Day four at the 2025 Paddy Power World Darts Championship was the only day this week to only feature one session apart from the opening night, just the four games in one session but despite half of the usual number of games we were not starved of action. Christian Kist fired in the first nine dart leg of the tournament becoming the first player to trigger Paddy Power’s £180,000 payout.

Today sees a return to the double session format, with eight games across round one and two for the Alexandra Palace crowd to enjoy.

The round two game in the afternoon features a semi-finalist from this event two years ago in Gabriel Clemens, then the winner of that year’s PDC World Darts Championship Michael Smith gets his campaign underway in the evening session.

Clemens and Smith the two seeds in action

The day’s two seeds don’t arrive at the 2025 PDC World Championships as the form players in these sessions. After winning the title for the first time in 2023 Michael Smith could not assert his dominance at the top of the rankings and a mixed couple of years results have seen the St Helens native start to slide down the order of merit. There have been glimpses this year that Bully Boy’s form might be trending up, semi-final runs at both the Matchplay and Premier League have served to remind fans of his pedigree and opponents of the danger he poses.

This is however not the version of Bully Boy that we saw lift the trophy in 2023, those two semi-finals have not been the norm for the last 18-24 months and after recent opening round losses in the Grand Slam and Grand Prix, Smith will need to regain his form quickly to arrest his slide. It remains to be seen if the draw against Kevin Doets, the man who gave him a scare and nearly took him out in the opening round of last year’s World Darts Championship will be a case of repeat or revenge…

Likewise Gabriel Clemens arrives at The Palace a shadow of the player we saw at this event two years ago. The semi-final run that caused so many fans and pundits to call for the inclusion of the German Giant to the Premier League. Since then however he has failed to reach the same heights and so far in 2024 has failed to make a single televised quarter final.

Generally Clemens would be considered a heavy favourite in a match against Robert Owen, but with the German struggling for Victories and Owen both bolstered by his first round victory over Niels Zonneveld and playing with the freedom of a many who was never expecting to be at the tournament at all. This one could be a very close game.

Smash looks to build on a good year

Martin Lukeman gets off and running today in his third consecutive World Darts Championships. He arrives this year with far more expected than in previous years. 2024 has been somewhat of a breakout year for Lukeman, highlights of which include sensationally making the final of the Grand Slam of Darts where he was defeated by Luke Littler as well as a quarter final run in the UK Open.

Lukeman will likely feel that he has had a kind draw in Nitin Kumar. Kumar claimed his ticket to The Palace by winning the Indian Qualifier but has not set the stage alight in previous performances, failing to win a single set in his three previous appearances at the World Darts Championship.

Two North Americans in action

The evening session sees two representatives of the ever growing North American darts scene in their opening contests of the 2025 World Darts Championship. Stowe Buntz has qualified for the event by way of the CDC Pro Tour. This is Buntz second consecutive appearance at the World Darts Championship and whilst we have not seen the American at a PDC televised event since last year, reports from across the pond are that Buntz is posting some great numbers.

It is not too long ago that we saw the “Neon Nightmare” defeat the likes of Peter Wright, Stephen Bunting and Andrew Gilding on his way to the quarter-final of the 2023 Grand Slam of Darts, so he arrives with some pedigree.

His opponent by contrast, Nick Kenny, does not have a highlight reel of top players that he has dispatched on big stages, he does however have another very solid year of good performances on the Pro Tour and as the Welshman looks for his first win on the Alexandra Palace stage since 2021 this match looks like it has the potential to be a very close one.

The second of the evening’s North American players is one of the handful of late additions to the lineup that came through the PDC tour card holder qualifier. Matt Smith, who didn’t manage to earn a place at this year’s event on his ranking fought through the pack to secure a sixth consecutive appearance at the World Darts Championship and all but guaranteeing his tour card for another year.

The “Ginja Ninja” will face one of the most experienced players in the field as Mensur Suljović makes his 16th appearance at the World Darts Championship. This does however feel like a different Mensur to the man who won the Champions League of Darts as well as Matchplay and European Championship finals. The Austrian hasn’t made it through to the semi-finals of a ranked TV event since 2018 and has seemingly slipped into the tour card battle with his tour card yet uncertain if he cannot defeat Campbell.

2025 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Day Three Schedule of Play

Thursday 19th December

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

3x Round One, 1x Round Two

Chris Landman v Lok Yin Lee

Callan Rydz v Romeo Grbavac

Martin Lukeman v Nitin Kumar

Gabriel Clemens v Robert Owen

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

3x Round One, 1x Round Two

Nick Kenny v Stowe Buntz

Mensur Suljović v Matt Campbell

Scott Williams v Niko Springer

Michael Smith v Kevin Doets