PREVIEW UK Open 2026 Saturday Afternoon: Humphries–Chisnall clash headlines as Littler, Price and Van Gerwen chase Minehead glory

Saturday, 07 March 2026 at 11:03

Dave Chisnall and Luke Humphries embrace before their Winmau World Masters match

The last 32 takes centre stage on Saturday afternoon at the 2026 UK Open in Minehead, as the race for the title begins to intensify. Reigning world champion Luke Littler headlines the remaining field alongside major contenders Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price.

Littler faces dangerous Doets test

One of the most intriguing ties sees Littler take on Dutch talent Kevin Doets.

Littler arrives in Minehead in superb form after claiming the weekly title in the Premier League just 24 hours earlier in Cardiff. He followed that up with a comfortable 10-3 victory over Damon Heta in the fourth round.

Doets, however, should not be underestimated. The Dutchman impressed with a 10-5 win over Jeffrey de Graaf in the last 64, and has shown repeatedly that he can produce strong performances on the big stage.

With Littler’s relentless scoring power up against Doets’ steady all-round game, this clash could prove far tighter than the names might initially suggest.

Humphries meets Chisnall in blockbuster clash

Arguably the standout tie of the round sees Humphries face Dave Chisnall.

Humphries produced one of the performances of the fourth round, averaging over 105 in a dominant 10-3 victory against Luke Woodhouse.

Chisnall, meanwhile, secured a much-needed televised victory by defeating Scott Campbell 10-5.

Both players are capable of heavy scoring bursts and quick legs, which should make this one of the fastest and highest-scoring matches of the afternoon session.

Price vs Nijman promises fireworks

Another eye-catching tie sees Gerwyn Price take on Wessel Nijman.

Price moved comfortably through the previous round with a 10-3 victory over Greg Ritchie and will be aiming to continue building momentum in Minehead.

Nijman arrives full of confidence after a dominant 10-1 win against Raymond van Barneveld while averaging over 102.

The clash pits Price’s relentless scoring and intensity against one of the most explosive young talents currently on the tour.

Van Gerwen handed favourable draw

Three-time UK Open champion Van Gerwen faces German outsider Kai Gotthardt.

Van Gerwen eventually overcame Nathan Aspinall 10-8 in the final match of Friday’s session and averaged just under 102 in the process.

Gotthardt impressed earlier in the event by defeating Tom Sykes 10-8, but the German will need to produce one of the performances of his career to trouble the Dutchman.

Ross Smith vs Daryl Gurney

Ross Smith meets Daryl Gurney in what could be a fascinating contest between two players capable of heavy scoring bursts.

Smith produced a solid display to dispatch Andrew Gilding 10-4 in the previous round and continues to show flashes of the scoring power that took him to the European Championship title.

Gurney, meanwhile, overcame Niels Zonneveld 10-7 and will look to use his experience in longer-format matches to disrupt Smith’s rhythm.

Mensur Suljovic vs Stephen Bunting

Former UK Open finalist Mensur Suljovic rolled back the years in the fourth round, reeling off five consecutive legs to defeat Jermaine Wattimena 10-5.

Awaiting him is Stephen Bunting, who comfortably dispatched Thibault Tricole to continue his strong run of form in 2026.

Bunting’s heavy scoring will likely make him favourite, but Suljovic’s measured pace and clinical finishing could make this a tricky encounter.

Mensur Suljovic in action at the Ally Pally

Suljovic faces Stephen Bunting for a place in the last 16

Gary Anderson vs Martin Schindler

Two-time world champion Gary Anderson arrives in the last 32 in ominous form after averaging more than 107 in his victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Standing in his way is Martin Schindler, who produced a composed display to eliminate Joe Cullen 10-8.

If Anderson maintains the level he showed in the previous round, he will take some stopping, though Schindler has quietly become one of the most consistent performers on tour.

Josh Rock vs Dominik Gruellich

After a difficult start to the Premier League campaign, Josh Rock found some momentum again by edging out William O'Connor in a deciding-leg thriller.

His opponent, Dominik Gruellich, impressed with a 10-8 win over Niall Culleton.

Rock’s scoring power makes him the favourite, but the German has already shown he can handle pressure moments in Minehead.

Darryl Pilgrim vs Jonny Clayton

One of the more intriguing ties sees rising English player Darryl Pilgrim face Premier League leader Jonny Clayton.

Pilgrim has already enjoyed an excellent run in the tournament, following up an earlier win over Beau Greaves by defeating Connor Scutt.

Clayton, however, was ruthless in his previous match, sweeping past Alexander Merkx 10-2 and will start as a strong favourite to progress.

Peter Wright vs Danny Noppert

This clash between two major champions could be one of the most entertaining matches of the round.

Peter Wright secured a confidence-boosting victory over Cameron Menzies to reach the last 32.

Standing opposite him will be Noppert, who produced one of the moments of the fourth round with a nine-darter during his win over Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Danny Noppert hits nine-darter against Dimitri van den Bergh at the 2026 UK Open

Danny Noppert hit a nine-darter against Dimitri van den Bergh at the 2026 UK Open

Ryan Joyce vs Keane Barry

Ryan Joyce moved into the last 32 after ending the impressive run of young prospect Charlie Manby.

He now faces Keane Barry, who produced one of the most dominant displays of the previous round with a 10-2 victory over Henry Coates.

Martin Lukeman vs Madars Razma

Martin Lukeman booked his place in the last 32 with a convincing 10-6 victory over Ritchie Edhouse.

He now meets Madars Razma, who survived a dramatic deciding-leg contest to defeat Jim Long.

Gabriel Clemens vs James Wade

Experience will be the theme of this encounter between Gabriel Clemens and James Wade.

Clemens edged past Richard Veenstra in a deciding-leg thriller, while Wade once again demonstrated his trademark composure by defeating Chris Dobey despite Dobey averaging more than 102.

Given Wade’s reputation in longer-format matches, the Englishman may hold a slight edge.

James Wade has won the UK Open in three different decades

Ryan Searle vs Michael Smith

Two of the heaviest scorers on the tour collide as Ryan Searle meets former world champion Michael Smith.

Searle progressed after defeating Andy Boulton 10-7, while Smith came through a close contest with Leon Weber.

Oskar Lukasiak vs Krzysztof Ratajski

Swedish qualifier Oskar Lukasiak continued his impressive run by defeating Benjamin Pratnemer.

He now faces experienced Polish star Krzysztof Ratajski, who produced a strong display to defeat Ricky Evans.

Ratajski’s consistency and finishing ability will make him favourite, though Lukasiak has already shown he can compete at this level.

Mike De Decker vs Rob Cross

Another intriguing encounter sees former world champion Cross take on Belgian major winner De Decker.

Cross delivered a high-quality performance to defeat Gian van Veen, with both players averaging above 100 in a strong main stage display.

De Decker also impressed in overcoming Adam Lipscombe 10-8, setting up what could be a very competitive encounter between two proven stage performers.

Draw & schedule UK Open 2026

Main Stage

Gary Anderson	vs	Martin Schindler
Wessel Nijman	vs	Gerwyn Price
Kevin Doets	vs	Luke Littler
Luke Humphries	vs	Dave Chisnall

Stage Two

Darryl Pilgrim	vs	Jonny Clayton
Peter Wright	vs	Danny Noppert
Mike De Decker	vs	Rob Cross
Kai Gotthardt	vs	Michael van Gerwen

Stage Three

Ross Smith	vs	Daryl Gurney
Mensur Suljovic	vs	Stephen Bunting
Josh Rock	vs	Dominik Gruellich
Ryan Joyce	vs	Keane Barry

Stage Four

Martin Lukeman	vs	Madars Razma
Gabriel Clemens	vs	James Wade
Oskar Lukasiak	vs	Krzysztof Ratajski
Ryan Searle	vs	Michael Smith

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ROUND FIVE STAGE ALLOCATIONS 📝 The 32 remaining players will battle it out across four stages on Saturday afternoon as the competition heats up 🔥 Some cracking ties to look forward to tomorrow! 🍿

11:11 PM · Mar 6, 2026

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Kieran WoodDarts Journalist

Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.

A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.

He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.

In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.

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