The first round action at the 2025 Betfred World Matchplay continues across two sessions on Sunday.

In the afternoon, former champions Rob Cross and Peter Wright enter the fray at the Empress Ballroom against Dutch pairing Dirk van Duijvenbode and Jermaine Wattimena respectively. Former World Cup winner Damon Heta opens the day's play against ex-UK Open champion Andrew Gilding, with reigning World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker closing play against five-time quarter-finalist Dave Chisnall.

World Champion Luke Littler takes centre stage on Sunday evening against Ryan Searle, with 2018 winner Gary Anderson opening the night's proceedings against Luke Woodhouse. 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton kicks off his campaign against German No. 1 Martin Schindler, and fourth seed Stephen Bunting closes the evening against Ryan Joyce for the second year in succession.

Coverage starts at 1:00pm UK time on Sky Sports + with the evening session on the same channel from 7:00pm.

>Today's matches (1:00pm start, best of 19 legs [first to 10])
(7) Damon Heta v Andrew Gilding
(10) Rob Cross v Dirk van Duijvenbode
(15) Peter Wright v Jermaine Wattimena
(12) Dave Chisnall v Mike De Decker

>Tonight's matches (7:00pm start, best of 19 legs [first to 10])
(13) Gary Anderson v Luke Woodhouse
(5) Jonny Clayton v Martin Schindler
(2) Luke Littler v Ryan Searle
(4) Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce

All matches must be won by 2 clear legs, with up to 5 extra legs played to decide a winner. If the match is tied after 5 extra legs, a final sudden death leg will be played.

>Day 1 roundup
https://www.pdc.tv/news/2025/07/19/van-veen-dethrones-humphries-dramatic-opening-night-blackpool

I completely forgot Asp was defending his 2023 winner's money last night. Look at that plummet!

>last July the bottom three in this image were all in the World's Top 10
>now none of them are in the World's Top 20

Lets fuckin go Damon

>>149877705
Mykell no!

Gwan Damo, smash this nonce

Heta dominant in the first session, that Noncefinger bounceout proving fatal

Terrfied 9th. It's too bad because 7 and 8 were perfect

>>149878683
The Ballroom would have exploded if the 9th had gone in

>dweeb

This is a superb standard from both

E X T R A
T I M E

>playing Chase The Sun because the match was apparently finished
lel

>WTA darts

Nobody can hold throw

>>149878986
oof

NONCED

Proper arrers that. Great game

>be 8-6 up in a race to 10
>lose
Another TV disaster for Dweeb.

Also I can't believe the last 2 champions lost on opening night

Pains me to say it but fair play to noncefinger, kept on pulling out 180's and doubles when it mattered.

>>149879114
Heta trying that DD19 133 attempt was idiotic. Would have made sense if Nonce was on 136 instead of 36.

Good afternoon lads, arrived just in time to see Feta fuck up. He must be a floor god, but I swear he loses every time I watch him.

There was very little UNTZ from Dirk, bet the house on Cross

>>149879146
Why? The double segment is bigger than the triple segment.

>>149879182
Because D19 is an awkward double.

>>149879182
Not sure about the math behind it, for me the risk of missing entirely seems bigger than the benefit of the larger field. Granted, there is a risk of Gilding taking out the 136, but it seems smaller than not scoring at all on one of the darts, and then subsequently not getting a proper setup on the next turn.

>>149879215
>Granted, there is a risk of Gilding taking out the 136, but it seems smaller than not scoring at all on one of the darts, and then subsequently not getting a proper setup on the next turn.
Gilding was on 36.

i went to that tournament in new york a few weeks ago and had a lot of fun

>Dork

>>149879236
Whoops, misread that. But then it makes sense I'd say, because he likely wouldn't get another turn.

>all 16s 128
OOF

>Dross

where's snackpot?

>>149879481
Playing Modus end of August: https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/35926551/adrian-lewis-darts-comeback-modus-super-series/

The cycle of Dirk
>go behind
>get angry
>play better
>draw level
>feel less angry
>play worse
>go behind

>24 scored

THAT TOPS TOPS

TOPS TOPS 137
WEWWWWWW LAD

why would you ever be nervous playing the darts

GWARRRRN UNTZ MAN

HMRC can't get more money off you if you don't win games

>>149879754
>When directors fail to pay the correct amount of tax, it directly impacts the government’s ability to fund vital public services such as the NHS, schools, transport infrastructure, and our national defence.
the people working at 'The' Insolvency Service are a bunch of children

>Clown vs. Relative Unknown
Grim.

>Wattijobber already wattijobbing
Fuck off you fat cunt

Snakey looking trim. Or at least less fat than usual

>Clown

>chant Peter Peter Wright when he comes on stage
>chant Scotland get battered as soon as he starts losing
One of the only good mong pit bits desu

>>149880134
This made me laugh a few years back

Fuck's sake this is the Worlds all over again

>he was 7-3 up
Absolutely peak Wattijobbing.

>Snakeshite

>>149880567
>change darts at 7-3 to eventually level match
>when match is level, change back
>don't win another leg

I hope he fucks off after the Worlds. Nobody will miss the cunt.

>4 out of the last 6 champions out
>seeds 0 for 3 today
Kino

>>149880623
iirc didnt his little run at this years WC stop him from plummeting about 15 more places in the rankings? Cant wait for him to fuck off for good as well

>>149880658
He's defending 120 come the Euros. He loses big there he'll plummet.

It's his time lads, I can feel it!

>>149880728
>29 scored
once again too high to be his IQ

>>149880629
0 gimmies at the matchplay these days. Loved the BBC putting 'shock' in their headline about Humphries going out when chud's general form on floor and tv atm is up there with anyone

>>149880692

>>149880782
>0 gimmies at the matchplay these days
Well...

>De De Cker

>>149880820
fair enough that schizo is wildly unpredictable on tv

>>149880728
Unless he's magically defeated the part of his game where he tries to start thinking near the end of big matches, and melts down as his 2 braincells struggle to process the attempt , it's not his time.

This one will be going all 25 legs, they're both shite

>>149880845
I think its pretty much safe to say that he will end up in the terry jenkins stable when he goes out to Modus pasture, which is a shame really given how the likes of noncefinger and de decker wont be there.

Just look at his matchplay QF's lol. 2013, lost to MVG who averaged 102. 2014, lost to MVG who averaged 102. 2015 lost to Feel who averaged 102. 2016 lost to MVG who averaged 99 and in 2018 lost to de Zwaan averaging 103.

>>149881049
Him bottling the Masters years back against Cullen was the perfect proof that he'll never win a TV title of any sort.

>Chizzy
Do neither of them want to win this?

>>149881077
Only the godfather of bottling could bottle it against master bottler Choke Ullen.

>absolutely shite match
>suddenly De Decker 104 and 148 finishes to win it

I make that approximately a billionty majors that Dim Dave has failed to win now.

>losing to 2025 de Kekker

Starting to think Chizzy isn't actually a future major winner

>>149881437
He just needs more time, OK?

Think tonight will be more straightforward than this afternoon. Uter and Joyce are the only real chances of upsets IMO.

>>149882483
Wouldn't be too surprised if there's an early Gando exit. Hope he goes far, though.

>woodlouse 167
grim

DAT 167

>break legend of the game with a 167 to lead 2-0
>shit yourself
Classic Woodlouse

WELCOME
WOODHO

>starting legs with scores of 39 and 21
Gando is pished

>>149883550
fucking kek

>>149883763
lmao

>>149883763
Based Uter

Does anyone know what time this should finish?

Is Woodhouse the non-bald equivalent of Dross?

Doodhouse

>losing 5 straight legs after the interval
Pure Jobberhouse.

polly james would get it

anyone remember that darts wives documentary from back in the day lolol

>>149884063
This one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l32SEFnTtEU

>>149884116
yes lmao, it's fucking hilarious

mental start from the midgets

is it ok to go back to hating mardle now?

>>149884283
Hating Mardle is always okay. Feel bad for him that his missus died but he’s still a knobhead either way

>>149884303
respectable

Schindler losing 4-1 with a 107 average

Evening lads oooh I'm poorly sat in bed vegetating. Might make some cheese on toast

>>149884329
i find it mad that these seemingly unhealthy dart players never seem to get ill whilst constantly being on the road and on the go

>>149884365
>Merv.png

>>149884321
Now losing 6-4 with that average, Clayton could be in trouble if Schindler continues

Anyone else kind of not arsed about watching Jonny Clayton play darts?

I don't know what it is. He seems a nice fella, won mostly non-ranking titles, but I don't know. He's just kind of there and I'm not compelled to watch him

>>149884365

That's a good point

Probably don't notice them missing PCs but they feel compelled to turn up to anything larger unless they're seriously ill

>>149884591
Clayton is boring but likeable.

Nice Shanghai on 18s though

>181 left
>blob one into T1
Eurojobber.

>average 103
>lose
That's Eurojobbing!

Shittler time. New shirt too.

>>149884283
He's always been fucking shite on comms when sat next to anyone that isnt a woman, didnt really mind him as a player despite being well and truly bedded in feel's pocket and choking the one time he got the better of him to Kirk fucking shepard

>>149884800
Looks ugly.

searle should arguably cut his hair

>>149884591
Looking down the top 20, I would say that I'm not really arsed bout:
Clayton
Dobey
Ross Smith
Noppert

>>149884843
The shirt isn't very nice either

>that session
121.21 average. Fuck me.

>average over 100
>lose 10 nil

>>149884800
Lad needs to lose some weight. Seriously he's only young. I was fat until I was 30 and it was miserable

>So far all Dutchies won their games

What sorcery is this???

>>149885127
Pity legs were activated, no chance Littler was going to win 10-zip.

>that 11th leg from Searle where he managed to miss BIG NUMBAH twice in a row
Rod would have had an aneurysm if he was in the box

>only one of these men is 40 years old

>that session
"Gentlemen, you are no longer at the Lakeside"

>BUNTING

Tomorrow:

>Chris Dobey v Ricardo Pietreczko
>Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
>Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
>Ross Smith v Josh Rock

Corr Monday night darts love it

Standard is dreadful thougheverbeit

Where is everyone?