PDC World Darts Championship 2026 Round-Up | Luke Humphries shines as 71-year-old Paul Lim makes history

Luke Humphries and Paul Lim were among the headline acts on a dramatic opening night at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, with the reigning world number one surviving a mid-match wobble and Lim rolling back the years to make Ally Pally history.

Luke Humphries booked his place in the Ally Pally second round with a 3–1 victory over fellow Englishman Ted Evetts, despite a performance that fluctuated sharply after a blistering start.

Humphries began the contest in commanding fashion. After taking the opening leg in 18 darts, he quickly pulled clear, firing in a 14-darter and an 11-darter to wrap up the first set at speed.

The second set initially followed the same script. Evetts claimed the opener, but ‘Cool Hand Luke’ responded immediately with a brilliant 138 finish. Legs of 14 and 17 darts followed as Humphries moved into a seemingly unassailable 2–0 lead in sets.
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However, the momentum shifted in the third. Humphries’ scoring dropped off, allowing Evetts to seize control and race into a 2–0 lead. Although Humphries managed to pull back one leg, Evetts closed out the set to reduce the deficit.

Set four also started awkwardly for the world number one. Humphries needed 25 darts to hold his opening leg and was immediately broken by Evetts to level at 1–1, briefly threatening a full comeback. Humphries, though, found his best darts when it mattered most, producing an 11-darter to move onto match point before sealing victory with a 14-darter. He will now face Paul Lim in the second round.

Paul Lim once again captured the hearts of the Alexandra Palace crowd, defeating Jeffrey de Graaf 3–1 to become the oldest player ever to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship at the age of 71.

Lim made a strong start, benefitting from an early mistake by De Graaf in the opening leg before breaking via double five. He then held throw to move 2–0 ahead. De Graaf responded with a 12-darter, but Lim closed out the first set with a 15-darter to take the lead.

The second set swung De Graaf’s way. Lim opened with a neat 80 finish, but the Dutch-Swede replied with a 16-darter before breaking Lim with a 108 checkout. A solid 15-darter saw De Graaf level the match at one set apiece.

Tension continued in the third set. Lim missed three darts to break in the opening leg, allowing De Graaf to move ahead via a 71 finish. Lim hit back with a 100 checkout, but De Graaf again edged in front at 2–1. A deciding leg followed, and De Graaf’s miscount on 70 proved costly, as Lim punished the error by taking out 71 to edge back in front.

The fourth set delivered further drama. Lim opened with a 78 finish, only for De Graaf to respond with a 76 checkout. Lim then moved to match point with a 12-darter, but De Graaf forced a deciding leg with a 13-darter. In the final leg, Lim completed the fairytale by checking out 56 to secure a historic victory and a second-round clash with Humphries.

Wessel Nijman made a powerful statement on his third appearance at the PDC World Darts Championship, producing a dominant display to defeat Karel Sedlacek 3–0 in sets.

The Dutchman set the tone immediately, holding throw in 15 darts before accelerating. An 11-darter and a superb 136 finish in 12 darts sealed the opening set.

Nijman continued in the same vein in set two, opening with a 14-darter. Although Sedlacek briefly responded, missed darts at tops allowed Nijman to break, and a 13-darter secured a 2–0 lead in sets.

Any hopes of a Czech comeback were quickly extinguished in the third. Sedlacek gifted Nijman the opening leg with missed doubles, and the 25-year-old followed up with a 15-darter to move to match point. A 14-darter from Sedlacek briefly delayed the inevitable, but Nijman calmly closed out the match with a 13-darter to book his place in the next round.

Gabriel Clemens rounded off the evening with a comfortable 3–0 victory over American Alex Spellman, dropping just one leg throughout the contest.

Clemens asserted control early, highlighted by a spectacular 170 checkout in the opening set. He remained in command in the second, winning it without reply, before Spellman finally got on the board in the third. That proved only a consolation, as ‘The German Giant’ wrapped up the match in style with an 11-darter to secure his spot in round two.