"I tried to slow my game too much": Luke Woodhouse had issues coping with Gilding pace

Luke Woodhouse has booked his place in the last 16 of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, producing a stunning turnaround after a shaky start against Andrew Gilding. Speaking after the match, Woodhouse reflected on his performance and the lessons he has learned over the past two years on the professional circuit.

“It was a bit harsh on the first two sets,” Woodhouse admitted afterwards. “They were terrible, in fact. I gave myself a bit of a talking to, trying to play slow and match Andrew's pace. But after the second break, I thought, ‘play your own game, what will be, will be.’ I managed to up my game and get the win, so I’m really happy.”

Woodhouse’s resurgence in the match was marked by an impressive run in the final three sets, averaging over 102. “Whenever you average over 100 on a big stage, especially at the Worlds, it’s a massive confidence boost,” he said. “I felt really good once I came back out and played in my own rhythm. It’s definitely a confidence builder for the next game.”

The 32-year-old will face Krzysztof Ratajski in round four, making it the second consecutive year he has reached this stage. “Of course, I want to go all the way. Whether that’s realistic, I don’t know. But every tournament I enter, I want to win it. Every player wants the same, you’re not in it just to participate. Krzysztof’s a fantastic player, and he’s had two strong performances, including a massive comeback today. It’s going to be tough next round.”

Reflecting on the significance of his win, Woodhouse said he relishes the fact that he’s the “first Luke” to reach this stage in the tournament. “After the first two sets, it felt like an uphill battle. But I gave myself a bit of a talking to and started performing the way I know I can.”

He attributes his ability to stay calm under pressure to the experience he has gained over the last few years. “I’ve played on every European Tour this year and in every major. I’m an experienced player now. I know what I need to do and what I don’t need to do. Earlier, I was just trying too hard to slow my game down to match Andrew, but once I focused on my own rhythm, it worked.”

Woodhouse also celebrated climbing to world number 20, a milestone in his steady progression. “It’s a lovely feeling. A few years ago, I would have been happy just to keep my tour card. Now it’s top 40, top 32, and proving to myself and others that I can achieve really good things. The next step is the top 16.”

Despite dominating the latter stages of the match, Woodhouse admitted that the early legs left him frustrated. “Even though I was winning, I was putting myself under pressure, trying to force doubles early on. But after losing the second set, I just focused on playing my own game, relaxing, and letting it click. That’s exactly what happened.”

Looking ahead to his match against Ratajski, Woodhouse welcomes the challenge of facing a player with a similar pace. “I don’t mind slightly slower players. Today, I tried to slow my game down too much, and it affected me. Krzysztof is probably a similar pace to me, so it should be a nice game to play.”

Woodhouse’s turnaround in the match was also prompted by a wake-up call in the second set. “The kick up the backside was losing that set. I thought he wasn’t playing well, so let’s go out, play our game, and see what happens. I managed to go up another level from what Andrew was playing, and that really helped me.”

For Woodhouse, the lesson from the match—and his career so far—is about learning from experience. “Every time I play, I learn something new. This was the best I felt today, even though the first two sets were edgy. If you can perform at the Worlds, you can perform anywhere.”

Reaching the last 16 for the second year running underlines Woodhouse’s steady ascent on the professional circuit. “The last 18 months have probably been my best on tour. I was in the top 20 for money earned, and in the top 20 on the Pro Tour. All of that adds up. I’ve got to be confident in my ability, and the results will follow. Right now, I feel I can push anyone on my day.”

Despite his dominance over Gilding in the final stages of the match, Woodhouse insists the performance was a message to himself, rather than anyone else. “After the first two sets, it felt like a struggle, so I told myself to kick in, play as I can. It shows that I can up my game when needed. Hopefully, that means if someone performs well against me, I can match them.”

On facing Ratajski, past results are not on his mind. “We don’t play each other that much now. There’s no part of me thinking about past wins or losses. On stage, it’s just a flat-out game.”