Preview Friday night PDC World Darts Championship 2026: Van Veen faces returning Spanish Spartan, fan favourite Ricky Evans brings Christmas to Ally Pally

This Friday evening, 12/12, the next four first-round matches at the World Darts Championship are on the schedule. In this evening session, Gian van Veen begins his pursuit of a possible first world title.

The Dutchman must first overcome a tricky opening hurdle. He faces Spain’s Cristo Reyes. At first glance this might look straightforward, but in reality it could prove a tough assignment. We’ll also see which Christmas outfit “Rapid” Ricky Evans has pulled from his wardrobe this year when he takes on Man Lok Leung. The clashes between Ross Smith and Andreas Harrysson and between Damon Heta and Steve Lennon are also on the bill.

Ross Smith and Andreas Harrysson get the night underway. On paper, this might be one of the standout ties of the opening round. Smith has had a solid year, reaching one semi-final and even a final on the European Tour. Unfortunately for “Smudger,” he had to accept second best in that final against Martin Schindler. He also showed his class on the floor, winning two Players Championship events in total. Only on the major stages did it disappoint a little for Smith this year. His best run came at the World Series of Darts Finals, where he made the quarterfinals.

He’ll need to be on it straight away at Alexandra Palace, as the draw has not been kind. Although Andreas Harrysson may not ring a bell for everyone, he is a very dangerous player. “Dirty Harry” particularly impressed on the PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour, where he won four events this year. He also featured on the European Tour and played multiple Players Championship events. While Smith is the favorite on paper, this could easily be a potential banana skin for “Smudger.”

Next up is “Rapid” Ricky Evans. The Kettering ace opens against Man Lok Leung. Evans, renowned for his bold Christmas outfits in his first-round matches, will very likely have his hands full with Leung. Evans has had a patchy year, partly due to personal issues. His best result, however, came at the recent Grand Slam of Darts not too long ago. There he made it through to the quarterfinals. Does that mean he’s finding form at exactly the right time?

He’ll need it. At least if Leung can hit the same level as last year at Alexandra Palace. The then relatively unknown Hong Kong ace stunned everyone by beating Gian van Veen 3-2 in the first round. He also posted an average of over 96 in that match. In the following round he impressed again with an average over 92, but this time he bowed out. The 26-year-old has already shown what he can do on the big stage, and if he can reproduce that level, he will very likely push Evans to the limit. So let’s hope he finds his best game, because then we’ll get a blistering and very tight contest.

Then it’s finally time for Gian van Veen. The Dutchman has had a superb year, but he will secretly have been disappointed with his draw. While Reyes looks manageable on paper, he played a superb qualifier to book his spot at the Worlds. He also has ample experience on the big stage at Ally Pally. Combine that with the fact Van Veen has never won a match at the PDC World Championship, and you have all the ingredients for a possible early exit for “The Giant.”

However, if we simply look at last year’s stats, Van Veen should win this at a canter. In October, the Dutchman claimed his first major PDC title by winning the European Championship. He also lifted a Players Championship title earlier this year and, at the end of November, successfully defended his World Youth Championship. While he didn’t win on the European Tour, he did reach one final and made three semi-finals. He also reached the quarterfinals at other major events like the World Matchplay and the UK Open. Add it all up and Van Veen starts this tournament as the current world number 10 and one of the major dark horses for the title. First, though, he must deal with the experienced Spaniard Reyes.

The evening concludes with Australia’s Damon Heta against Ireland’s Steve Lennon. Heta is currently world number 16, but he isn’t in the best spell of his career. Especially on TV it’s been underwhelming this year, with many early exits at the big events. On the floor he did reach three Players Championship finals, winning two of them. But, as has been the case for years, it just won’t click on the major stages for “The Heat.”

He won’t be unhappy with this draw, though. While Lennon has big-stage experience at Alexandra Palace with six previous appearances, he never really made a dent there. Only once did he go beyond the second round, in 2022. His other results this year won’t keep you up at night either; across 34 PC events he made the last 16 just once. Otherwise, it was usually an early exit for the Irishman. Although Heta is not in the best phase of his career, he should still be expected to survive this first round.