Preview Saturday afternoon PDC World Darts Championship: Van Duijvenbode, Chisnall and crowd favourite Sakai return to Ally Pally

All first-round matches at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship have been completed, and this Saturday, December 20, we immediately dive into the first ties of the second round. This afternoon session already features a Dutchman, plus a debutant who instantly became a crowd favorite.

The first second-round match this Worlds pits “Heavy Metal” Ryan Searle against Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan. Then it’s time for two surprise packages: Andreas Harrysson meets the colorful Motomu Sakai. In the third match, Dirk van Duijvenbode takes on James Hurrell. Finally, we get Dave Chisnall against German Ricardo Pietreczko.

The first second-round match is Ryan Searle versus Brendan Dolan. Searle swept aside Dutchman Chris Landman 3-0 in his opener and faced little resistance from his compatriot. Searle himself impressed, averaging over 93 with a checkout rate close to 50%. The pace of that match suited “Heavy Metal,” who likes to keep the throw flowing, and Landman proved the perfect opponent for that. Against Dolan it will be different, as the Northern Irishman is known for a slightly slower tempo.

Dolan, for his part, saw off Tavis Dudeney 3-1 in round one, though it was less straightforward. “The History Maker” cruised through the first set, but had to work harder thereafter. In the decider of set two he produced a superb 170 checkout to move 2-0 up. Dudeney pulled a set back, and after Dolan missed a wagonload of doubles in set four, he eventually managed to close it out and reach round two. He did have a bit of luck that Dudeney wasn’t clinical on the outer ring. On paper, Searle will be the strong favorite to reach the third round, but with Dolan you never quite know. He can spring a surprise.

Then we get a match to relish. The long-bearded Swede Andreas Harrysson takes on one of Ally Pally’s new crowd favorites: Motomu Sakai. Harrysson delivered one of the first shocks of this Worlds by beating 12th seed Ross Smith 3-2 in his opener. It was a tense affair with almost every session going to a deciding leg, and “Dirty Harry” proved the cooler finisher. He averaged over 93 with a 46% checkout rate.

And then his opponent: Motomu Sakai. The colorful Japanese player who instantly won over Alexandra Palace with his walk-on. Dancing, he whipped up the crowd and a new cult hero was born. But beyond the flamboyant look and moves, he also played well. He laid down a marker in set one with 78 and 121 bullseye checkouts, and in set two he added finishes of 86 and 148. He beat his French opponent Thibault Tricole 3-0 with relative ease. On paper, Andreas Harrysson is a slight favorite due to his greater experience and the question of whether Sakai can reproduce that level. One thing is certain: the Japanese debutant shows no stage fright and will undoubtedly turn it into another party this afternoon.

Then it’s time for the “Aubergenius” Dirk van Duijvenbode, who faces James Hurrell in his second-round tie. Van Duijvenbode himself won’t be satisfied with his opener, a labored 3-2 victory over Belgian Andy Baetens, though there were positives. The Dutchman started well, taking the first set convincingly, but his level dipped and he fell 2-1 behind. He dug in and, with 106 and 109 checkouts in set four, forced a decider. In that set he showed his class. He started with a 170 checkout in 12 darts and clinched it with a 102 finish. He will want to carry the feeling from those last two sets into this match.

There he meets Englishman James Hurrell, which normally should not pose a major problem for Van Duijvenbode. Hurrell won his opener 3-1 against American Stowe Buntz, averaging just over 88. He could, however, have been 2-0 down early on, while Buntz wasn’t stellar either. Normally Van Duijvenbode should win this comfortably, but he needs to find the level of his last two sets against Baetens, not that of sets two and three. If he isn’t at his best, he could still be dragged into a battle.

Finally, it’s Dave Chisnall against Ricardo Pietreczko. Chisnall cruised past Fallon Sherrock 3-0 in his opener and didn’t need to hit top gear. He averaged just under 90 with a checkout rate over 47%, solid numbers for a first round. He faced little resistance from “The Queen of the Palace.”

Pietreczko beat Portuguese player José de Sousa in his first match. The German, however, had to overcome more resistance. He trailed 2-0 in the first set but turned it around impressively to win 3-2. He also took the deciding leg in set two. De Sousa pulled one back to 2-1, but Pietreczko dominated set four to seal it. His stats were similar to Chisnall’s, suggesting this could be very tight.

Much of it will likely depend on “Chizzy.” The Englishman has had a highly erratic year, so it’s a question of how he steps on stage. If he finds his best, we’ll get a real contest. But if he never settles, it could turn into a one-sided win for Pietreczko.