Tag: wwe

A look back at the last time Aberdeen beat Rangers in the Scottish Premiership as James Maddison’s free-kick saw off the Gers at Pittodrie.

World No 1 Gerwyn Price came from a set down to defeat Luke Woodhouse at the World Darts Championship on Monday, while the legendary Steve Beaton’s history-making appearance was ruined by Dutch debutant Danny van Trijp.

Price began his quest for a second world title by recovering from a set down to defeat Woodhouse 3-1, while ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Beaton was unable to roll back the years as he went down to a disappointing defeat against 25-year-old Van Trijp on his 32nd consecutive World Championship appearance.

‘The Special One’ Jose de Sousa mounted a stunning comeback to turn a 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 triumph over Simon Whitlock in a rip-roaring tungsten tussle to end a fascinating afternoon session.

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Price revealed he had never felt nerves like the ones he felt during his victory against Woodhouse

Worcestershire thrower Woodhouse averaged almost 105 with 50 per cent on his doubles to deservedly take the opening set against 2021 champion and top seed Price.

‘The Iceman’, who has already hit four nine-darters this calendar year, was struggling to find his form but held his nerve on throw in the deciding leg of the next set to level matters with a much-needed 83 checkout.

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Price showed his quality with this stunning bullseye finish to take out 76

Woodhouse began to lose his rhythm with the Welshman securing a 22-dart break in the third set on double 10 before moving 2-1 ahead with a comfortable hold.

Price began to dominate and a neat 76 finish on the bullseye and then a stunning 150 out put him on the brink and he completed the job on double 5 as he finished with a 92.88 average.

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The Welsh wizard also landed this 150 finish which even his opponent applauded

“That’s probably the most nervous I’ve been for the last two years and I said that to Luke,” admitted Price. “I stuck in there and Luke bless him fell apart towards the end. He couldn’t hit anything thankfully, but it was a tough game. I just needed to get through.”

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History-maker Steve Beaton made a record-breaking appearance at The Palace but he was unable to produce the good

Beaton, the 1996 Lakeside champion, was nowhere near his best and the young Dutchman, ranked 127 in the world, was there to take full advantage for a dream 3-0 win against the 58-year-old.

Van Trijp opened up a 2-0 lead with Beaton struggling down at 20 per cent on the doubles before surging back from 2-0 down in the third set to claim a famous victory and set up a meeting with Jonny Clayton.

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Leonard Gates made it through with a memorable win over Geert Nentjes, as the American entertained the crowd on the way to a 3-1 victory

American Leonard Gates came from a set down to defeat 24-year-old Dutchman Geert Nentjes 3-1 on his debut with three ton-plus finishes of 100, 128 and 111 along the way.

“I love it here. This is the dart mecca,” said crowd-favourite Gates, who clinched his passage through to Ally Pally by winning the North American Championship.

He will take on former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting for a spot in the third round on Wednesday evening.

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The famous Ally Pally wasp landed on David Cameron’s back during his match against Ritchie Edhouse, but it proved to be a lucky charm for the Canadian on his way to a remarkable 3-2 triumph

A wasp, a miscount and a remarkable comeback! Ritchie Edhouse squandered six match darts and then capitulated from 2-0 up as Canadian David Cameron – with a little help from the Ally Pally wasp – reeled off the next nine out of 10 legs to complete one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the Worlds.

“Sometimes you feel down and out but, you know, I just stuck with it and it was good,” said 53-year-old veteran Cameron. “It (the wasp) might be lucky or something but I didn’t even know it was there.”

De Sousa wins five-set tussle to dump out ‘The Wizard’ I Williams’ near nine-darter

Jose de Sousa sent a heartfelt message to his cousin after second round win over Simon Whitlock

An emotional De Sousa recovered from 2-0 down to dump out former finalist Whitlock in a high-quality encounter.

The Portuguese ace looked beaten after the opening two sets, struggling to find big scores and lacking a killer instinct on the outer ring.

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De Sousa nailed 114, 127 and 136 checkouts as he battled back from two sets down to defeat Whitlock in a thriller

However, he then clicked into gear with three fabulous finishes of 114, 127 and 136 to turn the game on its head as Whitlock was unable to arrest the momentum in the final set.

Speaking to Sky Sports’ Polly James, a tearful De Sousa explained his gesture at the end of his match: “Last week the wife of my cousin died of cancer. I’m here for you and you know that.”

Lewy Williams meanwhile almost capped a 3-0 victory over Niels Zonneveld with perfection, but missed D12 for a nine-dart finish in the final leg of the match.

It was largely routine for the ‘Prince of Wales’, with the critical moment coming in the deciding leg of set two, as Williams fired in a ton checkout with his opponent waiting on 32.

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Williams just missed out on a fabulous nine-dart attempt during his whitewash win against Zonneveld

Earlier in the day, Andrew ‘Goldfinger’ Gilding was forced to dig deep to deliver a 3-2 win over Robert Owen.

Owen took the opening set to a chorus of boos and he Welshman appeared to be in control at 2-1 in the second set. However, Gilding then delivered a stunning 105 checkout to break throw and turn the contest on its head.

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Gilding took out this cracking 120 checkout to defeat Owen

Owen forced a deciding set with a 154 out-shot. But Gilding used all his experience, sealing the win on a superb ‘Shanghai’ checkout.

Jansen impressed the Ally Pally crowd with his mullet as well as his fabulous darts on the oche

Meanwhile, Danny Jansen had enough in the locker to get past world No 211 Paolo Nebrida 3-2.

‘The Mullet’ had two match darts for a 3-0 triumph, but the Filipino came roaring back into the contest to make it a nervy finish for the Dutchman, who eventually completed the win.

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Here’s a round-up from a thrilling afternoon session which saw De Sousa and Whitlock play out an epic encounter

Tuesday at Ally Pally

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Laura Turner has tipped Michael van Gerwen for a fourth title, whilst adding that Fallon Sherrock is in the right frame of mind heading in to the tournament

Women’s World Matchplay winner Fallon Sherrock will make her Alexandra Palace return against Ricky Evans on before Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld gets his 30th World Championship appearance underway.

Van Barneveld – fresh from reaching last month’s Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals – will be the 32nd seed in his milestone appearance – matching the position from which he won the 2007 World Championship at the Circus Tavern.

“I’m in the top 32 now, and I’m proud of myself. I am really happy, and if you feel happy, then anything is possible”

Raymond van Barneveld

“30 World Championships, wow! This sport has changed my life,” reflected Van Barneveld, who will play Ryan Meikle for a place in the third round.

“The World Championship is the big one. This is the one you want to win. You want to perform well.

“I’m in the top 32 now, and I’m proud of myself. I am really happy, and if you feel happy, then anything is possible.”

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.

Cameron Menzies and Fallon Sherrock are darts’ glamour couple with the Scot saying he is her “biggest fan” Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – with Sherrock taking on Ricky Evans – live on Sky Sports Darts – on Tuesday from 7pm

Fallon Sherrock and Cameron Menzies are partners on and off the oche with the latter revealing how “proud” he is of everything she has done for darts.

History-maker Sherrock, who became the first woman to defeat a male darts player at the Worlds, will face ‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans in the opening round of this year’s tournament on Tuesday night with a meeting with Joe Cullen up for grabs.

Victory for ‘Queen of the Palace’ means the darts couple of Sherrock and Menzies could be set to collide, albeit not until the quarter-finals.

Menzies, who came through a nail-biter against Brazilian Diogo Portela, will take on Dutchman Vincent van der Voort in round two on Thursday night.

“For some reason, she is a better pro on the stage than she is on the floor and I think she will do well”

Cameron Menzies on Fallon Sherrock

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Menzies produced this brilliant 137 checkout during his win against Diogo Portela in the opening round

The 33-year-old, who works as a plumber, hopes to clock off early from his job in Milton Keynes on Tuesday to watch his girlfriend on the big stage.

“Fallon has played better than me at Ally Pally,” joked Menzies. “I am working on Tuesday, but my boss is really nice and my company has been great. I might work on Tuesday and get a few hours off. I might finish at 2 o’clock and head down.

“It’s meant to be an hour but because of the traffic it’s two hours, so I might ask to work until 12.

“She is playing on Tuesday, so we’ll go throw on Sunday for an hour and an hour on Monday. She will leave early doors on Tuesday and I will hopefully be down here to watch on Tuesday because she has supported me [on Saturday].”

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Michael Smith says Sherrock ‘will bring excitement’ to the Worlds

Menzies admits his darts have gone from low to high because of Sherrock’s influence, calling the 28-year-old Buckinghamshire thrower “class” and saying he is “her biggest fan”.

“We enjoy our practice together and she is a very class player. She has done well for darts in general and is banging in 90 averages and 100 averages, the same as a lot of women,” he continued.

“I’m quite lucky I’ve got a very good partner who can play darts. It’s good in the house unless she beats me and I’ve got to make the food. I don’t like it when she beats me.

“I will support her left, right and centre. I am her biggest fan.

“I might be a bit strict, but I know how good she is. I’ve known her for a very long time and I know she is very, very good.

“She’s taken me places I would never have experienced because of darts, so I’m a very lucky person. I’m her biggest fan and I wish her all the best.”

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Laura Turner tips Michael van Gerwen for a fourth title and says Sherrock is in the right frame of mind heading in to the tournament

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Take a look at some of Ricky Evans’ best and funniest moments at Ally Pally

Crowd-pleaser Evans is known to have the fastest throw in world darts and Sherrock may have to deliberately slow his speed in order to have any chance of sealing another famous win.

However, Menzies is confident his other half can once again produce the goods on the Ally Pally stage.

He said: “She has got a very hard game against Ricky, who is a very fast crowd-pleaser. When he is on his game he is a very frightening player.

“For some reason, she is a better pro on the stage than she is on the floor and I think she will do well. No matter what happens she’s going to have her head held up high. I’m proud of her and she’s done a lot for darts in general.

“No matter what happens she will still be buying a Chinese!”

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – through to the final on January 3.

‘Jackpot’ Aidy Lewis is knocked out, while Nathan Aspinall impresses Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts. We’re back for a double session on Monday at 12.30pm and 7pm with Jose de Sousa, Steve Beaton and world No 1 Gerwyn Price in action

Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis suffered a third consecutive early exit at the World Darts Championship, while Nathan Aspinall and Scott Williams impressed at Alexandra Palace.

‘Jackpot’ Lewis crashed out of the tournament after suffering a straight-sets defeat to Australia’s Damon Heta on Sunday afternoon.

Two-time semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall opened his campaign with victory against Boris Krcmar in the evening session, while Scott Williams showcased his incredible talent by beating Ryan Joyce in the match of the tournament so far.

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Nathan Aspinall credited a ‘phenomenal crowd’ for their support as he beat Boris Krcmar 3-1 to progress

Aspinall overcame a tricky customer in big Croatian Krcmar, closing out the night with a 3-1 success.

The 32-year-old 10th seed from Stockport, who less than a year ago suffered a wrist injury which left him fearing for his career, overcame a slow start for an ultimately comfortable victory.

‘The Asp’ reeled off three consecutive legs to take the opener before Krcmar struck back to level matters.

‘Dum Dum’ then punished Aspinall’s miss at double 5 with a 102 finish to lead in the third set before the Stockport ace nailed an 82 out-shot to regain the upper hand.

And it was job done as the World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts finalist sailed through the fourth set to complete victory with a 97.8 average.

“I never make it easy,” Aspinall laughed. “I think I robbed the first set to be fair, but credit to Boris he played a great game. I dug deep, my finishing wasn’t quite there but I found a way to win.”

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This boy can play darts! ‘Shaggy’ Scott Williams piled in fifth maximum before taking out this 164 for a sensational 12-dart leg against Ryan Joyce

Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner Williams showed plenty of swagger on the big stage to defeat Joyce in a humdinger of an opening-round clash which saw 17 maximums to smash the record in a first-round match.

‘Shaggy’ Williams hits 10 180s, averaged 100.32 and pinned a stunning 164 finish on his way to a thrilling 3-1 success on his Ally Pally debut to set up a meeting with former world champion Rob Cross.

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Scott Williams said ‘there is no point in feeling nervous’ after he made it through to a meeting with his practice partner Rob Cross

“I felt awesome today and that came out on the stage, I know what I’m capable of,” said Williams. “The first set I felt absolutely fantastic, then all of a sudden I started missing but then thankfully it came back.

“I’ve been practicing with Rob [Cross] recently and he’s been playing like he did when he won the Worlds.

“We’re good mates but we’re both here to do a job, it should be a good game.”

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John Part feels Williams’ debut was a level above anyone else and backs the underdog to entertain for the remainder of the tournament

In the North American battle, Danny Baggish, who reached the third round two years ago, whitewashed Matt Campbell in impressive fashion to make it through to a meeting with Mervyn King in the second round.

In-form Mike De Decker caught the eye with a convincing display which saw him fire in eight 180s and hit half of his double attempts on his way to victory over Canadian veteran Jeff Smith.

Tale of the Tape: Williams vs Joyce

‘Jackpot’ runs out of luck against red-hot Heta

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Watch the best of the action as Heta whitewashed ‘Jackpot’ at Ally Pally

Heta brushed aside Stoke-on-Trent star Lewis in straight sets with a 96.2 average, four 180s and 56 per cent on the doubles to move into the last 32 of the tournament.

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Heta struck with two ton-plus finishes of 102 and 110 in quick succession en route to knocking out former two-time champion Lewis

Lewis looked out of sorts as he failed to progress from the last-64 for a third consecutive year, while Heta dropped just three legs to ease his way into the next round.

“A win on TV was always coming, I’m glad to have got the job done today,” Heta said. ‘I embraced playing Adrian because he is a name to be reckoned with and I think I rose to the occasion.”

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Damon Heta was thrilled after his comprehensive victory over Adrian Lewis saw him book his place in the third round

Karel Sedlacek produced the highest average of the tournament to date as he posted 98.72 on his way to a 3-0 first-round victory over Australia’s Raymond Smith, while Luke Woodhouse defeated Ukrainian Vladyslav Omelchenko by the same margin.

Woodhouse landed three ton-plus checkouts on his way to booking a second-round meeting with world No 1 Gerwyn Price, while Omelchenko claimed the biggest cheer of the day when he nailed a 143 finish.

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Vladyslav Omelchenko made history by becoming the first Ukrainian to feature in the PDC World Championship and he celebrated by landing this spectacular 143 checkout during his defeat to Luke Woodhouse

Madars Razma came through a hard-fought battle with Prakash Jiwa to secure a 3-1 victory and secure a meeting with two-time world champion Gary Anderson in the next round.

Monday at Ally Pally

World No 1 Gerwyn Price will begin his campaign against Luke Woodhouse

World No 1 Gerwyn Price will begin his bid for a second World Championship crown as the Welshman looks to repeat his 2021 heroics in the capital.

The 37-year-old has his sights set on becoming the seventh player to win multiple PDC World Championship titles.

“I always think I’m going to win every tournament I go into, so does Peter [Wright] and so does Michael [van Gerwen],” claimed Price – the top seed at this year’s event.

“It’s nice to win the World Championship once, but to become multiple world champion – that’s my next goal, and there’s no reason I can’t win another three or four before I retire.

“I know what it’s like to win the World Championship, but I don’t know what it’s like to win it in front of a big crowd, with celebrations and family there, so that’s a big drive for me now.”

‘The Special One’ Jose de Sousa takes on Simon Whitlock in a blockbuster afternoon clash at Ally Pally, while ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ Steve Beaton makes his return to the big stage against young Dutchman Danny van Trijp.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – through to the final on January 3.

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Beau Greaves beaten 3-0 by Willie O’Connor Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts. We’re back for a double session on Saturday at 12pm and 7pm with Simon Whitlock, Daryl Gurney, Lisa Ashton, Josh Rock and Dimitri Van den Bergh in action

There was no fairy tale for teenage sensation Beau Greaves as she suffered a first-round exit to Ireland’s Willie O’Connor at the World Darts Championship, while Michael Smith won nine straight legs to progress in style.

Eight-time PDC Women’s Series winner Greaves was aiming to join Fallon Sherrock in having beaten their male counterpart at the home of darts, but Ireland’s O’Connor showed all his experience to come through 3-0 although the scoreline did not reflect the performance of ‘Beau ‘n’ Arrow’.

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Beau Greaves rocked Alexandra Palace with her walk-on

Greaves opened proceedings with a nerveless 120, but ‘The Magpie’ responded by winning the next two legs.

The 18-year-old was not deterred as she broke throw on D2 to send the opening set to a decider in which the dogged O’Connor snatched against the darts on double 5 after Greaves wired one dart at double 16 for the set.

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Greaves hit a 120 checkout in the first leg of her Ally Pally debut

The Doncaster thrower was making history as the youngest woman to compete in the 30-year history of the tournament and she immediately popped a mind-boggling 122 on double 7 to start the second set before pinning double 3 to extend her advantage.

But O’Connor, who reached the semi-finals of the UK Open earlier this year, hit back to send the set into a decider in which the former World Cup finalist nailed double 8 to edge nearer to victory.

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The 18-year-old got the Ally Pally crowd on their feet with this mind-blowing 122 finish

O’Connor was in the ascendancy by now and WDF champion Greaves was soon blown away in a one-sided third set and left the stage shaking her head in disappointment.

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O’Connor progressed after a 3-0 victory over Greaves

Two-time runner-up Smith eased into the third round of the tournament after beating Northern Irish star Nathan Rafferty 3-0.

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Smith started his match against Rafferty with this stylish 114 finish

The Grand Slam of Darts champion made a commanding start by the opening set without reply, kicking off with a big 114 out.

Fourth-seeded Smith casually notched the second set with more impressive arrows and with the 22-year-old now totally deflated, ‘Bully Boy’ soon completed a whitewash win with a spectacular 130 on the bullseye.

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The St Helens thrower won his match in style with this spectacular 130

In an electrifying opening encounter of the night between Rowby-John Rodriguez and Lourence Ilagan, the latter took out 64 to seal the first set 3-1.

The 44-year-old from Manila – making his seventh appearance at the Worlds – moved one set away from a spot in the second round after slamming in a superb 116 checkout and a neat 60 out-shot.

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Ilagan took out this 116 checkout during his encounter with Rodriguez.

But Rodriguez worked his way back to halve the deficit with four 180s and a fabulous 80 finish in the fourth leg and ‘Little John’ was soon level after sweeping through the fourth set to send us into a decider.

The match went the distance but it was Ilagan who dragged himself over the winning line after hitting double 18 to set up a date with Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Former Handball star Florian Hempel won an epic encounter to send Keegan Brown to Q-School in 2023, as the German closed out a hard-fought 3-2 victory.

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Singer Lewis Capaldi was supported by Niall Horan as they graced the Alexandra Palace stage on Friday night

Lewis makes statement with impressive victory

Adrian Lewis claimed an impressive victory in his tournament opener on Friday

Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis cruised into the second round with a straight-sets victory over Daniel Larsson, as Kim Huybrechts also progressed on Friday afternoon.

The 2011 and 2012 champion fired an impressive 19 treble 19s and posted a 93.57 average, with Lewis dropping just three legs on his way to booking a last-32 contest with Damon Heta.

Lewis wrapped up a scrappy opening set by taking out tops for a 13-dart leg and took out a 92 checkout on his way to doubling his lead, with the 37-year-old posting back-to-back maximums in the final leg of the third as he claimed a 3-0 victory in his tournament opener.

“I didn’t know what to expect really,” Lewis told Sky Sports. “I know I have been practising well but I wasn’t 100 per cent certain what was going to happen up there tonight. Lucky enough for me it has gone well.”

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After a solid win over Daniel Larsson, Adrian Lewis said that he’s ‘up for the fight’ when he goes up against Damon Heta

Huybrechts will face defending champion Peter Wright after Christmas after a routine victory over South Africa’s Grant Sampson, with a low-80s average enough to recover from losing the opening leg to breeze into the next round.

Scotland’s Alan Soutar kicked off the afternoon session with a commanding 3-0 win over Australian Mal Cuming, setting up a second-round clash with two-time Ally Pally quarter-finalist Daryl Gurney.

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Alan Soutar claimed a 3-0 win over Mal Cuming but admits that he needs to perform better against Daryl Gurney on Saturday

Soutar landed four 180s and converted 124 and 119 finishes during a routine success, signing off with a 12-dart break of throw, as Cuming only registered two legs on a difficult tournament debut.

Croatian star Boris Krcmar came through a low-scoring encounter against Toru Suzuki to beat the Japanese qualifier by the same margin, securing him a meeting with two-time semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall in round two.

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Boris Krcmar won the opening leg of his match with this brilliant 112 checkout against Toru Suzuki

Saturday at Ally Pally

Belgian No 1 Van den Bergh and World Youth Champion Josh Rock headline the action on Super Saturday.

Former finalist Simon Whitlock, ‘SuperChin’ Daryl Gurney and ‘The Lancashire Rose’ Lisa Ashton, who became the first woman to win a PDC Tour Card through Q-School in 2020, also feature.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – from December 15 to January 3.

Peter ‘Snakebite’ Wright makes winning start – Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts; we are back for a double session on Friday at 12pm and 7pm with Adrian Lewis and Michael Smith in action, while Beau Greaves takes on Willie O’Connor

Defending champion Peter Wright got a festive feast of arrows up and running with a comfortable 3-0 win on the opening night of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.

The Scot withdrew from last month’s Players Championship Finals with his wife Jo in hospital, but after receiving positive news last week, Wright was back and in bullish mood on the big stage as he began his bid for a third Sid Waddell Trophy in four years with a comfortable victory over Northern Ireland’s Mickey Mansell.

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Watch Peter Wright and his ‘Grinch’ walk-on against Mickey Mansell on the opening night of the World Championship

Mansell had become the first winner at this year’s Worlds, defeating Ben Robb 3-1 to set up the meeting with Wright.

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Wright fired in the first maximum of the contest before taking out 121 on the bullseye in the opening set

‘Snakebite’ rattled off a cracking 121 on the bullseye to lay down an early marker as he won the opening set 3-1.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for former World Cup semi-finalist Mansell when the reigning champion sailed through the second set in three straight legs to double his advantage despite a modest 92 average.

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The reigning champion struck with this spectacular 126 finish to close in on victory

And Wright continued the onslaught in the third set, pinning a majestic 126 out-shot before cleaning up 68 on tops to sweep into the third round in style.

“Not happy with the performance, but it’s a win,” said Wright, who now has 12 days off before his third-round clash against Kim Huybrechts or Grant Sampson. “The defending champion is still in and it’s Christmas.”

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Wright said it was ‘hard’ for Mansell to get up for two matches in a night but he was ‘happy’ with the win

South African debutant Sampson caused the first big shock of the tournament by knocking out a below-par display from UK Open semi-finalist Keane Barry 3-1.

‘Samurai’, who eliminated nine-time World Championship qualifier Devon Petersen en route to booking his spot on the grandest stage of them all, threw four maximums and a superb 125 checkout to stun Irishman Barry.

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Grant Sampson told Polly James he only plays in front of 30 people back home in South Africa, but he’s now made a real name for himself after a dream debut at Ally Pally

The 40-year-old, who will earn £15,000 for reaching the second round, will hold no fear when he takes on ‘The Hurricane’ Kim Huybrechts in Friday’s afternoon session.

“Back home we play in front of 30 people but this is another thing,” said Sampson. “I was very, very, very nervous. My darts were not going in straight at all so I was just trying to focus, but it was difficult. Now that I’ve got the first game out of the way I can only get better because that was horrible.”

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Sampson pinned tops for a sensational 125 finish to take a 2-0 lead in the second set against Barry

Jermaine Wattimena also made an early exit as he lost 3-2 to emerging star Nathan Rafferty.

Wattimena failed to hit the bullseye to win the opening set and that allowed Rafferty to sink double 2 to claim it, but the Dutchman soon sparked into life with a 97 checkout in the deciding leg of the second set to square things up.

Former World Youth Championship runner-up Rafferty moved one set away from dumping out Wattimena by sweeping through the next set with three consecutive 17-leg darts, but ‘The Machine Gun’ took the match the distance thanks to an opening 108 finish, a 14-dart leg and a crucial 101 checkout.

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Rafferty prevailed in a nail-biter to set up a meeting with Michael Smith

However, it was 22-year-old Rafferty who showed exceptional composure – one week after surgery to remove his appendix – to make it through to a date with Grand Slam of Darts champion Michael Smith after sinking double 10 with his fifth match dart.

“I wasn’t nervous leading up to the tournament but when I came up the road I had butterflies in my stomach,” Rafferty revealed. “It’s been my dream since I was 15 to be playing on this stage; it’s what we all play for.

“Considering I had my appendix removed a week ago today, I’m so happy to win this game against a tough opponent.

‘I’m looking forward to taking on Michael [Smith], he’s one of the best players in the world but I think I can give him a game if I play my proper stuff.”

“I think he said he was going to toy with a few new sets of darts between now and Christmas. Maybe get some new ones even. Who knows? But he’ll try and get comfortable, and maybe just get the darts that are going to feel good. The scoring wasn’t as good as he could have. But the doubling was more of an issue there, to me. He’ll want to get the doubling right, and then he’ll get the scoring touch”

John Part on Peter Wright

Friday at Ally Pally

Beau Greaves makes her Ally Pally bow on Friday night against Ireland’s Willie O’Connor

The first double session of this year’s World Championship will take place on Friday, as two-time runner-up Smith takes on Rafferty in his opener.

Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis faces Sweden’s Daniel Larsson in the afternoon session, before eight-time PDC Women’s Series winner Beau Greaves makes her highly-anticipated Ally Pally bow against Willie O’Connor in the evening session.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – from December 15 to January 3.

Sprinter Randolph Ross has been suspended until June 30, 2025 and will be ineligible for the Paris Olympics in 2024; he had been provisionally suspended on the eve of his race at the world track and field championships

United States sprinter Randolph Ross has been banned for three years for whereabouts failures and faking an email to anti-doping authorities.

The Athletics Integrity Unit announced Tuesday the back-to-back NCAA champion from North Carolina A&T will be suspended until June 30, 2025, meaning he will be ineligible for the Paris Olympics in 2024.

Ross had been provisionally suspended on the eve of his 400m preliminary race at the world track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, on July 16, about a month after officials could not locate him to take a doping test – his third whereabouts failure in a 12-month period.

The 21-year-old had provided a copy of an automatic email “allegedly confirming an update made to his whereabouts information for the relevant period,” the AIU said.

The sprinter “immediately admitted” he had altered the email when he was questioned by the AIU representatives, the unit said.

He won his second straight title in the 400 meters at NCAA championships in June.

Ross won an Olympic gold medal as part of the 4x400m squad at the Tokyo Games in 2021, though he did not compete in the final. In the 400m, he was eliminated in the heats in Tokyo.

Amad Diallo continued his fine form for Sunderland by opening the scoring from the penalty spot against West Brom.

England fans in Manchester, London and Brighton were left stunned and disappointed by Harry Kane’s penalty miss and their side’s elimination from the World Cup.

Mateusz Klich scored from long range to seal a 2-1 win over Elche in a friendly that earned them the Festa d’Elx Trophy.

Arsene Wenger suggested Germany experienced an early World Cup exit due to ‘political demonstration’ distractions

Watch the draw for the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship live on Sky Sports News and the Sky Sports Darts YouTube channel on Monday – Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton will discover their first-round opponents; Peter Wright is defending champion

Beau Greaves, Fallon Sherrock and more will discover their Alexandra Palace fate when the draw for the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship takes place live on Sky Sports News and the Sky Sports Darts YouTube channel on Monday evening.

Tune in from 6.25pm as Wayne Mardle and Mark Webster draw the names for the biggest tournament in the sport, which runs from December 15 to January 3 live exclusively on Sky Sports.

There will be three women’s players in this winter’s competition with teenage sensation Beau Greaves and Lisa Ashton taking their spots from the Women’s Series Order of Merit and Fallon Sherrock awarded a place by virtue of winning the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay in July.

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On the latest episode of Love The Darts, Devon Petersen and Michael Bridge discuss whether Sherrock deserves her place at the 2023 World Championship

Greaves, 18, has been in sparkling form in the Women’s Series, clinching second spot in the Order of Merit with seven consecutive event wins, and the reigning WDF Lakeside Women’s World Champion could be a real threat at Alexandra Palace.

Greaves, Sherrock and Ashton will enter at the first-round stage alongside the likes of Steve Beaton, Adrian Lewis and Josh Rock, with the top 32 on the PDC Order of Merit, including world No 1 Gerwyn Price, defending champion Peter Wright, Michael van Gerwen, Grand Slam champion Michael Smith and a revitalised Raymond van Barneveld, playing from round two.

Wright beat Smith 7-5 in last season’s World Championship final to win the title for the second time in his career, having also triumphed in 2020 with a 7-3 success over Van Gerwen.

There were three nine-dart finishes in the 2022 tournament with Price, Darius Labanauskas and William Borland pulling off the feat.

Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship live on Sky Sports from December 15 to January 3.

Jamie Carragher claims the departure of sporting director Julian Ward is a worry for Liverpool and the uncertainty surrounding the club is a concern in terms of recruitment. 

Melissa Reddy reports on the news that both Manchester United and Liverpool are considering new investment and the potential of an outright sale, at the same time.

Highlights from day four of the DP World Tour Championship as the race for being ranked World number one hots up.

World Champion Peter Wright is dumped out of the Grand Slam of Darts after suffering defeat to Nathan Aspinall while Josh Rock sets up a knockout encounter with Michael van Gerwen watch every dart live on Sky Sports every day through to the final on Sunday, November 20

World Champion Peter Wright was sensationally dumped out of the Grand Slam of Darts by Nathan Aspinall while Josh Rock set up a blockbuster clash against Michael van Gerwen in Wolverhampton.

On a spectacular night, Aspinall produced a stirring comeback to knock out Wright, while Ross Smith delivered a record-breaking display in his victory over Van Gerwen.

‘The Asp’ reeled off four straight legs from 2-1 down to eliminate World Champion Wright, as Groups E-H concluded on a dramatic Day Four at the Aldersley Leisure Village.

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Aspinall sent Wright crashing out with these winning darts…

“I’m so happy to get through and I can’t believe I’ve topped the group,” admitted Aspinall, who will meet Jermaine Wattimena for a place in the quarter-finals.

“Peter is going through a tough time at the moment. I don’t think his head was in the game and I give my best wishes to Jo, but I had to go up there and do my job.”

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Nathan Aspinall couldn’t hide his delight after beating Peter Wright to top Group E

Wright required three legs to book his place in the knockout stages, and he was punished for squandering two darts at tops for a 3-1 lead in a crucial fourth leg.

Aspinall capitalised and followed up legs of 14 and 13 darts with a 106 checkout to lead 4-2, and despite spurning five match darts in an edgy conclusion, he regained his poise to wrap up proceedings via double eight.

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‘The Asp’ hit this magnificent 106 finish during his win against Wright

His 5-2 success saw him top the group on leg difference, and the Stockport star advances alongside debutant Alan Soutar, who defeated Fallon Sherrock 5-2 earlier in the night.

“Watching that match backstage – that was the worst feeling I’ve ever had in darts. It was horrible,” admitted Soutar, who will now play Jonny Clayton in Thursday’s second round.

“The Grand Slam was a free roll for me and I’m now in the world’s top 40 after less than two years on the tour, so I’m absolutely delighted.”

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Ross Smith says he wanted to show everyone what he could do against Michael van Gerwen

Elsewhere, Van Gerwen sealed top spot in Group G despite succumbing to an inspired Smith in arguably the match of the tournament so far.

‘Smudger’ was assured of qualification before his tie against Van Gerwen following Luke Woodhouse’s defeat to Nathan Rafferty, and he produced a blistering display to prevail in a nine-leg epic.

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Smith set a Grand Slam of Darts group stage record by hitting NINE maximums during his sensational win

“I wanted to show everyone what I can do against the best in the world,” said Smith, who averaged 107.9 and hit a maximum in every single leg.

“Hopefully I can kick on now. I’m loving my darts and I’m so happy with life in general, so I just want to keep going.”

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MVG nailed this stunning 145 checkout during his defeat against Smith

Woodhouse saw his qualification hopes dashed in a thrilling nine-leg affair against Nathan Rafferty, despite averaging 101, crashing in five 180s and converting the first 170 finish of the tournament.

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Rock qualified for the last 16 after hitting 121 against Humphries

In Group H, emerging Northern Irish star Josh Rock joined Luke Humphries in the last 16, after running out a 5-3 winner in a captivating showdown between the pair.

Scott Williams posted a stunning 107 average to come through a high-quality clash against Ryan Searle in the other Group G tie, registering six 180s and two 11-darters in the process.

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Josh Rock says he is proud of himself after progressing to the last 16

“I believe I can win this tournament,” insisted Rock, who will play three-time Grand Slam champion Van Gerwen in a huge last-16 tie on Thursday night.

“It will be a fantastic match. I’ve never played Michael before – he’s the second best player of all time in my opinion, but I’m not scared of playing him.”

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Luke Woodhouse pinned this wonderful 170 checkout in Wolverhampton

Earlier in the night, Jermaine Wattimena joined Jonny Clayton in advancing through Group F, punishing a profligate display from North American Champion Leonard Gates to complete an emphatic 5-1 victory.

Wattimena sealed the deal with a clinical 108 kill, and this result meant that Damon Heta needed to whitewash Clayton to keep his Grand Slam dream alive.

The Australian was unable to produce the heroic escape act, although he bowed out on a high, averaging 93 and landing three 180s to inflict Clayton’s first defeat of the campaign.

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The best of the action from another dramatic night in Wolverhampton

The last 16 of the Grand Slam gets under way on Wednesday night, as reigning champion Gerwyn Price plays UK Open winner Danny Noppert, while 2012 champion Raymond van Barneveld plays Australia’s World Cup hero Simon Whitlock.

Elsewhere, former World Cup of Darts partners Michael Smith and Rob Cross collide, while Masters champion Joe Cullen meets Dutch star Dirk van Duijvenbode for a place in the last eight.

Watch the Grand Slam of Darts at Aldersley Leisure Village in Wolverhampton all the way through until the final on November 20 – with every session live on Sky Sports & don’t forget the World Championship is also coming to Sky Sports from December 15 until January 3.