The opening stage of the 2026 World Matchplay darts tournament concludes with four final first-round matches on July 20 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Seeded players have dominated the competition so far, with only two Pro Tour qualifiers advancing to the second round.
Key Matchups
Kevin Doets makes his Winter Gardens debut against Ross Smith, who is defending prize money from a quarter-final run two years ago.
Doets has outperformed Smith across key metrics over the past six months, holding a higher average of 96.37 compared to Smith's 95.86, alongside superior checkout percentages and match win rates.
Gerwyn Price faces Martin Schindler after a strong season that includes victories on both the European Tour and the Players Championship.
Price holds an average of 99.36 in 2026, the third-highest figure on the professional circuit, while Schindler enters the tie having lost five consecutive matches.
Luke Humphries, who recently won the World Cup of Darts alongside Luke Littler, meets Cameron Menzies.
Humphries holds a 101.09 circuit average this year, second only to Littler's 101.15, as he aims to improve on his first-round exit from the previous year's tournament.
In the remaining fixture, Danny Noppert matches up against 2020 world champion Rob Cross.
Despite being ranked 13 places higher than Cross, Noppert enters as an underdog despite a 6-4 victory over Cross in their most recent encounter at a Players Championship event.
