Luke Littler began his World Matchplay title defence in emphatic fashion, averaging 109.53 as he beat German debutant Niko Springer 10-6 at the Winter Gardens. Springer pegged the world No 1 back to 5-5 early on, but Littler turned it up after the mid-session break, winning five of the next six legs and posting an eye-catching run — averaging more than 123 across the final six legs.
“It felt good. It felt very nice,” the 19-year-old from Warrington said after the win. He admitted it was frustrating not to lead at the second break but added that he found “another gear” and closed the match strongly. “From leg 11 I was on a 120 average which shows how well I was playing. If I get better I’ll be happier.”
Littler now meets Nathan Aspinall in round two. Aspinall produced an authoritative 10-5 victory over Joe Cullen, averaging 105.32 and sparking one of the night’s highlights with a massive 167 checkout. The two rivals combined for 16 maximums in their encounter. Aspinall said he wasn’t expecting such form after limited recent tournament action, but he was pleased with his performance and confident about his next match.
Stephen Bunting was involved in a dramatic last-leg decider, surviving a fierce comeback from Niels Zonneveld to edge through 13-12. Bunting had been 8-5 up and appeared comfortable, but Zonneveld forced a deciding leg and even had match darts before missing three chances to win. Bunting then produced a superb 118 checkout to take the match and will face Josh Rock in the second round.
Rock opened his campaign with a 10-4 victory over Luke Woodhouse, taking advantage of the Englishman’s struggles on doubles — Woodhouse missed 20 darts at the finish. Rock, who reached the semi-finals last year, said he had more to give but was delighted to get another winning start at one of his favourite venues.
Saturday’s key results (Round One)
– Josh Rock 10-4 Luke Woodhouse
– Stephen Bunting 13-12 Niels Zonneveld
– Luke Littler 10-6 Niko Springer
– Nathan Aspinall 10-5 Joe Cullen
What’s next at the World Matchplay
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay runs from July 18-26 at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, with the 32-player field competing for the Phil Taylor Trophy. Sunday’s action features several big names:
– Afternoon session: Chris Dobey vs Dirk van Duijvenbode; Gary Anderson vs Ryan Joyce; Michael van Gerwen vs Andrew Gilding; Jonny Clayton vs Damon Heta
– Evening session: Ryan Searle vs William O’Connor; James Wade vs Jermaine Wattimena; Gian van Veen vs Krzysztof Ratajski; Wessel Nijman vs Dave Chisnall
Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen headlines Sunday’s schedule, while Gary Anderson returns to Blackpool and Jonny Clayton, Chris Dobey, Dirk van Duijvenbode and others bring more high-quality ties. Wessel Nijman, in fine form this year on the ProTour, meets Dave Chisnall, and Gian van Veen faces the in-form Krzysztof Ratajski.
All of the competition can be followed on broadcast and streaming platforms covering the event. Littler’s powerful start, Bunting’s resilient escape and Aspinall’s big checkout were among the standout moments from the opening day as the tournament builds toward the later rounds.