World Matchplay 2025
The second round
At the start of the second round seven unseeded and nine seeded players were still in the tournament and on the first of the two nigths there were three matches between a seeded and an unseeded player and one match between two seeds . On the second night we could see two matches between an unseeded and a seeded player, one between two unseeded players and one between two seeds. One couldn't really see a difference in the quality of the performances.But I had the impression, I did see two completely different nights and the second night, the one with the matches from the second half of the draw, felt for me much more thrilling.The first second round night was influenced by all sorts of double trouble the players experienced and might be because of this it felt slightly slowly and all in all not so good - with the exception of James Wade - who was as flawless in his second match as in his first and was the only player of the night with an average of over 100. All others couldn't keep up the good performances of their first matches, though Wade's opponent Wessel Nijman at least was clinical on his doubles.
In the first match of the night the two members of the Dutch World Cup team Gian van Veen and Danny Noppert clashed - to be sure not an easy match for both and they looked a little bit tied up in knots. Surprisingly it was the much more experienced Noppert who had in the match - and not only with his doubles - the bigger poblems and van Veen took his chances. He won 11:5.
The second match was the already above mentioned match between Wade and Nijman, in wich Nijman was far less strong as in his first match and had no chance at all against Wade.
After that followed the match between Stephen Bunting and Gary Anderson which didn't meet - at least - my expectations though it went into overtime.
Both players didn't play really well - Bunting averaged 92.81 and Anderson - who at one time at the match was down to 87 - 91.70. And that despite eight
maxima from Bunting (who almost hit a nine-darter) and seven from Anderson. Anderson started quite well but even before the first break his double trouble
began and Bunting started to control the match though he never really got rid of Anderson. Anderson managed to draw 10:10 after Bunting had missed with
a matchdart, but then the Scottish double trouble continued and Bunting used it to win.
The last match of the night as well was a slow affair though Clayton from the start was better then his opponent Mike de Decker who only had a few brillant moments. Clayton won 11:8 but it was more a hard worked win and one could see and feel both players were struggling.
The second night of the second round was far from slow and we did see another player who outshone all others.
In the first match Andrew Gilding and Dirk van Duijvenbode met - the two not seeded players - and it was rather astonishing and surprising how Gilding dominated the match from the start. It's a long time we did see Gilding so commanding - in the first five legs he steam rolled his opponent. Van Duijvenbode improved a little bit during the match but he was just not strong enough to endanger Gilding at all who won 11:5.
In the second match it was Gerwyn Price who demolished his opponent Chris Dobey with 11:3 though he run a little bit out of steam near the end. Price played outstanding and was not to be stopped. Dobey never was really in the races. But an average of almost 109 and a hitting rate on the doubles over over 70 percent probably from most other players would not have been cracked either.
The last two second round matches were quite similar.
The first match at the start was dominated completely by Jermaine Wattimena, while Luke Littler - who to be sure went into the match as the favourite - busted his score in the first leg and after that started to miss doubles. When Wattimena was 7:2 in the lead one felt Littler started to get a foodhold in the match; he managed to draw and for the first time got the lead. Wattimena didn't give in and forced the overtime, in which both players had some double trouble but it was Littler who won 13:11.
In the last second round match it was Michael van Gerwen who started stronger and got the lead. But he had a lot of problems to find his doubles and let Josh Rock back into the match. Rock took his chances and improved. Finally he drew 9:9 and then was 10:9 ahead. Van Gerwen drew 10:10 - and the match went into overtime, in which van Gerwen seemed to feel the pressure more and missed even more doubles. Rock made mistakes as well but with his first matchdart hit the 13:11.
So we will see three unseeded and five seeded players in the quarterfinals on stage. From the many Dutch players who impressed with their first round wins only Gian van Veen - who eliminated reigning champion Luke Humphries - is still in the tournament and he is the only player among the last eight not from the UK. Beside him one player from Northern Ireland , two from Wales and four Englishmen are still in the tournament. Only two of the eight players - Wade and Gilding - last year as well were among the last eight and those two were in different halves of the draw last year as well.
Bottom Line - I really look forward to the quarterfinals now though I still have no idea who will win the event. The second round was more or less without upsets - well, one can of course argue whether van Gerwens elimination was an upset or not. Looking at his performances recently which were overshadowed by personal problems I would say it was not a surprise, it was more surprising how well he managed to play both in his first and in his second round match.
Pictures with kind allowance of the PDC