Image: Taylor Lanning/PDC
Littler Hits Nine-Darter, Anderson Rolls Back the Years, MvG Crashes Out in Tie-Break Epic
The second round of the 2026 Betfred World Matchplay exploded into life on Tuesday night at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool with one of the most extraordinary days in the tournament's 33-year history. Luke Littler stole the show with a nine-dart finish in the opening leg of his match against Nathan Aspinall, while four-time finalist Michael van Gerwen crashed out in a dramatic 14-12 tie-break defeat to Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Here's everything that happened on Day 1 of the second round — and what's coming next. Read our complete first round results if you missed the opening three days of action.
Luke Littler (1) 11-8 Nathan Aspinall (16) — Nine-Darter in the Opening Leg
This was the match of the day — and it started with something truly special. Luke Littler stepped up to the oche and hit the perfect nine-dart finish in the very first leg of his second round clash with Nathan Aspinall.
The Nine-Darter
The sequence: 180, 180, then treble 20, treble 17, double 15 to check out 141 and complete the perfect leg. The Winter Gardens erupted. It was Littler's first televised nine-darter at the World Matchplay, and only the second time in the tournament's history that a perfect leg has been thrown in the opening leg of a match.
Nearly Two Nine-Darters in One Match
Incredibly, Littler came within a single dart of hitting a second nine-darter in the fourth leg. Following the same pattern — two maximums to leave 141 — he threw treble 20, treble 17... but was just wide of double 15. Only Phil Taylor has ever hit two nine-darters in a single televised match, and Littler came agonisingly close to joining him.
"I was saving it till later. And I hit it." — Luke Littler on his opening-leg nine-darter
The Match
Despite the nine-darter, this was no procession. Aspinall — who averaged an impressive 101.24 — rallied brilliantly to stay within a leg at the first break (3-2). The match went with throw through the middle session, with Littler leading 6-4 at the second interval.
From there, Littler took three consecutive legs — including two breaks of throw — to surge to 10-7 and within a leg of victory. Aspinall fought back to 10-8, but Littler closed it out with a composed 52 checkout on tops.
Littler's final stats were staggering: an average of 113.68 — the second-highest in World Matchplay history behind only Phil Taylor's 114.99 from 2010 — with 14 maximums and just six trebleless visits across 19 legs.
"It felt amazing. Probably the best game me and Nathan have played against each other." — Luke Littler
"The most enjoyable game of darts I have played in my career." — Luke Littler
| Player | Average | 180s | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luke Littler (1) | 113.68 | 14 | 11 |
| Nathan Aspinall (16) | 101.24 | — | 8 |
Want to know what darts Littler throws? Read our guide: Luke Littler Darts: What Does the World's Best Player Throw? Shop the full Luke Littler shop including his darts, flights & accessories, and 2026 darts shirt.
Josh Rock (8) 11-6 Stephen Bunting (9)
Josh Rock progressed to a quarter-final date with Littler after seeing off Stephen Bunting, whose heroics in his 13-12 first round epic against Zonneveld appeared to have taken their toll.
Both players struggled for rhythm early on, with averages in the low 70s during the opening session. Bunting held a slender 3-2 lead at the first break, but Rock clicked into gear in the second session, reeling off four consecutive legs to move into a commanding 7-4 lead at the second interval.
From there, Rock was clinical, eventually sealing victory with a 140 checkout. Bunting averaged just 82.90 — a far cry from his 94.49 first round average — in what looked like a match too far after his 25-leg thriller three days earlier.
| Player | Average | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Rock (8) | 91.18 | 11 |
| Stephen Bunting (9) | 82.90 | 6 |
"One of the toughest games of my life." — Josh Rock
Shop the Josh Rock shop including his darts and accessories.
Dirk van Duijvenbode 14-12 Michael van Gerwen (4) — Tie-Break Thriller
The shock of the evening. Dirk van Duijvenbode — who had already upset 13th seed Chris Dobey in the first round — produced another stunning performance to knock out four-time finalist Michael van Gerwen in a tie-break epic.
MvG led 3-2 at the first break, but van Duijvenbode turned the match on its head in the second session, moving into a 6-4 lead at the second interval. Van Gerwen — battling through shoulder problems — fought back, hitting a remarkable triple bullseye checkout along the way, to force the tie-break at 10-10.
In the tie-break, van Duijvenbode was magnificent. With the match locked at 12-12, the Aubergenius delivered an 11-dart leg featuring six perfect darts before finishing on double 8 to take a 13-12 lead, then held his throw to complete a famous 14-12 victory.
Despite MvG out-averaging his opponent (99.49 to 95.93), van Duijvenbode's finishing and nerve in the tie-break proved decisive — the third match this tournament where the losing player posted the higher average.
| Player | Average | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Dirk van Duijvenbode | 95.93 | 14 |
| Michael van Gerwen (4) | 99.49 | 12 |
Shop the MvG shop including his darts and gear.
Gary Anderson (12) 11-7 Jonny Clayton (5)
Gary Anderson continued his remarkable run after posting the highest first round average (109.96 against Joyce). But Clayton made him work for every leg of this one.
Jonny Clayton produced 105 and 121 checkouts to race into a 4-1 lead after the first session, looking like a man on a mission. But Anderson — as he so often does in Blackpool — found another gear. The Flying Scotsman reeled off five consecutive legs to completely turn the match around, breaking Clayton's throw in the 15th leg to reach 9-6.
Clayton rallied briefly to 9-7, but Anderson held firm and finished on double 8 to close out an 11-7 victory. At 53, Anderson continues to defy the years at the Winter Gardens.
| Player | Average | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gary Anderson (12) | 98.13 | 11 |
| Jonny Clayton (5) | 97.72 | 7 |
Shop the Gary Anderson shop including his darts and gear.
Tuesday Results at a Glance
| Session | Winner | Score | Loser | Winner Avg | Loser Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | Anderson (12) | 11-7 | Clayton (5) | 98.13 | 97.72 |
| Afternoon | van Duijvenbode | 14-12 | MvG (4) | 95.93 | 99.49 |
| Evening | Littler (1) | 11-8 | Aspinall (16) | 113.68 | 101.24 |
| Evening | Rock (8) | 11-6 | Bunting (9) | 91.18 | 82.90 |
Confirmed Quarter-Final: Littler vs Rock
With both top-half second round ties now complete, the first quarter-final is confirmed:
Luke Littler (1) vs Josh Rock (8) — Thursday 24 July
Littler averaged 113.68 in the second round; Rock was far more modest at 91.18. But this is the Matchplay — and Rock has shown before that he can raise his game on the big occasion. The match will be played over best of 31 legs (first to 16), a significant step up from the second round's best of 21.
Seeds Eliminated So Far
Five seeds have now been knocked out of the tournament:
- Luke Humphries (2) — R1: lost 10-7 to Cameron Menzies
- Chris Dobey (13) — R1: lost 13-11 to Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Danny Noppert (10) — R1: lost 10-3 to Rob Cross
- Michael van Gerwen (4) — R2: lost 14-12 to Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Jonny Clayton (5) — R2: lost 11-7 to Gary Anderson
What's Next? Second Round Day 2 — Wednesday 22 July
Four more second round ties take place on Wednesday, completing the last eight:
Afternoon Session (1pm BST)
- Cameron Menzies vs Ross Smith (15) — Menzies rides the wave of his sensational upset of Luke Humphries. Can he keep the fairytale alive against a Smith who averaged 100.55 in round one?
- Gerwyn Price (7) vs Rob Cross — Two former major champions collide. Price needed a Houdini comeback from 4-0 down against Schindler; Cross hammered Noppert 10-3. Read our guide: What darts does Gerwyn Price throw?
Evening Session (7pm BST)
- Gian van Veen (3) vs Wessel Nijman (14) — Dutch derby between two of the Netherlands' brightest young talents. Nijman has won eight titles in 2026 and dominated Chisnall in round one.
- James Wade (6) vs Ryan Searle (11) — Three-time Matchplay champion Wade against the power game of Searle. The Machine's Blackpool pedigree is unmatched.
Quarter-Final Format and Schedule
The quarter-finals take place on Thursday 24 July and Friday 25 July, with the format stepping up to best of 31 legs (first to 16). This is a major increase from the second round's best of 21 — longer matches that test stamina, concentration, and consistency.
The quarter-final draw:
| Quarter-Final | Match | Date |
|---|---|---|
| QF1 | Luke Littler (1) vs Josh Rock (8) | Thu 24 July |
| QF2 | van Duijvenbode vs Anderson (12) | Thu 24 July |
| QF3 | Menzies/R. Smith vs Price/Cross | Fri 25 July |
| QF4 | van Veen/Nijman vs Wade/Searle | Fri 25 July |
Remaining Tournament Schedule
| Round | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Second Round (Day 2) | Wednesday 22 July | Best of 21 legs |
| Quarter-Finals | Thursday 24 & Friday 25 July | Best of 31 legs |
| Semi-Finals | Saturday 26 July | Best of 33 legs |
| Final | Sunday 27 July | Best of 35 legs |
The winner takes home £200,000 from the £1 million prize fund.
How to Watch
Every session of the World Matchplay is live on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event. Sessions run at 1pm BST (afternoon) and 7pm BST (evening).
Read our complete World Matchplay 2026 draw, schedule, prize money and how to watch guide for the full tournament overview.
Shop World Matchplay Players
Get kitted out with official darts, flights, shirts and accessories from the stars of Blackpool:
- Luke Littler Shop — Darts, flights & accessories
- Josh Rock Shop — Darts & accessories
- Gary Anderson Shop — Darts & gear
- Michael van Gerwen Shop — Darts & gear
- Nathan Aspinall Shop — Darts & gear
- Stephen Bunting Shop
- Gerwyn Price Shop — Darts & gear
- Rob Cross Shop
- Luke Humphries Shop — Darts & gear
- Browse All Players
Looking for dart cases, dartboards, or shafts? Free UK delivery on orders over £50. Shop the latest Target darts and sale items at ArrowHeadz.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Luke Littler hit a nine-darter at the 2026 World Matchplay?
Yes. Luke Littler hit a perfect nine-dart finish in the opening leg of his second round match against Nathan Aspinall on Tuesday 21 July 2026. The sequence was 180, 180, then treble 20, treble 17, double 15 to check out 141.
Did Littler nearly hit two nine-darters in one match?
Yes. In the fourth leg, Littler threw two 180s to leave 141 again, then hit treble 20 and treble 17 but was just wide of double 15. Only Phil Taylor has ever hit two nine-darters in a single televised match.
What was Littler's average against Aspinall?
Littler averaged 113.68 — the second-highest average in World Matchplay history behind Phil Taylor's 114.99 from 2010. He also hit 14 maximums in the match.
How was Michael van Gerwen knocked out of the 2026 World Matchplay?
MvG lost 14-12 in a tie-break to Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round. Despite averaging 99.49, van Gerwen couldn't hold off van Duijvenbode, who produced an 11-dart leg with six perfect darts to clinch the deciding leg.
When is the Littler vs Rock quarter-final?
Luke Littler faces Josh Rock in the first quarter-final on Thursday 24 July 2026. The match is best of 31 legs (first to 16).
What format is the World Matchplay second round?
The second round is best of 21 legs (first to 11). If the match reaches 10-10, it enters a tie-break where the first player to lead by two legs wins.
How can I watch the 2026 World Matchplay?
Every session is live on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event. Afternoon sessions start at 1pm BST and evening sessions at 7pm BST.
