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Peter Wright returns to winning ways at the World Darts Championship as Woodhouse downs De Decker

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Christian Kist lands lucrative nine-darter in defeat at the Paddy Power World Championship

Live Darts on Thursday | World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day Five Preview and Order of Play

Jamie Shaw in World Darts Championship 19 Dec 2024

Michael Smith reacts (Photo by PDC)

A host of star names get their Paddy Power World Darts Championship campaigns under way at Ally Pally on Thursday.

Another gripping double session awaits on the sport’s greatest stage, with six First Round matches and two Second Round ties on the bill.

The afternoon’s action includes a showdown between former semi-finalist Gabriel Clemens and Robert Owen.

Clemens enjoyed an historic run to the Last Four two years ago, becoming the first German to reach that stage of the PDC World Championship, and he is now under pressure to defend that £100,000 in prize money on his Order of Merit tally.

The German Giant has endured a difficult season in 2024, failing to qualify for the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam, while reaching just one quarter-final on the European Tour.

Owen received an unexpected call-up via the ProTour Order of Merit following Dom Taylor’s suspension, and the former UK Open semi-finalist registered his first win on the Ally Pally stage at the expense of Niels Zonneveld on Monday.

Grand Slam of Darts finalist Martin Lukeman opens up with a clash against Indian qualifier Nitin Kumar.

Having reached the quarter-finals of the UK Open in March, Lukeman embarked on a ground-breaking run to the final of the Grand Slam last month, losing out to Luke Littler in the final.

Lukeman returns for a third consecutive World Championship appearance as he looks to maintain his perfect record in the First Round.

Kumar won the Indian qualifier to secure a fourth Ally Pally appearance and is out to stop the rot after suffering 3-0 defeats against Jeffrey De Zwaan, Brendan Dolan and Ricky Evans in his three previous First Round outings.

Three-time PDC ranking event winner Callan Rydz starts his campaign against Croatian debutant Romeo Grbavac.

Rydz reached the quarter-finals at Ally Pally in 2021/22, losing out to Peter Wright in an epic nine-set contest, but has gone on to reach just one televised ranking quarter-final since.

Semi-finalist at this year’s Swiss Darts Trophy, Rydz is looking to recapture his best form on the biggest stage of all, having won just one of his last eight matches this season.

Grbavac secured a dream debut here by virtue of winning the East Europe Qualifier, defeating the likes of Krzysztof Kciuk and Sebastian Bialecki along the way.

Former WDF world finalist Chris Landman kicks off the afternoon’s action with a tie against Hong Kong’s Lok Yin Lee.

Landman, runner-up to Andy Baetens at Lakeside in 2023, came through European Qualifying School in January to secure a two-year Tour Card and reached the semi-finals of the season’s penultimate Players Championship event.

Yin Lee partnered Man Lok Leung in this year’s World Cup of Darts and clinched a debut appearance at Ally Pally after reaching the semi-finals of the PDC Asian Championship.

The evening session sees 2023 World Champion Michael Smith return to the scene of his greatest triumph when he faces a familiar opponent in Kevin Doets.

Smith realised his darting destiny by defeating Michael van Gerwen in an historic final with a nine-darter along the way but is now defending the £500,000 in ranking prize money which accompanied that victory.

The current world number two reached the semi-finals of this year’s Premier League and World Matchplay, and partnered Luke Humphries to World Cup of Darts glory for England in June.

He has also picked up a Players Championship title and finished runner-up to Littler in the World Series Finals, and will be out to hit the ground running with a commanding display against Doets.

Kevin Doets will have revenge on his mind after being denied by Smith on the opening night of last year’s World Championship in an epic contest which saw him lead 2-1 and land nine 180s before eventually being edge out in a deciding set.

The Dutchman came from a set down to defeat Noa-Lynn van Leuven 3-1 on Tuesday but will be eyeing an improvement on his match average of 88.

Scott Williams aims to showcase the form which led him to the semi-finals here last time out when he takes on German debutant Niko Springer.

The flamboyant Williams enjoyed a sensational run to the Last Four in January, which included a 5-3 scalp of Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals.

He marked a timely return to form by reaching the quarter-finals of the recent Players Championship Finals in Minehead and will be confident of another strong run in the sport’s showpiece event.

Springer finished second on the 2024 Development Tour Order of Merit to seal a place in the World Championship, having stormed to three titles this year.

The 24-year-old landed a sensational nine-darter in the 2023 PDC Europe Super League and has competed in two European Tour events this season.

Austrian stalwart Mensur Suljovic marks his return to the Ally Pally stage with a First Round tie against Canadian number one Matt Campbell.

Suljovic missed out on last year’s World Championship for the first time since 2013 but has battled back courtesy of a number of tenacious performances on the ProTour in 2024, including two quarter-finals.

His record at Ally Pally, however, makes for ominous reading, having failed to surpass the Third Round stage in 15 previous appearances.

Campbell came through the Tour Card holder qualifier three weeks ago to clinch a sixth consecutive appearance in this event, having ended a run of four consecutive First Round exits by reaching the Third Round last year, notably defeating James Wade along the way.

Nick Kenny returns to Ally Pally for the first time in three years as he faces American star Stowe Buntz.

Kenny reached the quarter-finals of the German Darts Championship in his sole European Tour appearance this year and was narrowly beaten 6-5 by Michael Smith after receiving a late call-up to the Players Championship Finals last month.

Buntz is back for a second successive World Championship appearance after going down in straight sets to Kevin Doets in the opening match of last year’s tournament.

Grand Slam quarter-finalist in 2023, Buntz has claimed two CDC ProTour titles this year and was runner-up in the North American Championship.

The action gets under way from 12.30pm GMT, with First Round and Second Round matches to be contested over the best five sets, best of five legs per set.

The tie break rule does not apply to First Round matches, meaning the fifth leg of a deciding set would be sudden death, while the final set in matches from Round Two onwards must be won by two clear legs, unless the score reaches 5-5, in which case a sudden death leg will be played.

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World Darts Championship 2024/25 Day Five Schedule

Thursday December 19

Afternoon Session (12.30pm-5pm)
Chris Landman v Lok Yin Lee (R1)
Callan Rydz v Romeo Grbavac (R1)
Martin Lukeman v Nitin Kumar (R1)
Gabriel Clemens v Robert Owen (R2)

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Nick Kenny v Stowe Buntz (R1)
Mensur Suljovic v Matt Campbell (R1)
Scott Williams v Niko Springer (R1)
Michael Smith v Kevin Doets (R2)

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