"He's a real gentleman" - Nick Kenny 'looking forward' to testing himself against Raymond van Barneveld at the World Darts Championship

The legendary Raymond van Barneveld now knows his opponent in the opening match of his 2025 PDC World Darts Championship campaign on Saturday night. 'Barney' is set to face Nick Kenny after the Welshman won his first-round match 3-0 over Stowe Buntz on Thursday night at the Alexandra Palace.

Kenny lost only four legs in the entire match against American qualifier Buntz and now seems ready to make things more than difficult for Van Barneveld in the next round. "I'm really looking forward to playing against Barney on Saturday night," Kenny told Dutch broadcasters Viaplay confidently after his victory. "And who's there after that match? A certain Luke Humphries?"

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The winner of the match between Van Barneveld and Kenny must then indeed take on the defending world champion and world number one Luke Humphries. But before Kenny gets too ahead of himself, Van Barneveld must be beaten first. "We often talk at the practice board," Kenny says of his relationship with 'Barney'. "He knows I can throw well."

Nick Kenny takes on Raymond van Barneveld in the second round

Kenny can also recall one moment particular where he and the five-time champion of the world shared a memory. "Raymond stayed after his loss to watch my match against Stephen Burton," Kenny's recollection begins. "I threw 170 out, while Stephen was on a finish. He always reminds me of that. He's a real gentleman, to be honest. I'm really looking forward to our match."

The 31-year-old Welshman does realize though, that it will not be an easy task to overcome Van Barneveld on the iconic Alexandra Palace stage. "Any leg would be fine," the Welshman said with a laugh. "We'll see what happens. I'm the underdog now. I was the favourite for this first match. But I'll be a lot calmer now," Kenny predicts for Saturday.

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