2026 World Matchplay of Darts Day 1 first round live results, scores, schedule & bracket: Rock beats Woodhouse in scrappy clash originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It wasn’t a pretty match, as both players averaged under 91 and struggled with doubles at times, but Josh Rock was the one who got over the line in the end, winning 10-4 over Luke Woodhouse.
The 2026 World Matchplay of Darts kicks off on Saturday, with four exciting matches set to be played on Day 1 in Blackpool.
The top quarter of the bracket will be the stars of the show tonight, with Luke Littler, Stephen Bunting, Josh Rock, Nathan Aspinall and others among the players looking to advance to the second round.
2026 World Matchplay of Darts Day 1 schedule & results
Here is the schedule and results from Day 1.
MORE: 2026 World Matchplay of Darts: Draw, schedule, prize money and format explained
First round (Day 1 evening session)
*Best of 19 legs
| Match | Date | Time (local) | Score |
| Josh Rock vs. Luke Woodhouse | Sat., Jul. 18 | 7:15 p.m. | 10-4 |
| Stephen Bunting vs. Niels Zonneveld | Sat., Jul. 18 | 8:15 p.m. | |
| Luke Littler vs. Niko Springer | Sat., Jul. 18 | 9:15 p.m. | |
| Nathan Aspinall vs. Joe Cullen | Sat., Jul. 18 | 10:15 p.m. |
MORE: 2026 World Matchplay of Darts first round predictions and previews: 6 seeds heading home early?
Bracket
Here’s what the bracket looks like for the second round.
| Luke Littler/Niko Springer vs. Nathan Aspinall/Joe Cullen |
| Josh Rock vs. Stephen Bunting/Niels Zonneveld |
| Michael van Gerwen/Andrew Gilding vs. Chris Dobey/Dirk van Duijvenbode |
| Jonny Clayton/Damon Heta vs. Gary Anderson/Ryan Joyce |
| Luke Humphries/Cameron Menzies vs. Ross Smith/Kevin Doets |
| Gerwyn Price/Martin Schindler vs. Danny Noppert/Rob Cross |
| Gian van Veen/Krzysztof Ratajski vs. Wessel Nijman/Dave Chisnall |
| James Wade/Jermaine Wattimena vs. Ryan Searle/William O’Connor |
More Darts articles:
- Luke Littler contract details: Teenage phenom signs richest endorsement deal in darts history
- Updated PDC Darts Order of Merit world rankings
- 2026 World Matchplay Darts qualifiers
- Big names set to miss the 2026 World Matchplay of Darts
- 2026 World Matchplay of Darts prize money: Details on increased amounts for winner and others
About the Author
