The eighth day of the PDC World Darts Championship proved to be one of the most exciting in recent times.

Thursday’s action saw a top seed in the form of World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker crash out, but the standout storyline saw Kenyan and Japanese representatives David Munyua and Motomu Sakai making names for themselves on the greatest stage of them all.

Michael van Gerwen survived a scare against Mitsuhiko Tatsunami, winning 3–1, though the scoreline did not reflect the whole story. Tatsunami missed multiple darts to force a last-set decider after leading in the first set, but the Dutchman delivered a clutch double eight to progress.

Thursday 18th – Afternoon Session

Callan Rydz sealed a convincing 3–0 straight-sets victory over Hungarian representative Patrik Kovacs, winning each set 3–1. The Bedlington-based star reached the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship in both 2022 and 2025, but knows he will have to up the ante to emulate those previous best runs. Rydz was untroubled throughout, despite averaging just shy of 90, with combination checkouts of 82 and 92 helping him kick off his campaign with a winning start.

However, the second match proved to be the most intriguing of the session, as former Lakeside champion Thibault Tricole fell at the first hurdle to impressive debutant Motomu Sakai. The Japanese star made a statement with both his animated personality and clear love for the game, producing 121 and 148 checkouts in the first and second sets, respectively. Those three-dart finishes paved the way for a straight-sets victory, with the third and final set completing a comprehensive whitewash.

Ryan Joyce comfortably dispatched Owen Bates with a 95.27 average in the penultimate match of the afternoon session, with the Geordie ruthless on the outer ring as he cruised to a dominant victory. His 64% success rate on the doubles underlined a clinical display, as Bates could muster only one leg in an otherwise comprehensive performance from his opponent, delaying his first win on the Ally Pally stage for another year.

Former World Grand Prix champion Mike De Decker faced off against David Munyua, another debutant who had never previously left his native Kenya. The Belgian claimed the first set with relative ease, but after Munyua missed set darts in the second, De Decker recovered from a two-leg deficit to double his advantage.

Munyua then claimed the third set via a nervy last-leg decider, despite squandering further set darts after De Decker fought back. The Kenyan’s confidence saw him produce six perfect darts in the very next leg, but a second miscount at a checkout allowed De Decker to step in and convert. After De Decker busted a double and missed multiple match darts, Munyua inevitably took the fourth set to push the match to a deciding fifth. After his opponent’s 11-darter, the African fired in a stunning 135 checkout and carried the momentum to win the match, capping an impressive comeback.

Thursday 18th – Evening Session

German youngster Dominik Grullich proved to be a tough opponent for Jermaine Wattimena in their first-round meeting. Wattimena took an early lead but looked under threat over the next two sets, as Grullich settled into the match and moved 2–1 ahead after winning back-to-back clutch last-leg deciders. But with his back against the wall, Wattimena reeled off six consecutive legs to win the last two sets and prevail in the final set, setting up an exciting matchup with Scott Williams in round two.

Dave Chisnall capitalised on a series of missed doubles from Fallon Sherrock to prevail 3–0, but it was a performance that could have been better from Chisnall. The decorated ProTour winner performed far from his best, averaging 89.66, but managed to post a world-class 160 checkout to win the second set. Sherrock attempted a fightback in the third set and briefly led 2–1, but Chisnall survived further chances to ensure he wrapped up proceedings.

Michael van Gerwen overturned a one-set deficit against debutant Mitsuhiko Tatsunami to prevail. The three-time world champion produced a lacklustre 90.82 average, with below-par scoring and doubling, and was pushed close as Tatsunami missed multiple darts to take the match to a fifth and final set. Van Gerwen was given a difficult run for his money, but ultimately held his nerve and used his experience to his advantage.

To close out the night, Polishman Krzysztof Ratajski secured a comprehensive victory over Alexis Toylo. He dropped only two legs in an otherwise dominant display, averaging an impressive 97.67 to Toylo’s 91. To top off an incredible day of darts, Ratajski even included a 170 checkout in the mix, extending his streak of winning at the first hurdle to seven consecutive editions.

2026 Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship Day Eight Results

Afternoon Session

Callan Rydz 3-0 Aatrik Kovacs

Thibault Tricole 0-3 Motmu Sakai

Ryan Joyce 3-0 Owen Bates

Mike De Decker 2-3 David Munyua

Evening Session

Jermaine Wattimena 3-2 Dominik Grullich

Dave Chisnall 3-0 Fallon Sherrock

Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Mitsuhiko Tatsunami

Krzysztof Ratajski 3-0 Alexis Toylo