Luke Littler, the defending champion and world number one, progressed to the World Matchplay final in dominant fashion, dispatching unseeded Dirk van Duijvenbode by a score of 17-5. Littler established an early lead of 8-2 and maintained strong form throughout the match, ultimately finishing with an average just below 111. The result keeps Littler on track to surpass Phil Taylor’s tournament average record, with Littler currently averaging 110.88 through the competition.
Gerwyn Price earned his place in the final by defeating Netherlands player Gian van Veen 17-10. Price opened the match aggressively, breaking serve in the opening leg and building a 4-1 lead. Though the match became more competitive thereafter, with both players trading breaks, Price pulled away decisively in the latter stages to secure victory. Van Veen, the world number three, struggled particularly on throw, being broken nine times in 14 legs where he served first.
Littler’s path through the tournament has been marked by consistently high-level performance, maintaining an average above 109 across all four matches. His victory extends an impressive streak to 28 consecutive wins in matches spanning 20 or more legs. The win also reflects his significant earnings from the PDC’s order of merit, where he has now accumulated more than £3m and holds a lead of over £2m above world number two Luke Humphries.
Price’s advancement represents continued momentum in his career and sees him climb to fourth in the order of merit, also claiming the position of Welsh number one. The pair have a noted competitive history, with Littler having won nine consecutive encounters against Price, though Price secured a victory in their opening meeting earlier in the year. The final is scheduled for Sunday at 20:05 BST, with the Women’s World Matchplay preceding it in the afternoon session beginning at 13:00.
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