The PDC Werner Rankings Ladder comprises prize money won over a two-year period by players in PDC ranking events - click here to view the full PDC Werner Rankings Ladder.
The Werner Rankings Ladder will be open to change later this week, as Players Championships 22-23 take place in Hildesheim from July 29-30 - watch live on PDCTV.
