Charlie Manby ousts Cameron Menzies at the World Darts Championship as Clayton and Wright prevail

Charlie Manby pulled off a dream debut win over a furious Cameron Menzies at the World Darts Championship on Monday, as Jonny Clayton and Peter Wright safely progressed.

Manby, 20, held his nerve in a deciding-set epic, twice recovering from a set down to justify his reputation as one of the sport’s most exciting young talents.

The Huddersfield youngster reaffirmed his potential with a terrific display, landing a crucial 120 checkout in the closing stages of his comeback win.

“It’s a bit overwhelming, but it felt amazing up there,” said Manby, who averaged 130 in a match on the Development Tour earlier this year.

“I think the game was played at a great pace and it was a good standard, so it was an enjoyable game to be a part of.”

An emotional Menzies also spoke post-match, apologising for his reaction at the conclusion of the contest which saw him repeatedly punch the drinks table.

The Scot said: “I’m sorry that I reacted in the manner that I did.

“It’s not an excuse, but I have had a lot of things on my mind recently and I suppose it all just became too much at the end.

“Let me say again, that’s no excuse for what I did on the stage. It was the wrong thing to do and I don’t want it to take anything away from Charlie. He played well and deserved his win.”

Monday’s double session featured a further eight opening round ties in the capital, as Wright began his bid for a third World Championship title with a straight-sets success over Noa-Lynn van Leuven.

Wright produced a majestic 152 checkout to stamp his authority on proceedings, before halting a mid-game revival from Van Leuven to seal his progress.

“I was not happy with my performance,” declared a candid Wright, who will take on Germany’s Arno Merk in round two.

“My practice has been going well but I’m not transferring it on the big stage.

“I feel for Noa-Lynn; she played some amazing darts but just at the wrong time. If she did it at the right time I would have been in a lot of trouble.”

Fifth seed Clayton, meanwhile, overcame Adam Lipscombe 3-1 in a hard-fought battle, registering a hat-trick of ton-plus finishes in setting up a showdown against Dom Taylor.

The Welsh number one was nowhere near his explosive best, although he found his range late on to deny a spirited Lipscombe, who delivered a solid showing on debut.

“Hopefully it’s going to be my year,” claimed Clayton. “I was dreading that game. Adam is obviously a great player, but luckily enough I came through it.

“Dom is going to be a tough cookie to crack. I know what he can do, but I need to concentrate on myself, nobody else.”

Dirk van Duijvenbode produced a sensational late burst to topple a spirited Andy Baetens, converting a quartet of ton-plus checkouts in the closing stages to overturn a 2-1 deficit.

The Dutchman followed up 109 and 106 finishes with a sensational fifth set display, featuring a 170 checkout and a match-winning 102 outshot to prevail with a 98 average and eight 180s.

Scutt will go head-to-head with Gary Anderson in an intriguing round two encounter, after fending off a valiant fightback from ANZ Premier League champion Simon Whitlock.

Scutt raced into a two-set lead against the 2010 World Championship runner-up, before kicking off the final leg with back-to-back 180s to halt the Australian’s resistance.

Max Hopp marked his World Championship return with a 3-1 win against 2024 Grand Slam runner-up Martin Lukeman, crashing in seven 180s to triumph in his first Ally Pally appearance for five years.

Veteran duo Brendan Dolan and Mensur Suljovic also recorded 3-1 victories over Tavis Dudeney and David Cameron on a marathon day of action in North London.

Two-time quarter-finalist Dolan landed a sensational 170 checkout and defied nine 180s from young talent Dudeney to progress, while Suljovic averaged almost 95 to set up an intriguing showdown against Joe Cullen.

World Darts Championship 2025/26 Day Five Results

Monday December 15

First Round

Afternoon Session
Brendan Dolan 3-1 Tavis Dudeney
Cameron Menzies 2-3 Charlie Manby
Mensur Suljovic 3-1 David Cameron
Peter Wright 3-0 Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Evening Session
Martin Lukeman 1-3 Max Hopp
Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2 Andy Baetens
Jonny Clayton 3-1 Adam Lipscombe
Connor Scutt 3-2 Simon Whitlock