By Sarah Leaver in Blackpool
QUARTER FINALS DAY 1
MATCH 1: ANDREW GILDING vs LUKE LITTLER
The first quarter-final saw 54-year-old Andrew “Goldfinger” Gilding face world champion Luke “The Nuke” Littler.
In the first few legs the 18-year-old looked uncertain, despite being 1-0 up he missed his favourite finish, double 10, as well as the chance to go two legs to the good. However, this was quickly dismissed as The Nuke remained composed after Gildings equaliser and hit the double 10 to put himself 2-1 up.
Littler held throw five legs in a row, fighting Gilding’s comebacks to take a 3-2 lead. The pressure from Goldfinger continued, again levelling the score to 3-3 but Littler remained on top, taking back throw after extending his lead to 5-3.
Despite Gilding’s well-placed throws, Littler posed too much for him after the second break and increased his lead to 6-3, before Goldfinger reduced the deficit with an 11-dart hold.
Littler put himself three legs clear with an average of 103 going into the third break and reaches double figures shortly after with a 140-checkout finishing on, you guessed it, double 10.
Gilding gifted the 18-year-old a glorious chance to go four legs better off after missing double one but Littler doesn’t take advantage by missing double five and Gilding reduces the deficit once again.
The Nuke continued the heavy pressure on the 54-year-old, taking three legs in a row to put himself five clear and just two legs from a place in the semi-final.
Gilding takes out a 127-finish and fought back to 15-14, to find himself one leg behind Littler and two away from victory, but the teenager posed too much for Goldfinger and took out a 41-finish to seal a place in the semi-final.
MATCH 2: JOSH ROCK vs GERWYN PRICE
In the second quarter-final, the Northern Irishman Josh Rock took a 3-2 lead into the first break of the session, before Gerwyn Price brought it back to 3-3 and eventually put himself 4-3 up. Josh Rock continued to press hard, flipping the tie to lead 6-4 at the second break.
Price came out firing in the third mini session, taking out a 170-finish to reduce the deficit, followed by a strong leg which saw the Welshman level the score.
Josh Rock only recently won the World Cup of Darts with partner Daryl Gurney, but any pressure from this victory didn’t show, with the 24-year-old retaking and extending his lead to 11-8 against the Iceman.
Price capitalised on a wasted opportunity by Rock to go four legs clear, missing the double and gifting the Welshman the leg.
Despite the pressure from Price, the Northern Irishman refused to fold and continued playing with the flare that he began the session with.
Price appeared to faulter after Rock regained his four-leg advantage, and regardless of winning two legs back-to-back, Price could not maintain his momentum as Rock put himself one leg away from a semi-final, and first ever match, against Luke Littler.
The 24-year-old finishes the game with style, finishing 164 on the bullseye before embracing Price and celebrating his place in the semi-final.
EDITORS PICKS:
- World Matchplay 2025 – Day 5: Luke Littler avoids shock to secure quarter-final
- “More pressure on Luke Littler” – Chris Dobey thinks ‘The Nuke’ is favourite for World Match Play
- “Coldplay Cam” – 5 Things You Missed: World Match Play Darts Round 1 in Blackpool
- World Match Play 2025: Day 4 – Bunting vs Anderson ignites Round 2 in Blackpool
- “The Youngsters are Boring!” – Gary Anderson takes jab at new generation: ‘always on their phones’
- “Van Gerwen out Early” – 5 Bold Predictions: 2025 World Match Play Darts