Michael van Gerwen wins World Matchplay's first round

Michael van Gerwen emerged victorious in the first round of the World Matchplay, defeating teenager Luke Littler with a score of 10-6. This win marks Van Gerwen's three-time championship status, although his performance in 2024 has been somewhat lackluster. Despite this, he showcased flashes of brilliance that helped him sweep past Littler. This is reported by SSP.

Littler, a debutant in the Matchplay, struggled to find his rhythm and exhibited occasional casualness at the oche. The early stages of the game saw the players exchanging breaks. However, it was Van Gerwen who led the way, being ahead 3-2 and 6-4 at the intervals before securing the victory.

Boasting a 101.93 average and a 43.5% checkout success rate, the Dutchman now sets his sights on a second-round clash against Joe Cullen. Reflecting on the win, Van Gerwen expressed how meaningful it was to him, especially after experiencing a challenging period: "This means a lot to me because I've been going through a rough time. To actually do something good and be rewarded for all your hard work is always nice," he shared with Sky Sports.

In other match results, Michael Smith, seeded number three, prevailed over Gary Anderson with a commanding 10-5 lead to advance in the tournament. Although Smith faced early setbacks, he regained momentum by claiming seven consecutive legs and taking control of the match. The spectators at the Winter Gardens also made their presence felt, engaging in some spirited chanting directed towards Anderson.

Smith will now face Chris Dobey in the second round, following Dobey's 10-7 victory over Ritchie Edhouse. The closely fought contest saw Dobey delivering double-double checkouts twice before securing three consecutive legs for the win.

Ryan Searle, hailing from Somerset, displayed resilience after trailing 2-0 against Australia's Damon Heta. Overcoming the initial setback, Searle derailed Heta's progress and achieved a final score of 10-4. Searle has now set up a second-round encounter with Rob Cross, the 2018 world champion.

Other notable winners include Luke Humphries and defending champion Nathan Aspinall. Humphries triumphed over Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko with a score of 10-4, while Aspinall secured a hard-fought 10-8 victory against Luke Woodhouse.

However, there were some surprises as former champion Peter Wright and seventh seed Dave Chisnall were both eliminated. Wright suffered a 10-5 defeat at the hands of Andrew Gilding, while Chisnall endured a crushing 10-2 loss to Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski.

The World Matchplay will conclude on Sunday, with the final match scheduled for 20:00 BST. Fans can tune in to witness the thrilling culmination of this prestigious tournament.