Overview

• Gian van Veen eliminated world No.1 and defending champion Luke Humphries with a 10-8 victory on opening night at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens.
• Bookmakers have shifted odds to make 18-year-old Luke Littler the clear favourite to win the 2025 World Matchplay.
• Littler is slated to meet Ryan Searle in a first-to-10-legs match on July 20 evening under full live coverage from Sky Sports.
• James Wade posted a 10-3 win over Joe Cullen and Danny Noppert beat Cameron Menzies 10-2 to set up second-round clashes.
• The tournament runs through July 27 with an £800,000 prize fund, including £200,000 for the champion.