Live Darts on Wednesday | World Matchplay 2025 Day Five Preview and Order of Play
Round Two draws to a close at the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay in Blackpool on Wednesday with a trio of World Champions in action.
Gian van Veen, James Wade, Stephen Bunting and Jonny Clayton have already booked their place in the quarter-finals, now attention turns to the bottom half of the draw as a host of star names battle it out.
Reigning World Champion Luke Littler continues his pursuit of an illustrious career Triple Crown when he takes on in-form Jermaine Wattimena.
The pair notably met in the quarter-finals of last year’s Grand Slam, with Littler romping to a 16-2 victory on his way to claiming the title in Wolverhampton.
UK Open and Belgian Open champion in 2025, Littler registered his first win on the Winter Gardens stage at the expense of a helpless Ryan Searle, averaging 109 in a 10-2 demolition to send out an emphatic statement of intent.
The 18-year-old is looking to become the youngest champion in the history of this prestigious event and continue his chase for the world number one spot.
Wattimena is also appearing at this stage of the competition for the first time, having beaten 2021 champion Peter Wright 10-8 in the opening round.
The European Championship finalist had previously suffered four consecutive first round exits from 2018-2021, but faces a formidable task against the sport’s hottest property.
Meanwhile, a box office clash sees three-time World Matchplay champion Michael van Gerwen take on former World Youth Champion Josh Rock.
Van Gerwen lifted this trophy in 2015, 2016 and 2022 and fell short of adding to that tally when he was denied by Luke Humphries in last year’s final.
The world number three has not picked up a major televised ranking title since the 2022 Players Championship Finals but did claim the German Darts Grand Prix title back in April with a nine-darter along the way.
Van Gerwen missed out on a place in the Premier League play-offs the following month before taking a five-week break for personal reasons, and overcame struggling compatriot Raymond van Barneveld on Monday despite an average of 91.8.
Rock continues to ride the crest of a wave following last month’s memorable World Cup triumph alongside Daryl Gurney for Northern Ireland, securing his first win at the World Matchplay at the third attempt as he swept aside Ross Smith 10-5 with a 104 average on Monday.
Provisionally up to world number 14, Rock has been one of the most consistently clinical players on the tour this season, picking up a Players Championship title in April as well as a further final appearance and two semi-final runs on the European Tour.
Gerwyn Price, runner-up here in 2022, takes on fellow Premier League star Chris Dobey in another unmissable encounter.
Price remains in a blistering vein of form having claimed the Baltic Sea Darts Open title last weekend to follow on from the Poland Darts Masters crown a week earlier.
The 2021 World Champion came through a fiery clash with rival Daryl Gurney in Round One, averaging 100.2 in a 10-7 victory which ended in a tense altercation between the pair on stage.
Sixth seed Dobey has racked up a brace of ProTour titles this year, as well as a timely run to the semi-finals of last weekend’s Baltic Sea Darts Open.
The Bedlington ace got off and running in Blackpool with a commanding 10-5 success over Ricardo Pietreczko, but will be eyeing a marked improvement on his match average of 91 if he is to end Price’s prolific run of results.
The opening match of the night sees former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding face former World Grand Prix finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Gilding, runner-up in this year’s European Darts Grand Prix, produced one of his best televised performances to date to dispatch seventh seed Damon Heta in a tie break with a 101.8 average on Sunday.
The 54-year-old is now aiming to replicate those heroics and make it back-to-back quarter-final berths in Blackpool.
Van Duijvenbode, who missed out on qualification last year amid injury problems, marked his return to the Winter Gardens stage with a 10-8 scalp of 2019 champion Rob Cross on Sunday.
The popular Dutchman, runner-up in a Players Championship event last month, is now eyeing a place in his 11th major televised ranking quarter-final.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with Second Round matches to be contested over the best of 21 legs.
Matches will be extended if necessary for a maximum of six extra legs before a sudden death leg is required.
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Betfred World Matchplay 2025 Day Five Schedule
Wednesday July 23
Second Round
7pm-11pm
Andrew Gilding v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Chris Dobey v Gerwyn Price
Luke Littler v Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen v Josh Rock
