Making bold predictions that he could still win the tournament ahead of the match, instead the Scot finds himself dumped out before Christmas.
From the outset, Wright looked badly out of rhythm. He averaged just 78.56 in the opening set, failed to land a single double from four attempts and watched Merk calmly mop up chances, including a clinical 122 checkout on double 4 to seal the set whitewash.
Merk, ranked 163rd in the world, was not spectacular, averaging just under 90 at that stage, but he was efficient and ruthless whenever Wright faltered.
Any hope of a response quickly faded. Wright changed darts mid-match in search of inspiration - as he so often does - but the tinkering only underlined his uncertainty.
Missed doubles piled up, his outer-ring success rate collapsing to two from 15 by the latter stages, while Merk continued to apply steady pressure.
A 104 checkout on double 16 and repeated holds with minimal fuss pushed the German into a commanding two-set lead as Wright drifted further into the 80s.
The third set followed the same pattern. Merk, now visibly relaxed, opened with a maximum and closed the contest with an assured 81 finish, navigating treble 19 and double 6 after earlier misses to complete the clean sweep.
Wright offered little resistance, frequently stranded well north of finishes and unable to build any sustained pressure on Merk's throw.
For Merk, who had already impressed by eliminating Kim Huybrechts in round one, a stern third-round test against either Michael van Gerwen or William O'Connor awaits.
Rydz rids Gurney
Callan Rydz survived a ferocious second-round battle with Daryl Gurney to claim a 3-2 victory in a deciding-set Ally Pally thriller, producing some of the tournament's most audacious finishing to edge past the Northern Irishman after a match that swung in both directions.
Rydz fired in eight 180s, averaged in the mid-90s overall and landed two spectacular 167 checkouts.
The opening set signalled Rydz's intent. Under pressure in leg three, he detonated a 167 finish on the bull to break Gurney's throw and wrest control of the set, before closing it out 3-1.
Gurney's response, however, was emphatic. The World Cup winner whitewashed the second set, averaging a staggering 109 across three legs, pinning double 18 and double 16 with authority and reasserting himself as Rydz briefly lost range on the doubles.
Rydz rediscovered his scoring in the third set, unleashing a second 167 finish in a 12-dart leg before taking the set on tops to move back in front.
Gurney again refused to yield, levelling the match at two sets apiece with a key 25 checkout on double 4 to force a decider.
Dramatic decider
The fifth set delivered sustained drama. Rydz was forced to throw to stay in the match twice and responded with ruthless precision, most notably producing a superb tops-tops 100 checkout to hold at 3-3.
He then broke with a crisp 92 finish before finally sealing victory on double 4 after wiring the bull for a would-be third 167, closing out an epic encounter.
"Daryl (Gurney) has been one of the only lads who knows what has been going on back home with my grandad," an emotional Rydz told Sky Sports afterwards.
"He has been messaging me, asking if I'm okay. I am getting emotional thinking about it. I don't know what to say.
"My head is all over the place, but Ally Pally is the best place to play."
Rydz will play the winner of Josh Rock and Joe Comito in round three.
Wattimena wins war
Jermaine Wattimena survived a scare to beat Scott Williams 3-2 and reach the third round of the PDC World Championship, closing out a match that swung from near control to outright chaos before finally tipping back in the Dutchman's favour.
Wattimena set the early pace with a sharp opening set, capped by an 11-dart leg and a 91 checkout, averaging 102.43 to Williams' 95.78.
He carried that authority into the second set, repeatedly punishing Williams' missed chances on doubles and briefly averaging north of a ton across the match, leaving the Englishman staring at elimination.
What followed was a dramatic reversal. Williams found his scoring range, hit a crucial 180 to ignite the crowd and reeled off six straight legs to haul the contest level at two sets apiece.
Finishes of 112 and 80 were box office, while Wattimena's grip loosened noticeably as missed doubles crept in at precisely the wrong moments.
The deciding set was pure theatre. Williams opened with six perfect darts in the final leg and briefly flirted with history, even after a mid-leg pause, but the seventh dart drifted and the moment slipped away.
Wattimena, far from composed himself, squandered a match dart and watched Williams miss twice at double four before finally pouncing on double 8 to end the contest. Earlier in the set, the Dutchman had steadied himself with a timely 90 checkout that proved critical in regaining control of the match.
The Dutch seed, ranked 19th, will face either Gary Anderson or Connor Scutt next.
Meikle makes it through
In the session opener, Ryan Meikle clawed his way out of trouble to defeat Jonny Tata 3-2 in a gripping second-round contest, recovering from two sets down to subdue the New Zealander in a match shaped by missed doubles, momentum swings and late-stage nerve.
Meikle averaged 85.54, landed two 180s and posted a highest checkout of 64, figures that reflected control under pressure rather than sustained dominance.
Tata, looking to become the first New Zealander to reach the third round, set a ferocious early pace. His scoring power was evident throughout, finishing the match with seven 180s and repeatedly forcing Meikle into damage limitation.
The opening two sets belonged firmly to Tata, who combined heavy scoring with sharp finishing, including a composed 48 checkout to move 2-0 clear.
Meikle, facing the prospect of a fourth consecutive sound-round elimination, finally settled in the third set, pinning tops at crucial moments while Tata began to leak chances on the outer ring.
Missed darts at tops, double 10 and double 5 opened the door, and Meikle stepped through it with increasing confidence, taking the third and fourth sets as Tata's early certainty ebbed away. Meikle hit 60 per cent of his doubles in the third set.
The deciding set saw Meikle take the initiative with a 64 checkout, before surviving a breathless final leg in which both players missed match darts.
Tata's error in hitting the wrong double proved costly, and Meikle, having already missed twice for the match, eventually closed it out on double 1 to reach the third round of the worlds for the first time in his career.
Meikle faces a third-round match with either Danny Noppert or Justin Hood.
Tuesday afternoon session results:
Jermaine Wattimena 3-2 Scott Williams
