Luke Humphries and two time back to back champion Gary Anderson both had to fight to reach round two of the 2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

Cool Hand, the headline attraction on day three at Alexandra Palace, blew former World Youth Champion Ted Evetts away for the first two sets. Evetts though took advantage of a drop off from the 2024 champion to win set three, but the world number two eventually came through to win 3-1.

Anderson won an excellent game against Adam Hunt to close the afternoon session, showing all of his experience to win a five set thriller and keep up his record of never losing in round one at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

Paul Lim also made history, as he became the oldest player to win a match at this event, as he defeated Sweden’s Jeffrey de Graaf 3-1, while Germany’s Gabriel Clemens defeated Alex Spellman 3-0.

There were also wins for Andrew Gilding, Luke Woodhouse, David Davies and Wessel Nijman.

Humphries and Anderson move on after tough tests

Humphries came into this contest with a losing record against Super Ted, but had not played against him for three years, turning into a darting force in that time.

The first set took just five minutes and 24 seconds, as Cool Hand reeled off three straight legs in 43 darts. Despite Evetts winning the opening leg of set two, an excellent 138 checkout set the 2024 champion on his way, winning the next two legs in 31 darts to go two clear.

Cool Hand’s level dropped at the start of set three though, missing six darts to take the opening leg. Evetts seized the opportunity, hitting tops for a 20 dart break. Two holds of throw later, he was back in the contest, trailing 2-1 but crucially having the throw in set four.

However, Super Ted missed four darts himself in the first leg of the next stanza, allowing Humphries to break in 18 darts. Both players missed darts for leg two, but Evetts eventually hit double four to bring the set level and get the throw back.

The game though eventually turned in Humphries favour in leg three. Evetts’ scoring dropped, and Cool Hand pounced, firing in an 11 dart break to move one leg away. 14 darts later, he wrapped up the game on double 16, to eventually close out the win.

Anderson’s game against Hunt was an absolute thriller to conclude the afternoon session.

The first three sets all went to deciding legs, with both players breaking their opponents throw once, before Hunt reeled off a 72 checkout to go 2-1 up.

The Flying Scotsman roared back though at the start of set four, taking the first two legs in 25 darts. Hunt broke back in leg three, but Anderson found a 12 dart break on 88 to send the match into a fifth set.

Both held to start the final stanza, but The Hunter’s scoring deserted him in leg three, allowing the two time former World Champion to find a 70 checkout to get the crucial break of throw. 16 darts later, Anderson pinged double three to bring an absorbing match to a close, with 10 180s hit between the pair.

Lim rolls back the years, Clemens sails past Spellman

Much like last night, the opening game of the evening session provided the shock of day three of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, as Paul Lim beat Jeffrey De Graaf.

In a very cagey affair, it was The Singapore Slinger who got on the board first, breaking the Swede’s throw to win set one 3-1. Roles reversed in the second set though, as De Graaf, who made the last 16 here 12 months ago, levelled the contest with a 3-1 set win of his own.

The third set went to a deciding leg, where Lim found a 17 dart break of throw, checking out 71 to move within one of the match. The fourth set also went the distance, and the 71 year old veteran, who hit the first nine darter in World Darts Championship history back in 1990, showed his experience again, pinging 56 for a 17 dart hold to claim victory to the delight of the capacity Alexandra Palace crowd.

Gabriel Clemens, who made the semi finals at the World Darts Championship three years ago, did not have to worry about any potential upset, as he won nine of the ten legs against the USA’s Alex Spellman to take a 3-0 victory.

The German Giant won the second leg of the match with a Big Fish 170 checkout and did not look back, claiming the next four legs to go two sets in front. Spellman, who people had tipped as a potential dark horse in this tournament, was out of sorts, but did finally get his first leg on the board in leg three of set three with a 14 dart break. It was to be the only leg he’d win though, as an 11 dart break, featuring back to back 180s, gave Clemens an easy win.

What else happened?

Former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding defeated Cam Crabtree 3-1 to move into round two.

Goldfinger won the opening six legs to go 2-0 up, before Crabtree, who finished top of the Development Tour Order of Merit this season, won the third set 3-2. It only delayed the inevitable though, as Gilding reeled off three legs in 48 darts to seal the fourth set and the match.

25th seed Luke Woodhouse also moved into the next round, defeating Croatia’s Boris Krcmar 3-1. Krcmar won the first set 3-2 with a stunning 121 checkout, before Woody reeled off a clean sweep second set to equalise.

The turning point came in the deciding leg of set three. Both missed multiple darts for it, before Woodhouse pinged tops for a 20 dart break. Despite the Croatian breaking at the start of set four, the 25th seed won the next three legs to take victory.

David Davies took advantage of wayward double hitting from Belgium’s Mario Vandenbogaerde to win his first ever game at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship 3-0.

The Welshman won the opening set 3-2, before producing a clean sweep set in 46 darts against the throw to go one away. The third set went all the way, and both players missed darts to win it, but Davies eventually pinged double four to complete the victory, in a game where Vandenbogaerde hit just four of his 22 attempts at double.

Finally, Wessel Nijman defeated Karel Sedlacek 3-0 to move into round two for the second straight year.

The 31st seed won the first set with a stunning 136 outshot, before going two sets clear with a 13 dart hold. Four legs later, he found another 13 darter to break, this time on double 12, to win each of the three sets 3-1, and average over a ton.

2026 Paddy Power World Darts Championship Day Three Results

Saturday 13 December

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

Round One x4

David Davies 3-0 Mario Vandenbogaerde

Andrew Gilding 3-1 Cam Crabtree

Luke Woodhouse 3-1 Boris Krcmar

Gary Anderson 3-2 Adam Hunt

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Round One x4

Paul Lim 3-1 Jeffrey de Graaf

Wessel Nijman 3-0 Karel Sedlacek

Luke Humphries 3-1 Ted Evetts

Gabriel Clemens 3-0 Alex Spellman