Day ten at the 2025 Paddy Power World Darts Championship sees the first batch of players who have made it to the last 32 return from the Christmas break. Putting aside leftover turkey sandwiches and making apologies to visiting in-laws to make their way back to Alexandra Palace and continue their quest for the biggest prize in Darts.

Today we see a continuation of the double session format, but a reduction to 6 games across the sessions for the Alexandra Palace crowd to enjoy, all to be played over the best of 7 sets.

Fans will see two former winners of the World Darts Championship take to the stage as Gerwyn Price and Luke Humphries both play in the evening session.

The Champ is here

Headlining the day is current World number one and defending world champion Luke Humphries. “Cool Hand” breezed through his opening game against Thibault Tricole winning each set 3-0 getting the job done without losing a single leg. Reminding everyone that whilst he may not be the “Luke” that is getting the most column inches during the World Darts Championship, he remains the man to beat and the biggest challenge in front of anyone looking to succeed him as champ.

Humphries meets one of four Welshmen who have made it to the round of 32 (breaking the previous record of three) in Nick Kenney. Like his opponent, Kenny opened his account with a dominant 3-0 win over American qualifier Stowe Buntz and then backed up that victory with an even more impressive 3-1 defeat of five time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld. Few gave Kenny much of a chance before the game but in a match that underwhelmed across the board he won all of the key battles and the victory was a comfortable one.

The Welshman will need to find a significant level shift if he is to be a threat to Humphries, his previous two averages of 86 & 87 will be unlikely to threaten the world number one who will surely look to put this to bed in similar fashion to his opening game.

Bunting and Razma headline the afternoon session

Madarz Razma has had an eventful tournament so far.He watched Christian Kist throw the first, and at time of writing only, nine dart leg of the 2025 World Darts Championship putting Kist one set up. The Latvian number one did not let this phase him and he rattled off three legs on the spin to seal what, nine-darter aside, was a fairly comfortable victory. Razma was once again forced to come from behind in his second round match where the heavily favoured Dirk van Duijvenbode took the opening set and came very close to securing the second. Razma however once again turned the tide and rattled off six legs on the spin to fire up his resurgence and again moved to a comfortable victory.

Bunting likewise has also had to fight back from behind to make it to this stage. In his first game of the 2025 World Darts Championship he met Kai Gotthardt. The German, flushed with confidence from his first round win over Alan Sourtar was given little chance against the reigning Masters Champion but came out fast taking the first set and then missing three darts at double for a 2-0 lead. Having survived this early pressure, Bunting restored order winning the next three sets to book his place in the third round for the third year running.

Both of these players will be looking to start fast today and avoid the challenge of having to win from behind as they’ve had to so far in the tournament. Both may present too big a challenge for the other if they can get a couple of sets ahead early and keep their opponent at arms length.

Premier League players in action across both sessions

There are a number of players across both sessions who are among the elite number who have been included in the Premier League of Darts in recent years. Several of these players, Peter Wright, Gerwyn Price, Joe Cullen, Jonny Clayton and Daryl Gurney may feel that their possible inclusion in the 2025 iteration of the “travelling circus” depends wholly at this stage on a deep run in the World Darts Championship and falling in the third round may seal their fate and relegate them to Premier League spectator status.

With four of these players in the same quarter, one of them will make a quarter-final and this may be enough to secure the spot, especially ahead of those others mentioned.

Joe Cullen has seen a slump in form in recent months but a dominant performance over a hotly tipped Wessel Ninjman and a bullish press conference show that Cullen is ready to fight for the respect he feels he has earned. The Rockstar was controversially not included in last year’s premier league having come within one dart of winning it the year before. Defeating Gerwyn Price on the Alexandra Palace stage will surely put Cullen back on a trajectory to the top of the sport.

2025 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Day Three Schedule of Play

Friday 27th December

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

Third Round Matches – Best of 7 sets

Damon Heta v Luke Woodhouse

Jonny Clayton v Daryl Gurney

Stephen Bunting v Madars Razma

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Third Round Matches – Best of 7 sets

Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen

Jermaine Wattimena v Peter Wright

Luke Humphries v Nick Kenny