Josh Rock breaks new ground with Betfred World Matchplay progress at the Winter Gardens

Rock had suffered back-to-back first-round exits in his previous two Blackpool appearances, but came of age on his Winter Gardens return to sweep aside former European champion Ross Smith.

Smith ran out a 10-4 winner when the pair met at the same stage of last year’s tournament, but Rock avenged that result with a dominant display.

The former world youth champion wrapped up a 10-5 victory with a 104.32 average, having also conjured up a sensational 167 checkout in the early stages of the contest.

“I actually didn’t realise I was playing that well,” claimed Rock, who will now play three-time champion Michael van Gerwen in round two.

“Ross didn’t play his A game, but I’m just delighted with the win and I cannot wait to play Michael now. I will be up for that game.”

Day three of the summer’s biggest darts event saw the first round draw to a close in Blackpool, with Price, van Gerwen and Chris Dobey joining Rock in round two.

2022 runner-up Price maintained his terrific form for a 10-7 win over Gurney, who had fought back from 6-2 down to threaten a famous fightback.

“I felt like I really struggled up there, but I still played pretty well,” reflected the Welshman, who averaged 100.21 and crashed in six 180s.

“Getting through the first round is always tough for me, but when I do then I’m dangerous.

“There’s a lot more in the tank which is good, and I feel like I’ve got so much more to give in this tournament.”

Price will play Dobey for a place in the quarter-finals, after he defied a sluggish start to advance to the last 16 for a fourth straight year.

The sixth seed kicked off his campaign with a 10-5 victory over German number two Ricardo Pietreczko.

“I made it hard for myself from the start,” conceded Dobey, who sealed the deal with a 108 finish.

“Ricardo is a great player. He’s here for a reason, so I knew I had to stay focused and I’m happy to get the win.

“You can’t play at your best all the time and I’ll try not to put too much pressure on myself on Wednesday.”

Van Gerwen overturned a 4-3 deficit against Raymond van Barneveld to prevail 10-6 in a battle of the Dutch darting legends.

Van Barneveld – a runner-up in 2010 – exploited some early errors from van Gerwen before the world number three found his range in the closing stages.

“This was a really tough game for me tonight. I made it so difficult for myself,” admitted van Gerwen, who is chasing a fourth World Matchplay crown.

“It is lovely to share the stage with Raymond, but it’s not lovely when you don’t play to the standard you’re capable of.

“We all know this is a tournament I love to play. I have won this title three times before, so when you don’t play your A game, it’s really frustrating.

“I am a winner. I don’t like losing, but hopefully this will be the start of something really nice.”