Hong Konger Leung Takes Huge Scalp

QUALIFIER HITS 11 180S EN ROUTE TO WIN OVER DUTCH PRODIGY VAN VEEN

Man Lok Leung pulled off the shock of the tournament so far by ousting Gian Van Veen 3-2 in a close but enticing encounter.

Leung started well in a quite unpredictable match-up, a 180 following an opening offering of 121. Crucially, the leg also followed. Another strong leg followed for the man from Hong Kong, but leg 2 instead saw Van Veen get off the mark.

A solid 14 darter and the first show of emotion beckoned for Leung. Time for Van Veen to raise the stakes, a 12 darter and 116 out of his own offering challenge. A first decider and the set would go the favoured Dutchman’s way.

The Asian qualifier was not about to be bowed however, and two legs on the spin would rapidly follow, taking only 28 darts to do it. It was a high quality affair, but a few nerves did seem to take over in leg 3. ‘Hugo’ would squander four darts for the leg, which duly went with Van Veen. No throw, no problem it seemed however for a rampant Leung. Under the cosh, the young Dutchman did deliver, a 112 taking affairs to a decider. There was no excusing a flurry of 8 missed doubles from Leung, seized upon by Van Veen now 2-0 up.

For now, the pair seemed on different planes, but Leung had already led in the first two sets. He would finally convert one of these leads in set 3, as he raced to a 3-1 win over Van Veen after taking the first two legs. No decider was required in the end, as double 10 did the business.

A 14 darter against the throw from Van Veen didn’t trouble ‘Hugo’, who reeled off the next 2 legs to once again have a commanding set lead. But some awkward darts at double from Van Veen around the 16 segment offered an opening for Leung, who took out 35 to take the match to a decider.

The match now finely poised, a break was forthcoming for the man from Hong Kong. You would not have thought that this was a deciding set in his debut World Championship, as he reeled off a 13 darter embellished with two 180s. An explosive closer nearly followed, the bull wired for a 121.

But Van Veen had done the donkey work in the leg to afford him the chance, and he was ready to pounce. No similar efficiency would follow in leg 4, as he bungled a visit from 201 to leave him short of a finish.

Leung would have 6 darts at 62, and he would only need 4. Van Veen could barely contain his fury, Leung his delight. One of the shocks of the round and tournament so far.

“I am so happy because I didn’t think I could win the match,” he told the PDC following the match.

“I just wanted to try my best and make myself proud. Then I lost the first 2 sets to give me the chance and I knew I needed to try hard.”

Meanwhile, 2021 World Champion and title contender Gerwyn Price eased to victory over Connor Stutt 3-0.

The number 5 seed had it all his own way against the young Englishman, dropping only 2 legs and knocking in an average of 98.

Start as you mean to go on, they say, and by that metric Price’s opening maximum certainly laid down a marker. Connor Scutt had impressed on debut against Krzysztof Kcuik, but this was a different kettle of fish. After leg 1 disappeared in 15 darts, legs 2 and 3 soon followed in similar fashion, the Englishman struggling to find his rhythm.

‘The Iceman’ was hovering comfortably around a ton-average and 50% on the doubles, easing to a hold of throw in leg 1. But some off-the-boil scoring from Price in leg 2 would afford Scutt the chance to make his mark. With the scores sitting at 204-84, it looked like the moment had come. But double opportunities came and went, and the former World Champion made a move. A sixth leg on the spin would follow despite a brief stumble, Scutt swallowed by the vast Ally Pally stage.

‘The Sniper’ needed to stem the flow, and a leg would finally arrive in the first of set 3. Big trebles were not coming for Scutt however, who dropped another leg to Price. A break in leg 3 proved the hammer blow, but drama was ahead. Scrappy doubles from both were separated only by a double 5 from Scutt, but Price was not messing around. 12 darts later, he had snuffed out the match and Scutt’s hopes of a fairytale win. A round 3 clash with Brendan Dolan could now beckon, but he can settle into the Christmas break having not broken a sweat.

“I started off really well and sort of got the crowd on my side, but it was difficult,” Price told Sky’s Abigail Davies. “Connor didn’t play well but when he picked up I knew I needed to put the pressure on.”

“I have done this a lot of times and it is just about getting over the winning line, particularly in the first round. I am thankful I got through the game and played pretty decently.”

In the opening match of the session, last year’s WDF world finalist Thibault Tricole edged past Mario Vandenbogaerde 3-2, in a match which forces the Belgian back to Q-School for his tour card.

Tricole started off in the best vein of form, if not a little unassured. A 17 dart opening leg was followed by a 20 darter to make it 2-0, but Vandenbogaerde made amends quickly, a 107 out helping him to his first leg. With 3 darts at 60,

Tricole will have fancied his chances for the set in leg 4, but awry doubles let the Belgian back in. A third leg on the spin followed to give Mario the advantage.

The first French player to feature in the PDC Worlds was not about to down tools, and steadier scoring settled him into set 2 and a 1-0 lead. But ‘Super Mario’ was on the pounce, and seized the next two legs to give him the throw for a 2-0 lead.

Surprisingly, Vandenbogaerde would fluff his lines, missing two darts for the set at 2-1 before losing the decider to the Frenchman.

In many ways, this match had all the markers of one between two debutants. Set 3 began as set 2 had concluded for Vandenbogaerde, the Belgian lacking confidence and quickly falling to a 2-0 deficit. A 16 darter and double 20 would stop the rot, before a trio of crucial ton-plus scores would grant him a decider. But it was Thibault who would go within a set of the second round, a double-top of his own making it 2-1.

The darts were with the Frenchman now, and a hold in leg 1 set him on his way. Mario would earn a reprieve in leg 2 with Tricole some distance behind. A 141 out nearly fell into the Frenchman’s lap for 2-1, but Mario would not capitalise.

Set 4 was to follow the previous three in going to a decider however. Some notably under-par scoring would dominate the decider, but a missed dart from Mario for a deciding set would go amiss. The match was Tricole’s.

“Mario is a good friend of mine on the circuit so it was strange for me and him,” Tricole told the PDC after the match. “A win is a win though and it was the first time for both of us. I am so proud to be here.”

Pro Tour qualifier Martin Lukeman gained a comfortable victory over ‘Hopes’ Haupai Puha, ambling to a 3-1 win over the New Zealander.

After the high drama of Yeung-Van Veen, Lukeman and Puha got off to a slow start, but it was Martin who set out his stall with a comfortable 3-0 opening set, legs of 17, 19 and 15 doing the job. A 114 to win the set was followed by a 110 to open set 2, ‘Hopes’ well on the ropes. Eventually, a first leg would be forthcoming to level in set 2, but Lukeman remained a cut above, a tidy double 16 reestablishing his lead. The set, his second, would follow.

Puha needed a strong response, and in leg 1 he delivered. But another mid-teens leg followed for Lukeman, the steady sort the Ally Pally crowd had become accustomed to from him. The New Zealander needed to arrest his decline quickly, and another leg for his first set lead certainly helped. Leg 4 was nip and tuck, but Lukeman took it to make the decider do or die for Puha. After Puha missed 4 darts for the set, Lukeman squandered a chance at 105 for the match. 2 darts later, Puha got there.

But ‘Hopes’ still had his work cut out, and needed to make an indent. Lukeman however was not going to mess around, keeping a visit ahead of Puha and dealing the blow of a break of throw in leg 2. Anxieties were settled with a maxi to open leg 3, before a 98 and 140 left him in pole position. Double 18 ultimately sealed the deal, a very competent display from Lukeman and one he will be pleased with.

“If I didn’t hit my doubles as well as I did, I would have been in trouble,” Lukeman told the PDC following the match. “But I am a scrapper, that’s what I do.”

“Every player wants to come to the World Championship and all year around we are fighting to get here. This is the one that really matters.”

Tomorrow’s action sees another double session day, with former semi-finalist James Wade headlining the afternoon versus Matt Campbell, whilst three-time champion Michael van Gerwen leads the evening session. Steve Beaton will also feature at 7pm, in his 33rd consecutive World Championship appearance.

The tournament is being broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria & Switzerland based subscribers).

2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship

Monday December 18
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Thibault Tricole 3-1 Mario Vandenbogaerde (2-3, 3-2, 3-2, 3-2) (R1)
Man Lok Yeung 3-2 Gian Van Veen (2-3, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-1) (R1)
Martin Lukeman 3-1 Haupai Puha (3-0, 3-1, 2-3, 3-0) (R1)
Gerwyn Price 3-0 Connor Stutt (3-0, 3-0, 3-2) (R2)

Tuesday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Ian White v Tomoya Goto (R1)
Ritchie Edhouse v Jeffrey de Graaf (R1)
Keegan Brown v Boris Krcmar (R1)
James Wade v Matt Campbell (R2)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)
3x First Round, 1x Second Round
Steve Beaton v Wessel Nijman (R1)
Mike De Decker v Dragutin Horvat (R1)
Ricardo Pietreczko v Mikuru Suzuki (R1)
Michael van Gerwen v Keane Barry (R2)

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Images: PDC