Offbeat news from the world of sport
Offbeat news from the world of sport
We have more newsletters
Michael Smith was made to sweat in his opening match of the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship.
The incumbent king of the darts world evaded Kevin Doets with a 3-2 comeback victory at Alexandra Palace to reach the second round by the skin of his teeth. But the early setback also saw 'Bully Boy' produce a terrific performance that could set the tone for the rest of his tournament.
Doets, 25, set up a late fixture with the world No1 after sweeping Stowe Buntz aside 3-0 in the opening match of the tournament. And the Dutchman appeared to be building on that momentum with a promising start against the titleholder.
READ MORE: Rusty-Jake Rodriguez throws dart off stage in World Darts Championship 'tantrum'
READ MORE: Maddest walk-ons at PDC World Darts Championship – from actual horse to aubergine
Smith, 33, won the first set before 'Hawk Eye' clinched two in a row to respond. It was also Doets who was landing the majority of maximums and ton-plus scores at this stage.
That was when something appeared to stir in Bully Boy, and the crowd rallied behind the reigning champ in kind. Two particularly impressive checkouts of 150, 142 and 120 put into context the scale of Smith's achievement after having his back against the wall.
Who do you think will win the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship? Let us know in the comments section below.
It was heartbreak for Doets, however, after the Dutchman built expectations for a giant-slaying. Ultimately, though, his debut at Ally Pally ended in a defeat that went along with the script.
"Being 2-1 down there was a 142 in there somewhere, but I nearly threw it away by missing a nine darter to make it 3-0," said Smith after the win. "I just kept plugging, kept fighting. When he took it to 2-1 up, he gave me a point with his finger and I remember last year, Martin Schindler did that as well, now you’ve just got to ruin him.
Join the Daily Star's WhatsApp for the sexiest headlines, showbiz gossip and lots more
The Daily Star is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join us!
Through the app, we'll send you the sassiest showbiz stories, some naught headline and a seismic smattering of aliens…along with the latest breaking news of course.
To join our community, all you have to do to join is click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in!
No one will be able to see who has sign up and no one can send messages except for the Daily Star team. We also treat our community members to competitions, special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners.
If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose Exit group. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
CLICK HERE TO JOIN
"When I was driving up to the Alexandra Palace, it was the same nerves as last year. 13 years in a row it’s the same nerves, I was quite happy with that. The only thing I was unhappy about was that I missed four 9s or five 9s in the back room.
More to follow.
This is a breaking sports story and is being constantly updated with the latest news, pictures and videos. Please refresh the page regularly.
You can also get email updates on the day’s biggest sports stories straight to your inbox by signing up for our sports newsletter.
Get all the very best sports news, pictures, opinion and video by following Daily Star every time you see our name.
Follow Daily Star on Google News – CLICK HERE and click the star
Follow Daily Star on Apple News – CLICK HERE available on Apple devices
Follow Daily Star on Flipboard – CLICK HERE and click follow
You can also sign up for Twitter alerts for breaking news by following @DailyStar_Sport and follow us @dailystar for all the latest updates.
Keep up-to-date with your must-see sports stories, features, videos and pictures throughout the day by following us on Facebook.
- Darts
- Michael Smith
Source: Read Full Article