Gary Anderson absolutely torched the oche in the first round of the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts, dropping a near-100 average in a dominant 10-2 dismantling of Ryan Joyce. Now, after three days of insane first-round action, we’re heading into the second round where 16 players are battling it out for just eight spots in the quarterfinals. Tuesday and Wednesday are stacked with quality matches, so you know it’s gonna be a wild ride.
Anderson Looks Unstoppable, MVG Primed For Growth
Anderson’s first-round performance was a standout, no doubt about it. He looked super comfortable up there, his throw was fluid, and he just went to work. It’ll be tough to replicate that against Jonny Clayton in their second-round match, especially since Clayton is gonna bring way more pressure than Joyce ever could. Still, my pick for that one? Anderson, 13-11. His form at recent events shows he’s dialed in, and when he’s like that, he can beat anyone.
Then we’ve got Michael van Gerwen taking on Dirk van Duijvenbode. Neither player hit their peak in the opening round, but they both stepped up when it mattered and got the job done. They’ve faced each other on every stage imaginable, and DvD has actually snatched a few wins against MVG recently. Despite that, I’m calling MVG for the 11-7 win. I just see more room for MVG to elevate his game in this one, and I don’t think DvD can keep pace for a potential 15-20 leg match.
Littler’s Scary Average and Bunting’s Grind
You wanna talk about scary? Luke Littler’s performance against Springer was just that. He averaged an insane 109.5 in that match! It felt like a surge in the second half, but man, when he’s in that rhythm, it’s almost impossible to keep up on the scoreboard. He could have even had a near event-record average if he’d been more well-rounded and better on the outer ring. Nathan Aspinall, who averaged 105 in a fantastic opening match against Joe Cullen, will need to be practically error-free to take down Littler. Aspinall’s got room to grow, even with that big average, especially since he let Cullen hang around in some legs. My pick: Littler, 11-8. It’s hard to see him fall here, but it should be a tight one if Aspinall shows up.
Finally, Josh Rock faces Stephen Bunting. Both of these guys had to grind in their first-round matches. Rock got lucky that Luke Woodhouse had an even bigger off-day. Bunting really had to fight for it. I’m going with Bunting, 11-9, in what’s bound to be another tough contest.
The second round is setting up to be epic! Next up, we’ve got Tuesday and Wednesday packed with these quality matches, and by the time it’s all over, only eight players will be left standing. Who’s gonna make it to the quarterfinals? You won’t want to miss a single dart!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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