Luke Littler and Nathan Aspinall delivered a spectacular showdown at the World Matchplay, with the world‑number‑one securing a nine‑dart finish en route to an impressive 11‑8 triumph at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. The perfect leg arrived right at the start of the match. Littler’s nine‑dart sequence marked the second occasion he has opened a match against Aspinall with flawless scoring, the first being at the Bahrain Darts Masters earlier in 2024. His average of 113.68 was the second‑highest ever recorded in World Matchplay history, trailing only Phil Taylor’s 114.99 from the 2010 tournament, and he also piled up 14 maximums (180s) during the encounter.
Setting the tone from the opening throw, Littler launched two 180s before hitting treble‑20, treble‑17 and double‑15 to complete the historic leg, sending the Blackpool crowd into a frenzy. After that, he followed up with a 14‑dart finish, and appeared poised to repeat the feat in the fourth leg, only to see his ninth dart drift wide of double‑15. Aspinall, in good humour, offered his darts to the audience, joking that anyone could try to match such a lofty standard.
Despite Littler’s early dominance and a session average of 117, Aspinall showed resilience, holding his throw and staying just one leg behind after the break. The second session saw Aspinall surge ahead, taking a 6‑4 lead at the second break and demonstrating his own high‑quality scoring. Littler rallied, stringing together three legs on the bounce and securing two breaks of throw to stretch his lead to 10‑7. Yet Aspinall, known for thriving under pressure, clawed back two legs to narrow the gap to 10‑8.
In the decisive 19th leg, Littler calmly finished on a 52 finish, sealing a thrilling victory. Reflecting on the match, Littler told Sky Sports, "It felt amazing – probably the best game Nathan and I have ever played against each other.
I posted a 113 average while Nathan was at 101. Six treble‑less visits in 21 legs shows how well I played. Nathan gave it his all, and when I missed double‑5 I knew the 170 was coming, but I’m just glad to win. The nine‑dart just happened; the crowd started booing me at the start and then they were cheering.
It’s been two unbelievable performances for me, and I just have to stay focused. You can’t hand a trophy to anyone after round one or two – I wanted Luke Humphries to win and meet us in another final." Littler’s next challenge will be against Josh Rock in the quarter‑finals after a hard‑fought 11‑6 win over Stephen Bunting, a match in which neither player reached their usual scoring heights, both hovering in the low‑70s during the opening session.
Rock, visibly frustrated by his own performance, fought back to claim four legs on the bounce and eventually secured the match with a spectacular 140 checkout, setting up a rematch with Littler. The two first met in a 2015 semi‑final at the same venue, where Littler emerged victorious 17‑14.
On the other side of the draw, fourth seed Michael van Gerwen suffered a dramatic exit, losing 14‑12 in a tie‑break against fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode. The defeat dropped Van Gerwen from his world‑number‑four ranking to a provisional sixth place and ended his £100,000 title defence. The contest was a roller‑coaster: Van Duijvenbode seized early momentum, breaking ahead 4‑3 after a solid 125 checkout, then extending his lead to 8‑4.
Despite a shoulder issue, Van Gerwen rallied, hitting a triple‑bullseye finish and breaking back to level at 10‑10. In the tie‑break, Van Duijvenbode delivered an 11‑dart leg with six perfect darts, pulling ahead 13‑12 and ultimately sealing the win on his seventh match dart with a double‑8 finish.
Van Duijvenbode will now face Gary Anderson, who advanced after an 11‑7 quarter‑final win over Jonny Clayton. This marks Anderson’s first appearance in the Matchplay quarter‑finals in six years.
After a 4‑1 lead at the end of the first session, Anderson stormed ahead with a run of five consecutive legs and a crucial break in the 15th leg to go 9‑6 up, eventually closing out the match on a double‑8. The second round of action continues on Wednesday on Sky Sports, featuring four more high‑stakes encounters.
Cameron Menzies will look to back his upset over world No 2 Luke Humphries when he meets Ross Smith. Gerwyn Price faces former world champion Rob Cross, while world No 3 Gian Van Veen takes on in‑form Dutchman Wessel Nijman. James Wade will square off against Ryan Searle. The tournament’s narrative remains wide open: Luke Littler aims to defend his title, while the field of seasoned veterans and emerging talents battles for the coveted World Matchplay crown.
Fans can catch every throw live on Sky Sports or stream the action via NOW, which offers a contract‑free viewing experience.