The match between Van den Bergh (PDC-11) and Ilagan (PDC-154) was not a high-flyer in itself. ‘The Dreammaker’ did not get further than an average of 86.76 per three darts, compared to 82.71 for the 46-year-old Filipino. However, the 30-year-old Belgian was very efficient with throws of 96, 86, 68 and 164. Ilagan converted just 7.7 percent of his throws.
Van den Bergh still has to compete against the Irish Keane Barry (PDC-50) and the Englishman Luke Littler (PDC-18). The 17-year-old Littler won his first match against Barry 5-0.
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Unlike Van den Bergh, compatriot Mike De Decker (PDC-25) had to suffer a 5-2 loss against Jermaine Wattimena (PDC-37) in his first match. After the first four legs were shared, it was the 36-year-old Dutchman who won the next three games and did better with an average of 104.32 per three darts than the 28-year-old Mechelaar who scored 99.06. Wattimena used 62.5 percent of his throws compared to 28.6 percent for De Decker.
In his next two group matches, De Decker will play against the Englishman Michael Smith (PDC-2), the 2023 world champion, and the Austrian Mensur Suljovic (PDC-57), who lost 5-2 in his first group match against Smith.
The first two players from each group qualify for the main table.
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All results from day 1
Group A
James Wade-Mickey Mansell 3-5
Luke Humphries-Rowby-John Rodriguez 3-5
Group B
Danny Noppert-Beau Greaves 5-2
Martin Schindler-Cameron Menzies 2-5
Group C
Rob Cross-Leonard Gates 5-2
Peter Wright-Martin Lukeman 0-5
Group D
Dave Chisnall-Connor Scutt 0-5
Ross Smith-Ritchie Edhouse 1-5
Group E
Michael Smith-Mensur Suljovic 5-2
Mike de Decker-Jermaine Wattimena 5-2
Group F
D. Van den Bergh-Lawrence Ilagan 5-1
Luke Littler-Keane Barry 5-0
Group G
Gary Anderson-Ryan Joyce 5-1
Michael van Gerwen-Noa-Lynn van Leuven 5-0
Group H
Stephen Bunting-Wessel Nijman 5-4
Josh Rock-Gian van Veen 2-5
