The 2026 World Matchplay of Darts is officially ON, blasting off today, Saturday, July 18, from Blackpool with four insane first-round matches. Day 1 is all about the top quarter of the bracket, where big names are stepping up to show what they’ve got and push for that second round spot.
The Heavy Hitters Are Here
We’re talking about players like Luke Littler, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, and Nathan Aspinall, all ready to light up the stage. These guys are the stars of the show tonight, with everyone focused on seeing who makes it past this brutal first round. The format? It’s a best-of-19 legs battle, so every single dart counts. Talk about high stakes!
Day 1 Schedule: Don’t Miss These Matchups
The evening session is absolutely stacked. It kicks off at 7:15 p.m. local time with Josh Rock going head-to-head against Luke Woodhouse. Then, at 8:15 p.m., Stephen Bunting steps up to face Niels Zonneveld. The action keeps rolling with Luke Littler taking on Niko Springer at 9:15 p.m., a match everyone’s buzzing about. Finally, to close out Day 1, Nathan Aspinall clashes with Joe Cullen at 10:15 p.m.
The winners from these intense best-of-19 legs matchups will then punch their ticket into the second round. The bracket’s already setting up some crazy potential clashes down the line. We’re talking Littler or Springer potentially facing Aspinall or Cullen! And on the other side, Rock or Woodhouse winners will be up against Bunting or Zonneveld winners. Looking further into the bracket, we’ve got pairings like Michael van Gerwen/Andrew Gilding vs. Chris Dobey/Dirk van Duijvenbode, and Jonny Clayton/Damon Heta vs. Gary Anderson/Ryan Joyce. Plus, Luke Humphries/Cameron Menzies are set against Ross Smith/Kevin Doets. Gerwyn Price/Martin Schindler will clash with Danny Noppert/Rob Cross, while Gian van Veen/Krzysztof Ratajski are drawn against Wessel Nijman/Dave Chisnall. And don’t forget James Wade/Jermaine Wattimena facing Ryan Searle/William O’Connor. This is just the beginning of the action, and you know the energy is only gonna keep escalating from here!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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