PDC World Championship Preview - Day 6

The crowds have been out in force at the World Championship. 180s are flying in with gay abandon. There has been no shortage at all of big checkouts. The seeds aren't safe - apart from the top six. Paul Lim - yes, THE Paul Lim - has hit the most maximums. What more could be in store? Plenty, because we're somehow not even close to finishing the first round. The seven players competing tonight have seven world titles between them. Though they all belong to Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis. Nine seeds have fallen by the wayside already. Could any more be toppled?

This is it, everyone. The whole World Championship has been building up to this. Aleksandr Oreshkin, the Rasputin of darts, enters the fray. He could end the night against Adrian Lewis. And if that isn't an early Christmas present, what is? His rumoured new nickname is 'The Nut', and he's a tough one to crack. Paul Lim couldn't beat Oreshkin two years ago, and Mervyn King struggled. His slow, methodical and yet utterly bizarre throwing style, with the open-handed release, makes Oreshkin a force to be reckoned with.
Kevin Münch reigned supreme in Mönchengladbach, winning the German Superleague ahead of the likes of Martin Schindler, Dragutin Horvat and Maik Langendorf. The Dragon defeated Lee Choon Peng and Denis Ovens to reach the second round of the World Championship in 2012, but won't be looking beyond the first round this time. This all-lefty battle could take a while, even if it only lasts two sets. Don't expect big averages, but this preliminary tie is a good way to get the party started.

Who does Michael van Gerwen refer to as the "second best player in the world"? It's not Phil Taylor. It's not Peter Wright, Gary Anderson, Daryl Gurney or Raymond van Barneveld. It's a rocking Scotsman who has never passed the second round of the World Championship. John Henderson stunned the world number one at the World Grand Prix, going on to make his first ever major semi-final. That run in Dublin means the Highlander has a decent seeding, meaning a first round exit is unlikely. That said, Henderson managed to lose 3-2 to Andrew Gilding in last year's first round. His opponent is returning to the Ally Pally after eight years away. Marko Kantele lost to Ronnie Baxter in the 2009 Championships, and is now back for more after sealing a spot as an international qualifier. He was the first Finn to reach the World Championships; now the task is to be the first to make the second round, or at least win two sets. Kim Viljanen failed to set a high bar after a beating at the hands of Alan Norris. Should he win this, Henderson will have a chance to gain revenge over Daryl Gurney, the man who ended his Grand Prix dream.

He has won five world titles. He has made three semi-finals in the last three years. He has gone out in the first round of just two World Championships this century. But Raymond van Barneveld is no cert in this match. Barney was magnificent in last year's championship, averaging the highest score ever achieved by a player on the losing side in the semi-finals against Michael van Gerwen. The two Dutchmen teamed up to win the World Cup of Darts but van Gerwen hoarded the individual trophies, leaving the man from den Haag to settle for quarter-finals at the Masters, the UK Open and the World Grand Prix. Van Barneveld has a huge and devoted following, and brings his best to the Ally Pally.
But nothing is certain. With a Premier League spot hanging in the balance - that said, his immense popularity makes him a likely wildcard - there is some pressure on van Barneveld. Battling with him for a second round clash with Kyle Anderson is 27-year-old former bricklayer Richard North. A good year on the Pro Tour meant qualification for the World Grand Prix, in which he beat Mark Webster, and the Players Championship finals. Rob Cross' opening year as a professional greatly outshone North's, but it has been an impressive start for him. Making the Players Championship 18 final and coming within a whisker of beating Dave Chisnall showed the quality and determination Lionheart has. Van Barneveld could turn on the style and run away with it, or North could cause a massive shock on debut.

First, we see Raymond van Barneveld throwing Raymond van Barneveld's darts. After that, it's Adrian Lewis throwing Raymond van Barneveld's darts. Jackpot showed some of his old class at the Players Championship finals before Rob Cross ended his run, but 2017 has been a tough year. That said, there was a nine-darter in the Premier League, plus semi-finals in the Masters and the Matchplay. Even a year blighted by surgery and a drop in form hasn't kept Lewis too far from the top. With a lot of money to defend in the Order of Merit, a decent run at the Ally Pally is needed to make sure 2018 is better for him.
Lewis will not know what to make of Aleksandr Oreshkin or Kevin Munch, but will be focused on the win. Given a long history of on-stage rows, the 2011 and 2012 world champion may not enjoy sharing a stage with Oreshkin, whose antics can be jarring. Münch isn't the quickest player, but would allow a bit more fluency than Oreshkin would. A second round meeting with a Spaniard is certain; whether it's Cristo Reyes or Antonio Alcinas is, as of yet, unclear. For Lewis, a decent run - and possibly a quarter-final clash with Peter Wright - beckons.