Gerwyn Price secured his place in the World Matchplay quarter‑finals with a decisive 11‑5 victory over Rob Cross, while Cameron Menzies was forced to withdraw from his earlier match after suffering an illness at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The evening’s opening encounter turned dramatic when Menzies, who was leading Ross Smith 2‑1, suddenly became light‑headed on stage. His condition worsened and he eventually fainted, prompting medical staff to escort him off‑stage and later to his hotel for observation.
The doctors concluded that his symptoms were caused by a sudden spike in blood pressure, which made him dizzy and ultimately caused the fainting spell. As a result, the match was abandoned and Smith was awarded a walk‑over into the last eight, where he will face the winner of the Price‑Cross showdown. Price entered the contest against Cross with the scoreboard sitting at 3‑2 in favour of the Englishman.
The Welshman then seized the initiative, stringing together six consecutive legs to surge ahead to 8‑3. Although Cross rallied to pull the score back to 8‑5, Price responded with another flurry of three winning legs, sealing the match at 11‑5. The victory was punctuated by Price’s trademark roar, a familiar sound for his supporters.
After the win, Price spoke to Sky Sports about his performance. "I felt like I was struggling all through the game," he admitted. "I couldn't find my scoring rhythm – it was up and down.
If I want to win this tournament I need to be a lot better than that, but I’m moving in the right direction. I need that energy, I need that buzz, and Ross (Smith) brings that. You’re going to see the old me again – as long as the fans accept it, I’ll be back." The withdrawal of Menzies also drew a statement from the Professional Darts Corporation. The PDC confirmed that Menzies experienced a bout of high blood pressure, which caused dizziness and fainting.
After a thorough on‑site medical assessment, he was cleared to return to his accommodation but was deemed unfit to continue in the competition. Menzies had arrived in the tournament on a high note, having upset world number two Luke Humphries in the first round – a victory that marked the biggest win of his career to date. His premature exit was a disappointment for his fans, but the tournament schedule moved on.
In other quarter‑final action, Dutch prodigy Gian van Veen will face James Wade for a second consecutive year. Van Veen is looking to avenge his narrow 16‑13 loss to Wade in the 2025 edition after he edged past Wessel Nijman in a thrilling 14‑12 tie‑break to claim the last eight spot. The van Veen‑Nijman clash was a showcase of Dutch darts talent.
Nijman, who has already collected six Pro Tour titles in 2026, entered the match with confidence, hoping to translate his floor‑game success to the big stage. However, Van Veen, currently ranked world number three, made an early impact by breaking his opponent’s throw twice in the first session, including a spectacular 135 checkout on the bull, and sprinting to a 4‑1 lead.
Nijman fought back valiantly, hitting a series of maximums and taking four of the next five legs to level the contest at 5‑5. Both players hovered around a 97 average, delivering a tightly contested, high‑quality game. Nijman again seized the momentum, breaking Van Veen’s throw and moving ahead 11‑10. Yet Van Veen refused to buckle; under intense pressure he produced a breathtaking 148 checkout to knot the match at 11‑11, leaving his opponent on a demanding finish of 64.
The decisive 25th leg arrived with Van Veen holding the throw. He capitalised on a break of Nijman's throw, then, with D16 in hand, sealed the win and denied Nijman his first major quarter‑final appearance.
The final match of the night saw veteran James Wade overcome a resilient Ryan Searle 11‑8 to book his 14th quarter‑final berth in his 21st World Matchplay appearance. The two exchanged breaks of throw early on, keeping the score deadlocked at 5‑5. Wade then produced a dazzling 121 checkout on the bull, followed by a hold of throw to pull ahead 8‑5.
Although Searle managed to break back, Wade responded with a clutch 143 finish, extending his lead to 9‑7. Maintaining his composure, Wade held his throw to seal the match on D12.
The quarter‑finals are set to commence on Thursday, with live coverage on Sky Sports Action and Main Event beginning at 7:30 p.m. The draw features a replay of the 2025 semi‑final epic: Luke Littler will clash with Josh Rock for a place in the final four, while Gary Anderson takes on Dirk van Duijvenbode for the other semi‑final slot.
As the tournament progresses, fans will be eager to see who can claim the 2026 World Matchplay title. Luke Littler, the defending champion, will be looking to retain his crown, and the action will be streamed live on Sky Sports and via NOW for those who prefer an online viewing experience.