The Sports Guru
Luke Littler produced one of the great World Matchplay nights in Blackpool, flirting with a second nine-darter after landing his first - yet the scoreboard tells a different story of how hard Nathan Aspinall made him work. Read on to understand why brilliance and a comfortable night aren't the same thing at the Winter Gardens, and what Michael van Gerwen's shock exit means for the rest of the draw.
Luke Littler hit a nine-darter, nearly hit a second, and still needed nineteen legs to see off Nathan Aspinall at the World Matchplay. That contradiction is the story of Blackpool's day four: a world No 1 playing some of the best darts of his career, and still finding himself locked at 10-8 with a resurgent opponent refusing to let go.
A Second Perfect Leg That Wasn't
Littler set the tone in the opening leg at the Winter Gardens, firing two 180s before pinning T20, T17 and D15 for a nine-darter - the second time he has found perfection against Aspinall in a first leg, after the pair met at the Bahrain Darts Masters in 2024. He backed it up immediately with a 14-darter, and by the fourth leg it looked as though history might repeat within the same match. It didn't quite happen: his ninth dart at D15 went wide, and Aspinall, only half-joking, offered his own darts to the crowd so they could try their luck against a standard he clearly felt was unplayable.
Littler's session average of 117 and a match average of 113.68 by the finish put him second only to Phil Taylor's 114.99 from 2010 on the World Matchplay's all-time list. He also landed 14 maximums across the contest.
Aspinall Refuses to Fold
None of that arithmetic bought Littler an easy evening. Despite the nine-darter and the 117 average, Aspinall held his own throw well enough that Littler led by only a single leg at the first break. The second session went with throw entirely, leaving 'The Nuke' just 6-4 up at the second interval - a scoreline that undersold how competitive the contest had become.
Littler then reeled off three legs on the bounce, including two breaks of throw, to move 10-7 clear and looked to have settled things. Aspinall had other ideas. In what Littler later called typical fashion, 'The Asp' hit back under pressure to make it 10-8, dragging the match to a deciding leg. Littler eventually closed it out by taking 52 on tops in the nineteenth leg, sealing an 11-8 win that felt considerably tighter than the headline numbers suggest.
"It felt amazing. Probably the best game me and Nathan have played against each other," Littler told Sky Sports afterwards. He also pointed to how little either man missed the treble, calling it evidence of the standard both had set.
Van Gerwen's Ranking Takes a Hit
While Littler was producing his own drama, fourth seed Michael van Gerwen was suffering his. The Dutchman lost 14-12 in a tie-break to compatriot Dirk van Duijvenbode, a result that drops him provisionally to world No 6 and costs him his world No 4 ranking spot. Van Gerwen had arrived in Blackpool defending £100,000 in prize money from last year's run.
Van Duijvenbode broke early off a 125 checkout to move 4-3 up, then extended to 8-4. Van Gerwen, visibly hampered by a shoulder issue, still found a triple bullseye finish and a crucial break to level at 10-10, forcing the match into a two-leg-advantage tie-break. Van Duijvenbode responded with a six-dart, eleven-dart leg to move 13-12 ahead, and on his seventh match dart pinned D8 to complete the win.
It is a reminder of how quickly standing at this event can shift: a fourth seed arrives with ranking points to defend and leaves having lost both the match and his place in the world's top four.
The Draw Reshapes Itself
Littler's reward for surviving Aspinall is a quarter-final against Josh Rock, who beat Stephen Bunting 11-6 in a contest neither man will remember for its quality - both averaged in the low 70s during an opening session in which Rock looked visibly frustrated with his own form. He found his rhythm to win four legs in a row and move 7-4 clear, before sealing the match with a 140 checkout. The pair have met in a memorable last-four battle at this venue before, and Littler made clear he was already looking further down the draw, hoping Luke Humphries would win his own match so the pair could meet in another final - a pointed remark given that world No 2 Humphries had already been shocked by Cameron Menzies earlier in the tournament. As Littler put it, "I wanted Luke Humphries to win and us to meet in another final."
Van Duijvenbode now faces Gary Anderson, who beat Jonny Clayton 11-7 to reach his first World Matchplay quarter-final in six years. Anderson trailed 4-1 after the first session as Clayton produced checkouts of 105 and 121, but reeled off five legs in a row to take the lead, added a break in the fifteenth leg to move 9-6 ahead, and closed it out on D8 with his throw barely troubled from there.
Tuesday's Results
Jonny Clayton lost 7-11 to Gary Anderson. Michael van Gerwen went out 12-14 to Dirk van Duijvenbode. Luke Littler beat Nathan Aspinall 11-8. Josh Rock beat Stephen Bunting 11-6.
What Comes Next
Wednesday's second-round action brings four more matches to the Winter Gardens. Cameron Menzies, fresh from beating world No 2 Luke Humphries, takes on Ross Smith. Gerwyn Price meets fellow former world champion Rob Cross. World No 3 Gian van Veen faces in-form countryman Wessel Nijman, and James Wade takes on Ryan Searle. Littler defends his title through to July 26, with a nine-darter and a near-miss already behind him - and, on this evidence, no guarantee that the rest of the week gets any easier.
Frequently Asked Questions
Littler won 11-8 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, with the match going to a nineteenth and deciding leg.
Littler's match average of 113.68 is the second-highest ever recorded at the World Matchplay, behind only Phil Taylor's 114.99 from 2010.
Van Gerwen's 14-12 defeat to Dirk van Duijvenbode dropped him provisionally to world No 6, costing him his world No 4 spot after arriving in Blackpool defending £100,000.
Littler faces Josh Rock in the quarter-finals after Rock beat Stephen Bunting 11-6.
Dirk van Duijvenbode plays Gary Anderson, who beat Jonny Clayton 11-7 to reach his first World Matchplay quarter-final in six years.
Research: Our wider editorial research consults online reporting from BBC Sport, Sky Sports, The Guardian and other reputable sources. Story inspiration: Sky Sports' original report.
