James Wade secured his first victory at the PDC World Darts Championship in four years.
James Wade of England commenced his PDC World Darts Championship campaign with a decisive 3-0 victory over Ryusei Azemoto, while Raymond van Barneveld experienced a surprising first-round defeat.
Van Barneveld, a five-time world champion, appeared out of form as he succumbed to a straight-sets loss against Stefan Bellmont, marking the first Swiss victor at Alexandra Palace.
Seventh seed Wade conceded only one leg in a dominant performance against Japan’s Azemoto.
“Tonight’s match reflected the practice I’ve been putting in. It wasn’t particularly spectacular, but when I needed to hit a target, I did,” stated Wade, a four-time semi-finalist.
Wade concluded with an average of 94.75, surpassing Azemoto’s 84.42. The 42-year-old is set to face Ricky Evans in the second round on Monday.
Van Barneveld seemed a mere shadow of the player who clinched four BDO world titles before securing the PDC crown in 2007.
The 58-year-old Dutchman claimed the opening leg but subsequently lost eight consecutive legs.
Despite achieving a higher average than his opponent, he converted only 25% of his doubles, while Bellmont hit 39%.
American debutant Adam Sevada emerged victorious in the opening match on Wednesday, defeating Canadian Matt Campbell 3-1.
The encounter was closely contested for much of its duration, but Sevada’s marginally superior performance on doubles proved decisive, as he won 11 legs compared to Campbell’s six.
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World Darts Championship 2026 schedule and results
Thursday’s key matches are scheduled for the evening, featuring Fallon Sherrock, the first woman to win a match at a World Championship in 2019, against 2021 semi-finalist Dave Chisnall.
Michael van Gerwen, a three-time champion, will commence his tournament against Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.
Matt Campbell 1-3 Adam Sevada
Raymond van Barneveld 0-3 Stefan Bellmont
James Wade 3-0 Ryusei Azemoto
Martin Schindler v Stephen Burton
Afternoon session (from 12:30 GMT)
Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
Mike de Decker v David Munyua
Evening session (from 19:00 GMT)
Jermaine Wattimena v Dominik Gruellich
Dave Chisnall v Fallon Sherrock
Michael van Gerwen v Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo