Two-time PDC major champion Nathan Aspinall survived an early ambush, steadied the ship, and ultimately wrestled control from Lourence Ilagan to secure his passage into round two, where the ever-entertaining Leonard Gates now awaits.
This tournament has already developed a taste for chaos, particularly when served by the Asian contingent, and The Asp found himself staring down the barrel of becoming yet another headline casualty. In truth, the opening set was an act of self-sabotage. The big trebles were missing. The doubles refused to cooperate.
Ilagan, ever the opportunist, pounced without hesitation and claimed the early initiative.But once Aspinall finally dragged himself level, the narrative began to shift. The jitters eased. The timing sharpened. The Stockport slinger re-emerged in recognisable form – the decorated, streetwise operator who understands how to win ugly when required.
Though the final two sets were dragged the full distance, Aspinall found a way through both, snapping them up when it mattered and safely navigating what had threatened to become a very slippery banana skin. Relief, not celebration, was the overriding emotion.Just prior to that, all eyes were drawn to a mouth-watering clash that promised theatre – and delivered it in spades.
World Cup winner Daryl Gurney versus the phenomenon that is Beau Greaves. On paper, it screamed five-set classic. On the oche, it fulfilled every syllable.
Superchin struck first, stealing momentum with authority, only for the Doncaster ace to respond with ice-cold efficiency. Set three swung back towards the Northern Irishman, who edged it against the darts, but Greaves refused to blink. The three-time Lakeside Women’s Champion responded with a clinical 3–0 legs demolition to drag the contest level once more.
By now, Ally Pally was humming. The crowd’s allegiance was unmistakable – and it was not with Superchin. Two legs into the decider, honours even, and then came the moment that twisted the knife. Greaves sat poised on 52, ready to reclaim control, when Gurney detonated a sensational 144 checkout, ripping the darts from her grasp and flipping the script in one violent flourish.The drama wasn’t finished. The Yorkshire youngster very nearly conjured magic of her own, her attempt at double 14 for a glorious 148 checkout drifting agonisingly close. But fate had chosen its side.
Gurney returned, pinned his double, and brought down the curtain on a breathless, exhilarating contest. His reward – a second-round meeting with Callan Rydz.The remaining two matches teased danger but ultimately delivered authority.
First up in the evening session, William O’Connor produced the standout performance of the opening round, statistically speaking. A monstrous 102.36 average, seven maximums, and a checkout success rate north of 50 percent painted a picture of ruthless efficiency.
Set one hung in the balance, but once the Magpie pinched it in the decider, the road ahead was one-way traffic. O’Connor soared into round two, where a meeting with Michael van Gerwen looms ominously.
And to bring not just the session, but the entire opening round to a close, Keane Barry stormed past Tim Pusey to complete an Irish double on the night. Pusey can depart with head held high – his performance was spirited and committed – but Barry was simply too sharp, too strong, and too precise at the business end.
Much like O’Connor before him, Barry edged the opening set and then accelerated away, sweeping up the next two with minimal fuss to book a clash with Martin Schindler.The opening round is complete. The stage has already claimed its victims. And the message is crystal clear – reputation grants you entry, but nothing more.
FRIDAY 19th DECEMBER – Evening Session Report
William O’Connor 3-0 Krzysztof Kciuk
Daryl Gurney 3-2 Beau Greaves
Nathan Aspinall 3-1 Lourence Illagan
Keane Barry 3-0 Tim Pusey
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
