Thibaut Tricole survives Comito comeback to set up showdown with Luke Humphries as 2025 PDC World Darts Championship opens with a thriller

Thibaut Tricole has become the first winner at the 2025 PDC World Darts Championship, setting up a second round tie later this evening against defending world champion Luke Humphries thanks to a 3-1 victory over Joe Comito.

The opening match of the tournament, there was a little extra pressure on both Tricole and Comito in this one. It was the Australian debutant that started the strongest, holding throw solidly in the opening leg to get off the mark. As he missed chances in the following few legs though, Comito became more and more animated. The cool Frenchman Tricole though, stayed focused and punished his opponents mistakes to move into a 1-0 at the end of the first set.

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Tricole was nowhere near his best level. In the second set too though, 'The French Touch' continued to punish Comito's mistakes. In the opening leg of the set, the Aussie missed a the big number trying to set up a double allowing Tricole to go one up. Then in leg 2, despite hitting the first maximum of the match, Comito couldn't finish the leg off. In leg 3 though, the roles were reversed. Tricole missed a handful for the set, allowing Comito to stop the rot and stay alive in the set. After then levelling the set I the next leg, Comito looked to have the momentum. With the first real moment of magic in the contest though, Tricole pinned a classy 118 checkout to move into a 2-0 lead.

Spurred on by the ton-plus checkout, Tricole opened sets 3 with his first maximum. Comito still had the first dart for the leg, but after he missed, the Frenchman punished to nudge closer to the second round. Showing good fight, Comito wasn't ready to give in just yet and broke straight back in leg 2 to level up the set. The Aussie the held strongly in the following too to get infront in set 3. Comito seal the set in next leg though, allowing Tricole to punish again and get to one away from victory. In the deciding leg of the set, Comito had the darts, and he made the most of it too, hitting double top to get a set on the board.

Suddenly, it was Tricole who looked to be feeling the nerves. Despite some big misses on the outer ring though, he eventually pinned double one for the first leg of set 4. A reinvigorated Comito pinned 94 to level in leg 2, striking a pose in celebration too as he began to really look at home on the big stage. After taking leg 3, Tricole then forged himself two matchdarts in leg 4. After missing double 10 and double 5 though, Tricole failed to capitalise, allowing Comito to pin tops and stay alive. With the Aussie missing a dart for 2-2 though, Tricole pinned double 16 for the match.

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