Lights out and away we go at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship. After the opening day on Sunday, we continue Monday with the first double session of the tournament. On Monday afternoon, we once again have four matches on the schedule.
James Wade will be the leading name on Monday afternoon who will head back to the Palace in a top tie against Jermaine Wattimena. Read our preview for Monday afternoon's matches at the World Darts Championship here.
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Wesley Plaisier v Ryusei Azemoto (R1)
The afternoon begins with debutant Wesley Plaisier, a Dutch dart player who has had an incredible year. Despite missing a PDC Tour Card, Plaisier managed to work his way up to become a dangerous player on the Pro Tour. He played virtually every Players Championship tournament as a substitute and made it to three finals, one of which he managed to win. That performance earned him his first PDC title and put him in the spotlight.
For Plaisier, this match is more than a chance to add luster to his World Championship debut. A win virtually moves him into the top-64 in the world, which is crucial to maintaining his 2024 merit on the rankings. His opponent, Ryusei Azemoto, is also making his World Cup debut. The Japanese earned his place through the Asian Tour, where he performed consistently with four titles and a final place finish. The winner of this match awaits a meeting with two-time world champion Peter Wright, who has been struggling with his form for more than a year.
Luke Woodhouse v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
The second match of the afternoon session brings Luke Woodhouse opposite Lourence Ilagan. Woodhouse, an established name with his sixth World Cup appearance, finally wants to get past Christmas again. He hasn't succeeded since his third round in 2020. This season, he played at almost every ranking tournament and earned a semifinal spot at the European Championship, showing he is in good shape.
Lourence Ilagan is an experienced force at the World Cup, with his ninth participation and a regular spot as an Asian representative. Although often stranded in the first round, Ilagan has shown he is a dominant player on the Asian Tour. This year, he reached seven finals and won three. The battle between the consistent Woodhouse and the flamboyant Ilagan promises to be an interesting one. Whoever wins will get to face talented Belgian Mike de Decker in the second round.
Alan Soutar v Kai Gotthardt (R1)
Alan Soutar is back at the World Championship after a year's absence. The Scot is known for his impressive performances at Alexandra Palace, with fourth-round finishes in 2022 and 2023. This season, Soutar won his first PDC title by winning a Players Championship tournament, a career highlight. Nevertheless, he has had little success at televised tournaments, which puts a question mark over his form on the big stage.
Kai Gotthardt is a lesser-known name, but with his victory in the PDC Europe Super League, he managed to qualify as Germany's representative. His only previous stage appearances on the PDC circuit, two Euro Tour tournaments, ended in early elimination. This is his chance to prove himself on the world stage against an experienced opponent like Soutar.
James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena (R1)
The session concludes with a second-round match between James Wade and Jermaine Wattimena. Wade, an icon in the sport of darts, begins his 21st PDC World Championship in a row, an impressive run. Still, the Englishman has earned a reputation as the best darter to never reach a World Championship final. With 11 major titles to his name and four semifinals at the World Championship, the ultimate prize remains elusive for Wade. After losing his opening match two years in a row, Wade must surely see out Christmas once again
Jermaine Wattimena, however, is not just any opponent. The Dutchman is in excellent form and showed it with a convincing 3-0 victory over Stefan Bellmont in the first round. After his final place at the European Darts Championship and a quarterfinal at the Grand Slam, Wattimena has become a formidable opponent. His improved averages and improved mental toughness make him a serious threat to Wade.
Sky Sports are broadcasting the entire World Darts Championship in the UK with coverage throughout on a dedicated channel Sky Sports Darts.
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The 96 participants at the 2025 World Darts Championship may divide as much as 2.5 million pounds between them. That amount is almost forty times higher than at the very first edition of the PDC World Championship in 1994.
The 64 participants to start in the first round of the World Darts Championship will receive £7500 in prize money anyway. The top-32 of the placement list are guaranteed 15,000 pounds. These players enter the World Darts Championship from the second round. The amount then increases further each round. The new world champion will receive the top prize of 500,000 pounds.
First round: Best of 5 sets
Second round: Best of 5 sets
Third round: Best of 7 sets
Fourth round: Best of 7 sets
Quarterfinals: Best of 9 sets
Semifinals: Best of 11 sets
Final: Best of 13 sets
In the first round, there will be no tiebreak if it is 2-2 after four legs in the fifth set. In that case, the fifth leg will be sudden-death. Starting from the second round, a tie-break rule will be applied in all matches; a deciding set must be won with a difference of two legs. If the score in the final set becomes 5-5, a sudden-death leg will still be played.
Monday, Dec. 16
Afternoon session (from 12:30 p.m.)
Wesley Plaisier v Ryusei Azemoto (R1)
Luke Woodhouse v Lourence Ilagan (R1)
Alan Soutar v Kai Gotthardt (R1)
James Wade v Jermaine Wattimena (R2)