When Wade lifted this title back in 2007, Luke Littler wasn’t even walking yet. That pretty much sums it up: Wade’s extraordinary longevity, and Littler’s almost absurdly tender age.

So, in the Aldershot corner – weighing in at… well, slightly more than last week after a few chippy teas – 42-year-old perennial major-winner… James Wade.

In the opposite corner, 18 years old, with a knockout record that Mike Tyson would raise an eyebrow at – hailing from Warrington – Luke Littler.Both have been outstanding en route to the final. Wade, for one, was less than thrilled to discover he’d been listed at 66/1 to win the tournament.

And to be fair, if you’ve played at the Winter Gardens for 20 straight years, reached the semis in over half of those appearances, and sit fifth in the world… you’d probably feel a bit miffed too. Maybe it lit the fire – and if so, the trail of beaten opponents can take their complaints directly to the betting shop.

Wade began in ruthless fashion, dismantling Joe Cullen 10-3 with his highest ever Matchplay average – 104.44. He then went over the ton mark again to see off Wessel Nijman, before dispatching another rising Dutch star in Gian van Veen. In the semi-final, he looked home and dry at 16-10 before Jonny Clayton dragged him into deep waters.

James eventually got it done 20-18 in one of the most dramatic matches of the week.Over in the other half, Littler came out swinging – destroying Ryan Searle 10-2 with an average just shy of 109. Message delivered.

He followed that up with a comeback win over Jermaine Wattimena, who had stormed into a 7-2 lead before being reminded who he was playing. After that, Littler edged past the ever-stubborn Andrew Gilding, who spent most of the match clinging to his coattails.

And then came that semi-final. Littler vs Rock – a match that deserves its own documentary.

From 5-0 down, the World Champion produced yet another comeback masterclass to win 17-14 in a match that featured 29 maximums, two averages over the ton, and a nine-darter from Littler – in a leg where both players opened with back-to-back 180s. Just outrageous stuff.

So, history will be made one way or another this evening. Either the trophy will be lifted by the youngest winner in its history – which, let’s be honest, wouldn’t surprise anyone given Littler’s habit of being the youngest to do literally everything.

Or it’ll go to a man winning it almost two decades after his first – something we’re unlikely to see again in our lifetimes.

Lads – it’s over to you.

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Littler and Josh Rock produced THE perfect leg during their exhilarating semi-final showdown, with both players hitting back-to-back 180s before the World Champion took out 141 on double 15 for a moment of magic.

The pair also landed a combined 29 180s throughout the tie – a new record in a match at the World Matchplay – but it was a relentless Littler who overturned a five-leg deficit to celebrate a famous 17-14 victory.

“It was an unbelievable game,” reflected Littler, who trailed 6-1 prior to his nine-dart heroics.

“Fair play to Josh. He played his part in an amazing game, but I’m so happy to be through to the final. 

“I was just focused when that nine-darter went in. I know Josh was waiting on the nine-darter too, but there was no reaction from me because I wasn’t happy with the way I was playing.

“I struggled early on and Josh didn’t miss a thing, but I managed to regroup and go again, and as soon as I got in front, I felt really settled.”

Littler will now renew his rivalry with 2007 champion Wade in Sunday’s showpiece, in a repeat of their clash in March’s UK Open final, where Littler ran out an emphatic 11-2 winner.

However, the Warrington wonderkid wasn’t even born when Wade reached his first World Matchplay final in 2006, and he’s poised for another huge test as he bids to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve picked up a trophy,” added the world number two, who last claimed silverware with his UK Open triumph.

“It’s going to be another tough test tomorrow, but I won’t be putting too much pressure on myself.

“James is playing some unreal darts at the moment; he’s really found his top form, but we go again!”

Rock performed admirably in defeat, racing out of the blocks and capitalising on a sluggish start from Littler to complete a clean 5-0 sweep in the opening stanza.

Littler – aided by his nine-darter in leg eight – soon grew into the contest, although the Northern Irishman maintained his buffer to lead 9-6 at the interval.

Nevertheless, a blistering five-leg barrage from Littler saw him turn the tide and establish an 11-9 lead, and although Rock hit back with successive 170 and 120 finishes in the closing stages, the World Champion held firm to cap off a mesmerising display.

The evening’s opener was similarly dramatic, as Wade won through to his seventh World Matchplay final following a sensational 20-18 tie-break win over Jonny Clayton.

Their last four clash ended up as the longest-ever semi-final in World Matchplay history, as 2023 runner-up Clayton hit back from 16-10 adrift to level with a sensational run of six straight legs.

However, Wade stopped the rot with his second 161 checkout of the contest to regain the initiative, and the pair then traded the next four legs to leave the 2007 champion 19-18 up.

Clayton – with the advantage of throw – then left 55 in his bid to force a sudden-death decider, but the Welshman missed two darts at double before Wade stepped in to land double nine and wrap up a memorable victory.

“I’m just so happy to win that game,” said Wade. “I think that goes up there with some of the best games ever – I’m ecstatic, tired, exhausted and really happy.

“I think I should have won by a margin but I also nearly threw it away. I lost focus and I probably should have sorted it out a lot quicker – but I managed to hang on.

“I was just praying for Jonny to miss that last finish, because he pinned a load of them. The one that was most important, obviously the pressure did get to him a little bit. I guess I put him under enough pressure to do so.”

Wade was imperious in the opening exchanges, taking out a 161 finish to race 7-3 ahead, and although Clayton responded with a 161 of his own in leg 12, he was unable to make further inroads as the Aldershot stalwart built up a commanding cushion.

Clayton fought back brilliantly however, converting a brace of 120 checkouts to threaten one of the greatest comebacks in World Matchplay history, only for Wade to come through a 38-leg marathon.

Littler is the 1/6 favourite with title sponsor Betfred to add the World Matchplay crown to his ever-growing haul of big stage honours, with Wade a 4/1 outsider to repeat former glories at the Empress Ballroom.

The Betfred World Matchplay is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).

Click here for match stats & results.

2025 Betfred World Matchplay
Saturday July 26
Semi-Finals
James Wade 20-18 Jonny Clayton

Luke Littler 17-14 Josh Rock – Luke Littler hits a nine-dart finish!

Final
James Wade v Luke Littler
Best of 35 legs

——-ENDS—–

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It was always going to be a tall order to follow the Wade vs Clayton classic. Littler and Rock’s response? Hold our coats. Then they stepped up and produced a match that made hitting a 180 look about as difficult as knocking on a door. (Just to clarify – the door bit is fairly simple. The 180s? Less so.)

Once again – and largely thanks to Rock’s brilliance – Littler found himself trailing heavily after the first break. In fact, as heavily as it gets after five legs when you don’t win any of them. But in a race to 17, there’s a bit more breathing room – not that it helps much when your opponent is hammering in trebles like it’s a day job. The first task – and pretty much the only priority for the teenager – was to get back into the match straight after the interval.

Things started well with a leg on the board, but just as quickly, the gap was back to five. Then came the magic – perfection, executed on demand. Cue another Luke Littler big-stage nine-darter. And quite frankly, with Rock kicking off with two maximums in the same leg, the 141 had to go. It did. Cue crowd eruption – and quiet relief from anyone who’d had a cheeky flutter on it at the start of the week.

As glorious as it was, it only got him on the board – 6-1 became 6-2 with the hold of throw. But Littler is the World Champion for a reason. He dug deep – the sort of deep that only champions can – and clawed his way back magnificently. By 9-9, both players were launching 180s like they were on commission. And with £200,000 on the line for the winner, in a way… they sort of were.From that point, both players had their bursts of brilliance.

Littler surged to a 14-10 lead. Rock responded, cutting the gap to one. At 15-14, a tie-break looked inevitable. But Littler had other ideas – closing out what may well go down as one of the greatest matches ever played on the Winter Gardens stage.

The 29 combined maximums? A new record for any match at the famous venue. As stats go, it’s hard to argue with that claim.So, after a week of top-class tungsten tension, the final will be contested by the exact same two players who met in the last ranking PDC TV major – the UK Open. What are the odds? I am sure someone will be trying to work it out but there really isn’t any point.

Yes, Littler triumphed on the scoreboard, but Josh Rock played a massive part in what can only be described as a modern classic – one of those rare nights where darts itself might just have been the biggest.

DW caught up with Luke after the match – and what better way to start than with a memory test? When James Wade lifted the World Matchplay title in 2007, Luke was… well, little. Six months old, give or take. What does he remember from that final?

“Yeah… shows how these experienced boys are still hanging around. He’s one of the best. I’ve come along and done what I’ve done.”

Slightly missed the point, perhaps – but it had been a long night, so we’ll let him off. What we have seen this week is some of the very best of Luke Littler – including his fighting spirit after trailing 7-3 twice.

Can you still improve? we asked:

“Absolutely. I think I can get a lot better. My doubles, for a start – that’s what I always say in interviews. That they could improve. But overall this week, they’ve actually been pretty good.”

Well he’ll need them to be “pretty good” once again, if he is to deny Wade a fairy story 20 years in the making and write another for himself.

—–Ends—–

Images: T Lanning / PDC

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Except by James himself who has probably forgotten what happened already.

Fans crammed into the Blackpool venue were treated to an opening semi-final blockbuster. It had everything – well, almost everything.

No Big Fish, no nine-darter. So technically not remotely close to everything, but in terms of tension, relentless scoring, outrageous finishing, and that classic “is he actually going to pull this off?” energy – it ticked all the boxes and then some.On paper, it had all the makings of a long-haul belter.

And, as it turns out, paper doesn’t lie. But if you’d only seen the first two sessions, you’d have been forgiven for thinking this was shaping into a Wade procession. He led 7-3, then stretched it to 10-5 by the third ad break – probably already salivating about the five-day-old pizza waiting in the fridge of his Blackpool digs. Wade’s throw, as ever, was locked down tighter than a biscuit tin at a slimming club.

When the scoreboard read 16-10, it felt like Jonny Clayton was climbing a mountain in bowling shoes.But credit where it’s due – this was one super furry animal who refused to roll over. The Ferret got his claws out, scrapped like a rodent possessed, and somehow dug himself back into contention.

Even Jonny must’ve thought the comeback was more fantasy than fact – but he clawed all the way to 16-16, dragging the match into the “must win by two” territory.

What followed was five successive holds of throw. Tense. Wade had one dart to win it and missed. Clayton, by now powered by pure adrenaline and quiet fury, kept the pressure on.

But eventually, as if it was written somewhere in the stars (or possibly in the Wade family group chat), the 2007 Matchplay champion landed the killer blow – breaking throw, breaking Welsh hearts, and booking himself into yet another final.It was biblical. It was exhausting. It was very, very Wade.

After the match, a weary Machine running on fumes wandered into the press room – told us all he was absolutely knackered, then tried to convince us that a man winning a World Matchplay semi-final with a ton-plus average was somehow lucky. I wasn’t buying that nonsense … and made a mental note to probe his theory later.

Personally, after being dragged back from the brink in such dramatic fashion, I believe it takes a special kind of player not to let their head drop – and to still go on and triumph. James Wade agreed… sort of.

So that’s precisely what I opened with:”Only four players in history could’ve pulled that off tonight – Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen… and I can’t even think of another. I probably shouldn’t be one of them!”

We never did get to find out who the elusive fourth was. Plenty of candidates, but none named. Classic Wade. But after hearing him repeatedly describe himself as “lucky” – to someone who can barely average 60, mind you – I eventually had to call him out.

“Honestly, I’m just happy to be here. Someone like me – apparently old and out of date – has watched all the greats come through this week, and yet somehow, I’m the one in the final. It’s quite mad, really. But now, I am genuinely exhausted. I had more luck than anyone in that semi-final. Jonny should’ve buried me.”

Well, that didn’t work. So I resorted to forcefully telling him to give himself more credit. That one finally seemed to land.”Cheers, buddy,” said The Machine, and off he went.

James Wade, ladies and gentlemen – a man who probably believes Lewis Hamilton won multiple Formula One World Championships simply because he was a pretty decent driver.

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Following wins for James Wade and Jonny Clayton on Thursday evening, Littler and Rock completed the semi-final line-up with stellar displays at the Winter Gardens.

Littler defied a stirring fightback from Andrew Gilding to complete a marathon 16-14 victory in the evening’s opener, before Rock put in a majestic display to defeat the highly-fancied Gerwyn Price.

Littler created Winter Gardens history in his epic win over Gilding, crashing in a staggering 18 maximums – the most by an individual player in a World Matchplay quarter-final to shatter the previous record of 14.Gilding converted 56% of his attempts at double in a valiant display, but he was unable to reel in the teenage sensation, who advanced with a 103.91 average.Following a run of seven straight holds of throw to kick off the contest, Littler struck the first decisive blow with an 11-darter to secure breathing space, and he maintained his superiority on throw to keep Gilding at bay.The 18-year-old then strengthened his grip on proceedings by moving 12-8 ahead, only for Gilding to take out 124, 72 on the bull and a spectacular 160 to reduce the arrears to 14-12

The former UK Open champion then followed up a 12-dart hold with a skin-saving 127 finish to set up a potential tie-break situation, before Littler hit back with a sublime 11-darter to wrap up victory.

“I just had to stay focused, and I’m so glad to get over the line,” reflected the Warrington wonderkid.

“Andrew is a top player. He fought back really well, and that’s why he’s a major champion.

He’s such a tough opponent, but I didn’t panic. I missed a few doubles at times, but my scoring power was really strong tonight.

The atmosphere was unbelievable. I really didn’t want to go to a tie-break, so to hit an 11-darter with back-to-back 180s was class.”

Littler will now play Rock in a battle between two of the sport’s most exciting young stars, after Northern Ireland’s World Cup champion ran out a 16-11 winner against 2022 runner-up Price.

Rock dumped out three-time winner Michael van Gerwen in round two, and he claimed another major scalp against the 2021 World Champion, averaging north of 104 to break new ground in Blackpool.Price led 4-3 following a rip-roaring start, but Rock responded with a blistering three-leg burst – featuring a 110 checkout and a brilliant ten-dart leg – to seize the initiative.

The Welshman then converted the first 170 checkout of the tournament on his way to regaining the lead at 7-6, although the pendulum shifted once more when Rock surged into an 11-8 advantage.

Price continued to plug away – reducing the deficit to 13-11 at one stage – yet Rock was unflappable, following up back-to-back 15-darters with a magical 164 finish to cap off a special performance.

“I’m on cloud nine at the minute,” claimed Rock, who is relishing his first big-stage showdown against Littler.“I can’t wait to finally play Luke on the big stage. The darting world will be watching that game tomorrow!

“Luke is one of my close friends behind the scenes. Hopefully we both turn up, but I’m sure it will be a cracking game.

“I’m just so relieved to be in the semi-finals. Gezzy played really well tonight too, he never gave up, but wow – what a game!”

The Betfred World Matchplay semi-finals will take place on a blockbuster Saturday night in Blackpool, with Wade the solitary former champion left in the field.The 2007 champion will take on 2023 runner-up Clayton in the evening’s opener, before Littler and Rock take centre stage at the Empress Ballroom.

Littler is now the odds-on 8/11 favourite with sponsors Betfred to take the title on Sunday night, ahead of Rock (3/1), while Clayton is 5/1 to lift the Phil Taylor Trophy for the first time and Wade is 8/1.

The Betfred World Matchplay is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).Click here for match stats & results.

2025 Betfred World Matchplay

Friday July 25

Quarter-Finals x2

Luke Littler 16-14 Andrew Gilding

Josh Rock 16-11 Gerwyn Price

Saturday July 26 (2000 BST

)Semi-Finals

James Wade v Jonny Clayton

Luke Littler v Josh Rock

Best of 33 legsENDS

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Not quite overtaken, not quite lost in the dust – just constantly looming, like a fly on the windscreen you can’t quite flick off.

Once again, The Nuke did what he was quite clearly engineered in a lab to do – win dart matches and obliterate records with frightening regularity. Just the 18 maximums tonight. A mere four more than anyone else has ever managed in a Matchplay quarter-final. Nice.

And yet, despite all that heavy artillery, he couldn’t quite shake off Goldfinger – who, true to his James Bond villain namesake, kept turning up with sinister intent and an unnerving lack of emotion.Unlike his previous scrap with Wattimena, Littler was never stuck behind the eight ball.

He didn’t go stratospheric either, but it was a properly grown-up performance. Gilding, for his part, spent most of the match chasing down his fellow Englishman’s darts – not literally, of course. He did bring his own, in case anyone was concerned.By the third set of ads, Luke had moved into a 12-8 lead. It looked done. But no.

The moment Littler reached 14 legs, Gilding remembered he’s quite good too and reeled off three on the spin with the casual demeanour that he was filling his supermarket trolley.Then it got tense. Very tense.

Gilding broke again to close the gap to 15-14. Normally, you’d expect nerves. Maybe a few fluffed lines. But this is Luke Littler – a teenager who seems to find high-pressure situations about as stressful as ordering a kebab.So, what did he do? Against the darts, in the biggest leg of the match, he calmly went 180–180–41, adding to his opening ton, for a ridiculous 11-darter to seal it.

Bang. Job done. Semi-final secured.And just to really twist the knife: he’s defending zero ranking money from 2023. Why? Because this time last year he wasn’t even in the tournament. Wasn’t even eligible. The rest of the field must be thrilled.After the match, I caught up with Luke Littler to get his take on how it went:

“I just wanted to put in a good performance. I knew it was going to be very tricky. In the back room, I was just trying to figure out how to get into some rhythm.”

Only a year and a half into his fledgling career, the lad from Warrington has done rather well. I had to ask if he still wakes up thinking, how the hell have I ended up here so quickly?

And given I was standing there with a mic and a question to ask, it seemed like the perfect moment.

“I’ve said it quite a few times – there’s not much time to look back at what I’ve done or even what I’m doing now. But deep down, I do know. And long may it continue.”

There’s a scene in The Inbetweeners where the lads are trying to outrun a French exchange student. Every time they look back – he’s still there. Relentless. Unshakeable. Since I know Luke’s a fan of the show, I had to ask – did tonight feel like that, with Gilding always chasing?

“Yeah, definitely. I had to dig deep, especially against the darts, and pull it out of the bag. I was happy to be in the lead, but then he got a bit of momentum. I think the crowd wanted it to go to a tie-break, but I had to do a professional job – and get it done in 11.”

That he did.

—–Ends—–

Images: T Lanning / PDC

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The Ferret is one match away from the final after a flying start helped him to a commanding victory over Stephen Bunting.

In fairness, Clayton did hang around until the end a couple of years ago – finishing runner-up to Nathan Aspinall – and now he’s making a solid attempt at defending that rather tasty paycheque.

This was one of those matches where the crowd didn’t know who to cheer for – two of the most likeable players on the circuit, going toe-to-toe in a quarter-final that had “tie-break” written all over it. But when the fourth and fifth seeds collide, the start matters. Clayton’s was excellent. Bunting’s was a complete write-off.

At the first ad break – or “intermission” if you’re John Part – it was 5-0 to Clayton. Not ideal.Although Bunting managed to get on the board, by the end of the second session he was still 7-3 behind – only just within range of Jonny’s tail-lights.

The Welshman stretched the gap to 10-5 and from that point on, Bunting was chasing shadows. The scoreboard crept up: 11-7, 12-7, 13-7… you get the idea. I briefly paused at 15-7 to watch the moment live – and sure enough, Clayton finished things in style with a crisp 118 checkout.Job done.

The Ferret’s into the last four, where he’ll face James Wade on Saturday night for a shot at his second World Matchplay final.In the press conference, I had a few pressing questions lined up for Jonny.

One darts-related, one animal-themed, and the last – well, a touch delicate. First up, the flying start. Given how evenly matched they were in the rankings and on paper, that early lead felt massive:

“I think that was massive, 5-0,” said Clayton. “I didn’t expect it, I don’t think the public expected it either. If you were a betting person, I don’t think anyone would have predicted that score after one session – but it happened, and it was good for me.

”Next came the animal question. With an Eagle, a Tiger and an Asp having all lifted the Matchplay trophy over the years (Google it if you’re confused), I asked Jonny how nice it would be for a Ferret to finally get his paws on it:

“Ooh, imagine. It’d be great to win it – I’d love to win it.”He is imagining – and if he wins two more matches, he won’t need to.

Finally, I asked whether wrestling superstar, Hulk Hogan’s demise today had disrupted his preparation.

“Absolutely. We used to go to the same gym,” he said, before adding with a grin,

“Obviously not – if he picked me up, he’d throw me out of the arena…”

I suspect he was fibbing. Jonny’s a great darts player, but he doesn’t strike me as a regular at Pure Gym.

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Day Six of the summer’s biggest darts event saw the opening two quarter-finals take place in Blackpool, with 2007 champion Wade and 2023 runner-up Clayton advancing to the last four.

Clayton swept aside a below-par Bunting to wrap up a convincing 16-7 success, while Wade defied a sluggish start to defeat World Youth Champion Van Veen 16-13 in the evening’s opener.

The Aldershot veteran is the only former champion left in the field, and he maintained his remarkable record at the Winter Gardens to progress to a tenth World Matchplay semi-final.

The 42-year-old made an uncharacteristically sloppy start – missing each of his first 11 darts at double – and Van Veen punished this profligacy to establish an early 4-1 advantage.

However, Wade responded with an incredible sequence of eight consecutive legs to seize control of the contest, converting 68, 86, 80 and 61 combination finishes to storm into a 9-4 lead.

Van Veen hit back with a three-leg spell of his own in the latter stages to reduce the arrears to 13-11, although the Dutchman paid the price for missing two darts at double 16 in a pivotal 25th leg.

Wade duly capitalised to move two legs away from victory, before defying some heavy artillery from Van Veen in the closing stages to wrap up another impressive victory.

“I’m so, so happy. I’m buzzing,” reflected Wade, also a five-time runner-up at this event.

“I think in my first two games I was one of the best players in this tournament, but that was a scrap up there tonight.

“I was so disappointed with the way I started, but I did what I needed to do, and I was fortunate that Gian didn’t make the most of his opportunities.

“I thought I had thrown it away because he was coming back towards the end of that game, so I’m very grateful to go through.”

Wade’s reward will be a showdown against world number five Clayton, who delivered a darting masterclass to dispatch Bunting in emphatic fashion.

The Welsh number one made a blistering start, kicking off the contest with an 11-darter and converting a spectacular 160 checkout to race into a 5-0 lead with a 110 average.

The next ten legs were shared as Bunting attempted to launch a fightback, but Clayton retained control, producing his second 11-darter of the contest to open up an 11-6 cushion.

Bunting then reduced the deficit to 11-7 with a terrific 12-darter, before Clayton made a sprint for the finish, following up back-to-back 76 checkouts with 108 and 118 finishes to seal the deal in style.

“I love this tournament,” declared Clayton, the runner-up at the Masters and a UK Open semi-finalist in 2025.

“Total respect to Stephen. I don’t think he played his best game tonight, but I played well and put him under pressure.

“I’ve come into this tournament defending a lot of prize money, but it’s going okay, and I’m looking forward to Saturday now.

“I’m playing against one of the best players the world of darts has ever seen in James Wade.

“If I want to win this tournament I have to beat him. I’ve got a big heart and I’m a proud man, so hopefully I’m here until the end!”

The Betfred World Matchplay quarter-final action continues on Friday evening, as 2022 runner-up Gerwyn Price and Northern Ireland’s World Cup champion Josh Rock lock horns in a mouth-watering tussle.

World Champion Luke Littler also continues his title charge at the Empress Ballroom, as he takes on former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding for a place in the last four.

2025 Betfred World Matchplay

Thursday July 24

Quarter-Finals x2

James Wade 16-13 Gian van Veen

Jonny Clayton 16-7 Stephen Bunting

Friday July 25 (2000 BST)

Quarter-Finals x2

Luke Littler v Andrew Gilding

Josh Rock v Gerwyn Price

Best of 31 legs

—–Ends—–

Images: T Lanning / PDC

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The World Matchplay is roaring into its final days – and if this is the standard, no lead is safe and no favourite can breathe easy.

Local chip-shop owner and full-time darts wrecking ball, Gerwyn Price  will now face young Josh Rock in the quarter-finals after casually blitzing his way past Chris Dobey.

From the very first dart, The Iceman was ferocious. Averaging 108.73, smashing in eight 180s, and requiring just 15 attempts on the outer ring to wrap up an 11-3 demolition job, Price wasn’t just better – he was brutal.

Chris Dobey didn’t play badly, he just played like someone caught in a hurricane. Especially when it came to doubling – where Price was a Welsh marksman, and Dobey was just well below his clinical best.

This wasn’t just dominance – it was domination with flair. The match was finished in just over 24 minutes. Blink and you missed two legs and one of those guttural roars that reminds everyone who’s boss. With one half of Northern Ireland’s World Cup-winning duo already dealt with, Price now turns his icy glare toward the other. 

Speaking afterwards, Gezzy said: 

“I don’t think Chris played badly at all. I felt like I was on top of my game in the middle part of that match. I was in the zone and I managed to keep my focus.”

Luke Littler didn’t just survive Jermaine Wattimena – he rose from the brink, shook off the cobwebs, and turned a humiliation into a headline. At 7-2 down, it looked like Littler’s Matchplay dreams were being bundled into the back of a Blackpool Uber. Wattimena was cruising – full of bounce, belief, and bang-on scoring. He strutted around like a man who’d finally cracked the Littler code. Sadly for him, his download corrupted around leg ten.

From that point, the wheels fell off – followed by the doors, engine, and chassis. Littler, who hadn’t really got going, suddenly burst into life like a firework someone sat on. He rattled off six straight legs in a blitz of 180s and icy finishing, turning the Empress Ballroom into a mosh pit and Wattimena into a spectator. 

The Dutchman rallied, to hold on the The Nuke’s coattails for a while, but the inevitable was soon upon him.

And when the chance finally came, Luke didn’t blink – returning to the trusty double ten to close out a 13-11 win and send a warning to anyone hoping to out-tough him.

Still sweating but very much smiling, Littler said afterwards:

“I’m a World Champion for a reason. I find these gears when I need it. Jermaine kept putting me under pressure. He was always right behind me, but when I got into the lead I was determined not to let it slip away.”

As for Wattimena, it’ll be hard to look at a scoreboard for a while. A 7-2 lead. A chance to knock out the most talked-about man in darts. Gone. Vanished. This one will sting for a long, long time.

Meanwhile, Josh Rock is finally showing the world of darts what everyone expected him to a couple of years ago – and he is now the proud owner of a Michael van Gerwen World Matchplay scalp. Again.

The 24-year-old recovered from a heavy early deficit, digging deep – and presumably a bucket of adrenaline – to produce a 13-11 masterpiece and send the three-time champion home.

Van Gerwen started like a man who had dinner plans – zipping into a 5-1 lead, hitting big scores and bigger stares. At 9-6, he looked in control. Then Rock reached into the clouds, stealing the throw then took out a ridiculously impressive 152 checkout that shifted everything. Confidence, momentum, gravity – all now pulling his way.

He followed it with four straight legs, upped his aggression, and started out-MVGing MVG. The Dutchman responded with a brilliant 138, but it wasn’t enough. Rock had the final say, and the final roar, in a victory that was as gutsy as it was glorious.

“That’s one of the best games I’ve ever been involved in, without a doubt. Michael always seems to turn up against me, but I’m so happy to get the win.” said the World Cup winner afterwards. 

Andrew Gilding might not win many points for flair and style, but try telling that to Dirk van Duijvenbode after this one. The man in gold brought cold-blooded efficiency to the oche, landing three 13-darters before most of the crowd had sat down and keeping his foot on the pedal throughout.

With a ton-plus average and ruthlessly consistent finishing, Gilding dismantled his usually exuberant Dutch opponent with a mix of quiet menace and top-drawer arrows. It wasn’t loud, but it was lethal – and it booked his place in a second straight quarter-final at the Winter Gardens.

Gilding later had this to say:

“I came up here today feeling absolutely awful, but somehow it happened for me tonight. It was amazing to see all the Goldfinger scarves in the crowd. I can’t believe it!”

No-frills, no fuss, just formidable. Next up: Luke Littler. Gilding’s going to need more than scarves this time. Those with scarves in the middle of July – have a word!

RESULTS

Wednesday 23 July
Second Round
Andrew Gilding 11-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Gerwyn Price 11-3 Chris Dobey
Luke Littler 13-11 Jermaine Wattimena
Josh Rock 13-11 Michael van Gerwen

Thursday 24 July

Quarter-Finals

James Wade v Gian van Veen

Stephen Bunting v Jonny Clayton

Friday 25 July 25

Quarter-Finals

Luke Littler v Andrew Gilding

Gerwyn Price v Josh Rock

Looks pretty good hey?

—–ENDS—–

Images: T Lanning / PDC

The post The Iceman Rains Fire as Matchplay Roars Into Final Furlongs appeared first on Darts World Magazine.

The post The Iceman Rains Fire as Matchplay Roars Into Final Furlongs appeared first on Darts World Magazine.

If it wasn’t so insulting, it’d be laughable. In a sport where stats, longevity, and consistency are king, Wade’s legacy continues to be brushed aside like he’s a journeyman lucky to have a Tour Card.

This isn’t a plucky underdog. This is The Machine – a player with more televised titles than some entire countries have darts boards.

Wade clearly feels there is often a lack of recognition from the PDC, the pundits, and the press which borders on negligent. He’s never the poster boy. Rarely in the promotional videos. Almost never the subject of glowing social media montages. Instead, Wade operates in that weird shadow between legend and forgotten man – quietly racking up wins while others hog the spotlight for having a flashy haircut and a TikTok account.

Let’s be clear: James Wade has lifted almost everything there is to hoist above your head in the PDC. And he hasn’t just done it once – several of those shiny trophies have his fingerprints on them multiple times.

That’s not a good career – that’s an all-time great one. And yet, he still gets talked about like he’s just there to make up the numbers.

JAMES WADE CAREER STATS: Check out full profile on dartsdatabase

So far in this year’s tournament, he’s been clinical, clever, and cool – everything you’d expect from someone with his experience. At 42, he’s playing some of the most efficient darts of his career. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t strut. He just wins. Which, apparently, isn’t enough to get him taken seriously.

Is it because he’s not box office enough? Because he doesn’t rattle in 110 averages every round? Or is it simply that people have become so used to him being there, they’ve stopped appreciating how remarkable it is?

James himself reckons it’s because he doesn’t say the right things – or when he does, they come out in the wrong way. Wadey doesn’t conform. He doesn’t stand on a stool and clap his fins for fish treats. He says exactly what he thinks, exactly when he wants to say it, to exactly whoever’s stood in front of him. In other words – he doesn’t play ball. Or if he does, it’s his own ball, and you’re lucky if you get a touch.

Whatever the reason, it’s high time the darts world put some respect on James Wade’s name. He’s not just part of the furniture – he is a massive foundation block. And if he lifts that trophy again this weekend, it won’t be a surprise to anyone who’s actually been paying attention.

JAMES WADE’S NO NONSENSE NINE: The Machine barely acknowledged this perfect leg

For the rest? They might want to start reading the script properly – before The Machine tears it up completely. Because when you’ve done what James Wade has done in this sport, you’re a legend.

When you’ve done it consistently for as long as he has, you deserve to be spoken about in the same breath as the very best to ever grace the oche. It’s baffling that he isn’t. And 66/1 at the start of this tournament?

That wasn’t just baffling – it was downright disrespectful.

——ENDS—–

Words: Paul Woodage

Images: Main – Taylor Lanning/ PDC

The post Still Underrated, Still Unbowed: The James Wade Disrespect Continues appeared first on Darts World Magazine.

The post Still Underrated, Still Unbowed: The James Wade Disrespect Continues appeared first on Darts World Magazine.