The highlight of the evening: Gian van Veen has come through a gruelling battle against Wessel Nijman at the 2026 World Matchplay on Wednesday in Blackpool. The Dutchman won 14–12 in the tie-break and advances to the quarter-finals, on an evening also marked by the suspension of Cameron Menzies’ match for medical reasons.
This second-round action has reshuffled the lower half of the draw. Van Veen keeps his path to the final open, James Wade progresses further in a tournament he knows inside out, and Gerwyn Price faces a tough quarter-final against Ross Smith. The PDC has confirmed the session’s results, as well as the schedule for the upcoming quarter-finals.
Van Veen saves his evening with a crucial 148
Van Veen needed a real statement match. He got it. Facing Nijman, one of the season’s most closely followed players, the all-Dutch clash long resembled a test of nerves rather than a simple scoring battle. Nijman fought back from 4–1 down, then regained the upper hand late in the match by winning three frames in a row to turn a 7–9 deficit into a 10–9 lead.
At that point, the match clearly swung in one direction for the first time. But Van Veen struck back at the worst possible moment for his opponent, with a 148 checkout just as Nijman was poised to seal the win. After that, the European champion added a 12-dart break before finishing the job. Put another way: this wasn’t just a qualification, it was a hard-fought victory in the zone where the big matches are decided.
The PDC reports that Van Veen described it as an ‘intense’ match and said the 148 finish ‘saved’ his evening. It’s easy to see why. A leg like that doesn’t just secure a place in the quarter-finals; it also lends weight to his claim in a very open half of the draw.
Menzies knocked out, Ross Smith through without playing the final leg
The other standout moment of the evening involved Cameron Menzies. His match against Ross Smith did not go the full distance: the Scot was attended to after experiencing dizziness linked to high blood pressure, and then had to leave the stage. The PDC has confirmed that he was assessed by the on-site medical team and deemed fit to return to his accommodation.
In sporting terms, Smith therefore progresses to the quarter-finals by walkover. From an editorial perspective, however, it is important to remain level-headed: whilst the result counts towards the draw, the priority at this moment remains Menzies’s health. This distinction is important, because his start to the tournament had already made a strong impression with his victory over Luke Humphries in the previous round.
Price and Wade progress, two very different styles
Gerwyn Price recorded the most convincing result of the session by beating Rob Cross 11–5. The Welshman notably hit a 161 early in the match, before pulling away with a run of six legs midway through the encounter. He says he wants to rediscover ‘the old him’, with more energy and presence on stage. Now the tough part begins: Price will face Smith in the quarter-finals on Friday evening.
Wade, for his part, continues to progress in his own way. His 11-8 win over Ryan Searle wasn’t a consistently dominant display, but his 121 and 143 finishes served as a reminder of why he remains such a dangerous opponent in Blackpool. As a 2007 champion and 14-time quarter-finalist at the World Matchplay, Wade knows exactly how to survive this sort of session.
| Match | Result |
| Ross Smith v Cameron Menzies | Smith through, Menzies forced to withdraw |
| Gian van Veen v Wessel Nijman | Van Veen 14–12 Nijman |
| Gerwyn Price v Rob Cross | Price 11-5 Cross |
| James Wade v Ryan Searle | Wade 11-8 Searle |
Next up: Littler v Rock kicks off a cracking night of quarter-finals
The tournament resumes on Thursday evening with the first two quarter-finals: Dirk van Duijvenbode v Gary Anderson, followed by Luke Littler v Josh Rock. This latter clash comes hot on the heels of Littler’s 9-darter against Nathan Aspinall, already one of the highlights of this year’s tournament.
On Friday, the second half of the draw will feature Ross Smith v Gerwyn Price, followed by Gian van Veen v James Wade. Four very different fixtures, but one common thread: following the exits of Humphries and Van Gerwen, no one can view this World Matchplay as a foregone conclusion.
