Gary Anderson, the 2018 champion, secured a spot in the last-16 of the World Matchplay in Blackpool with a dominant 10-2 victory over Ryan Joyce at the Winter Gardens. The Scottish player maintained an impressive 109.96 average and showcased his skill with high checkouts of 144 and 141. Anderson won the final five legs of the match, leaving his opponent with few opportunities.
Reflecting on his performance, Anderson noted that his scoring on trebles, doubles, and checkouts felt nearly unstoppable. He credited his success to one of those rare days where everything goes according to plan. Anderson is scheduled to face Jonny Clayton in the next round after the Welsh fifth seed defeated Damon Heta 10-7.
Other tournament results included Michael van Gerwen advancing with a 10-6 win over Andrew Gilding, while Dirk van Duijvenbode secured a 13-11 victory against Chris Dobey. Furthermore, Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman, James Wade, and Ryan Searle also successfully moved forward to the next stage of the competition.
