PDC World Darts Championship Round-Up: Van Gerwen survives Tatsunami scare in an Ally Pally thriller as Fallon Sherrock falls at the first hurdle

Michael van Gerwen was pushed far closer than expected before eventually escaping with a 3-1 victory over Mitsuhiko Tatsunami in one of the most entertaining matches of the session.

Backed by a raucous Alexandra Palace crowd following an electric walk on, Tatsunami burst into the contest with fearless scoring and sharp finishing. Early missed doubles from Van Gerwen allowed the Japanese debutant to seize momentum, and when Tatsunami landed a series of timely checkouts to move within touching distance of a two set lead, the upset felt genuinely alive.

Van Gerwen steadied himself just in time. Although far from fluent, the Dutchman found crucial holds under pressure and gradually dragged the match back onto his terms. Tatsunami had multiple chances to force a deciding set, including missed opportunities at key finishes late in the match, but Van Gerwen eventually capitalised on those reprieves to close out a dramatic encounter.

It was far from vintage Van Gerwen, yet the three time world champion once again demonstrated his ability to survive when his best game deserts him.

Fallon Sherrock’s World Championship campaign came to an early end as Dave Chisnall claimed a 3-0 victory in a scrappy but decisive opening round contest.

Sherrock had her moments, particularly in the early legs where her scoring kept her competitive, but missed doubles proved costly throughout the match. Chisnall, not at his explosive best, consistently punished those errors and edged his way through the crucial moments.

The turning point came in the second set, where Chisnall produced a clinical 160 checkout to complete a whitewash and put clear daylight between the pair. From there, Sherrock struggled to generate sustained pressure, and despite brief flashes of resistance in the third set, Chisnall closed out the match without allowing the contest to swing back in her favour.

For Sherrock, it was a frustrating night where opportunities went begging. For Chisnall, it was a professional if unspectacular progression into round two.

Krzysztof Ratajski produced one of the most controlled performances of the session, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Alexis Toylo with a 97.67 average.

The Polish number one settled quickly and never allowed the match to drift into danger. A highlight came in the second set when Ratajski produced a stunning 170 checkout to break throw, effectively extinguishing any momentum Toylo was building. From there, Ratajski managed the contest expertly, shrugging off a handful of missed doubles to seal a straight sets win without ever looking threatened.

Earlier in the evening, Jermaine Wattimena endured a far tougher route to round two, edging past Lukas Gruellich in a tense 3-2 encounter.

Wattimena struggled for rhythm for long spells and was repeatedly punished for missed chances on the outer ring. Gruellich matched him blow for blow and forced the match into a deciding set after Wattimena missed multiple darts to close it out earlier.

In the end, Wattimena’s experience told. He found a crucial break at the start of the decider and held his nerve to complete the win, even if the performance itself left room for improvement.

Both Ratajski and Wattimena move on, but in very different fashion. One in full control, the other simply relieved to survive.