"I want to prove myself as world champion" – Shane McGuirk starts Lakeside title defence with 90+ average in testing 3–1 victory

Shane McGuirk began the defence of his WDF World Championship title with a 91.52 average and a 3–1 win over Finland’s Petri Rasmus, but the scoreline only tells part of the story.

What looked like a routine opening assignment for the reigning champion almost unravelled as Rasmus produced a determined fightback, forcing McGuirk to dig far deeper than anticipated on the tournament’s opening night at Lakeside.

McGuirk admitted afterwards that the occasion carried more weight than he had expected. “It’s a nervy game, the first one… there’s a lot of pressure on it, especially when people think you’re going in as last year’s winner and you’re just going to turn up and win,” he said.

He was also unequivocal about his aim this week: “I do want to prove myself as a world champion.”

The champion began confidently, sweeping through the opening set with composed finishing and a standout 16-darter. He closed the set with a 93 checkout and appeared to have established firm control.

Rasmus, however, responded immediately. The Finn broke throw with double nine at the start of set two, held for 2–0, and briefly threatened to level the match with minimal resistance. McGuirk was forced to respond and did so in style, producing a 115 checkout and then 70 to force a decider. A sequence of 180, 140 and 89 set up the opportunity, and with Rasmus well adrift, McGuirk closed out the set to move two ahead.

Set three followed a similar pattern. McGuirk went 2–0 up, including a tidy 74 finish, but further missed opportunities allowed Rasmus to capitalise and reduce the match deficit to 2–1. It shifted the tone of the contest and ensured the defending champion could not afford to relax.

“If he’d taken his chances, I should probably have lost two sets,” McGuirk reflected.

The fourth set brought further tension. McGuirk opened with a 60 finish but could not secure an immediate break, allowing Rasmus to level with a 110 checkout. The Finn then moved within a leg of forcing a deciding set by taking out 60 for a break of throw.

At that stage, the defending champion’s composure was tested. The response was decisive. Heavy scoring — including multiple maximums — set up the opportunity to break back on double eight, and McGuirk completed the match in the decider with a 64 checkout that finally ensured safe passage.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself this year,” he said afterwards. “Clutching up in big moments is what I’ve been doing all year, and I knew it would come. I got the job done.”

McGuirk acknowledged that entering the tournament as the defending champion brought a new level of expectation, but he also believes this opening match will stand him in good stead for the days ahead.

“Having that game under me proves to myself that I still belong here,” he said. “I think come Sunday I’ll be a better player.”

The Irishman will now return home briefly before his second-round match, attending a friend’s wedding on Saturday, but insisted that the quick turnaround will not disrupt his preparation. His broader ambitions remain clear, whether this week or beyond. “I always want to play against the best players in the world… and I want to prove myself here as a world champion.”

It was not the flawless start some predicted, but it was the type of early examination that can sharpen a title defence rather than derail it. McGuirk moves on, tested but assured, with his Lakeside campaign intact.