James Wade made a winning start to winning the elusive World Darts Championship for the first time as former champion Raymond van Barneveld crashed out at Alexandra Palace.
Wade, a two-time major TV finalist this year, had lost his previous three matches at the World Darts Championship, but his straight-sets win over Japan’s Ryusei Atsumoto saved him from another early elimination.
‘The Machine’ only dropped one leg during his dominant performance and barely needed to get out of first gear on his way to his first win on the Alexandra Palace stage since reaching the semi-finals of the 2022 competition.
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James Wade shares his reaction after defeating Ryusei Azemoto at Alexandra Palace to end his losing streak
Wade averaged 94.75 points heading into his second round match against Ricky Evans, while five-time world champion Van Barneveld lost in straight sets to Stephane Belmont of Switzerland.
Thirteenth seed Martin Schindler beat Stephen Barton 3-1, and American Adam Sebada got off to a winning start in his World Darts Championship debut by defeating Canada’s Matt Campbell by the same score.
Van Barneveld struggles with first-round blows
The fan favorite received a warm welcome from the Ally Pally crowd ahead of his record-equalling 33rd World Championships appearance, opening with a tidy hold of 14 darts, but quickly fell back in a one-sided contest.
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Raymond van Barneveld’s walk-on on stage at Alexandra Palace proved popular.
Belmont fought back with 14 darters of his own, sparking a run of eight straight legs, including a 96 checkout at the start of the second set, and shook off the Dutchman with an impressive finish.
Van Barneveld offered a brief glimmer of hope with a held throw with an 80 finish, but Belmont won the next leg outright, becoming the first Swiss player in the tournament.
Raymond van Barneveld lost in the first round at the World Darts Championship
The 58-year-old is expected to be removed from the PDC Order of Merit after his first-round loss, raising questions about how long Van Barneveld, who has not reached the quarter-finals of a world championship since 2018, will continue to compete at the highest level.
Former Premier League champion Glen Durant told Sky Sports: “You don’t want to kick a player when he’s down, but he didn’t look happy there.” “Fathers’ time catches up with them. It’s difficult to live long. That’s why I respect players who have lived this long.”
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Glen Durant talks about Raymond van Barneveld’s future after disappointing early exit from World Championship
“It’s tough to look at such a great, iconic figure who has brought Dutch darts to where it is now. I hope Bernie can bounce back, but when you’re on that downward trajectory it’s very difficult.”
Wade wins comfortably to end Ally Parry’s losing streak
The seventh seed quickly took control of the match by opening with a 15 darter and breaking Azemoto the next, responding to his opponent finishing with an 80 to end the first set with an 87 checkout.
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Ryusei Azemoto made a memorable appearance in the match against James Wade
Wade raced through the second set on straight legs, finishing on top of the 100 points, casually held a holding throw in the next set after a wayward finish from both players, and raced through the third set in similar fashion, avoiding a first-round exit.
“I’m really happy,” Wade told Sky Sports. “Tonight I showed off the practice I’ve been putting in. It wasn’t great, but when you have to hit something and do something, that’s what happened.
Wade defeated Azemoto in the first round.
“I felt better coming here, but I also felt pretty bad. He (second-rounder Ricky Evans) is going to have to play well to beat me, and I’m going to have to play well to beat him. He knows what I’m capable of and I know what he’s capable of. We’ll see what happens.”
The night’s performance saw Schindler average 99.14 points in the final match, his highest score of seven, and win each of the final six legs, setting him up to face Australia’s Tim Pusey or Ireland’s Keane Barry in the next round.
“I was good at 180s,” Schindler told Sky Sports. “When I needed an important shot, I did it. The German fans here are very good, it’s really great! My finish in terms of feeling was not great. It’s not easy here at the World Championships, so I’m happy to break through.”
In the opening match of the night, Cebada took advantage of a double error by Campbell as he won 3-1, setting up a second round matchup with fellow debutant Charlie Manby.
Campbell recovered from a set down and grabbed his second point in the deciding final leg with a 13-darter checkout of 96. The American missed two darts in the third set and was punished by Cebada, but won the next set in straight sets to advance.
What’s planned for Thursday?
Thursday’s double session begins with last year’s quarter-finalist Karan Riz taking on Patrik Kovac, before Thibault Tricole takes on Motomu Sakai and Ryan Joyce, who took Luke Littler to a final-set decider in the fourth round last year, takes on Owen Bates.
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From celebratory kebabs to winning his first World Darts Championship title, a look back at Luke Littler’s top five moments at Ally Pally
Former World Grand Prix champion Mike DeDecker concludes the afternoon session with David Munyua, while Jermaine Wattimena begins his evening match with Dominic Grlic ahead of Dave Chisnall, who takes on ‘Queen of the Palace’ Fallon Sherlock.
Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen headlines day eight, kicking off the tournament with a match against Mitsuhiko Tatunami, a year after Littler’s runner-up, before Krzysztof Ratajski takes on Alexis Toiro in the final match of the night.
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