Reigning champion Luke Humphries began his defence of the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship with a dominant straight-sets win over Thibault Tricole, securing his place in the third round. Humphries cruised through the match, winning nine consecutive legs and showcasing a brilliant 160 checkout. Despite not feeling at his best, Humphries expressed confidence in his performance and emphasized the importance of advancing, with the ultimate goal of becoming a back-to-back World Champion. He is aiming to join the ranks of Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, and Gary Anderson as players to retain the Sid Waddell Trophy.

Elsewhere, Jermaine Wattimena and Keane Barry advanced to the second round with convincing victories over Stefan Bellmont and Kim Huybrechts, respectively. Wattimena, confident from a stellar year, defeated Bellmont 3-0, while Barry overcame Huybrechts 3-1, despite the Belgian hitting ten maximums. Barry’s performance was particularly impressive as he hit several ton-plus finishes and expressed optimism for his upcoming match against Gerwyn Price. The tournament continued with more first and second-round action, including matchups between James Wade and Wattimena, as well as Price and Barry.

Source: PDCTV
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