In an incredible PDC World Darts Championship debut, Scott Williams defied a 103 average from Ryan Joyce to emerge victorious in one of the best 1st round games in the history of the tournament. With Rob Cross up next, Williams is adamant the winner of that matchup will go on the be crowned World Champion.
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Averaging a ridiculous 116 and hitting 5 180's in the first set alone, Williams took no time to settle in and showed no signs of debut nerves. "I'm not really a nervous guy," he says. "I love the noise, I love the background, everything about the stage. I just enjoy and go from there."
With the 2018 World Champion next up for Williams, he's under no illusions as to just how tough the next match could be. "It's going to be one of the toughest games of my career, technically the biggest game," he admits. "But I'm ready for him and just looking forward to it happening now."
Having spent some time practising with Rob Cross in preparation for the Worlds, Williams has seen first-hand just how good the former champ can be. Not lacking in self-belief however, Shaggy as he's known is confident that he can push Cross all the way. "I was with him last weekend, he was throwing fantastic. But so was I and I've shown tonight what I can do."
In Williams mind, one thing is for certain, whoever is left standing after himself and Cross collide in Round 2, will go on to lift the Sid Waddell trophy on January 3rd. "If I don't win the World Championship, Rob Cross will."
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He contributes to DartsNews.com, where he covers professional darts through news, match reports, analysis, and live coverage across the PDC calendar and major tournaments.
A key part of his work is on-site reporting from leading events. Kieran has covered the PDC World Darts Championship in person, reporting daily from the venue and providing first-hand insight from the tournament. During his coverage, he has conducted interviews with leading players including Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, and Gerwyn Price.
He is also one of the leading voices of the English-language Dartsnews Podcast, contributing regular analysis and discussion on developments across the professional darts circuit.
In his reporting, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles when new, verified information becomes available.
The game of the tournament so far 🙌
What a match and what a win on debut for Scott Williams!
Ryan Joyce was averaging nearly 112 for a large part of the match, but Williams stayed so consistent to secure a 3-1 victory!
#WCDarts | R1
📺 bit.ly/WC23Live