Only Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright have more – Gary Anderson climbs historic World Matchplay list with 109.96 average

Gary Anderson’s 109.96 average against Ryan Joyce did more than secure an emphatic passage into the second round of the 2026 World Matchplay. It carried the 2018 champion further up one of Blackpool’s most exclusive statistical lists.

Anderson has now recorded 12 ton-plus match averages at the Winter Gardens. Only Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright have produced more in World Matchplay history, with Anderson drawing level with James Wade and moving three behind Wright.

Taylor remains far beyond the rest with 62, having dominated the tournament across his 16 title-winning campaigns. Van Gerwen sits second on 20, while Wright occupies third place with 15.

Behind Anderson and Wade are Adrian Lewis on nine, followed by Luke Humphries, Rob Cross and Gerwyn Price on seven. Dimitri Van den Bergh and defending champion Luke Littler have each recorded six.

The performance represented a new World Matchplay high for Anderson. His previous best average at the tournament was the 106.06 he produced while beating Jeffrey de Zwaan 17-12 in the semi-finals of his successful 2018 campaign.

Eight years later, the 55-year-old raised that mark substantially during his 10-2 demolition of Joyce. Anderson hit five 180s, converted 55 per cent of his attempts at doubles and produced consecutive 144 and 141 checkouts as he won nine of the final ten legs.

Joyce averaged a respectable 95.49 but was rarely allowed an opportunity to influence the contest. Anderson established an immediate advantage and continued to pull away, completing one of the most dominant performances of the opening weekend.

The 109.96 also places Anderson’s display among the highest individual averages ever recorded at the World Matchplay. Only seven performances in the tournament’s history have bettered it, with Taylor responsible for four of those.

Anderson’s place near the top of the century-average standings adds to an imposing World Matchplay record. He lifted the Phil Taylor Trophy in 2018 after defeating Mensur Suljovic 21-19 in the longest final the tournament has staged, having also hit a nine-darter against Joe Cullen during the same campaign.

He returned to the final two years later before losing to Dimitri Van den Bergh and remains one of only 14 different champions across the tournament’s first 32 editions.

Anderson will face Jonny Clayton in the second round after the Welshman defeated Damon Heta 10-7 with a 97.63 average. A repeat of his opening performance would give Clayton an imposing task and offer Anderson an immediate opportunity to move closer to Wright on the historic list.