Matt Campbell delivers a stunning victory over James Wade, while Michael van Gerwen cruises into the third round.
Michael van Gerwen began his quest for a third World Darts Championship title with a dominant 3-0 victory over Keane Barry, booking his place in the third round. The Dutchman, who last claimed the prestigious title in 2019, showed glimpses of his best form, finishing with a superb 167 checkout and an average of 98.17. Although pleased with the win, van Gerwen admitted there was room for improvement.
“I’m not entirely happy with my scoring, but the important thing is that I won,” van Gerwen reflected in his post-match interview. “There’s pressure, but it’s the first round, and it’s crucial to get through it. A finish like that 167 really helps boost your confidence.”
In contrast, the World Championship proved to be a challenging tournament for 13th seed James Wade, who suffered a shock 3-2 defeat to Matt Campbell. The world number 57 stunned Wade to secure the biggest win of his career and the first back-to-back victories of his life at Ally Pally. Campbell will now return to Canada to celebrate Christmas before preparing for the last 32.
“The flight home won’t be fun,” Campbell laughed. “But I need to see my family, and I’ll try to avoid jetlag by staying awake!” Despite Wade’s disappointment, including not shaking Campbell’s hand post-match, the Canadian holds no ill will. “I understand his frustration, and I’m sure he’d be fine if we saw each other now,” Campbell added.
Keegan Brown, who endured a tough match, will likely not want to hear the name Boris Krcmar again. Brown initially led in his first-round match but was eventually overwhelmed by the Croatian, who secured a 3-1 win. Despite the setback, Brown was left baffled after MC John McDonald mistakenly announced Krcmar’s name before the match.
Leading female player Mikuru Suzuki also faced disappointment, as she was knocked out 3-0 by Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko, continuing her winless streak at Alexandra Palace. Suzuki follows in the footsteps of Fallon Sherrock, who was also eliminated.
Other results saw victories for Steve Beaton, Jeffrey de Graaf, Tomoya Goto, and Mike De Decker, with all progressing to the next stage of the tournament.
