Michael van Gerwen produced a superb performance to dump out debutant Luke Littler in a heavyweight first round showdown at the Betfred World Matchplay on Monday.
Two of the sport’s biggest names locked horns in a captivating contest at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, and Van Gerwen emerged victorious to open his challenge for a fourth World Matchplay crown.
The Dutchman has enjoyed more success at the Empress Ballroom than any player in this year’s field, although Littler came into the contest as the pre-match favourite.
Nevertheless, Van Gerwen reaffirmed his credentials with a statement 10-6 victory, averaging 101.93, landing five 180s and hitting ten of his 23 attempts at a double.
The 35-year-old powered into a 5-2 lead – aided by a run of four straight legs - and although Littler responded to reduce the arrears to 5-4, the 17-year-old paid the price for missing three darts to level in a crucial tenth leg.
Van Gerwen maintained his cushion with a brace of 12-dart holds – including a stunning 146 checkout – to move 8-5 ahead, before capping off a relentless display to send Littler packing.
“This means a lot to me,” said an emotional Van Gerwen, a World Matchplay champion in 2015, 2016 and 2022.
“Everyone knows I’ve been going through a rough time, so to perform and get rewarded for your hard work is always nice.
“It’s always a joy to play games like this. Luke is the man in form, he has incredible talent, but you have to face the challenge.
“I don’t have to prove a point to anybody, but when you’re both playing well and you win the game, it’s an incredible feeling.”
Monday’s play also saw Michael Smith, Ryan Searle and Chris Dobey advance to the last 16, as the first round action drew to a close at the Winter Gardens.
Smith produced a blistering mid-match burst to defeat his former mentor Gary Anderson, recording his highest average on the Winter Gardens stage to run out a convincing 10-5 winner.
2018 champion Anderson started magnificently, following up a 101 checkout in the opening leg with a double-double 92 outshot to establish a 3-0 lead and a double-break.
However, Smith responded with an astonishing seven-leg spell to seize control at 7-3, before backing up a brace of 12-darters with a clinical 90 kill to prevail with a 102 average.
“I was 3-0 down and I wasn’t playing well,” conceded Smith, who won ten of the last 12 legs to condemn Anderson to an early exit.
“I was trying too hard early on. I have so much respect for Gary. I used to be in the same management stable as him and we’re still really good friends.”
Smith’s reward is a second round clash against Chris Dobey, who accounted for the St Helens star at the same stage of last year’s World Matchplay and World Championship.
“It doesn’t matter what’s happened previously,” continued the 2023 World Champion. “I’m not after revenge against Chris, I’m here to play darts and entertain the crowd. That’s what I’m all about.”
Dobey booked his place in the last 16 with a battling 10-7 win against debutant Ritchie Edhouse, despite spurning 28 darts at double in a gruelling affair.
Edhouse – courtesy of 130 and 116 combinations – led 5-3 at one stage, but Dobey’s superior scoring turned the tide, as the former Masters champion won seven of the next nine legs to complete the comeback.
"I knew it was going to be tough, and I really had to battle up there," reflected Dobey, a quarter-finalist in 2023.
"Ritchie is one of those players who never gives up. He never missed a double early on, but I knew over this format it was unlikely to last, so I just tried to dig in.
"This has been a place where I've struggled in the past, but that changed last year, and I feel at home on the stage now."
In the evening’s opener, Searle produced an exhibition of big finishing to dispatch Australian number one Damon Heta, converting three ton-plus checkouts and averaging 101 to celebrate a 10-4 success.
Searle recorded the highest average of last year’s tournament in his opening round demolition of Raymond van Barneveld, and he produced a similarly dominant display to sweep aside Heta.
Trailing 2-0, Searle conjured up 167 and 142 checkouts in consecutive legs to level at two apiece, and a brilliant 130 finish in leg ten catapulted the Somerset star to an emphatic victory.
“Something has just clicked for me over the last few days,” admitted the 36-year-old, who now takes on 2019 champion Rob Cross for a place in the quarter-finals.
“The way I was practising before my game tonight, I felt like I was going to hit a nine-darter – they were going in that nicely!
“I’m going to need to continue playing like I did tonight, and if I can get my scoring and finishing together, it’s going to take something special to stop me.”
The second round gets underway on Tuesday, as reigning champion Nathan Aspinall continues his title defence against 2007 winner James Wade, while world number one Luke Humphries meets Masters champion Stephen Bunting.
2020 champion Dimitri Van den Bergh - fresh from his nine-dart heroics on Sunday - faces 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton, as 2022 finalist Gerwyn Price takes on former European Champion Ross Smith.
Click here for match stats & results.
2024 Betfred World Matchplay
Monday July 15
First Round x4
Ryan Searle 10-4 Damon Heta
Michael Smith 10-5 Gary Anderson
Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Luke Littler
Chris Dobey 10-7 Ritchie Edhouse
Tuesday July 16 (1900 BST)
Second Round x4
Gerwyn Price v Ross Smith
Nathan Aspinall v James Wade
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
Jonny Clayton v Dimitri Van den Bergh