Josh Rock produced a blistering performance to begin his bid for Betfred World Matchplay glory on Monday, as Gerwyn Price overcame Daryl Gurney in a high-octane affair.
Rock had suffered back-to-back first-round exits in his previous two Blackpool appearances, but he came of age on his Winter Gardens return to sweep aside former European Champion Ross Smith.
Smith ran out a 10-4 winner when the pair met at the same stage of last year’s tournament, but Rock avenged that result with a dominant display at the Empress Ballroom.
The Northern Irishman punished a nightmare start from Smith to win the opening five legs without reply, and although Smith grew into the contest, Rock always remained in control.
The former World Youth Champion wrapped up a 10-5 victory with a 104.32 average, having also conjured up a sensational 167 checkout in the early stages of the contest.
“I actually didn’t realise I was playing that well,” claimed Rock, who will now play three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two.
“I’m just really happy to win my first game at the World Matchplay. It’s third time lucky for me!
“Ross didn’t play his A-game, but I’m just delighted with the win and I cannot wait to play Michael now. I will be up for that game.”
Day Three of the summer’s biggest darts event saw the first round draw to a close in Blackpool, with Price, Van Gerwen and Chris Dobey joining Rock in round two.
2022 runner-up Price also impressed in his opener, maintaining his terrific form to overcome a tenacious Gurney, who had fought back from 6-2 down to threaten a famous fightback.
The pair’s previous big stage meeting saw Gurney claim the bragging rights, as Northern Ireland defeated Wales in an epic World Cup of Darts final in Frankfurt last month.
However, Price rectified matters in a fiery contest at the Winter Gardens, defying a spectacular 150 checkout from Gurney with back-to-back legs of 11 and 14 darts to wrap up a 10-7 success.
“I felt like I really struggled up there, but I still played pretty well,” reflected the Welshman, who averaged 100.21 and crashed in six 180s.
“Getting through the first round is always tough for me, but when I do then I’m dangerous.
“There’s a lot more in the tank which is good, and I feel like I’ve got so much more to give in this tournament.”
Price will play his Premier League rival Dobey for a place in the quarter-finals, after the Bedlington star defied a sluggish start to advance to the last 16 for a fourth straight year.
The sixth seed kicked off his campaign with a comfortable 10-5 victory over German number two Ricardo Pietreczko, winning seven of the last eight legs to progress.
“I made it hard for myself from the start,” conceded Dobey, who sealed the deal with a 108 finish - his second ton-plus checkout of the contest.
“Ricardo is a great player. He’s here for a reason, so I knew I had to stay focused, and I’m happy to get the win.
“You can’t play at your best all the time, and I’ll try not to put too much pressure on myself on Wednesday.”
Van Gerwen was another big name to advance in Blackpool, overturning a 4-3 deficit against Raymond van Barneveld to prevail in a battle of the Dutch darting legends.
Van Barneveld – a runner-up in 2010 – exploited some early errors from Van Gerwen to hit the front, before the world number three found his range in the closing stages to progress.
“This was a really tough game for me tonight. I made it so difficult for myself,” admitted Van Gerwen, who is chasing a fourth World Matchplay crown in 2025.
“It is lovely to share the stage with Raymond, but it’s not lovely when you don’t play to the standard you’re capable of.
“We all know this is a tournament I love to play. I have won this title three times before, so when you don’t play your A-game, it’s really frustrating.
“I am a winner. I don’t like losing, but hopefully this will be the start of something really nice.”
The second round of the Betfred World Matchplay gets underway on Tuesday evening, as former champions James Wade and Gary Anderson take on Wessel Nijman and Stephen Bunting respectively.
Elsewhere, Gian van Veen takes on his World Cup partner Danny Noppert in an all-Dutch affair, while 2023 runner-up Jonny Clayton faces World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker.
The Betfred World Matchplay is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, through the PDC's worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).
2025 Betfred World Matchplay
Monday July 21
First Round x4
Chris Dobey 10-5 Ricardo Pietreczko
Gerwyn Price 10-7 Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen 10-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Josh Rock 10-5 Ross Smith
Tuesday July 22 (1900 BST)
Second Round x4
Gian van Veen v Danny Noppert
Wessel Nijman v James Wade
Stephen Bunting v Gary Anderson
Jonny Clayton v Mike De Decker