World Matchplay: Luke Littler eases into last 16 after beating Ryan Searle

World champion Luke Littler eased into the 2nd circular of the World Matchplay successful Blackpool with a comfy 10-2 triumph implicit Ryan Searle.

The 18-year-old's maiden quality astatine the Winter Gardens past twelvemonth had resulted successful a first-round defeat by Michael van Gerwen and helium was keen to amends this clip around.

He was excessively bully for Searle from the outset, winning the archetypal 4 legs with lone 48 darts and helium finished with a superb mean of 108.92 and 52.6% connected his checkouts.

The satellite fig 19 had nary reply to the onslaught from Littler who avoided the destiny that befell satellite fig 1 Luke Humphries who was beaten successful his opening lucifer connected Saturday.

"I felt precise comfy retired there," Littler told Sky Sports. "I was good up for contiguous and I'm conscionable truthful gladsome to get that triumph and that winning feeling.

"As radical know, I'm not a practiser, but I've been practising for this 1 and putting successful much clip astatine home. I'm gladsome it has paid disconnected and I can't hold to travel backmost for the adjacent game."

Littler's hostile successful the past 16 volition beryllium Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena who bushed 2021 champion Peter Wright 10-8.

Rob Cross, the 2019 victor besides bowed retired aft a 10-8 nonaccomplishment to Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode but the 2018 champion Gary Anderson bushed Luke Woodhouse 10-5 to advance.