Luke Littler defends his World Matchplay title at Blackpool by beating Gerwyn Price 18-9 in the final. All outlets report that Littler produces record-breaking averages, averaging 111.53 in the final and setting the tournament average at 111.04. That tournament mark surpasses Phil Taylor’s previous World Matchplay average record of 106.31. The reports also say Littler reaches a high number of 180s and establishes a new competition record for his number of 180s across the week, breaking his own mark, including 12 maximums in the final. One account notes Littler hits multiple 100-plus checkouts during the match. The victory makes Littler only the third player to successfully defend the Matchplay final, following Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, whose most recent defence came in 2016. Littler also comments that the week has been among the best of his career, while describing the stage and playing conditions as tough despite the statistics. The win keeps his 2026 campaign on track for further major-title challenges.