James Wade made a strong start to the PDC World Darts Championship with a 3-0 win over Ryusei Azemoto, while five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld was surprisingly knocked out in the first round by Stefan Bellmont, the first Swiss player to win at Alexandra Palace.
Wade, the seventh seed, lost just one leg in a dominant display, finishing with an average of 94.75. He will face Ricky Evans in the second round. Van Barneveld, 58, started well but lost eight legs in a row and struggled on doubles, going out despite a higher scoring average than Bellmont.
Other early winners included Germany’s Martin Schindler, who beat Stephen Burton 3-1, and American debutant Adam Sevada, who defeated Canada’s Matt Campbell 3-1.
Thursday features key matches including Fallon Sherrock taking on Dave Chisnall and three-time champion Michael van Gerwen starting against Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.
