Robert Owen has the throw and he knows a hold will put him within one set of the second round.

Chasing Owen's good scoring, Niels Zonneveld receives rotten luck when his second dart in between two treble 20s bounces out of the board.

Owen gets three darts at 45 to take the set. A single 13 precedes two misses on double 16.

On 85, Zonneveld pins treble 19 and misses twice on double 14.

Owen misses double eight, but takes double four and in doing so, the third set.

The first two legs in set three were both breaks of throw and Robert Owen is doing his utmost to make it a hat-trick with some brilliant scoring.

A 177 sets up a finish of 24, which he takes out with his second go at double six.

Niels Zonneveld has put so many of his first darts of a visit into treble 20 in this match and does so once more to get himself into finishing range.

Robert Owen finds one of his own at the start of a 170 attempt, but misses out at the second bite of the cherry.

Zonneveld is left on 125. His bull attempt lands in 18, before a treble 19 gives him a second chance at bull to checkout, which he does superbly.

The Dutchman cheers, while Owen just nods in approval.

Niels Zonneveld and Robert Owen both start off the third set with two-treble visits.

Another 140 from Zonneveld sets up an attempt at 91, while Owen's 180 in response leaves 32.

Zonneveld goes 19, treble 18 and then bends the wire of double 10.

Owen misses twice at double 16 before putting his third dart right in the middle of the double eight bed to break throw and lead the match.

While Niels Zonneveld has lost three of the last five legs, his average has jumped up to 91.5, a climb of almost 11 from where it was a set ago.

Robert Owen has also jumped up to 87.65 for the match and more importantly for him, is level with his Dutch opponent.

James Gregg
BBC Radio 5 Live reporter at Alexandra Palace

There’s a lot of chat about the crowd here at Ally Pally… both good and bad. But there’s no denying they add a brilliant backdrop when it gets nip and tuck in a match.

When Jermaine Wattimena was edging close to knocking James Wade out earlier, there was a second of near silence between each of Wattimena’s throws.

You might not pick that up on the telly but it does build the tension here at the Palace.

Image source, Kieran Cleeves/PDC

A fifth leg shootout in this second set brings the best out of Robert Owen and Niels Zonneveld.

The two men exchange 140s to set up finishes.

Owen, on 62, lands two single 15s for a dart at double 16, which he lands with perfection.

We are all square in this one.

Niels Zonneveld had left the door open for Robert Owen, but his confidence in that last leg continues as he gets the darts back for leg four.

The Dutchman has six darts to take out 119 and sets up double 20 with the first three.

The second three all miss doubles at 20, 10 and five, but he comes back to five on his next visit to level the second set.

Looking to break back, Niels Zonneveld starts off the leg with his third 180 of the night.

His hopes of a nine-darter soon fade, with dart four landing into treble one.

A 140 next up sets up an 155 out.

Treble 20, treble 19, double 19. What a checkout from Zonneveld!

Niels Zonneveld starts the second leg, which is evenly poised between he and Robert Owen.

Zonneveld misses bull to finish off 86 and in response, Owen finishes off 101 on double 16 to double his lead in the second set.

Owen's response? A huge roar!

Image source, Getty Images

Robert Owen starts the second set with the darts and his first 140 of the night gives him a lift.

A lift which lasts seconds, with Niels Zonneveld claiming his second 180 of the night.

Owen gets six darts to take out 138 and almost does so in three. He puts two into treble 19 before narrowly going too high on double 12.

A second miss on double 12 is soon avenged at double six to lead set two in 14 darts.

Niels Zonneveld is actually fractionally behind Robert Owen when it comes to first set averages.

His 80.52 is slightly behind Owen at 80.76.

Owen has missed all three of his darts at a double, with Zonneveld landing three of his seven attempts.

Dan Dawson
Commentator on Sky Sports

Not stellar stuff from Niels Zonneveld but he takes the opening set without dropping a leg.

Niels Zonneveld and Robert Owen exhange similar scores after nine darts in the third leg, but only Owen has a chance of a finish on 167.

It soon disappears for Owen after a single one, but a stray dart into four from Zonneveld opens the door for Owen.

Owen is given three darts at double 19 and goes low on all of them, with Zonneveld punishing the Welshman on double five to take the opening set.

Just as Robert Owen prepares to try and take out 157, Niels Zonneveld finds the first 180 of the evening against the throw.

It sets him up for 66, which he takes with one dart at double top to break Robert Owen's throw.

Both Niels Zonneveld and Robert Owen ease their way into this opening leg.

Zonneveld gets the first chance at a finish with a 108 shot, but only finds three single 20s.

Owen also goes without a treble at his first checkout attempt before Zonneveld pins 48 in two darts to lead.

Both men make their way to the stage to get this evening session under way.

Robert Owen stakes an early claim for longest time taken to get to the stage from the start of his walk-on. A credit to him for stopping for plenty of handshakes with supporters, hugs with his family and even a selfie!

Niels Zonneveld will start this match off. Game on!

Image source, Getty Images

The first of tonight's four matches sees Niels Zonneveld face Robert Owen, where both men will be hoping to kickstart a run inside Alexandra Palace.

Both men are long shots at the World Championship but with a second round meeting against German Gabriel Clemens up for grabs, they will see this as a big opportunity.

Zonneveld, 49th in the PDC's Order of Merit, is making his fourth Alexandra Palace outing. He reached the second round last year before being eliminated by Ross Smith.

It is a second World Championship outing for Welshman Owen, who is yet to make it past the first round. In 2018, the world number 77 did reach the semi-finals of the UK Open, a run which included a win over former world champion John Part.

A very decent wage, if you're at the top level.

Luke Humphries would become the first player in PDC history to reach £2m on the two-year Order of Merit system if he clinches back-to-back World Championship titles on 3 January.

Both he and Luke Littler have trousered more than £1m in prize money this year, and they will earn more through sponsorship deals, merchandise and exhibitions.

Image source, Getty Images

Teenager Luke Littler has certainly had a year to remember.

This time last year, the then 16-year-old was ranked 164th in the world and preparing for his first outing at a PDC World Darts Championship.

A year on, Littler is the bookmakers' favourite to win the title next month, having finished second in this competition at the start of this year.

Littler has risen 160 places in the PDC Order of Merit and since his last Alexandra Palace bow, has won the Premier League, World Series and Grand Slam titles.

Fans of his will have to wait to see his first match, however. He gets under way in the second round on Saturday, taking on the winner of the first round match between English duo Ryan Meikle and Fallon Sherrock.