"I've never been so nervous in my life" - Relieved Wesley Plaisier struggles to victory on Ally Pally debut

Wesley Plaisier didn't make it easy for himself in the first round of the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship on Monday afternoon. The Dutch debutant had not brought his best game to the Alexandra Palace for his match against Ryusei Azemoto.

Plaisier was broken in the first set and also found himself trailing 2-1 in sets moments later. From the fourth set on, however, the game tilted in Plaisier's direction, who won 3-2 after five sets.

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"This was very tough," Plaisier commented afterwards for Viaplay's camera. "I was SO nervous the first two sets. I've never been so nervous in my life. I've been through a lot and been on a lot of stages, but this was so overwhelming. I know it's in there and people can say it's not, but the World Championship is really different. My first three sets were so terribly bad for my feelings, but luckily then the nerves subsided a bit."

This victory suits Plaisier well, because virtually Dutchman is now in the top-64 of the world rankings. If he holds this position after the World Darts Championship, the prize money he won this season will remain on the ranking next year. In case of a position outside the top-64, Plaisier will have to start from scratch again. Although Plaisier himself is aware of this situation, he says it does not play a factor. "More the World Championship and what happens in the crowd. It's overwhelming," he explains of the reasoning behind the nerves. "It's a step up."

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