The opening night of the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay rarely disappints and 2025’s brought plenty of drama – and a couple of Dutch-sized shocks – as reigning champion and world number one Luke Humphries was sent crashing out by rising star Gian van Veen.
In what quickly became a mini theme, fellow Dutch young gun Wessel Nijman also got in on the upset act, toppling 2023 champion Nathan Aspinall in another eye-catching debut performance.
Safe to say, if you’re dressed in orange and supporting your own in Blackpool right now – you’ve had a pretty good Saturday and celebrating heavily.
That’s without even mentioning World Cup captain Danny Noppert, who cruised through his first-round match with minimal fuss and maximum efficiency. It wasn’t all doom and gloom for the home crowd, though.
James Wade – who’s been popping up to the Winter Gardens for the better part of two decades and usually hangs around longer than the seagulls – fired in his highest ever Matchplay average to see off a Joe Cullen who didn’t really do a lot wrong.
So, to recap: Dutch dominance, and a vintage Wade performance. Not bad for night one in Blackpool – a place where twenty quid gets you a few pints, a couple of hundred yards down the promenade in a Frozen themed horse and cart or a dozen very questionable burgers.
Scroll down for full match reports, quotes, and everything else that went down on the curtain raiser.
JAMES WADE 10-3 JOE CULLEN
Mr Matchplay himself, James Wade, kicked off his 20th consecutive World Matchplay campaign with a commanding and comprehensive 10-3 victory over Joe Cullen. Oh, and just for good measure, posted his highest-ever average on the Winter Gardens stage – a mere 104.44.
To be fair to Cullen, he played very well – his stats reflect that. Unfortunately for the Yorkshireman, he was restricted to very few shots at the outer ring – just four to be exact. Longevity is a word often associated with the left-hander – still collecting titles and flying high in the PDC rankings two decades after winning his maiden major.
That, of course, was the very tournament he’s now chasing again – and on this evidence, you’d be foolish to write him off.Yet despite the emphatic win, it was a frustrated Wade who reflected on being repeatedly overlooked in favour of lower-ranked players and missing out on opportunities he feels he deserves:
“Maybe if I played the game and said the right things, I would have been invited to more World Series. I’d love to travel the world with the family – in the past, I’ve always put the PDC first, but now it’s my family. So when they asked me recently about going to Australia, I turned it down because we’ve got a holiday planned to Disneyland.”
Clearly angst by being the last puppy in the litter, frustrations extended to us lot in the press room:
“Would any of you feel frustrated if you weren’t celebrated as much?”
Despite an astonishing run in this prestigious tournament – one he considers his favourite – Wade isn’t getting the recognition he believes he’s earned:
“Even the bookies had me at 66-1,” added Wadey, with a sort of baffled grievance.
But if the Aldershot man keeps producing displays like this, those odds might start to look very silly indeed.
DANNY NOPPERT 10-2 CAMERON MENZIES
After watching Wade wrap things up in double-quick time, Danny Noppert seemed just as eager to clock off early, cruising to a comfortable 10-2 win over a well-below-par Cameron Menzies.
For the Scot, it was a night to forget. He never got going, and with Noppie taking full advantage, the contest was effectively over just minutes after the first break.
By the time Menzies finally chalked up a leg, he was already 7-0 down. Never ideal – especially in a race to ten.
But the Dutchman wasn’t bothered – he had a job to do. And while his opponent never really turned up, the threat was always there, something Noppert was well aware of:
“I played steady and, yes, I wanted to finish as quick as possible. I was surprised he [Menzies] didn’t play like he can. He’s capable of averaging 110 or 85.”“Happy with my performance despite what he did – I played steady.”
Indeed you did, Danny. It’s not always easy to stay focused when your opponent is struggling, but the Dutchman kept his composure throughout.So, Noppert rolls on, while the tartan thrower heads home – left to figure out exactly what went wrong.
GIAN VAN VEEN 10-8 LUKE HUMPHRIES
Gian van Veen caused the first major shock of this year’s World Matchplay, toppling reigning World Champion Luke Humphries 10-8 in a result that sent ripples – and probably a few betting slips – fluttering across Blackpool.
The 22-year-old Dutchman, playing in only his second Matchplay, showed absolutely no interest in reputation or ranking as he calmly dismantled one of the sport’s most consistent performers. Van Veen, who rattled in eight maximums, looked entirely unbothered by the occasion. If he was nervous, he hid it somewhere no camera could find.
In the end, the only statistic the world number one could claim the superior on was a checkout – a fabulous crowd-pleasing 146. Two breaks in and the lads couldn’t be separated, level at 5-5. It was a contest which always had potential long distance written all over it – and it was looking to be the case.
Then at 7-7 and things very much in the balance, Van Veen stole a messy leg against the darts. A break only works if you hold in the next one – and that’s what the Dutchman did to go within one.
And with memories of dropping the ball five times on the same stage last year to another former World and Matchplay Champ, it mus have been a relief for Gian when his double hit just as Humphries was eyeing up 9-9.
It’s been a busy few weeks for the “Van Veen Machine” – buying his first house, making his World Cup debut for the Netherlands, and now collecting a maiden Matchplay win.
So, has he grown as a person too?“Yes very much so. Last year, everything felt new. This year, it doesn’t,” he said.
“Maybe I wasn’t quite in the right place back then – now I feel like I belong. I’m just happy to be here, playing in this magnificent tournament.”
“We bought a house a couple of days ago. I told my girlfriend, hopefully I’ll be in Blackpool for a while – and when I get back, I won’t have to do all the hard work!”
Brave Gian – mightly brave given she might just read this! Asked if he would have won in that same situation 12 months ago, his response was immediate:“No! Last year I was really nervous on those match darts against Rob Cross – and I missed them all. This time, I was still praying they’d go in… but I felt a lot more confident they would.”And is this the biggest win of his career so far – given the fact he is the reigning PDC World Youth Champion?
“Yeah… maybe!” he grinned – which, for a Dutchman, is basically a standing ovation.
Van Veen now marches into the last 16 and a showdown with a familiar face – his World Cup skipper, Danny Noppert. One thing’s for sure: a Dutchman will be in the quarter-finals. Just don’t ask which one yet.
WESSEL NIJMAN 10-6 NATHAN ASPINALL
Wessel Nijman produced a composed and clinical performance to defeat Nathan Aspinall 10-6 on Saturday evening, marking a dream debut at the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay – and announcing himself on the big stage in style.
The young Dutchman, making his first appearance at the iconic Winter Gardens, showed maturity well beyond his years to oust last year’s runner-up and book his place in the last 16. Despite facing a raucous crowd and one of the sport’s grittiest competitors, Nijman never blinked – or if he did, he timed it between trebles.
Both players scored brilliantly, each hammering in eight 180s. But if you’re the sort who enjoys a browse through the stat sheet, one column stands out in neon: doubles.
While Aspinall landed just under 30% of his attempts, Nijman calmly pinned over 71% – despite having far fewer cracks at the outer ring. Clinical doesn’t quite cover it.“It’s amazing,” Nijman said post-match.
“To beat someone like Nathan in my first Matchplay game is unbelievable. I just tried to stay calm and throw my darts. I didn’t think too much about the stage or the occasion – I just focused on my game.”
He struck early and stormed into a 5-1 lead with composed finishing and relentless scoring.
In true Aspinall fashion, the Stockport scrapper clawed his way back into it – reducing the deficit to 6-5 and briefly threatening to spoil the fairytale.But Nijman wasn’t in the mood for drama. He matched the two-time PDC major winner blow for blow down the stretch, then calmly pulled away to seal the biggest win of his career to date.
That is, until next round – because if he manages to topple the highly decorated James Wade, another man who’s tasted Matchplay glory, then Wes might need to update the top spot on his personal ‘biggest win’ list.
Tune in tomorrow for more shocks and thrills.
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Images: T Lanning / PDC
