PDC World Darts Championship: Welsh teenager Lewy Williams living his 'surreal' dream
- Published
Lewy Williams works as a barber when he's not competing on the PDC tour.
Lewis 'Lewy' Williams is living his dream.
The 19-year-old from Swansea won a PDC Tour Card earlier this year through Qualifying School and has not looked back since.
"It has been a dream start," Williams says. "I thought at the start of the year, I'll grab a couple of wins here and there and I'll be happy with that.
"But since then, beating the likes of Nathan Aspinall and Jose de Sousa, it's gone crazy.
"Qualifying for the European Championships and the Worlds - it still feels likes a dream. It's so surreal."
Williams beat 2020 Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh, Kim Huybrechts and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen to reach the last 16 in his first Pro Tour event in February this year.
"That day was a dream and I didn't expect that at all. I was hoping to get a couple of legs off any player, but to beat some incredible players to get to the last 16 was crazy," he says.
Williams also qualified for the European Tour in Hungary and beat Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski, a top-16 player, to reach the third round.
A TV debut came in October, after Williams qualified for the European Championships in Salzburg.
"I thought I was going to be a lot more nervous, but I had a little throw on the stage and I felt at home there," he says.
"I've just loved every minute of it, I didn't expect it at the start of the year. I can't put into words how good it feels to be doing so well in my first year."
The focus now is the biggest event of all, the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Williams says he has been dreaming about the prospect of competing "every night".
He faces Japan's Toyokazu Shibata in the first round on Tuesday, 23 December.
Shibata is also making his debut in London having qualified through the PDC Asia qualifiers.
"I don't really tend to look at other players that differently, whether I'm playing Van Gerwen or someone I've never heard of," says Williams.
"If he's at the World Championship then he can obviously throw a dart and so I'm not going to underestimate anyone. Hopefully it will be a good game and I'll come out the winner."
There is a possibility of an all-Welsh third-round clash with Pontyberem's Jonny Clayton.
"That would be brilliant," says Williams. "I'll have to get my revenge on him as he's beaten me a couple of times on the Pro Tour, so I'll make sure I get through to the third round at least and give Jonny a good game."
Williams, a professional barber, has plenty of ambitions beyond the World Championship, as he looks to make further progress on his second year on the tour.
"I was gutted to miss out on the Players Championship finals this year as I missed out on countback," he says.
"I'll be in it next year, that's one of my goals. I don't want to put too much pressure on myself. I just want to go out there and enjoy it again like I did this year and let the darts flow."
'The Iceman' and 'The Ferret' - competing to keep dart's world title in Wales
Williams has been inspired by the successes of his fellow countrymen. Gerwyn Price became the first Welsh world champion earlier this year and Jonny Clayton has won four major titles this year.
Former semi-professional rugby player Price was also the first player to win the World Championship having come through Q-School.
"Looking at what Gezzy's [Price] done changing sports, I was into football myself so I never thought I'd be playing darts," Williams says.
"So I've kind of come from the same background with that and it makes me think anyone can do that.
"When Michael van Gerwen was at the top of his game, we never thought anyone could dethrone him but then Gezzy's come along and Jonny's come along and the Welsh have taken over so it's great to see. Hopefully I'm the next one to do it."
HAYLEY PEARCE PODCAST : Tackling the issues that make your group chats go off
WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?: Food for the mind, and inspiration for the soul
