Michael van Gerwen defeated Luke Littler 10-6 in their first-round match at the World Match Play on Monday.
In the 10th meeting between the pair, Van Gerwen defied critics' expectations by denying Littler a first win on his Winter Garden debut after a disappointing run this year.
Van Gerwen was visibly emotional after the fight, and was set to face Joe Cullen in the second round.
“It's always fun to play at that level,” Van Gerwen said. “You know you're going to be up against some incredible talent, but you have to face it. You can't let yourself down and work for something. It's rewarding, so it's nice.
“I had a few days off. I practiced really hard every day. It meant a lot to me.
“I'm having a hard time, you know that. It's always nice to actually do something good and get rewarded for your hard work.”
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Wayne Mardle discusses Michael van Gerwen's World Matchplay opening round win over Luke Littler and believes Littler is far from his best.
It was a strange match where Littler got the first break to go ahead 2-1, but Van Gerwen looked to be in trouble early on.
But the Dutch struck back immediately and won the next three games to take a 5-2 lead.
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Michael van Gerwen recorded a superb 146 checkout to beat Luke Littler 10-6 in the first round of the World Matchplay.
Both players scored heavily in the second half, averaging 110 points, before taking an additional break at 6-4.
Van Gerwen took an 8-5 lead with a hold throw at 146 checkout, but Littler, who had lost his way, failed to fight back and was hit again in the final leg.
Smith overcomes slow start to beat Anderson
In another crucial match on Monday, Michael Smith came from 3-0 down to win 10-5 over Gary Anderson, a match between former world champions.
Anderson appeared to be upset with some fans taunting Scotland, but Smith won seven straight to go ahead 7-3. At one point Anderson even signalled '2-1', referring to England's scoreline loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
Smith, whose best finish was a runner-up finish at the 2019 Match Play, was in incredible form, dropping just two more shots.
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The best action from the World Matchplay Darts Round 1 final match at Blackpool's Winter Gardens
“I wasn't doing very well when I was down 3-0. I had two shots at 85, but the frustrating thing was I kept hitting fives,” he said.
“He left me alone and I won the next five or six legs and kept going. I was trying too hard (early on). I really respected Gary and thought, 'I've got to do this, I've got to do this.'
“He had me on his shoulders and the crowd started to gather. You could see him getting loud, because it wasn't good. I wanted Gary and I to be on our best behavior.”
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Gary Anderson won Game 3 with a stunning double-double, going 3-0 up against Michael Smith!
Smith faced Chris Doby in the round of 16, with the player nicknamed 'Hollywood' coming off a tough final bout of the night that saw him beat Richie Edhouse 10-7.
Earlier, Ryan Sewell put in a stunning performance to beat Australia's No. 1 Damon Heta 10-4.
What happens at the World Match Play on Tuesday?
Round two begins on Tuesday at the World Matchplay, with Gerwyn Price taking on Ross Smith in the first round of 16 at 7pm. Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Action.
Defending champion Nathan Aspinall takes on James Wade, while world champion Luke Humphries faces Stephen Bunting in an exciting showdown.
The final match of the night sees Johnny Clayton take on Dimitri van den Berg, who will be throwing nine darts this weekend.
The World Matchplay continues on Tuesday at 7pm, with Round 2 live on Sky Sports Main Event and Action. Get instant access to World Matchplay for just £26.
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