Two-time world champion Peter Wright has been eliminated from the World Cup. Snakebite – number four in the world – did not have a good year, but the elimination in the second round against Jim Williams can still be described as a real sensation. It was no less than 3-0 for Williams, possibly Raymond van Barneveld’s opponent in the third round.
He became world champion in 2020 by beating Michael van Gerwen and he became world champion in 2022 by beating Michael Smith. Dressed up again as The Grinch Wright was ‘just’ the Wright we know on Wednesday evening, but on stage he was – and has been for some time – no longer a shadow of the world champion of old.
To everyone’s surprise, he won the European Championship this year, but otherwise there was little to rely on in 2023 for Wright, who has been playing around with his equipment for years and changes arrows almost more often than outfits. With an average of 83.87, Wednesday evening’s arrows did not bring any luck either. And so, if Raymond van Barneveld wins his match against Radek Szaganski in the second round on Friday, he will take Barney not against Wright, but against Jim Williams.
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The world is introduced to 16-year-old Luke Littler
So Wright will not become world champion, but the only 16-year-old (!) Luke Littler can become one, at least according to Christian Kist. The 37-year-old Dutchman lost no less than 3-0 to the English super talent. “He is competing here for the world title,” said Kist, who again had no luck with his draw.
Six years ago, when Kist was last at Alexandra Palace, he met Van Gerwen. This year the only 16-year-old Littler, who is considered the great super talent in the darts world and a huge hype helped get things going in England. The youngster also fully achieved this against Kist with a 3-0 victory and an average of 106.12. “We have Van Gerwen, but I think he will also be at the top for years to come,” predicted Kist, who – who saw his World Cup preparations disrupted by a tendinitis in his hand – was not even dissatisfied with his own game .
I might have hoped that all the attention would make him crack under the pressure, but that didn’t bother him
Christian Kist
Yet it was The Lipstick completely hopeless against the violence of The Nuke. “What I did at sixteen? I still played football,” Kist said, laughing. “The toughest draw? I think so, yes. You can name twenty names that you would rather have here. I might have hoped that all the attention would make him crack under the pressure, but that didn’t bother him, haha. Oh well, sometimes things go well, sometimes things go wrong.”
Luke Littler celebrates victory with kebab “Can I become world champion? If I average 106 every game, I have a good chance,” Littler said with a laugh afterwards. “The next Michael van Gerwen or Phil Taylor? That’s what a lot of people have said. People say I’m better than Best regards, but I can’t agree or disagree with that yet. I know what he did at his age and I know what I did at my age. How am I going to celebrate this? Treating myself to a kebab, a bottle of cola, a bottle of fanta. And more vapes (an electronic cigarette, ed.).”
Richard Veenstra impressed by Ally Pally
Richard Veenstra qualified for the second round of the World Darts Championship earlier in the evening. After five World Cups with the BDO, where he reached the semi-finals in 2016, the 42-year-old Dutchman was impressed by Alexandra Palace on Wednesday evening during his World Cup debut for the PDC. “I thought ‘like this’ for a moment. The audience is very close to you.”
Here they don’t care what you do, haha!
Richard Veenstra
Veenstra recently impressed at the Players Championship Finals by beating world champion Michael Smith, but an evening of ‘Ally Pally’ was something different. “There, in Minehead, everyone is twenty meters behind you. Here everyone is very close, shouting a lot, acting crazy,” said the 42-year-old Dutchman, who has also played five World Cups at Lakeside. “But everyone is quiet there, no one here. At Lakeside there are people who love the game, watch the game and don’t shout. Here they don’t care what you do, haha!”
Veenstra, perhaps because of all the impressions, did not yet leave an indelible impression with an average that remained below 80 for a long time (ultimately 85.29), but because his New Zealand opponent Ben Robb made sloppy mistakes (throwing himself ‘to death’ from 41 and threw a single 13 in his attempt at double 4), Veenstra won relatively easily with 3-0.
On Saturday afternoon, Veenstra will have a match in the third round against the Belgian Kim Huybrechts. “They just play well then. Most of the tension is gone now.” Will Veenstra beat Huybrechts? Then even Van Gerwen awaits in the third round. “Well, I don’t look that far. First Kim, that’s difficult enough,” he said Flyers.
Program Wednesday December 20 (from 8 p.m.) • Ryan Joyce-Alex Spellman (R1) 3-1 • Richard Veenstra -Ben Robb (R1) 3-0 • Christian Kist – Luke Littler (R1) 0-3 • Peter Wright-Jim Williams (R2) 0-3
23:36 Yesterday
Peter Wright is out!
Peter Wright, two-time world champion, loses! Jim Williams continues and may play against Raymond van Barneveld in the third round.
23:20 Yesterday
2-0 Jim Williams!
Oops oops, will this work out for Peter Wright? Snakebite keeps missing doubles (4 out of 18 on his doubles) and also lets Jim Williams run away with the second set.
23:01 Yesterday
1-0 Jim Williams!
Peter Wright, who has not had a very good year, runs into problems early on against Jim Williams. The Welshman makes it 1-0!
22:54 Yesterday
Peter Wright
Peter Wright, two-time world champion, does not disappoint again with his walk-on. The Scot will face Welshman Jim Williams.
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10:30 PM Yesterday
Luke Littler wins!
What a phenomenon: 16-year-old Luke Littler certainly does not buckle under the pressure. He wins 3-0 against Christian Kist with an average of 106.12. On his debut, that is. Amazing performance from the youngster. Kist is out of the World Cup.
22:18 Yesterday
2-0 Luke Littler
There is a huge one hype around the person of Luke Littler in England and that appears not to be unjustified. The 16-year-old Englishman still has an average of 107.69 and also throws half of his doubles. Christian Kist does get some chances, but does not take advantage of them with one striking double out of five chances….
22:14 Yesterday
1-0 Luke Littler!
Well, Christian Kist also gets to know the 16-year-old phenomenon Luke Littler, who finished the first set with an average of 110. 1-0 for the young Englishman!
21:52 Yesterday
Christian Kist – Luke Littler
Now it’s Christian Kist’s turn against the 16-year-old super talent Luke Littler!
Kist made his name in one fell swoop in 2012 by following in the footsteps of Raymond van Barneveld and Jelle Klaasen as world champion at the BDO. He was never able to repeat that success with the PDC. In September he reached the final of a Players Championship in which he lost to Danny Noppert, but with youth world champion Littler, Kist, who recently suffered a hand injury, had a tough draw.
21:51 Yesterday
Richard Veenstra wins!
Richard Veenstra wins 3-0 and can play against Kim Huybrechts in the second round on Saturday! Will he win that game? Then he even plays against Michael van Gerwen in the third round!
21:46 Yesterday
‘What you can do, I can do too’, is what Richard Veenstra must have thought. He rolls 142 and is one leg away from winning!
21:45 Yesterday
Ben Robb gives a sign of life. He has already thrown four 180’s (Richard Veenstra not yet one) and is now also asserting himself with a nice 138 finish. It’s 1-1 in the third set.
9:40 PM Yesterday
2-0 Richard Veenstra!
Richard Veenstra can send flowers to New Zealand if he manages to get far in this World Cup. Ben Robb throws a single 13 while he is on double 4, after which Flyers seizes his chance. With an average of exactly 80, the crowd at Alexandra Palace has not yet been blown away by the Dutchman, but he is still ahead 2-0.
21:29 Yesterday
By the way, Alexandra Palace is also paying a lot of attention to Luke Littler, who will face Christian Kist after Richard Veenstra. Littler is 16 years old and recently defeated Gian van Veen in the final of the youth World Cup. He is seen in England as the top talent in the darts world. A tough evening is expected for the Dutchman.
21:23 Yesterday
1-0 Richard Veenstra!
Ben Robb seemed to get back into the match and took the first set, but the New Zealander missed on double 20, after which Richard Veenstra hurt his opponent a lot with a 112 finish. He may have thrown an average of 77.52, but the first set is for Flyers!
21:19 Yesterday
Ai… Ben Robb throws himself ‘to death’ from 41… That’s not helpful. Richard Veenstra then throws out 104 and makes it 2-0 in the first set, with both men not yet off to a good start with averages below 80.
21:01 Yesterday
Time for Richard Veenstra!
Then it is now time for Richard Veenstra’s World Cup debut with the PDC! Ben Robb from New Zealand is the opponent.
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9:00 PM Yesterday
Ryan Joyce wins!
It’s Ryan Joyce who wins with an average of 100.32! He can return on Saturday for the second round against Stephen Bunting.
20:55 Yesterday
2-1 Ryan Joyce
Ryan Joyce turns the game around. With an average of 101.59 in the third set, he takes a 2-1 lead against Alex Spellman.
20:51 Yesterday
Richard Veenstra
Soon it will be Richard Veenstra’s turn. He has already played several World Championships with the BDO and the WDF, but will now also report to the highest podium for the first time with the PDC. He recently pulled off a huge upset at the Players Championship Finals by eliminating world champion Michael Smith in the first round.
We spoke with Veenstra in the run-up to the World Cup. Including about his nickname: Flyers. Where does it come from? Read the interview here!
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