PDC World Darts Championship 2015: Daily Results and Updated 1st-Round Schedule
The 2015 edition of the PDC World Darts Championship, the biggest tournament in the sport, kicked off on Thursday at London's Alexandra Palace.
The preliminary rounds and first round will be played between Thursday and Tuesday, giving fans their first look at what kind of form the top players are in.
Flu-like symptoms plagued defending champion Michael van Gerwen in the final weeks of the season, and the Dutchman was immediately called into action on Day 1, beating Joe Cullen in a hard-fought match. Phil Taylor easily won his first-round match on Day 2, and the Power looks in fine form as he chases a record 17th title.
Raymond van Barneveld looked in fine fettle on Day 5, beating Rowby-John Rodriguez on his way Round 2. The biggest shock of the opening round came on Day 6, as 18-year-old Max Hopp beat 10th seed Mervyn King 3-2 in a thrilling contest.
The Sid Waddell trophy, a world title and over £1 million pounds in total prize money will be at stake over the course of the coming weeks, with 72 players competing in the season's final showpiece.
Full First-Round Results
1 of 8
All results courtesy of PDC.tv. Preliminary matches are indicated by (P).
Tuesday December 23
Evening Session
Vincent van der Voort (23) 3-2 John Henderson
Jermaine Wattimena 3-4 Robert Marijanovic (P)
Mervyn King (10) 2-3 Max Hopp
Adrian Lewis (3) 3-0 David Pallett
Stephen Bunting (27) 3-1 Robert Marijanovic
Monday, December 22
Evening Session
Jamie Caven (19) 3-2 Jason Hogg
Nolan Arendse 4-0 Alex Hon (P)
Michael Smith (22) 3-1 Mensur Suljovic
Raymond van Barneveld (14) 3-0 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Brendan Dolan (11) 3-0 Nolan Arendse
Sunday, December 21
Afternoon Session
Paul Nicholson (25) 2-3 Benito van de Pas
Boris Koltsov 4-2 Haruki Muramatsu (P)
Mark Webster (31) 3-1 Ron Meulenkamp
Dean Winstanley (26) 3-2 Wayne Jones
Kevin Painter (20) 3-1 Boris Koltsov
Evening Session
Kim Huybrechts (18) 3-0 Michael Mansell
Jani Haavisto 1-4 John Michael (P)
Dave Chisnall (8) 3-0 Ryan De Vreede
James Wade (6) 3-1 Jamie Lewis
Ian White (15) 3-1 John Michael
Saturday, December 20
Afternoon Session
Andy Smith (28) 0-3 Ronny Huybrechts
Scott Mackenzie 3-4 Daryl Gurney (P)
Justin Pipe (17) 2-3 Laurence Ryder
Robert Thornton (9) 3-0 Andrew Gilding
Ronnie Baxter (24) 3-1 Daryl Gurney
Evening Session
Steve Beaton (21) 0-3 Kyle Anderson
Mark McGrath 0-4 Scott Kirchner (P)
Terry Jenkins (16) 3-1 John Weber
Simon Whitlock (7) 1-3 Darren Webster
Gary Anderson (4) 3-1 Scott Kirchner
Friday, December 19
Andy Hamilton (12) 3-2 Dave Richardson
Kim Viljanen 1-4 Sascha Stein (P)
Peter Wright (5) 3-0 Gerwyn Price
Phil Taylor (2) 3-0 Jyhan Artut
Stuart Kellett (32) 1-3 Sascha Stein
Thursday, December 18
John Part (30) 2-3 Keegan Brown
Christian Perez 0-4 Cristo Reyes (P)
Jelle Klaasen (29) 3-1 Christian Kist
Michael van Gerwen (1) 3-1 Joe Cullen
Wes Newton (13) 2-3 Cristo Reyes
Updated Draws and First-Round Schedule
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All times are local (GMT). Preliminary matches are indicated by (P). Schedule courtesy of PDC.tv.
Tuesday December 23
7.10 p.m. Vincent van der Voort (23) v John Henderson
8.15 p.m. Jermaine Wattimena v Robert Marijanovic (P)
9.00 p.m. Mervyn King (10) v Max Hopp
10.00 p.m. Adrian Lewis (3) v David Pallett
11.00 p.m. Stephen Bunting (27) v Jermaine Wattimena/Robert Marijanovic
Day 6 Recap
3 of 8
Evening Session
Vincent van der Voort (23) 3-2 John Henderson
Jermaine Wattimena 3-4 Robert Marijanovic (P)
Mervyn King (10) 2-3 Max Hopp
Adrian Lewis (3) 3-0 David Pallett
Stephen Bunting (27) 3-1 Robert Marijanovic
Teenager Max Hopp produced the shock of the tournament so far, knocking out 10th seed Mervyn King 3-2 at the Alexandra Palace in style. The two played out a thrilling match, but it was the 18-year-old who edged to victory in the end, taking out a stunning 161 to book his place in Round 2.
He finished on the bullseye for good measure too, as we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports Darts:
"MAX POWER!!!! #lovethedarts pic.twitter.com/w7B8fJFmpT
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 23, 2014"
Hopp resembled just as composed a figure in the aftermath of the sensational match and admitted he never expected to beat King, who was suffering with a back problem throughout, per ESPN:
"I never expected to win because Mervyn is really, really brilliant in all the tournaments. I think that was my best game.
I just got the feeling in myself, the 161 - they can go. It went in and I'm so happy, I can't explain it.
"
The youngster will go up against Vincent van der Voort in Round 2, and you suspect he will fancy his chances when taking on the 23rd seed. The Dutchman eventually triumphed over John Henderson, but he was unable to garner any momentum throughout the clash and was continually slack when it came to finishing; he missed five darts for the match before eventually taking out double four.
After Hopp's incredible win, third seed Adrian Lewis was the target for underdog David Pallett. But there were no such problems for the two-time champion, as he coasted to a comfortable 3-0 victory. The man known as "Jackpot" looked in fine fettle too, as we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports Darts:
".@jackpot180 goes top of the tournament averages so far. #lovethedarts pic.twitter.com/6ZMfeczewO
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 23, 2014"
Lewis would join an elite group of men should he win for the third time on the world stage and when he's in full flow, there are few men on the circuit capable of matching his devastating scoring. The man tasked with doing so in Round 2 will be John Part's conquerer Keegan Brown in what looks like the tie of the round.
The final man to take his place in the last-32 of the tournament was Stephen Bunting, who beat Robert Marijanovic 3-1 in the final match of the evening. Bunting—making his PDC debut—is considered by many to be an excellent outside bet for the title, and the BDO world champion showed his class to easily topple his Croatian opponent.
The Englishman is a popular figure with the crowds and bares an astonishing resemblance to a certain comdey series character, per Coral:
"Stephen Bunting plays his #WorldDartsChampionship 1st round game tonight. Maybe the best lookalike in sport pic.twitter.com/W74dB3VlPT
— Coral (@Coral) December 23, 2014"
His reward for that comfortable win will be an enticing clash with James Wade in the last-32.
Day 5 Recap
4 of 8
Evening Session
Jamie Caven (19) 3-2 Jason Hogg
Nolan Arendse 4-0 Alex Hon (P)
Michael Smith (22) 3-1 Mensur Suljovic
Raymond van Barneveld (14) 3-0 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Brendan Dolan (11) 3-0 Nolan Arendse
Raymond van Barneveld was the star attraction on Day 5 of the PDC World Darts Championships, and the Dutchman produced a vintage display to wow the crowds packed into the Alexandra Palace.
Van Barneveld—a five-time world champion—was magnificent against Rowby-John Rodgriguez, dispatching of his opponent 3-0 in double quick time. What made the display even more impressive was the 14th seed's average, as we can see here courtesy of Sky Sports Darts:
"Ruthless display from @Raybar180 with a 125.25 average: http://t.co/HwpjUngllC #lovethedarts pic.twitter.com/9KRn8cFc07
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 22, 2014"
The win for the Dutchman—which included a wonderful 170 checkout—was arguably the finest performance from anyone in the tournament so far and a clear sign that "Barney" has all the requisite tools to win a sixth world title at the Ally Pally.
After all, Van Barneveld is renowned for his patented performances on the biggest stages and although he's not been at his best this year, he still managed to secure the 2014 Premier League title; arguably the most prestigious tournament after the World Championships.
In the night's other matches, 19th seed Jamie Caven won a thriller 3-2 against Jason Hogg. Naturally, the young Australian was naturally delighted with his display, per the PDC account:
"WATCH: Hear from Jamie Caven after he beat Jason Hogg 3-2 at the @WillHillBet World Championship! #WorldDarts https://t.co/cQ6V9KcStY
— PDC (@OfficialPDC) December 22, 2014"
His reward in Round 2 will be a clash with Van Barneveld, and you suspect Caven will have to up his game significantly if he is to make it any further. He was pushed all the way by the impressive qualifier, but the seeded man's class shone through in the end, as he put together a 12-dart leg to seal victory.
Elsewhere, Michael Smith—the man who knocked out Phil Taylor in last year's tournament—came from a leg down to beat Mensur Suljovic. As noted by Live Darts, the 24-year-old was especially impressive on his finishing, taking out half of his shots at doubles:
"Magnificent from Michael Smith as he averages 97 with 50% on the doubles in a 3-1 win over Mensur Suljovic! #darts pic.twitter.com/yV9ZWRKXK2
— Live Darts (@livedarts) December 22, 2014"
Smith is a dangerous player and someone that has refined his game since that shock win over "The Power" last year. If he can maintain that level of accuracy on doubles with the pressure cranking up round after round, the 22nd seed could well be a possible dark horse for this year's crown; he's certainly the type of player the elite men in the field will be hoping to avoid.
In the final match of the evening, Brendan Dolan got his tournament off to the perfect start, beating Nolan Arendse in a one-sided contest. The 11th seed took the match 3-0 and didn't drop a leg in any of the three sets, such was his dominance on the night. It's fair to say sterner tests will come for the Northern Irishman.
Day 4 Recap
5 of 8
Afternoon Session
Paul Nicholson (25) 2-3 Benito van de Pas
Boris Koltsov 4-2 Haruki Muramatsu (P)
Mark Webster (31) 3-1 Ron Meulenkamp
Dean Winstanley (26) 3-2 Wayne Jones
Kevin Painter (20) 3-1 Boris Koltsov
Evening Session
Kim Huybrechts (18) 3-0 Michael Mansell
Jani Haavisto 1-4 John Michael (P)
Dave Chisnall (8) 3-0 Ryan De Vreede
James Wade (6) 3-1 Jamie Lewis
Ian White (15) 3-1 John Michael
Debutant Benito van de Pas started his first World Darts Championship campaign with an upset win over 25th seed Paul Nicholson, outlasting his more experienced opponent to win Sunday's first match 3-2.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed an excellent first season on tour and showed everything he's learned in the opening set. He swept Nicholson, but the Asset struck back in the second, tying things up with a sweep of his own.
Nicholson kept up his good form in the third, but Van de Pas switched gears in the fourth, and despite missing three set darts, the Dutchman clinched a deciding set by taking out double 16.
The debutant then swept the decider—in part thanks to Nicholson hitting the wrong double—checking out 109 to advance to the second round.
Afterward, he told PDC.tv he's just applying everything he's learned during his first season on tour:
"That was awesome, I started really well, but the second and the third set I wasn’t playing very well so just had to stay in it. I’ve played really well on the floor all season and played well in some Players Championship events, and what I learnt there is that you just have to fight and fight to get anything.
"
Mark Webster had little difficulty in his first-round match with Ron Meulenkamp, running out to an easy 3-1 win. Finishes of 104 and 107 gave him the first set, and a close second set ultimately went the seeded player's way with a finish on double five in the decider.
A lapse of concentration saw his opponent sweep the third before Webster regained his composure and closed things out in the fourth.
Dean Winstanley needed a late rally to survive a decider against Wayne Jones, despite hitting seven 180s over the course of the five sets. He easily won the first set with a 102 average and a marvelous 116 checkout, but things started to unravel in the second.
The unheralded Jones started finding the maximum as well; raising his average to 99, the Wanderer took out the next two sets. Over The Top missed several set darts in the fourth but clinched it after one of the longest legs of the tournament so far, sending the match to a decider.
The decider would prove to be well below the level of the previous sets, as Winstanley's quality clearly shone in a 3-1 win.
Kevin Painter easily handled Russian qualifier Boris Koltsov, and he'll meet another qualifier in the second round in the form of upset hero Cristo Reyes.
The evening session produced no surprises of note, with Dave Chisnall, James Wade and Ian White surrendering just two sets between them to advance to the next round.
Chizzy wasn't in the best of form, averaging just 86.09 and suffering three drop-outs, but opponent Ryan de Vreede was clearly overwhelmed by the circumstances and struggled on his doubles.
Speaking after the match, Chisnall confirmed he was trying out new darts and failed to rough up the points, which was a likely explanation for the drop-outs.
Wade averaged just over 94 and took care of business against an in-form Jamie Lewis, who fully deserved to nick a set off the sixth seed. The Welshman proceeded to break The Machine's throw at the start of the third, before Wade pulled out some of his finer play to end the match in a hurry.
Finishes of 96 and 81 gave him the third set, and a 14-darter to start the fourth indicated the match was all but over. Another 180 in the final leg set up a finish of double five, which he easily converted to move on to the next round.
Day 3 Recap
6 of 8
Full Results and Recap
Afternoon Session
Andy Smith (28) 0-3 Ronny Huybrechts
Scott Mackenzie 3-4 Daryl Gurney (P)
Justin Pipe (17) 2-3 Laurence Ryder
Robert Thornton (9) 3-0 Andrew Gilding
Ronnie Baxter (24) 3-1 Daryl Gurney
Evening Session
Steve Beaton (21) 0-3 Kyle Anderson
Mark McGrath 0-4 Scott Kirchner (P)
Terry Jenkins (16) 3-1 John Weber
Simon Whitlock (7) 1-3 Darren Webster
Gary Anderson (4) 3-1 Scott Kirchner
The first-round upsets continued on Day 3 of the 2014-15 World Darts Championship, as Laurence Ryder bounced 17th seed Justin Pipe from the tournament with a 3-2 win.
Pipe struggled with his finishes all match but took a 2-1 lead into the fourth seed before Australia-based Ryder produced a stunning turnaround, winning the final six legs.
Ryder took the first set after Pipe missed an incredible 10 of 11 on his doubles, an early indication things would not go smoothly for the 43-year-old. He bounced back in the second, throwing a 16-darter, and a sweep in the third had things looking up for the man from Taunton.
The challenger broke throw in the fourth, however, and finishes of 46 and 32 forced a deciding set. He won the first two legs comfortably, and despite missing match darts in the final leg, Pipe couldn't hit back on the doubles, allowing him to seal the upset.
Speaking to PDC.tv, Ryder said he wasn't feeling nervous going into the match:
"I didn't really have many nerves, I felt good and was playing well and in the last set it all kind of clicked together.I played too fast when I played in Sydney so playing Justin probably helped me to slow things down a bit.
"
It's been a whirlwind year for me in my first year on the Australian Tour as I managed to finish top of the Tour over there. I always watched the darts over here and it's great now to be back over here playing after moving out to Australia.
Robert Thornton easily defeated Andrew Gilding 3-0 and sent a strong message to the rest of the field on Saturday, surrendering just two legs in a one-sided affair.
The Thorn bagged two 180s in the first set and won the second with a smooth 76 finish before really switching gears in the third. The former UK Open champion finished 144 in the second leg and finished with an average of 97.6, giving Gilding no chance in the match.
Qualifier Daryl Gurney performed admirably but fell just short against Ronnie Baxter, and despite winning 3-1, the latter won't be happy about his struggles on the doubles with a second-round match against Thornton.
Simon Whitlock's disappointing year came to an early end in Round 1 with a 3-1 loss to Darren Webster. The seventh seed won just two legs in the three sets he lost and finished with an average of 87.29 and less than 20 percent on his doubles.
The Wizard had no answer for Webster in the first set, who took out three consecutive 100-plus finishes to grab the early lead. Whitlock fought back in the second, winning by decider, but his struggles on the doubles saw him win just one more leg the rest of the night.
Terry Jenkins didn't let the pressure get to him, averaging just shy of triple digits in his 3-1 win over John Weber. He started with a fantastic 12-darter and averaged an incredible 107 in the first set, and despite a slight setback in the second, the Bull always looked likely to win.
Kyle Anderson took revenge on Steve Beaton for his loss in the first round of this tournament last year, beating the Australian 3-0 to advance to the second round for the first time in his career.
Gary Anderson survived a touch challenge from qualifier Scott Kirchner, winning 3-1 in Saturday's final match.
The Flying Scotsman won the opening set but did not look at ease, and he was swept in the second by the American, who started things with a 180 and a 14-darter and sensed an upset was possible.
The third set went back and forth and ended in a decider, where Kirchner had a chance to win it with a 124 checkout. He wired double 11, however, allowing Anderson to grab a one-set lead.
The fourth set finally saw the Flying Scotsman produce some of his finest darts, but the debutant still grabbed a leg and kept things exciting until the very end.
The qualifiers have made things interesting on three consecutive days now, indicating the road to the championship won't be an easy one for the top favourites.
Day 2 Recap
7 of 8
Full Results and Recap
Andy Hamilton (12) 3-2 Dave Richardson
Kim Viljanen 1-4 Sascha Stein (P)
Peter Wright (5) 3-0 Gerwyn Price
Phil Taylor (2) 3-0 Jyhan Artut
Stuart Kellett (32) 1-3 Sascha Stein
Phil Taylor started his bid to win this year's World Darts championship with an easy 3-0 win over Jyhan Artut, averaging well over 100 and losing just a single leg in the match.
The Power needed just three shots to take out the doubles in the first set and only missed his first double in the fifth leg, bagging a 2-0 lead in almost no time. His German opponent had no answers, grabbing a consolation leg in the ninth before an 11-darter gave Taylor the win.
The 16-time world Champion became the first competitor to average in the triple digits, hitting two 180s and converting 60 percent of his doubles.
The Power came into the tournament after suffering through a difficult week on a personal level, as his mother was hospitalised with illness. Many wondered how he'd perform on Friday, and Taylor confessed to Sky Sports (h/t ESPN) he didn't have much time to practice:
"Obviously I've had personal troubles. Practice has come second best to be honest. It's been difficult this week, I've had a lot of trouble and mother but I've got a few days off so now I can get ready.
Mum is settled now, in a nice care home. These things happen in life but it's very tiring. We'll get through it.
"
Last year's finalists Peter Wright booked his spot in the next round with a 3-0 win over Gerwyn Price, but Snakebite's win over the former rugby star wasn't as easy as the scoreline may suggest.
Price hit five 180s and hit a solid 40 percent on the checkout, but his inability to finish higher scores cost him. With a high finish of 40 (compared to Wright's 100), too many close legs went Snakebite's way.
A 12-darter and a 14-darter ended the match in the third set, with Wright moving on in the tournament.
Andy Hamilton had to battle back from a 2-1 deficit to beat debutant Dave Richardson in a deciding set, winning 3-2. The 2012 runner-up won the first three legs but Richardson tied things up with a beautiful 96 two-dart finish, and three 180s helped him grab the third set as well.
The crowd could anticipate a second shock upset in as many days, but Hamilton responded by winning the next six legs and booking his ticket for the next round.
For the second straight day, the winner of the match in the preliminary round went on to cause an upset in the first round, as Sasha Stein beat Stuart Kellett 3-1 hours after getting past Kim Viljanen 4-1.
Making his debut at the tournament, the German averaged just 79 in the final match of the evening and missed three match darts in the fourth leg of the last set, so defending world champion Michael van Gerwen likely won't be intimidated going into his match against the qualifier in the second round.
Day 1 Recap
8 of 8
Full Results and Recap
John Part (30) 2-3 Keegan Brown
Christian Perez 0-4 Cristo Reyes (P)
Jelle Klaasen (29) 3-1 Christian Kist
Michael van Gerwen (1) 3-1 Joe Cullen
Wes Newton (13) 2-3 Cristo Reyes
The first day of the 2015 PDC World Darts Championship brought with it a fair share of controversy and one dramatic upset, a promising start to what should be another fantastic tournament.
Michael van Gerwen started his title defence on a winning note, but Joe Cullen gave the Dutchman a surprisingly tough challenge in his first-round 3-1 win.
All four sets went the distance and Cullen missed set darts on two occasions, as Mighty Mike's experience shone through in the end.
Cullen dropped the gauntlet in the opening leg, taking out 161 after falling behind early. Van Gerwen took a 2-0 lead but was lucky to bag the second set, as Cullen missed two opportunities to even things up.
He got on the board with a win in the third, taking out 114, but Van Gerwen switched gears in the fourth and comfortably grabbed the decider.
Speaking to PDC.tv, Mighty Mike was full of praise for his opponent:
"Joe made me play well both of us also found it difficult with the pressure but a win is a win. He played really well. The first leg I was left on a double and he took that shot out and I thought today is not going to be my day – Joe’s a fantastic player I know that. I just want to do well and with all the pressure I’m happy to just get the win.
"
Of course there’s more pressure as champion but I got through it and I’ve got a week off now so I’ll be happy to go home and then come back stronger for the rest of the tournament.
John Part won't be adding a third title to his PDC resume after losing 3-2 to debutant Keegan Brown, who confirmed his excellent late-season form with a win over Darth Maple.
The 22-year-old reigning World Youth champion swept the first six legs on his way to a 2-0 lead, hitting two 180s in the process. Part fought back with three consecutive legs in the third and took advantage of the Killer's struggles on the doubles to grab the fourth, setting up a dramatic decider in the first match of the tournament.
It wasn't to be, however, as Brown broke his slump and bagged all three legs, taking out tops for the win. Brown's road to the title won't be getting any easier, as he could face Adrian Lewis in the next round.
Jelle Klaasen comfortably disposed of compatriot Christian Kist before Cristo Reyes recorded the first big upset of the tournament, knocking out Wes Newton after winning his preliminary match against Christian Perez.
Reyes easily disposed of Perez 4-0, mainly thanks to an incredible 80 percent conversion rate on his doubles, but few will have liked his chances against the Warrior, who came into this tournament as the 13th seed.
The Spaniard ran out to a surprising 2-0 lead in Thursday's final match, however, taking advantage of a struggling Newton. Reyes needed nine set darts to grab the second, but with Newton averaging well below 90, he never looked under real pressure of losing out.
The Warrior drastically improved his play in the third set and swept the fourth, before a nail-biting deciding set ended in a tiebreak. The sudden-death decider had to be restarted as no original throw for the bull was made, and amid the confusion, the Iberian qualifier kept his composure, knocking out a furious Newton.
The critical error from the referee in the pivotal deciding leg will no doubt be discussed at length in the coming days, but it shouldn't take away from Reyes' fantastic performance on his World Darts championship debut.
All eyes will be on 16-time champion Phil Taylor on Friday, as he begins his bid for yet another title against Jyhan Artut. Peter Wright will also kick off his campaign, taking on Gerwyn Price.
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