It was an eventful PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, which welcomed Christmas and New Year with a winter extravaganza for punters in attendance and at home.
From nine-dart finals to big-fish checkouts, there were countless shocks, dominant displays and fairytale runs, culminating in the final between Luke Littler and Michael van Gerwen on Friday 3 January in London.
Flashscore has summarized the five main talking points and highlights from another magnificent World Darts Championship.
A record number of seeds eliminated prematurely
A record 14 seeds were eliminated from the PDC World Darts Championship in the first two rounds.
The former world champion and No. 2 seed Michael Smith suffered a shocking 3-2 defeat against Kevin Doets on Thursday evening, which caused tremors in the competition.
The chaos continued in the second round on Saturday when the five-time champion Raymond van Barneveld was sensationally eliminated by Nick Kenny.
On Sunday, Jeffrey de Graaf quickly dismantled Gary Anderson14th seed, with a score of 3-0.
The carnage reached its climax on Monday with the premature exits of Rob Crossseeded No. 5, and Dave Chisnallseeded No. 6.
Kist hits a nine-darter
Christian Kist scored the first nine darts of the competition in his first round defeat against Madar Razma at the PDC World Darts Championship, calling the feat an “incredible moment”.
The Dutchman was knocked out of the competition after a 3-1 defeat, but he made history with his nine dart, winning £60,000 in the process, as well as donating the same amount to Prostate Cancer UK and to a member of the public at Alexandra Palace.
“The nine-darter was an amazing moment, hitting the double 12 was an incredible feeling.” declared Chest.
“Maybe I’ll go on vacation next month with the prize money.
“I lost the match, so I’m a little disappointed that I got knocked out in the first round.
The curse of the nine darts?
The Australian Damon Hetaseeded No. 9, reached perfection in the second set of his match against Luke Woodhousethus securing a prize of £60,000.
Her opponent also joined in the wildest celebrations, with Ally Pally ending up in the limbs after the double 12 was pinned.
As with Kist, his incredible feat also saw one lucky Ally Pally fan win £60,000, while a further £60,000 was donated to Prostate Cancer UK.
However, Woodhouse staged a remarkable comeback, overcoming a 3-1 deficit to win the thrilling contest by a score of 4-3.
Heta had narrowly missed a nine-darter in the previous round, but he made no mistake this time, achieving perfection in the first game after the Christmas break.
He thus becomes the second player to complete a perfect nine darts while being eliminated from the tournament.
Wright bat Humphries
Peter Wright overcame recent difficulties to deliver a high-quality performance and dethrone the reigning champion Luke Humphries in the round of 16 of the World Darts Championship.
A resurgent Snakebite put in a strong performance, converting 70 percent of his doubles to secure a 4-1 victory over the world number one.
This remarkable victory reignited Wright’s quest for a third world title. The Scottish icon, who had an eventful 2024 season, was visibly emotional after the crucial victory.
“I felt more confident playing Luke at this shorter distance,” declared Wright, who paid tribute to Humphries after the match.
“If I hadn’t beaten him in that round, I think he would have retained his title, because I don’t think any other player could have approached Luke over a longer distance.
“Humphries and Littler inspire me to continue playing darts, and I know I can still play this game.
Littler resists a huge Joyce
Luke Littler admitted that his PDC World Championship triumph against Ryan Joyce in the round of 16 was a “difficult match”, with both players showing a high level of performance.
The world number four was pushed all the way, with Joyce taking three sets in what was ultimately a losing effort, with Littler eventually winning 4-3.
The 17-year-old averaged 103.14 and hit 14 shots of 180, but he struggled to finish off his opponent and missed several doubles with a best score of just 68.
“It was a very difficult match. We both played very well” Littler said.
“Ryan said he didn’t have any power-scoring, but he was right behind me in every heat I won! Ryan won’t be happy with the result, but I think he should be happy with the way he played.
