World Matchplay Darts Day 6 Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

You can only hope that Cameron Menzies has not suffered a serious illness after he was forced to withdraw from his Second Round match after just three Legs had been completed.

He looked fine after taking the lead with a winning double in the third Leg, but suddenly had a bout of dizziness on the stage and it was soon announced that Menzies was not going to be able to continue.

Ross Smith moves through, but the thoughts of all of the peers would have been with Cameron Menzies who had produced a big win in the First Round and who has been in decent form over the last few weeks as he finally looked to be fulfilling some of the potential.

The show had to go on at the World Matchplay and the Quarter Final line up has been set.

The top half of the draw will be in action on Thursday with the format now expanded to a best of thirty-one contest and that also means a slightly later start to the session. It will then be the turn of the bottom half on Friday before the Semi Final and Final is completed over the course of the weekend.

After this weekend is completed, the PDC Tour moves into a slight hiatus- there are two Players Championship events to be played next week, but then the World Series takes over with back to back Masters events Down Under in Australia and New Zealand in consecutive weeks.

Once again a couple of Players Championship tournaments will be played before the next European Tour event at the Hungarian Darts Trophy at the end of August.

It should mean all eight players left in the World Matchplay can be completely focused on the task in front of them and that is winning one of the big Majors on the Tour and we should have a decent four days of Darts left in Blackpool.

Gary Anderson - 2.5 legs v Dirk van Duijvenbode: All credit has to be given to Dirk van Duijvenbode for the way he handled the pressure as Michael van Gerwen pushed him into extra Legs for a second match in a row.

Once again Dirk van Duijvenbode found a way, much as he did in the First Round against Chris Dobey, and this is a player who has found plenty of heavy scoring.

This makes him dangerous, while van Duijvenbode is also hitting his doubles at a decent rate.

However, Dirk van Duijvenbode will be aware that he may need to be even better if he is going to upset Gary Anderson who has been far too good for Ryan Joyce and Jonny Clayton.

Gary Anderson has not been at his absolute best, but he has been piling up big scores and has looked very comfortable when it comes to finishing off Legs and The Flying Scotsman remains a very strong player. The question is how will his darts hold up the longer he has to stay on the stage and this is a best of thirty-one Quarter Final, but Anderson has not had as many dips as Dirk van Duijvenbode and that can ultimately make the difference in the match.

When they met at the UK Open, Gary Anderson was a little too strong for Dirk van Duijvenbode and that may be the case when they meet in Blackpool in a big Quarter Final.

Luke Littler over 11.5 180s v Josh Rock: The layers are not anticipating a lot of resistance from Josh Rock in this World Matchplay Quarter Final, but that does feel like it is a little harsh on the Northern Irishman.

He has not hit the heights of 2025, but Josh Rock has given Luke Littler something to think about in meetings in 2026 and that has to give him some encouragment.

Of course it should be stated that not many are going to be able to live with the standards Luke Littler has produced in the first two Rounds as he looks to defend the title won last year. Nathan Aspinall averaged over 100 and yet it never felt like he was going to beat Luke Littler, who averaged over 113 to follow up his First Round 109+ average.

The World Number 1 can blitz past any opponent that stands in front of him and there is the feeling that there will be at least one session that ends in a whitewash and Luke Littler should be good enough to move into the Semi Final again.

That means getting to at least sixteen Legs and Luke Littler has been absolutely spot on his rhythm when it comes to attacking the treble 20- backing that up is the fact he hit one nine darter and missed a double for a second in his Second Round win.

Luke Littler has won twenty-one Legs in this tournament and he has thrown twenty-one maximums, while he had nine in twenty Legs when these two met at the UK Open earlier this year.

The top Seed has looked so much more comfortable here though and Littler can produce at least twelve maximums in this Quarter Final contest.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson - 2.5 Legs @ 1.72 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Luke Littler Over 11.5 180s @ 2.10 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 9-12, - 1.90 Units (21 Units Staked, - 9.05% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Thursday 23rd July)

Just when it looked like it was going to be the fourth time in a little over seven days when a player has failed to earn one more game than the spread, Alex Molcan did pick up a late break of serve to secure his victory in the Second Round.

That made it a positive start to the week, but a busy Thursday has not offered up many matches that have fallen within the parameters set in the pages that have resulted in a bounce back year.

The focus on the day is on a single selection from the two ATP tournaments being played in Estoril and Kitzbuhel and those can be read below.

Jaime Faria - 4.5 games v Gonzalo Bueno: One of the big home hopes has been eliminated, but Jaime Faria is going to be hitting a new career high World Ranking mark at the end of the tournament.

Another win would see Jaime Faria crack the top 80 for the first time and the Portuguese player will be given plenty of support in Estoril.

He is facing a Qualifier, but Gonzalo Bueno should be given enough respect for having come through a couple of those Rounds and then earning a win in the main draw. That was a win over a Portuguese Wild Card in the main draw and Gonzalo Bueno has to be given a lot of credit for fighting back from losing the second set 6-1 and hold himself together to win a final set tie-breaker.

This is a step up in terms of level of opponent, but a comfortable clay courter can always become a dangerous opponent once momentum is behind them.

Over the course of the season, Gonzalo Bueno has played at a lower level than the main ATP Tour and his numbers on the clay have been pretty average. This should encourage Jaime Faria who had won three Qualifying matches at the French Open and was still able to force his way through to the Third Round at that Grand Slam, and Faria has had a lot more success at this level compared with his opponent.

Before his win in the Second Qualifying Round in Estoril, Gonzalo Bueno had lost all six matches played against higher Ranked opponents on the clay courts in 2026. His serve has been put under pressure consistently in those matches and so Bueno is going to have to really step up to make this a competitive contest.

Jaime Faria has a 19-7 record on the clay when facing opponents that were Ranked lower than himself when they stepped onto the court and the numbers are much more solid than those produced by Gonzalo Bueno.

This is a big spread for any young player to deal with, but Jaime Faria should have the qualities needed on the court to eventually wear down Gonzalo Bueno.

Mariano Navone - 2.5 games v Quentin Halys: You cannot take anything away from Quentin Halys and the performances he has put together this week in Kitzbuhel, but he has been struggling for consistency over the last several months.

That has seen the World Ranking drop back outside of the top 80, while the Frenchman has a 10-7 record on the clay courts in 2026.

The serve remains a big weapon for him, even on the red dirt, but Quentin Halys has struggled to have a big impact on the return and that has ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the results that have been placed on the board.

Next up is this Quarter Final against Mariano Navone who has looked very sharp through the opening couple of Rounds.

The higher Ranked player is the superior returner on the clay courts and that could be the key to this match, while Mariano Navone has beaten Quentin Halys on the clay courts around fifteen months ago.

On that day the World Number 47 was the much superior server and Mariano Navone can find his way through to the Semi Final with another decent win on the board.

MY PICKS: Jaime Faria - 4.5 Games @ 1.70 William Hill (1 Unit)

Mariano Navone - 2.5 Games @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Weekly Update: 2-1, + 0.71 Units (3 Units Staked, + 23.67% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 5 Picks 2026 (Wednesday 22nd July)

As soon as the draw was made for the World Matchplay, the expectation of the fans would have been that there were going to be high quality matches right from the opening day in Blackpool.

No one has been let down by what we have been watching over the first four days and Day 5 is set to complete the Quarter Final lineup after what looks to be another good looking session.

Luke Humphries losing in the First Round has opened up this half of the draw, but that may also mean players have to deal with the extra pressure that comes when an opportunity has opened up.

It really could come down to which of the players handles that best to take their place in the Sunday Final, but there are going to be challenges that have to be overcome over the next few days beginning with the Second Round opponent that will have to be beaten.

Ross Smith to win & over 5.5 180s v Cameron Menzies: You cannot blame Cameron Menzies for the emotional reaction after beating Luke Humphries in the First Round and especially not when you consider he reeled in the 'big fish' to secure the 10-7 win.

It was a really strong performance from Cameron Menzies and credit has to be given to him for holding off a strong rally that Luke Humphries had put together. The mental side of the sport has always been one that Menzies has struggled to deal with and so it will be a huge boost in confidence for him and his supporters that he was able to handle all that was thrown at him by the World Number 2.

Backing up the victory is going to be challenging regardless of who the opponent would be, but but backing it up against Ross Smith may be extra challenging.

Not only has Ross Smith beaten Cameron Menzies three times on the European Tour this season, but each of those wins have become easier and easier for the higher Ranked player.

The last of those ended in a 7-0 whitewash, but Ross Smith will be expecting more from the opponent in this one.

While that is a fair point, it also should be said that Ross Smith was in really good form in the First Round even if he was not very happy with his own performance. Big scoring was backed up by big finishing and Smudger may have a little too much of both for Cameron Menzies to handle.

Ross Smith was finding the big trebles regularly in the First Round and he can reach at least six maximums in winning this Second Round match.

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ checkouts v Wessel Nijman: Gian van Veen is the higher Ranked of these compatriots, but Wessel Nijman comes into this match as the favourite and that is largely down to the kind of darts he has been playing all year.

He is now up to World Number 14 and Wessel Nijman has moved past Danny Noppert as the next Dutchman that is likely going to be invited into the Premier League.

Winning a big tournament may push his credentials forward and Wessel Nijman has to handle the pressure of expectation with many likely tipping him to come out of the bottom half of the draw that is missing Luke Humphries.

He will not want to take anything for granted against Gian van Veen, although the latter will be aware that his level needs to be raised.

Where Gian van Veen can make the difference is with his finishing and putting the late Leg combinations together has been a strength of the World Number 3. He had three 100+ Checkouts in the First Round and needed a couple more to beat Wessel Nijman on the European Tour back in February.

Since then, Wessel Nijman has beaten Gian van Veen and he is the right player being favoured, but the latter is someone who can produce a couple of big finishes to turn the momentum back in his own favour.

Gian van Veen may need those finishers in his bid for an upset and he looks capable of hitting at least two 100+ Checkouts in this Second Round match.

Rob Cross v Gerwyn Price: Two former World Champions meet for a place in the World Matchplay Quarter Final and you have to believe the underdog can give you a real run for your money.

Rob Cross has lifted his level over the last two months and that has enabled him to force his way into this tournament when it looked like the former Champion in Blackpool was going to miss out completely.

In the time since Cross won here, Gerwyn Price has reached the Final and he remains a Premier League player where the Englishman is not.

However, Price has not been playing much in recent weeks and that looked clear as he struggled against Martin Schindler in the First Round before the latter lost his way. Unlike Schindler, Rob Cross is playing with a lot more confidence and unlikely to let The Ice Man off the hook, although the expectation is that Gerwyn Price has to be much better than he was on Monday.

Matches between these players have been pretty competitive, but it has been over a year since they last faced each other.

On current form the edge has to be with Rob Cross and he can find a way to win this one, although nothing ever comes easy against someone like Gerwyn Price, who should be better with a win under the belt.

James Wade-Ryan Searle over 17.5 legs & over 8.5 180s: The final Second Round match features two players who are very capable performers on the stage and it should be a close contest between James Wade and Ryan Searle.

James Wade is a former World Matchplay Champion and reached the Final here twelve months ago so clearly enjoys the format. He was a very good winner in the First Round and showcased strong scoring with his usual composed finishing and Wade will certainly feel he can match the run from 2025 out of this bottom half of the draw.

The Quarter Final is as far as Ryan Searle has reached at the World Matchplay, but he was a World Championship Semi Finalist in the last edition of that tournament and that has to be respected.

Throughout this season, Ryan Searle has played at a steady level and his own win in the First Round deserves respect having held off all that William O'Connor was throwing at him.

Ryan Searle is every bit as capable of James Wade in throwing decent scores, but also finishing well, and this best of twenty-one leg Second Round match should see both players win at least seven Legs.

Both are perhaps underrated maximum hitters, which is reflected by the total for the match, and the longer this one is able to go, the more likely James Wade and Ryan Searle will combine for at least nine 180s as well.

In the First Round, Ryan Searle only had three maximums, but had racked up plenty of other big scores, while James Wade produced seven. Those came in sixteen and seventeen Legs respectively and this is a Second Round match that may need at least a couple more Legs to decide a winner, which should aid the two players in combining to surpass this maximum line.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith to Win & Over 5.5 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen 2+ 100+ Checkouts @ 2.50 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Rob Cross @ 2.25 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

James Wade-Ryan Searle Over 17.5 Legs & Over 8.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 8-10, - 1.40 Units (18 Units Staked, - 7.78% Yield)

Tennis Picks 2026 (Wednesday 22nd July)

This is still that time of the Tennis Tour when most of the top names are resting and getting ready for tournaments to be played on the hard courts in preparation for the US Open, but one last swing through the European clay courts will be an important time for many others.

There is a hard court event being played in Prague this week on the WTA Tour, which follows the one in Athens last week, but in the main it is clay court tennis being played and that is an opportunity for players to pick up some important World Ranking Points.

Scattered tournaments means there are also scattered Tennis Picks with the backend of the tournaments last week not leaving too many matches to attack from the selection point of view.

It could end up being the case this week as well, but when there is the potential to make a selection, they will be made as the pages look for some momentum to take into the big hard court tournaments that are fast coming up.

Mayar Sheriff - 1.5 games v Simona Waltert: There has been a lot of tennis played by Mayar Sheriff to move back into the top 60 of the World Rankings and back to back titles could have accumulated the fatigue.

This past weekend the Final in Iasi had to be postponed until Monday due to heavy rain, but Sheriff was able to get the better of Paula Badosa and confidence will be high.

Mayar Sheriff had won a couple of lower level titles on the clay around the one Qualifying match defeat at Wimbledon, but the title won in Iasi will be a real confidence booster.

A 5-1 head to head advantage over Simona Waltert will give the higher Ranked player more belief, even if it is the Swiss player who is Seeded here in Hamburg.

Simona Waltert has not been playing badly having reached the Final of a Challenger event in Bastad, but she was beaten early last week in Iasi. The World Number 91 has a 2-4 record against top 100 Ranked opponents on the clay courts this season, although Waltert's numbers have been pretty steady in those matches and she has been able to offer some resistance.

Both of these players are going to be very confident on the return of serve, but Mayar Sheriff is playing with momentum and confidence and looks capable of edging past Simona Waltert once again, much as she did in their two clay meetings in 2025.

Mariano Navone - 2.5 games v Jan-Lennard Struff: Not only has Wimbledon Quarter Finalist Jan-Lennard Struff had to battle through a very tough opening match in Kitzbuhel, but he has had a tough season on the clay courts.

Expectations have been raised for a strong end to the season after the run in SW19, but the serve has not been quite as effective on the red dirt.

That will give Mariano Navone an opportunity in this Second Round meeting on Wednesday.

The clay court specialist has struggled with his own serve on this surface, but Mariano Navone has been the much superior return player of the two this season and that can be a telling factor. It was also the case when the two players met on the hard courts of Cincinnati last year, which should have been a match in conditions that would favour Jan-Lennard Struff, but which was won by a good margin by Navone.

Things will never be easy for Mariano Navone on the red dirt with a vulnerable serve, but he may have enough to contain some of the Jan-Lennard Struff threat and the World Number 47 can get the better of the Seed.

Alex Molcan - 1.5 games v Daniel Altmaier: The run to the Semi Final in Umag has given Alex Molcan another boost in his bid to move back up the World Rankings and he is playing well enough to continue his run here in Austria.

A 22-7 record on the clay courts in 2026 has certainly helped the left hander and another solid win over Sebastian Ofner in the First Round in Kitzbuhel will have given Alex Molcan a boost in confidence against a home player.

The serve has been a big part of the successes that Alex Molcan has had, but he has backed that up with confident returning.

Next up is a Second Round match against Daniel Altmaier who is a very comfortable clay court player in his own right and who produced an upset in the First Round.

Daniel Altmaier has produced some decent numbers behind serve and return on the clay courts himself, but he has been beaten twice by this opponent already this season and that is going to be difficult to shake off.

One of those defeats came at Wimbledon at the end of June in the First Round, while the other was a Second Round defeat in Munich in front of Daniel Altmaier's home fans.

Across those matches, Alex Molcan has been the superior server, although he has had to fight off more Break Points than Daniel Altmaier.

The meeting on the clay was very closely fought out, but Alex Molcan deserves the edge in this Second Round match if only because of his overall form on the clay courts and the kind of momentum that has been built up. He is the lower Ranked player, but the layers believe Alex Molcan should be the favourite and the lean is to agree with them as the Slovakian player continues rebuilding his position on the Tour. 

MY PICKS: Mayar Sheriff - 1.5 Games @ 1.87 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Mariano Navone - 2.5 Games @ 1.80 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Alex Molcan - 1.5 Games @ 1.91 Bet Victor (1 Unit)

Season 2026: 176-147, + 10.75 Units (508 Units Staked, + 2.12% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 4 Picks 2026 (Tuesday 21st July)

So many may have pencilled in another Luke vs Luke Final at the World Matchplay, but Cameron Menzies produced an exceptional performance to dump out Humphries and really open up the bottom half of the draw.

All eight players remaining in that half will now feel a big opportunity is in front of them, but it does look the weaker half after the demise of the World Number 2, even if the likes of Ross Smith, Menzies, Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman and Rob Cross would have something to say about that on the form produced.

On Tuesday, the attention is on the top half of the draw and all four Second Round matches look like they could be of high quality.

There is every chance the fans are going to be getting to see some world class darts with former World Champions, Premier League players and Major Winners all ready to take their spot in the Quarter Final later in the week.

Jonny Clayton-Gary Anderson both over 4.5 180s & 2+ 100+ checkouts: Two veterans of the Tour who continue to perform at a high level are meeting in what could turn out to be a very good Second Round match.

Gary Anderson was definitely the more impressive winner in the First Round and once again aimed barbs at his critics after the win over Ryan Joyce, but he has not been playing as much as the likes of Jonny Clayton.

That may not be a factor that decides the outcome of the match, but Clayton has been keeping a high level going for much longer and in a potentially tight contest, that could make the difference.

Jonny Clayton needed some clutch finishing to hold off Damon Heta in the First Round, but that is more evidence that the darts he has been playing week after week will strengthen the resolve when things get difficult. We did not see Gary Anderson tested in the First Round, although that is much more to do with the level he produced on the day, but it does leave questions as to how his game will hold up under the pressure that the Welshman can bring.

Both players are not only very good treble 20 hitters, but they have shown in the First Round that the combination finishing remains a strength. Jonny Clayton had four ton plus finishes in the First Round, while Gary Anderson had two of his own, and these two players are more than capable of getting together for at least seventeen or eighteen Legs before a winner is decided.

That should mean there is enough time for five maximums each and at least two more 100 plus finishes in this Second Round contest.

Michael van Gerwen to win & over 4.5 180s v Dirk van Duijvenbode: One Dutchman will be playing in the World Matchplay Quarter Final at the conclusion of this Second Round match and it could be a really good battle between Michael van Gerwen and Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Both came through tough tests in the First Round, although both may feel they allowed the opponent back into matches when they were in control.

Michael van Gerwen took control sooner than Dirk van Duijvenbode, who needed extra Legs to finally get past Chris Dobey, and the higher Ranked of these compatriots got the better of van Duijvenbode when they met at a Players Championship Final in May.

That was a high quality affair and this could be another with both showing flashes of what they are capable of in recent weeks.

The edge here has to be with Michael van Gerwen who may be able to sustain a higher level for longer than Dirk van Duijvenbode- the latter came right off the boil when it looked like he was about to win his First Round match. Anything like that again will be punished by MvG, although van Gerwen will be aware that his scoring will need to remain strong against an opponent who can go through incredible hot patches on the oche.

We should get to something like an 11-7 score and Michael van Gerwen will likely have needed plenty of maximums to earn a win if the match develops as it should.

Luke Littler-Nathan Aspinall over 12.5 180s & 2+ 100+ checkouts: There was a real feeling that Nathan Aspinall's friendship with Luke Littler had created a pecking order when it comes to the head to head on the oche.

Luke Littler has dominated the numbers, but it should be noted that Nathan Aspinall beat him in a couple of Masters events last season.

They have not faced one another since a meeting at the Players Championship Finals at the back end of 2025, which was won by Littler in this format.

Neither has been playing a lot of darts of late, but both looked in really good form in the First Round and it could be a Second Round match that features plenty of maximum hitting. You have to believe that combination finishing is going to be key at a couple of points during the contest, but Aspinall will need to find his scoring early to avoid getting too far behind Luke Littler.

Even a slow start rarely affects Luke Littler and he has become the clear favourite to win the tournament after the upset suffered by Luke Humphries in the opening Round. It is not a pressure that should hinder Littler's performance and both players can rack up the maximums and add a couple of 100+ checkouts to the match.

Stephen Bunting to win & over 3.5 180s v Josh Rock: Despite playing in the Premier League this season, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting did not have too many meetings in that tournament as they both struggled for consistency.

That was the case in the opening wins here in Blackpool, although Josh Rock made much easier work of Luke Woodhouse than Stephen Bunting did of Niels Zonneveld.

More credit has to be given to Bunting for coming through some high pressure spots and thaet should leave him ready to get the better of Josh Rock at a major tournament. The Bullet will be looking for revenge for the loss at the UK Open and he will have noted that Josh Rock is still not finding his consistent best form.

The Northern Irishman is dangerous- he can be very strong around the treble 20 bed and Josh Rock was finishing well in the First Round. However, he was playing without being put under the kind of pressure expected and someone like Stephen Bunting should offer a much sterner test.

Stephen Bunting will need to improve his finishing, but he may have just enough to edge to a win and contribute at least four maximums to the cause in this best of twenty-one format.

MY PICKS: Jonny Clayton-Gary Anderson Both Over 4.5 180s & 2+ 100+ Checkouts @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Littler-Nathan Aspinall Over 12.5 180s & 2+ 100+ Checkouts @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Stephen Bunting to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.91 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 6-8, - 1.80 Units (14 Units Staked, - 12.86% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 3 Picks 2026 (Monday 20th July)

The First Round at the World Matchplay will be completed on Monday night and there are once again some quality looking matches to be played in the session.

Four more names will fill out the Second Round and those matches will begin tomorrow as the format moves into a best of twenty-one setting.

The schedule already looks really good for Tuesday, but the focus is the remaining First Round matches to be played before a thread for Day 4 in Blackpool is put together.

Ross Smith-Kevin Doets over 16.5 legs & over 10.5 180s: When these two players met on the floor back in May, Kevin Doets was much stronger than Ross Smith on the day and ran out a comfortable winner.

Since then, Ross Smith has shown his level on the European Tour and in other Players Championship events and he will be feeling confident ahead of this big First Round match.

The layers are finding it tough to separate them, which is a testament to how well Kevin Doets continues to play in 2026 as he looks to push up the World Rankings. Beating Ross Smith and opening up this section of the draw could allow Doets to build some real momentum in this tournament.

Both players should be able to have their moments and it would be a disappointment if this match does not need at least seventeen Legs. The power scoring of both is a big part of their darts, which will give one of the players an opportunity to run through Legs quickly if the other is not quite at the races, but you have to believe that Kevin Doets and Ross Smith are playing well enough to push the other in what could be one of the best matches of the opening Round.

Gerwyn Price to win & over 4.5 180s v Martin Schindler: Since the conclusion of the Premier League, Gerwyn Price has not really been playing as many tournaments as you may expect, while early losses in some of those he has attended means having little competitive action.

The Welshman lost his first match at the Players Championship 23 event earlier this month and did not take part the next day so you do have to wonder what kind of form he will be bringing into Blackpool.

Gerwyn Price has played well at the World Matchplay and that may give him some belief heading onto the stage, especially the fact he has beaten Martin Schindler in this format before.

And if you think Price has been out of form, Martin Schindler has really been struggling having suffered five defeats in a row- even last week in front of the home crowd, The Wall could not find his consistency on the oche and that could be a real problem against someone like Gerwyn Price.

There should be enough time for The Ice Man to find a good level in a winning effort and he can put together five maximums on his way into the Second Round.

Luke Humphries-Cameron Menzies over 15.5 legs and both over 2.5 180s: It is no surprise that Luke Humphries is a big favourite in this First Round match having reached the Nordic Darts Masters Final and then winning the US Darts Masters after coming up very narrowly short of retaining his Premier League title.

There has not been a lot of darts played in recent weeks, but Humphries has been in very good form all season and he will certainly be thinking about himself as a real contender to win the World Matchplay.

Cameron Menzies struggled for form earlier in the season having done some damage to his hand when punching the podium at the World Championship.

Recent weeks have been much better for Menzies who competed at the World Cup of Darts alongside Gary Anderson when Scotland were beaten pretty handily by an England team pairing up the two Lukes.

Since then, Cameron Menzies has won a Players Championship title and he pushed Luke Humphries all the way at the European Championships at the back end of 2025. That will give the World Number 27 some confidence and both players should be able to win at least six Legs, while also throwing at least three maximums each.

Danny Noppert-Rob Cross over 15.5 legs & Cross over 3.5 180s: There is no doubt that Danny Noppert has seen his level slip in recent weeks, but that does not mean it gives anyone the right to send the kind of vitriol that the Dutchman has been subject to on social media.

He called things out by posting the message he had been receiving, but Noppert will be hoping he can focus on his darts and build on what was a decent showing at Players Championship 24.

Last week Danny Noppert was beaten early in Leverkusen, but he should be capable of pushing Rob Cross in what is a fine First Round match to conclude Day 3 in Blackpool.

Rob Cross was in a fight to even earn a spot in the draw, but the former World Champion has found some serious form which saw him win a Players Championship title and reach the Final at a European Tour event last month. He was another that was beaten early in Leverkusen, but Cross is down as the favourite and that is not a surprise on his performances over the last several weeks.

The expectation is that both will be able to get to six Legs, but Rob Cross has been powering in the maximums and that could give him the edge in the First Round match.

Nothing will be easy, but the former World Champion can pick up four maximums in what should be a close, competitive match.

MY PICKS: Ross Smith-Kevin Doets Over 16.5 Legs & Over 10.5 180s @ 2.10 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Gerwyn Price to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 2.05 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Luke Humphries-Cameron Menzies Over 15.5 Legs & Both Over 2.5 180s @ 2.00 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Danny Noppert-Rob Cross Over 15.5 Legs & Cross Over 3.5 180s @ 1.95 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 5-5, + 0.20 Units (10 Units Staked, + 2% Yield)

World Matchplay Darts Day 2 Picks 2026 (Sunday 19th July)

The opening day at the World Matchplay may only have featured a single session and four First Round matches, but the Leg Format of this tournament continues to throw up some drama.

We have already had the first last Leg decider of the week, while two players averaged in triple digits in winning matches- Luke Littler faces Nathan Aspinall in what looks to be a standout Second Round match.

Sunday is a packed day with two sessions spread over several hours, although some of the attention will shift from the late matches that clash with the 2026 World Cup Final. Unlike the contingency plan that involved moving the sessions around to avoid any darts being played if England had reached the Final, the Spain vs Argentina game will be played at the same time as the evening matches.

There will be plenty of fans tuning into the World Matchplay as well, but it does sound like a conscious decision to have the likes of Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen playing in the afternoon session rather than the evening.

Both of those former World Champions are on course to meet in the Quarter Final if they can win a couple of matches over the coming days, but they will be challenged as the quality of the field gets stronger and stronger each season.

Gary Anderson to win & over 4.5 180s v Ryan Joyce: There is always a huge amount of respect that has to be given to Ryan Joyce whenever he gets up on stage and he has given Stephen Bunting a scare here in Blackpool in each of the last two years.

Ryan Joyce was playing well in Leverkusen last week on the European Tour as well, but Gary Anderson should have the scoring power to get over the line in this one.

We have not seen much of The Flying Scotsman in recent weeks and he made little impact at the Players Championship events played earlier this month.

However, the best of twenty-one format gives Gary Anderson time to work his way into this First Round match and use his stronger scoring to put himself in a position to move through to the next Round.

Michael van Gerwen to win & most 180s v Andrew Gilding: This has the makings of becoming a high quality First Round match in the afternoon session on Day 2 of the tournament.

Michael van Gerwen has the bigger name and has achieved more in the sport, but Andrew Gilding has rarely allowed that to bother him.

Just last month he edged past the Dutchman in a very good match on the European Tour, while he has beaten van Gerwen in a big television spot at the UK Open.

Two years ago Michael van Gerwen did get the better of Andrew Gilding right here at the World Matchplay, and that was a match in which the heavier scoring came from the former. This will be needed again and van Gerwen will likely need to produce the maximums fairly regularly if he is going to keep Goldfinger at bay.

Jonny Clayton to win & over 3.5 180s v Damon Heta: Last week was another sign that Damon Heta is picking up his level again, but he will be disappointed that he was not able to get past Jermaine Wattimena in the Semi Final in Leverkusen.

Overall the performances will have given Heta a boost in confidence before heading to the World Matchplay.

First up is a tough draw against Jonny Clayton who reached the Semi Final here last year and should really have beaten James Wade, and the Welshman has maintained a strong level over the last twelve months. He is a strong scorer, but also a confident finisher and Jonny Clayton will not panic if things begin slowly.

There has not been a lot of meetings between the players in the last couple of years, but both should be familiar enough with the other to make sure they are super focused in their bid to reach the Second Round.

And with that said, Jonny Clayton should have enough at the back end of Legs to secure passage past Damon Heta on Sunday afternoon.

Jermaine Wattimena v James Wade: These two players may approach their darts in a different way, but both have been very successful and another close match is expected.

That is not a big surprise at the World Matchplay with so many quality players in the field, but matches between these players have tended to be very close.

They met at a similar distance at the Players Championship Finals at the back end of last year and that was won by Jermaine Wattimena, who had given himself enough chances with this scoring.

He is going to need to do the same here, and Wattimena will have headed to Blackpool with confidence after reaching the Final in Leverkusen last week. Losing that will have hurt, but the player is in decent form and he may just edge James Wade in what should be a close match right to the end.

Either way, Jermaine Wattimena looks a lively underdog and he can come through a tough match.

Gian van Veen to win & most 180s v Krzysztof Ratajski: These two met last week in Leverkusen and it was Krzysztof Ratjaski who came through a low quality contest.

Despite not being at his best, Ratajski used the momentum to carry himself through to winning the latest European Tour event and that will have given him a lot of confidence to take into this event.

Krzysztof Ratajski is a steady player and will not go away easily, but Gian van Veen will know he has the levels to go through to take this First Round match away from the Polish player.

Gian van Veen was in better form when beating Niko Springer in Leverkusen and you have to expect the longer format in the World Matchplay to give him the time to fight back in this First Round match. The Dutchman will have to make a stronger start to just make things a little more comfortable and he can do that at an event where he reached the Quarter Final twelve months ago.

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 legs, over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 checkout v Dave Chisnall: A disappointing early exit in Leverkusen will not have dented the Wessel Nijman confidence, at least not significantly, and this is a player that could make big waves here in Blackpool over the next week.

A big season has been put on the board, but the next five months is all about doing it in front of the bigger television audiences that will be the feature of the World Ranking events to be played.

Wessel Nijman has not always played his best in front of the fans and the cameras, but he has been performing well on the European Tour and he looks to have all of the tools ready to complete the three parts of this selection.

Dave Chisnall was not involved in the last European Tour, but continues to have his difficulties in putting consistent results on the board.

He will be inspired to play someone like Wessel Nijman and Chizzy can still be very dangerous at his best, but the Dutchman is playing at a different level to so many right now and he can show off his improvement to a wider audience in this opening match in this tournament.

MY PICKS: Gary Anderson to Win & Over 4.5 180s @ 1.72 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Michael van Gerwen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.30 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jonny Clayton to Win & Over 3.5 180s @ 1.83 Bet365 (1 Unit)

Jermaine Wattimena @ 2.40 Bet Fred (1 Unit)

Gian van Veen to Win & Most 180s @ 2.75 Sky Bet (1 Unit)

Wessel Nijman - 2.5 Legs, Over 3.5 180s & 1+ 100 Checkout @ 2.25 Bet365 (1 Unit)

World Matchplay: 2-2, + 0.35 Units (4 Units Staked, + 8.75% Yield)