The PDC World Darts Championship at London's Alexandra Palace served up a night of high emotion and exceptional quality on Monday, headlined by Luke Humphries' respectful dismissal of veteran legend Paul Lim.
Cool Hand Luke Halts History Maker
World number three and 2024 champion Luke Humphries produced a ruthless display to end the fairytale run of 71-year-old Paul Lim, winning 3-0. Humphries stormed into an eight-leg lead before Lim, cheered passionately by the capacity Ally Pally crowd, finally got on the board to avoid a whitewash.
Humphries admitted to mixed feelings after the match, telling Sky Sports: "The third set wasn't great, but I didn't want to destroy him 9-0. I'm glad he got a leg in the end." Paying tribute to his opponent, whose first-round win over Jeffrey de Graaf made him the oldest player ever to win a match at the tournament, Humphries added: "He's just a legend and I love him to bits." Humphries now faces Germany's Gabriel Clemens, who beat 31st seed Wessel Nijman 3-0.
Evans Holds Nerve in Christmas Cracker
In one of the most dramatic matches of the championship so far, Ricky Evans claimed a nail-biting 3-2 victory over four-time semi-finalist James Wade. The match turned into a nerve-shredding affair in the final set, with Evans missing seven match darts before finally sealing victory, after Wade had spurned a match dart of his own at double five.
The colourful Evans, known for his festive walk-ons, entered holding a dancing Santa toy. The Kettering thrower, 35, now faces a post-Christmas musical dilemma, joking: "I'm going to have to walk on to something not Christmas, aren't I? I'm going to have 'Like A Prayer'... Madonna. Who cares? I'm still going."
Van Veen Averages Soar as Seeds Fall
Young Dutch sensation Gian van Veen staked his claim as a serious title contender with a stunning performance, averaging 108 in a 3-1 win over Scotland's Alan Soutar. The 23-year-old's average was the highest of the tournament to date, and he sealed the third set with a spectacular 170 checkout.
Elsewhere, the giant-killing run of Kenya's David Munyua was ended by a 3-0 defeat to Kevin Doets. Despite hitting five 180s, Munyua could not replicate his historic first-round win over Mike de Decker. Nathan Aspinall also progressed comfortably, beating Leonard Gates 3-0, while 20-year-old qualifier Charlie Manby continued his dream debut by sweeping past Adam Sevada 3-0.
The championship now pauses for the Christmas break, with the third round set to resume on Friday 27th December at Alexandra Palace.
