Only eight players remain in the World Matchplay.
32 players came to Blackpool seeking a World Matchplay of Darts title, but only eight of the best remain.
The next few days will be a real test for players on how long they can keep it together against the best of the best.
The quarterfinals take place on Thursday and Friday, with games played to best-of-31 legs (first to 16).
2025 World Matchplay of Darts quarterfinals predictions
Here are my predictions for the quarterfinals.
MORE: 2025 World Matchplay of Darts: Draw, schedule, prize money and format explained
Gian van Veen vs. James Wade (9)
Winner: James Wade, 16-12
Wade's first two games suggest that he's virtually unstoppable until he plays a top gun.
Gian van Veen has put together two great games, and as weird as it sounds, he might struggle to keep up with Wade, at points, even though he beat the world number one Luke Humphries in the first round.
It should still be a competitive game, but Wade's averages of 102.53 and 104.44 are encouraging signs.
Wessel Nijman and Joe Cullen didn't have the strongest performances against Wade, so there is some uncertainty about how Wade will respond if van Veen plays at a higher level, but either way, he should be able to hold his own in a somewhat close game.
Wade is a 21/32 (65.63%) on doubles this tournament.
MORE: Watch: Gian van Veen knocks out reigning World Matchplay of Darts champion Luke Humphries
Stephen Bunting (4) vs. Jonny Clayton (5)
Winner: Stephen Bunting, 19-17
This game should be the match of the day.
Two very closely seeded players are going head to head, hoping to win their first World Matchplay title this weekend.
Clayton has come very close before, reaching the final a couple of years ago, and Bunting is hoping to advance past the quarterfinal run for the first time in his career.
Both players had two fairly close games in their first and second round matches.
Neither played to their highest capability, but their resilience suggests we can still see another level unlocked in their quarterfinal game.
There's very little between the two, which is why I believe it will require the tiebreaker.
Bunting has looked great at times this tournament, and I believe at the end of the day, he will find his rhythm with the stakes being so high, to have enough to put together a strong performance that gets him over the line.
Luke Littler (2) vs. Andrew Gilding
Winner: Luke Littler, 16-13
Andrew Gilding is playing some of the best darts we have seen out of him in a while.
He beat Damon Heta in a tight first-round matchup and took care of Dirk van Duijvenbode in the second round.
He's been able to stay composed in high-pressure situations, and his scoring power has been extremely consistent this tournament.
Littler didn't play as well to start against Jermaine Wattimena, but he should be able to bounce back and start stronger against Gilding.
Gilding will give Littler a run for his money, likely with an average around 100 and hitting his doubles at an efficient rate.
It'll be in the hands of Littler to control how many opportunities he allows Gilding to pounce on during their quarterfinal game.
MORE: Watch: Luke Littler wins despite five leg deficit, beats Wattimena at 2025 World Matchplay of Darts
Gerwyn Price (11) vs. Josh Rock
Winner: Gerwyn Price, 16-14
I had my eyes on the Stephen Bunting/Jonny Clayton game, but this one has even more hype going in.
Rock being unseeded has proved to be a nightmare for some players with how well he's played in recent months.
Price has played just as well, so it's only right to predict that this will be a game where both players are going back and forth, taking turns winning legs.
Gerwyn Price is playing with emotion, and his scoring power/accuracy is something that we haven't seen in years, as he seeks his first World Matchplay title.
The stat sheet doesn't show that Price did anything too crazy against Daryl Gurney, but if you watched him, you knew that he was playing already really well, with room to still grow.
He did that, averaging 108.73 in his next game against Chris Dobey, where he walked him in an 11-3 win.
Rock finally got a big stage win over van Gerwen, in the second round, after previously losing to him at the 2022 Grand Slam of Darts and the 2023 World Grand Prix.
It took a tiebreaker to decide it, but he showed grit, hitting a big 152 checkout towards the end of the game that was a catalyst to his eventual comeback.
This game could very well require a tiebreaker, but either way, I have Price winning an iconic game between two of the PDC's current stars.
MORE DARTS ARTICLES:
- Watch: Josh Rock knocks out Michael van Gerwen in World Matchplay of Darts thriller
- Watch: Gerwyn Price averages nearly 109 in win over Chris Dobey at 2025 World Matchplay of Darts
- Watch: Nathan Aspinall drops to world number 23 in loss to Wessel Nijman at 2025 World Matchplay of Darts
- Phil Taylor has unbreakable leads in these World Matchplay of Darts stats
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