A dramatic evening in Blackpool saw defending champion Nathan Aspinall and world No. 4 Gerwyn Price both exit the World Matchplay tournament. Aspinall, hindered by an elbow injury since May, lost 11-8 to James Wade, while Price was defeated 11-9 by Ross Smith.
Aspinall’s elbow injury has been an issue since the latter stages of the Premier League Darts, and he will now seek treatment. Wade, who last reached the quarter-finals five years ago, will face Ross Smith next. Reflecting on his win, Wade said, “I was a lucky boy! I’ve got nothing to prove. No one else has won more tournaments than me other than Michael [van Gerwen] and Phil [Taylor].”
Wade started strong with a 4-0 lead, but Aspinall fought back to 5-5. The pair exchanged leads until Wade capitalized on Aspinall’s poor scoring to break at 8-8, winning the next two legs to secure his place in the last eight. Sky Sports Darts’ Wayne Mardle noted, “James knows that type of form won’t win a tournament, but it was good enough to win that game.”
Tuesday’s Results
- Gerwyn Price 9-11 Ross Smith
- Nathan Aspinall 8-11 James Wade
- Luke Humphries 11-7 Stephen Bunting
- Jonny Clayton 5-11 Dimitri Van den Bergh
In another intense match, Smith took an 11-9 victory over Price. At 3-3, the match saw seven consecutive breaks of throw, with Price leading 7-6 at one point. However, a 12-dart leg from Smith tied things up at 8-8. Smith ultimately broke Price to win the match. “I kept telling myself to fight because the first half of the game we weren’t at the races,” said Smith. “It’s massive for the rankings. I’m over the moon.”
Humphries and Van den Bergh Advance
World No. 1 Luke Humphries defeated Stephen Bunting 11-7, affirming his status as a favorite. Despite a challenging match, Humphries pulled away from 8-7 up and will face Dimitri Van den Bergh in the last eight. “Me and Stephen are really good friends. We love playing each other,” said Humphries.
Van den Bergh had a more comfortable victory, eliminating last year’s runner-up Jonny Clayton with an 11-5 win.
Wednesday’s Order of Play
- Krzysztof Ratajski vs Andrew Gilding
- Rob Cross vs Ryan Searle
- Michael van Gerwen vs Joe Cullen
- Michael Smith vs Chris Dobey
The second round of the World Matchplay concludes on Wednesday, with matches beginning at 7 pm live on Sky Sports Action.
Credit: Sky Sports
