Other Sports by Brobbey - 3 months ago

Michael van Gerwen Triumphs Over Luke Littler in World Matchplay Opener

Three-time World Matchplay champion Michael van Gerwen overcame teenager Luke Littler with a 10-6 victory in the opening round at Blackpool. Despite a challenging year, the Dutchman showcased flashes of his former brilliance to dispatch Littler.

Littler, making his Matchplay debut, struggled with consistency despite his impressive record of winning a ranking event each month in 2024. The match saw both players exchange early breaks, but Van Gerwen took control, leading 3-2 and 6-4 at the intervals before securing the win. Van Gerwen finished with a 101.93 average and a 43.5% checkout rate, setting up a second-round clash with Joe Cullen.

Reflecting on the win, Van Gerwen told Sky Sports, “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.”

In other matches, number three seed Michael Smith defeated Gary Anderson 10-5, despite an early setback with a double break. Smith’s seven-leg winning streak turned the match in his favor. The Winter Gardens crowd taunted Anderson, singing “Scotland get battered everywhere they go,” to which Anderson responded by referencing England’s recent Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.

Chris Dobey awaits Smith in the second round after his 10-7 victory over Ritchie Edhouse. The match was closely contested until Dobey’s decisive three-leg streak secured his win. Somerset’s Ryan Searle also advanced, recovering from a 2-0 deficit to beat Australia’s Damon Heta 10-4, setting up a match against 2018 world champion Rob Cross.

World champion Luke Humphries and defending champion Nathan Aspinall progressed with respective wins over Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko (10-4) and Luke Woodhouse (10-8). However, former champion Peter Wright and seventh seed Dave Chisnall were eliminated. Wright fell 10-5 to Andrew Gilding, and Chisnall was defeated 10-2 by Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski.

The World Matchplay continues with the second round fixtures as follows:

Tuesday, 16 July (19:00 BST)