BBC Radio 5 Live

There's a BBC Radio 5 Live special programme on darts right now.

Presenter Kelly Cates will be welcoming special guests to talk about the sport's popularity and will be joined by reporter James Gregg from the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.

You can listen live here or catch up later on demand on BBC Sounds.

Luke Littler will play the winner of our next first-round match between Ryan Meikle and Fallon Sherrock.

World number 62 Meikle is back at Alexandra Palace after failing to qualify for last year's World Championship. He has made it into round two twice before.

Sherrock, meanwhile, has plenty of history at the Ally Pally...

Luke Littler was nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award after claiming 10 trophies in 2024.

The 17-year-old became the youngest winner of a major PDC tournament with victory in the Premier League, and also triumphed at the Grand Slam of Darts last month.

More on the Luke Littler story

Some breaking news from the Sports Personality of the Year awards...

Luke Littler has finished as the runner-up to Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson in the main award, while the 17-year-old has also been crowned the Young Sports Personality of the Year for 2024.

Watch the closing stages of the ceremony and follow live text coverage here.

Ricardo Pietreczko is through to round two in comfortable fashion.

The German wraps up a 3-0 win on double top.

Gian van Veen awaits in the second round.

Ricardo Pietreczko almost finishes the match in style with a 142 checkout, narrowly missing the shot at double 14.

Xiaochen Zong returns to take out 60 and keeps this match alive.

It's just not happening on the doubles for Xiaochen Zong this evening.

He misses two chances on tops, hits single six with a shot at double 10, then finds double 19 instead of double seven.

In contrast, the outer ring is like a magnet for Ricardo Pietreczko.

Whatever the darts equivalent is for a batter in cricket seeing the ball like a beach ball... well, that.

It's been Ricardo Pietreczko's finishing that has been the difference in this match so far - in the first two sets, he had nine attempts at doubles and hit six of them.

That ratio is improved to seven in 10 as, after Xiaochen Zong misses a shot at double top to break, Pietreczko finds the double 12 at the first time of asking.

Stuart Pyke
Commentator on Sky Sports

It's all gone horribly wrong for Xiaochen Zong. You wonder whether that is the match.

Both players know how big this leg is - it's, let's say, nervy.

Not many big trebles at all, until a 140 from Ricardo Pietreczko puts him in command.

A classy 120 finish follows and the German moves within one set of a second-round meeting with Gian van Veen.

Image source, Getty Images

Ooof - a double 18, double top combination from Ricardo Pietreczko takes us into a deciding leg in the second set.

Xiaochen Zong will throw first in it and you feel it's one he needs to win.

There's a nice rhythm to this match - neither player is absolutely rapid, but they're not slow either.

Xiaochen Zong hits double six and is back in front in the second set.

Xiaochen Zong looks for all the world as if he is going to break the throw, but Ricardo Pietreczko takes out a 158 checkout to level the set. Great darts!

This one is bubbling up nicely.

Xiaochen Zong hits a 162 - three treble 18s - to take control of the first leg in the second set and he takes it on double top.

Just the start that the Chinese player would have wanted after returning from the break.

Image source, Getty Images

We'll be doing our best to answer some of your darting questions in our World Championship coverage over the next couple of weeks.

So, what height should a dartboard be? We consulted the official rules...

The standard height from the floor to the bullseye on the dartboard is 5 feet 8 inches (1.72m), while the oche (distance between the front of the board and the toeline) should measure 7ft 9.25 ins.

Ricardo Pietreczko takes a step back from the oche as he hits a double 15 when he was aiming for the single to set up a chance to win the set.

No harm done though and the German moves 1-0 up before the players head off for a quick break.

Ricardo Pietreczko hits double eight to break the throw and will now throw for the first set.

Ricardo Pietreczko has the advantage of throwing first in the opening set but it's the Chinese player Xiaochen Zong who makes the early moves with the first 180 of the match.

But it's the German who takes the first leg.

A steady start from both.

James Gregg
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter at Alexandra Palace

The noise for Rashad Sweeting there was absolutely bonkers!

I honestly think when he won that first set, that was the loudest it's been in the arena during this championship.

This crowd are in for an absolute treat tonight, but I bet they didn’t think they'd have so much excitement in the top match! This is a classic first week Ally Pally night tonight. It's pumping.

Ricardo Pietreczko, known as Pikachu, almost knocked out eventual champion Luke Humphries in the third round of last year's World Championship.

Pietreczko led 3-1 in the best-of-seven-sets match before a Humphries fightback sent the Englishman through.