Preview Monday – 2025 WDF World Championship: Former champion Neil Duff returns to Lakeside in stacked evening session

All first-round matches at the WDF World Championship have now been completed. Day four of the tournament brings four men’s second-round ties, including the appearance of former world champion Neil Duff against New Zealander Ben Robb. Dutch interest begins with Corné Groeneveld making his first outing of the event. The women’s draw has also moved into the second round, featuring an all-Dutch meeting between Lerena Rietbergen and Aletta Wajer.

Paul Krohne makes his WDF World Championship debut this year. The 24-year-old German won the Bruges Open in 2025 and arrives at Lakeside as the 16th seed. His first opponent is Dalibor Smolik. The Czech, also making his World Championship debut, impressed in the opening round with a 3–1 victory over experienced Finn Marko Kantele.

Nicole Regnaud and Maria Carli follow. Both players have previous World Championship experience. Regnaud, seeded fourth, is considered one of the dark horses for the women’s title. The 26-year-old New Zealander begins her campaign against Carli, who has already played once after defeating Germany’s Irina Armstrong 2–1 in the first round.

Raymond Smith is a well-known figure in the darts world. The Australian has previously reached the last 16 of the PDC World Championship and recently featured in the Australian Premier League. Seeded 11th this year, he starts his Lakeside campaign against Clint Clarkson. The Canadian debutant advanced with a convincing 3–0 win over England’s Cliff Prior.

Next comes Corné Groeneveld’s first appearance of the tournament. The 35-year-old Dutchman made his World Championship debut last year but was beaten in the opening round by Brian Raman. This time, seeded eighth, he opens against Jonas Masalin. The Finn, making his WDF World Championship debut, progressed with a 3–1 win over Ryan Hogarth.

The penultimate match of the evening brings an all-Dutch encounter between Lerena Rietbergen and Aletta Wajer. Rietbergen has enjoyed a standout season, winning the World Open, Belfry Open and Catalonia Open, and she enters Lakeside as the top seed. Wajer already has a victory to her name, having beaten American Aaja Jalbert 2–0 in the opening round.

The night concludes with Neil Duff. The 2022 world champion opens his 2025 campaign against Ben Robb. Seeded third, Duff faces a dangerous opponent in the New Zealander, who brings considerable experience from multiple PDC World Championship appearances.