The break is done and dusted as Josh Rock looks for a big session to get his UK Open dream back on track.

It's clear this pace doesn't suit Josh Rock. Krzysztof Ratajski is methodical and takes the time he needs, so it's proving difficult for Rock to get into any sort of rhythm.

Josh Rock can't afford to go into the break 4-1 down and he leaves 74 with Krzysztof Ratajski on 157.

Rock looks to tidy it up in three and he hits tops to go into the break just a leg down.

Chance for Josh Rock to break straight back here but Krzysztof Ratajski finds a 140 to pull himself out of trouble as Rock misses bull for a stunning 164.

Incredible stuff from Ratajski to find the bull to finish 127.

Wayne Mardle
Former World Matchplay finalist on ITV4

Josh Rock knows that he's second-best right now.

Krzysztof Ratajski has an average of 109.

Wow.

Josh Rock is throwing first in this leg but still not on a finish while Krzysztof Ratajski is looking for 132. He doesn't need to take it and sets up 40 with Rock on 114.

The Polish Eagle misses tops but comes down to double 10 for the break of throw.

Image source, Getty Images

Krzysztof Ratajski leaves 32 with Josh Rock not on a finish.

He misses the first at double 16 but finds the second.

All square.

Krzysztof Ratajski is slinging in these top visits. He goes treble 20, treble 20 and treble 19 for 177 to take control of leg two.

Josh Rock is yet to get his high-scoring darts out.

Krzysztof Ratajski is first to a finish after that max and he looks to check out 130. He finds the treble 20 but misses bull for the finish.

Josh Rock needs 94 for the leg and hits it in two.

Clinical.

Josh Rock is the first and he hits a steady 100.

Krzysztof Ratajski, though, clearly isn't messing around and throws in the first max of the game.

Josh Rock made the semi-finals last year and is looking to do the same now.

Could he even do one better?

Right then, it's time to get into some action.

Krzysztof Ratajski is on the stage before Josh Rock makes his walk.

Chris Mason
Former PDC World Championship quarter-finalist on ITV4

Ratajski is a rock solid player. If you're just off your game, he can jump all over you. It's a fascinating opening tie.

Image source, PA Media

Josh Rock is one of the sport's hottest prospects but is yet to lift one of darts' biggest individual prizes.

A World Cup winner with Northern Ireland last summer, he reached last year's semi-finals at the UK Open, losing to James Wade.

Rock, 24, is involved in the Premier League for the first time this year and although he is yet to win a match, he did produce an unforgettable nine-dart finish in front of a home crowd in Belfast a couple of weeks ago.

Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski, ranked 27th in the world, has equalled his best ever run at the UK Open by reaching the last eight.

Image source, Getty Images

The fast and furious format of the UK Open, with its open draw and no seedings, means this tournament has thrown up some surprise finalists and winners over the years.

Andrew Gilding (pictured) was ranked outside the world's top 40 when he won his maiden ranking title in Minehead in 2023.

A year earlier, Dutchman Danny Noppert won his maiden televised PDC major.

Since the first edition in 2003, only four players (Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade and Michael van Gerwen) have won the UK Open more than once.

Of today's eight quarter-finalists, only two have failed to win a PDC TV major before - and they're facing each other in the opening match...

• Krzysztof Ratajski v Josh Rock
• James Wade v Rob Cross
• Luke Littler v Danny Noppert
• Jonny Clayton v Gerwyn Price

World Championship runner-up Gian van Veen was one of the early casualties at this year's UK Open - the world number three was beaten 10-7 in his first match by Rob Cross.

Fellow top-16 players Nathan Aspinall and Chris Dobey also fell in round four on Friday evening.

More big names exited on Saturday, including former world champions Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson.

Even so, we have a stellar quarter-final line-up, with six of the world's top 11 players involved.

The UK Open is known as the "FA Cup of darts" as, from round four onwards, it is an open draw with no seedings.

That meant, theoretically, world number one Luke Littler and world number two Luke Humphries could have met at the last-64 stage.

157 players, including a group of amateur qualifiers, have taken part since the tournament began on Friday. The higher-ranked PDC players entered slightly later in the competition.

That field has been whittled down to a final eight, with the quarter-finals taking place during the afternoon session.

The two semi-finals and final will be played from 19:00 GMT to decide the 2026 UK Open champion and who will win the £120,000 first prize.

Image source, Getty Images

Luke Littler won the 2025 UK Open, beating fellow Englishman James Wade in the final to win the event for the first time.

And the 19-year-old is in the quarter-final line-up in Minehead once again.

Two-time world champion Littler survived a bit of a scare against Kevin Doets in the last 32, but comfortably saw off the challenge of two-time world champion Gary Anderson to book his spot in the last eight.

The world number one plays Danny Noppert in today's third quarter-final, probably starting just before 15:00 GMT depending on how quickly the first two matches are completed.