Preview Friday night World Matchplay 2025: Littler, Gilding, Price and Rock battle for place in semifinals

Friday night the last two quarterfinals of the 2025 World Matchplay are scheduled. For the first time this week, no Dutchmen will appear at the oche, but with Luke Littler, Andrew Gilding, Josh Rock and Gerwyn Price in action, plenty of spectacle is expected.

The tournament at the Winter Gardens is the second largest ranking tournament of the year. With a prize pool of 800,000 pounds, players can take a big hit in the world rankings. The field of participants at the World Matchplay consists of 32 players. The top-16 of the PDC Order of Merit are seeded in the first round, and the 16 best Pro Tour players complete the lineup.
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Luke Humphries began the tournament as the defending champion, having been too strong for Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in last year's 18-15 final. However, 'Cool Hand Luke' was eliminated after a 10-8 defeat in the first round against Gian van Veen. Below we give a preview on the last two quarter-finals to be played on Friday night.

The evening session gets underway with Luke Littler taking on Andrew Gilding in what promises to be a fascinating clash of styles. 'The Nuke' cruised past Ryan Searle with a dominant 10-2 victory in the first round, but was pushed to the brink in round two against Jermaine Wattimena. The Dutchman raced into a shock 7-3 lead, punishing a sluggish start from Littler and threatening to produce another upset at the Winter Gardens.

However, the 18-year-old came out firing after the second interval, turning the match on its head to edge in front 8-7. The pair then exchanged holds of throw all the way to 12-11, where Wattimena squandered four darts to level—missing efforts at double 18 and double 9. Littler, waiting on 40, kept his composure and found double 10 with his third dart to book his place in the quarter-finals.

Gilding, meanwhile, came through a gritty 12-10 battle with Damon Heta in the first round before producing a clinical display to see off Dirk van Duijvenbode in round two. ‘Goldfinger’ flew out of the blocks, sweeping the opening session 5-0 as the Dutchman struggled to find his scoring touch and missed key doubles. Van Duijvenbode rallied to close the gap to 8-5, but the damage had already been done. Gilding maintained his composure and sealed an 11-5 win with minimal fuss.

On paper, Littler enters as the clear favourite. But his struggles against Wattimena revealed that he’s far from untouchable. Gilding also holds a psychological edge, having beaten Littler 6-4 at the European Championship last year. Add in his deliberate, slow-paced style—something that could disrupt Littler’s rhythm—and an upset may not be entirely out of the question.

The second quarter-final of the night promises fireworks, as Josh Rock locks horns with Gerwyn Price in a mouthwatering showdown.

Rock impressed in his opener against Ross Smith and followed that up with a dramatic second-round win over Michael van Gerwen. For much of the match, it looked like the Dutchman would ease through, opening up a 6-2 lead while Rock struggled to find his scoring range. But Van Gerwen’s double troubles opened the door, and Rock capitalised.

As the match progressed, ‘Rocky’ settled into his rhythm, clawing his way back into contention. Even a brilliant 138 checkout from ‘Mighty Mike’ to force extra legs couldn’t stop the momentum shift. Rock kept his nerve and sealed a 14-darter to complete a memorable comeback win and reach his first Matchplay quarter-final.

Price, by contrast, has looked every bit the title contender. After a tense first-round victory over Daryl Gurney—where tempers flared at the finish—the Welshman delivered a masterclass in round two against Chris Dobey. ‘The Iceman’ stormed into an 8-2 lead with a breathtaking display of power scoring and clinical finishing, averaging around 114 at the halfway mark. He produced two 11-darters, two 12-darters, and three 13-darters to leave Dobey with no chance of mounting a fightback.

Though Dobey managed to grab one more leg after the break, Price coasted to an 11-3 win, finishing with a remarkable 108.73 average and an eye-watering 73.30% on the doubles. These are world-class numbers, and if he replicates anything close to that level, he’ll take some stopping.

Rock is undoubtedly in form and full of belief—but if Price hits top gear again, it’s hard to see anyone living with him.