Schedule/Preview Tuesday night World Matchplay 2025: Bunting-Anderson and Clayton-De Decker headline

On Tuesday evening July 22 the first four matches of the second round of the World Matchplay 2025 are scheduled as we begin to reach the business end.

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 preview the four matches from Tuesday's evening session.

Gian van Veen will face fellow Dutchman Danny Noppert in the next round, after producing the biggest shock of the tournament so far by knocking out defending champion Luke Humphries in a dramatic opening clash.

The match was finely poised at 7-7, but it was Van Veen—nicknamed The Giant—who landed the decisive blow. In the fifteenth leg, Humphries missed four darts at double 5 to hold throw, and Van Veen punished the mistake by nailing double 10 for a crucial break. From there, the 22-year-old held his nerve to hold throw twice and seal a 10-8 victory.

With several seeds already sent packing, Van Veen’s scalp of the world number one stands as the tournament’s biggest upset to date.

Awaiting him is compatriot Danny Noppert, who made light work of Scotland’s Cameron Menzies in a one-sided affair. The Freeze raced into a 7-0 lead and was never troubled, as Menzies failed to settle and could only salvage two legs in a disappointing performance that saw him average just 81.

To his credit, Noppert delivered a solid display himself, averaging over 96 in a commanding 10-2 win. But he'll likely need a repeat of that level—or better—if he’s to stop a red-hot Van Veen.

Right now, momentum seems to be with The Giant. After all, if you can send home the reigning champion and world number one, there’s no one you can’t beat.

The second match of the evening sees another Dutchman take to the Winter Gardens stage, as Wessel Nijman prepares to face the experienced James Wade. Like compatriot Gian van Veen, Nijman impressed on his tournament debut, producing a composed performance to knock out 2022 champion Nathan Aspinall.

The young Dutchman flew out of the blocks, racing into a 5-1 lead with clinical finishing and relentless scoring. Although Aspinall clawed his way back to 6-5, Nijman held his nerve and won four of the next five legs to close out a 10-6 victory. His final average of 101.72 underlined just how well he handled the big stage.

Awaiting him is Wade, who—aside from Luke Littler—may have delivered the most complete performance of the opening round. The Machine dismantled Joe Cullen with ruthless efficiency, dominating both opening sessions by 4-1 margins to cruise into an 8-2 lead. A 10-3 win followed, powered by a blistering 104.44 average.

With both men firing on all cylinders in round one, this has all the makings of a classic. If they can replicate their Saturday night form, expect a tightly contested encounter where the player who holds their nerve in the key moments will come out on top.

The third match of the night has all the ingredients for a thriller, as Stephen Bunting locks horns with two-time world champion Gary Anderson.

Bunting had to survive a major scare in his opening tie against Ryan Joyce. The Bullet looked in control at 8-4, but a string of missed doubles allowed Joyce to level at 8-8. Bunting was fortunate when Relentless missed double 5 to take the lead, and he capitalized with a tidy 56 checkout to break throw. A superb 11-darter followed to wrap up a tense 10-8 win.

Anderson also had a shaky start in his opener against Luke Woodhouse. The first ten legs were tightly contested, with The Flying Scotsman even switching darts midway—highly unusual for a player known for his consistency with equipment. But after the second break, Anderson kicked into gear, winning five straight legs to close out a 10-5 victory.

Both men showed flashes of brilliance alongside periods of vulnerability, making this one tough to call. It’s a genuine 50/50 encounter, where timing and composure could prove the difference.

Tuesday’s final match will see Belgium’s Mike De Decker return to the Winter Gardens stage for a showdown with Jonny Clayton.

De Decker battled past Dave Chisnall in a tense encounter where the balance swung several times. The key moment came in leg 16, with the scores tied at 8-7. Despite Chisnall throwing first, it was De Decker who stepped in with a clinical 104 checkout to grab the break. He followed it up in style, taking out a superb 148 finish to complete a 10-7 win and spark celebrations.

Clayton, meanwhile, started like a steam train against Martin Schindler, taking six of the first eight legs with some devastating darts—including a 12-darter, two 13-darters, and a pair of 14-darters. The Ferret did lose some momentum late on, allowing Schindler to close the gap to 9-7, but the Welshman steadied to see out the match.

Both players come into this second-round tie with confidence, and with neither known for backing down in tight situations, expect a close affair. The fine margins—one missed double, one big finish—could well decide who marches into the quarter-finals and who heads for the exit.