Defending champions Wales (Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton) are successfully into the second round of the 2021 World Cup of Darts after seeing off Finland 5-2 to continue the opening night of action in Jena.
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But it wasn't without a spirited comeback in particular by Marko Kantele who pounced on Price and Clayton's inability to close out the game as well as some quality finishing himself.
After surging into a 3-0 lead, Wales looked to be heading into a 4-0 lead but spurned loads of chances from both Price and Clayton.
But Kantele couldn't produce either and Price was back for a last dart double five with the defending champions having the throw to win with a whitewash.
Wales weren't at their best in the final leg and they were punished by Kantele who was left 95 and produced a brilliant marker for bull which he pinned to avert the whitewash and break.
They added another with a 58 checkout once again falling to Kantele to consolidate. This late revival proved to be just that as Kantele missed a dart to break again and make it 4-3 and Clayton wrapped it up on double 10.
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
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Reigning Champions Wales fight off a spirited comeback from the Finnish pair, as they book a spot in the second round, closing out a 5-2 success...
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