Littler opens World Matchplay defence with 10-6 win over Springer

Luke Littler began the defence of his World Matchplay title with a 10-6 first-round victory over Germany's Niko Springer at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. The world number one had to come from behind after trailing 3-2 at the first break before pulling clear over the closing legs.

Springer, the German challenger, kept pace with the top seed and levelled the match at 5-5, but Littler took five of the final six legs to close it out. The 19-year-old landed seven 180s and finished with an average of 109.53, a strong opening statement in a tournament he won 12 months ago.

Afterwards Littler said the match had felt good once he returned from the opening interval, describing it as frustrating not to carry a lead into the second break before finding another level to finish. He also played to the crowd, joking with a spectator holding a sign about the England managerial job.

Key points from the opening round

• Littler beat Niko Springer 10-6 to reach the second round
• The defending champion hit seven 180s and averaged 109.53
• Stephen Bunting saved three match darts to beat Niels Zonneveld 13-12
• Josh Rock defeated Luke Woodhouse 10-4; Nathan Aspinall beat Joe Cullen 10-5
• The winner will collect £225,000 from a £1m prize fund

The defending champion arrives in Blackpool having already won the first three majors of 2026, and his opening performance underlined why he remains the player to beat in the draw. The schedule had been prepared with some flexibility: the PDC had drawn up plans to adjust session timings had England reached Sunday's World Cup final, avoiding a clash with the football.

Bunting's survival in a deciding leg against Zonneveld, together with straightforward wins for Rock and Aspinall, sets up a congested second round at the Winter Gardens. Littler's next assignment will test whether the mid-match lull that let Springer back to 5-5 was a one-off or something opponents can exploit as the tournament moves deeper.