Thursday night at Lakeside didn’t so much begin as it detonated. This was the moment 2025’s World Championships officially roared out of first gear and hurtled, shrieking, into full-bore overdrive. The youth stars shone like supernovas. The seeds reminded the world why they have numbers next to their names. And the crowd — lucky, blessed, wide-eyed crowd — witnessed the unmistakable shift from “early rounds” to “this is getting very, very real.”
By the end of the night, one truth towered above the rest: If you want this title, you’d better be able to outrun the kids — because the kids are not blinking.
Jimmy van Schie 3–1 Paul Krohne (Open – Third Round))
Top seed Jimmy van Schie opened the evening with a performance that mixed brilliance with just a splash of danger — exactly the sort of match champions need to survive to become legends.
Paul Krohne arrived on the Lakeside stage with a glint in the eye of a man who had not read the script. The German debutant, who’d declared pre-match that facing the favourite “held no fear,” threw like a man intent on proving it. He clipped legs. He punished slack visits. He refused to bow to the aura of the number one seed but once van Schie found the throttle, the match changed shape. The 140s came rolling in waves. The finishes tightened into neat, surgical little stabs of tungsten precision. Krohne walked off with his stock doubled. Van Schie walked off with a quarter-final berth — and the unmistakeable look of a man warming to the task. It’s reigning champ, McGuirk next for the Dutchman.
Kaya Baysal 2–1 Thees Kogelnik (Boys – Quarter-Final)
If you want pure entertainment, uncut drama, and a sprinkling of “teenagers doing ridiculous things under pressure,” the youth tournament is where to live. Kaya Baysal and Austria’s Thees Kogelnik served up a beautifully chaotic little brawl — a match packed with breaks, counter-breaks, and the occasional wayward dart that proved even prodigies feel nerves.
But then came the thunderbolt: Baysal detonated a 164 checkout so casually it felt illegal. That moment flipped the match on its axis. From there, he kept his composure, nicked the decider, and booked a Saturday semi-final against a certain 15-year-old who has turned Lakeside inside out this week. Ladies and gentlemen, the boys’ event has turned into a prophecy.
Ben Robb 3–0 Stephen Rosney (Open – Third Round)
Stephen Rosney had been Ireland’s feel-good story of the week — unbeaten in sets, praised across social media, and carrying the weight of a quietly buzzing Emerald Isle. Then he walked straight into a six-foot Kiwi pressure cooker.
Ben Robb didn’t need fireworks; he arrived with professionalism sharp enough to shave granite. He outscored, outpaced, and outmuscled Rosney from the very first leg. The 3–0 result wasn’t brutal — it was inevitable. This wasn’t Rosney falling short. This was Robb rising higher. The giant Kiwi is now officially a contender.
Rhian O’Sullivan 2–0 Jitka Cisarova (Women – Second Round)
Don’t let the quietness fool you. This was a statement. Rhian O’Sullivan produced one of the cleanest, sharpest performances we’ve yet seen in the women’s draw — a 77.74 built on ruthless doubles and unwavering rhythm. Jitka Cisarova fought gamely but could never match the Welshwoman’s composure. O’Sullivan glided through the match with the poise of someone who knows deeper rounds await. One of the dark horses just stepped out of the shadows. Canadian, Maria Carli is next on Rhian’s hitlist.
Jenson Walker 3–1 Raymond Smith (Open – Third Round)
A simmering, brooding, heavyweight of a match — and a real test of Walker’s mettle. Raymond Smith, who has already produced some of the week’s classiest darts, came in swinging. Big scores, big visits, big presence. But Walker — cool, clinical, calm — matched him stride for stride, then tightened the noose when the legs reached their tipping points.
A 92.70 average tells its own tale. This wasn’t opportunistic darting. This was mature darting. Quarter-final calibre darting. The kid from Coventry just keeps growing. Ben Robb awaits.
Mitchell Lawrie 3–0 Jeff Springer Jr
Every tournament has a moment when you stop asking, “Is this kid good?” and start asking, “Is anyone actually going to stop him?” Welcome to Mitchell Lawrie Night, Volume Three. Already the youngest match-winner in Lakeside history. Already the executioner of second seed Jason Brandon. Already the owner of this week’s most replayed highlight reels, Lawrie strolled onto stage and produced another demolition job.
Only one leg dropped, an average in the mid 90’s, matching the other teenage talent who graced the stage just before him. Nerves? Still none detected. Aura? Increasing hourly. Jeff Springer Jr never settled, and every time he blinked, Lawrie pounced. This wasn’t hype. This wasn’t luck. This was a contender dismantling an opponent. Next up: François Schweyen in the open quarter-finals AND Baysal in the boys’ semis. Could be a famous double.
—–ENDS—–
Images: Chris Sargeant / WDF
