VIDEO | "Some of the stuff was vile": Robert Owen details abuse suffered on previous World Darts Championship appearance

For the first time in his career, Robert Owen has secured a victory on the Alexandra Palace stage. The Welshman got off a good start to his 2025 PDC World Darts Championship campaign on Monday, fighting back from a set down to defeat Niels Zonneveld 3-1.

Owen also known as 'Stack Attack' celebrated wildly as he saw off his Dutch opponent, keeping his hopes alive of not going to Q-School by hitting a 121 checkout to win it. A big opportunity could arise for Owen now too as he now faces Gabriel Clemens, who has form on the great stage but hasn't played well for most of the year.

"I thought I put on a good performance. Probably not my best, but quite close," Owen assessed in his post-match press conference. "Niels played well, but I just thought I had that little finishing edge better than him really."

As mentioned, Owen also secured his victory in style, checking out a roof raising 121 on double 14. "It's my favourite outshot! If I hit that treble 11, I can close my eyes... double 14 is going in," he says with a smile before turning his attention to the next round and Gabriel Clemens. "I've beaten Gabriel before, I've beaten a lot of the top players before. And now, it's not so much confidence, because I've always got confidence in myself and believe in my own game, but I'm atarting to show it out on the stage. I'm starting to show what I mean, what I am made of."

Whilst this is his first win on the big stage, it isn't his first trip to the Alexandra Palace. Back in 2023, Owen lost to Andrew Gilding in the first round 3-2 and the Welshman does not have the fondest of memories, recalling the abuse he received from the crowd.

"It wasn't really bad memories, in all fairness I did play up to the crowd because they were giving me grief you know what I mean and a lot of people couldn't hear what was being said and I won't repeat what was being said, but I took it on myself to reply on social media," the Welshman remembers. "The last time I played, some of the stuff was vile. It was being chucked at me, quite frankly. But hey, I'm thick-skinned. I don't really care what people think."