Gerwyn Price has vowed to regain the Paddy Power World Darts Championship title following his crushing opening round victory over Adam Gawlas at London’s Alexandra Palace on Tuesday.
Price was the star attraction on Day Six in the capital, with Dutch number two Danny Noppert and former semi-finalists Chris Dobey and Scott Williams also tasting victory.
However, 2020/21 winner Price stole the headlines after storming through to round two with a comprehensive straight-sets demolition of Czech qualifier Gawlas.
Noppert also impressed in his 3-1 victory over former World Youth Championship runner-up Jurjen van der Velde, producing a blistering late barrage to fend off his fellow countryman. There was nothing to separate the pair for almost three sets, before Noppert followed up finishes of 88 and 135 with a fourth-set average of 110 to register his first World Championship win since 2022.
Dobey will take on former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding in round two, after defying a mid-game slump to account for China’s number one Xiaochen Zong. The world number eight was nowhere near his brilliant best, but he found his range in the latter stages, closing out a 3-1 victory with an 11-darter.
Williams, meanwhile, was at his show-stopping best against Paolo Nebrida, averaging north of 99 to complete a straight-sets victory over the Filipino trailblazer. The 2023/24 semi-finalist missed just five darts at double in a clinical display, producing a sublime double-double 92 finish to continue his World Championship love-affair.
Justin Hood also impressed on his Alexandra Palace debut, averaging 99.59 and landing five 180s in his emphatic 3-0 victory over Welshman Nick Kenny.
Australia’s Joe Comito caused arguably the shock of the tournament so far to stun Niko Springer, punishing a profligate display from the German to celebrate a landmark 3-1 victory.
However, Springer’s fellow countryman Ricardo Pietreczko recorded his third consecutive opening round victory at the World Championship, defeating Jose de Sousa by the same scoreline. The German number two defied six maximums from De Sousa to progress, which ensures the former Grand Slam champion must return to Qualifying School in January in a bid to regain his Tour Card.
Meanwhile, in Tuesday’s opening tie, Alan Soutar prevailed in a marathon affair against Finland’s Teemu Harju, despite missing an astonishing fifteen match darts throughout the contest. Soutar raced into a two-set lead with an average of almost 108, before defying a stirring comeback from Nordic & Baltic Championship winner Harju, who squandered four match darts of his own.
The Paddy Power World Darts Championship continues on Wednesday evening, as four-time semi-finalist James Wade begins his bid for an elusive first World Championship crown.
German number one Martin Schindler also enters the fray, as five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld gets his record-equalling 33rd World Championship campaign underway.
Tuesday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round One x4
Alan Soutar 3-2 Teemu Harju
Nick Kenny 0-3 Justin Hood
Scott Williams 3-0 Paolo Nebrida
Chris Dobey 3-1 Xiaochen Zong
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round One x4
Ricardo Pietreczko 3-1 Jose de Sousa
Danny Noppert 3-1 Jurjen van der Velde
Gerwyn Price 3-0 Adam Gawlas
Niko Springer 1-3 Joe Comito
Wednesday December 17 (1900 GMT)
Round One x4
Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
James Wade v Ryusei Azemoto
Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton
Thursday December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round One x4
Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
Mike De Decker v David Munyua
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round One x4
Jermaine Wattimena v Dominik Gruellich
Dave Chisnall v Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen v Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo
Friday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round One x4
Kevin Doets v Matthew Dennant
Ryan Meikle v Jesus Salate
Mickey Mansell v Leonard Gates
Josh Rock v Gemma Hayter
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round One x4
William O’Connor v Krzysztof Kciuk
Daryl Gurney v Beau Greaves
Nathan Aspinall v Lourence Ilagan
Keane Barry v Tim Pusey
Saturday December 20
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Two x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Two x4
Sunday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Two x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Two x4
Monday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Two x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Two x4
Tuesday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Two x4
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Two x4
Saturday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Three x3
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Three x3
Sunday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Three x3
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Three x3
Monday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Three x3
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Three x1, Round Four x2
Tuesday December 30
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Round Four x3
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Round Four x3
Thursday January 1
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Quarter-Finals x2
Friday January 2 (1930 GMT)
Semi-Finals
Saturday January 3 (2000 GMT)
Final
(1) Luke Littler 3-0 Darius Labanauskas
Mario Vandenbogaerde 0-3 David Davies
(32) Joe Cullen 3-0 Bradley Brooks
Mensur Suljovic 3-1 David Cameron
(16) Damon Heta 3-1 Steve Lennon
Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
(17) Rob Cross 3-0 Cor Dekker
Ian White 3-2 Mervyn King
(8) Chris Dobey 3-1 Xiaochen Zong
Andrew Gilding 3-1 Cam Crabtree
(25) Luke Woodhouse 3-1 Boris Krcmar
Martin Lukeman 1-3 Max Hopp
(9) Gerwyn Price 3-0 Adam Gawlas
Lukas Wenig 1-3 Wesley Plaisier
(24) Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo
(4) Stephen Bunting 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki
Richard Veenstra 2-3 Nitin Kumar
(29) Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2 Andy Baetens
James Hurrell 3-1 Stowe Buntz
(13) Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton
Keane Barry v Tim Pusey
(20) Ryan Searle 3-0 Chris Landman
Brendan Dolan 3-1 Tavis Dudeney
(5) Jonny Clayton 3-1 Adam Lipscombe
Dom Taylor 3-0 Oskar Lukasiak
(28) Michael Smith 3-0 Lisa Ashton
Niels Zonneveld 3-0 Haupai Puha
(12) Ross Smith 2-3 Andreas Harrysson
Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
(21) Dave Chisnall v Fallon Sherrock
Ricardo Pietreczko 3-1 Jose de Sousa
(2) Luke Humphries 3-1 Ted Evetts
Jeffrey de Graaf 1-3 Paul Lim
(31) Wessel Nijman 3-0 Karel Sedlacek
Gabriel Clemens 3-0 Alex Spellman
(15) Nathan Aspinall v Lourence Ilagan
Mickey Mansell v Leonard Gates
(18) Mike De Decker v David Munyua
Kevin Doets v Matthew Dennant
(7) James Wade v Ryusei Azemoto
Ricky Evans 3-0 Man Lok Leung
(26) Cameron Menzies 2-3 Charlie Manby
Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
(10) Gian van Veen 3-1 Cristo Reyes
Alan Soutar 3-2 Teemu Harju
(23) Dimitri Van den Bergh 0-3 Darren Beveridge
Madars Razma 3-1 Jamai van den Herik
(3) Michael van Gerwen v Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
William O'Connor v Krzysztof Kciuk
(30) Peter Wright 3-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Kim Huybrechts 1-3 Arno Merk
(14) Gary Anderson 3-2 Adam Hunt
Connor Scutt 3-2 Simon Whitlock
(19) Jermaine Wattimena v Dominik Gruellich
Scott Williams 3-0 Paolo Nebrida
(6) Danny Noppert 3-1 Jurjen van der Velde
Nick Kenny 0-3 Justin Hood
(27) Ritchie Edhouse 0-3 Jonny Tata
Ryan Meikle v Jesus Salate
(11) Josh Rock v Gemma Hayter
Niko Springer 1-3 Joe Comito
(22) Daryl Gurney v Beau Greaves
Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
Format
Round One/Round Two - Best of Five Sets
Round Three/Round Four - Best of Seven Sets
Quarter-Finals - Best of Nine Sets
Semi-Finals - Best of 11 Sets
Final - Best of 13 Sets
All sets are the best of five legs
There will be a tie-break rule employed in all matches; where a deciding set must be won by two clear legs. If the score in the final set reaches 5-5 then a sudden-death leg will be played. There would be no throw for the bull in any sudden-death legs.
Prize Fund
Winner - £1,000,000
Runner-Up - £400,000
Semi-Finalists - £200,000
Quarter-Finalists - £100,000
Round Four Losers - £60,000
Round Three Losers - £35,000
Round Two Losers - £25,000
Round One Losers - £15,000
Total - £5,000,000