World number eight Chris Dobey navigated a tense opening to his PDC World Darts Championship campaign, eventually defeating China's Zong Xiaochen 3-1 at London's iconic Alexandra Palace. Meanwhile, Scotland's Alan Soutar endured a nerve-shredding contest, missing a staggering 15 match darts before finally clinching victory in a sudden-death leg.
Dobey Shakes Off Rusty Start to Progress
Chris Dobey, a semi-finalist in last year's tournament, was widely expected to progress comfortably against his Chinese opponent. However, the match did not follow the anticipated script in the early stages. After securing the opening set, Dobey was plagued by a series of missed attempts at double top, a lapse that allowed Zong Xiaochen to seize his opportunity and level the match at one set apiece.
The eighth seed's struggles on the outer ring persisted into the fourth set, keeping Zong's hopes of a monumental upset alive. Yet, the Chinese debutant could not capitalise on Dobey's continued vulnerability. Finding his rhythm just in time, the favourite eventually closed out the match to book his place in the second round, avoiding what would have been a major shock on the Ally Pally stage.
Soutar's Agonising Path to Victory
In one of the most dramatic matches of the championship so far, Alan Soutar experienced every dart player's nightmare before finally overcoming Finland's Teemu Harju. Soutar, from Dundee, missed an incredible 10 darts to win the match in the fourth set, allowing Harju to claw his way back from a two-set deficit and force a decider.
The tension reached almost unbearable levels in the fifth and final set. Harju himself spurned four match darts when leading 3-2, handing Soutar another lifeline. After his 15 previous failures to seal the win, Soutar finally held his nerve, hitting double 16 with his 16th attempt at a match dart to triumph in a sudden-death leg, sparking huge relief and celebration.
Williams and Hood Ease Through
Elsewhere on the opening day's schedule, the action was more straightforward for other seeds. Scott Williams, another former semi-finalist, enjoyed a comfortable passage into round two with a dominant 3-0 whitewash of Paolo Nebrida from the Philippines. Justin Hood also secured a convincing win, defeating Welshman Nick Kenny without dropping a set.
The evening session was set to feature 2021 world champion Gerwyn Price, who was scheduled to face Czech outsider Adam Gawlas in his first-round encounter. The tournament at Alexandra Palace continues to deliver high drama and unexpected twists in its early stages.
