The big names cruised through Friday night's fourth round at the UK Open in Minehead, with reigning world champion Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Michael van Gerwen all securing their spots in the last 32. Van Gerwen closed the action at Butlin's Minehead Resort with a 10-8 win over Nathan Aspinall, while standout moments included a nine-darter from Danny Noppert and a crushing victory for Wessel Nijman.
Van Gerwen's match against Aspinall was a high-quality encounter where the Dutchman led 9-6 before Aspinall clawed back to 9-8 after Van Gerwen missed three match darts. Van Gerwen regained composure to seal the win with a 101.89 average. Earlier, Littler continued his strong form with a commanding 10-3 victory over Damon Heta, featuring a 170 checkout, and Humphries matched that scoreline with a 10-3 win over Luke Woodhouse, averaging 105.16 and finishing with a 116 checkout.
Noppert provided one of the evening's highlights by hitting a nine-darter during his 10-4 win over Dimitri Van den Bergh. Nijman delivered a dominant performance, defeating Raymond van Barneveld 10-1 with a 102.39 average. Other notable results included Gerwyn Price beating Greg Ritchie 10-3, Jonny Clayton easing past Alexander Merkx 10-2, and Rob Cross winning a high-quality contest against Gian van Veen 10-7, with both players averaging above 100. Victories for Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, James Wade, and Dave Chisnall also helped shape the last 32 field.
