A 140 from Gary Anderson sets up 121 to break throw and he will get six darts at it.

The first visit from the Flying Scotsman leaves a full visit at double 12. He splits doubles 12 and six before going low at double three.

A treble one from Jeffrey de Graaf invites Anderson back, who busts on double 17 when looking for double three next door.

De Graaf takes the leg on double eight after misses there and at 16.

Gary Anderson can take confidence in the fact that he gets to start the second set with the darts, unlike the first.

A 145 from him leaves 160. To which, Jeffrey de Graaf replies with a 180.

De Graaf can only set up double 18 from his 84 shot, but does come back to take the leg.

Gary Anderson has been way off his best so far, averaging just below 90 in that first set. A big reason for that is his five missed doubles across four legs.

Jeffrey de Graaf leads the averages, playing at a three-dart rate of 97.24.

The man from Sweden has also landed three of his four chances at doubles.

Remember, Gary Anderson had the top overall three-dart average for the year coming into this tournament.

Jeffrey de Graaf has gone a bit off the boil after two brilliant legs to start the match.

Gary Anderson takes full advantage. A 140 gives him six darts at 146.

A 90 leaves 56 before De Graaf finds a 180 to fight back.

Anderson returns and misses two darts at double 20 but again, will come back to level the set.

At double 10, Anderson misses a hat-trick. De Graaf takes the set on double nine.

Jeffrey de Graaf just has to hold his throw to win the first set, but Gary Anderson hits back with his first 180 of the night.

Anderson has a 121 out. Treble 20, treble 11, double 14. Smash!

A 12-dart break of throw. The crowd loved that!

On his throw, Gary Anderson scores 105 to set up a 96 out.

An 88 gives him three darts at double four.

Before Anderson can attempt it, Jeffrey de Graaf has a Shanghai 120 finish for a break of throw and takes it superbly!

2-0 to the man from Sweden.

An explosive start from Jeffrey de Graaf, starting the match with a 180!

He gets at least six darts to see off 100, but does it in two on double 20 to hold throw.

That's bought the mood down a touch among the Gary Anderson fans.

Gary Anderson has plenty of support as he makes his long-awaited bow at the 2025 tournament inside Alexandra Palace.

Of all players in 2024, Anderson has had the best average across the 12 months and that includes Lukes Littler and Humphries.

Hoping for a third straight shock win this evening is Sweden's Jeffrey de Graaf.

De Graaf to throw first, game on!

Image source, Getty Images

Two-time world champion Gary Anderson is up next! The Scot takes on Sweden's Jeffrey de Graaf.

Anderson won this title over back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016 and arrives as one of the pre-tournament favourites with the bookmakers.

Hoping to cause an upset to Anderson is De Graaf, who beat Rashad Sweeting of the Bahamas in the first round.

The winner of this faces Paolo Nebrida, who has just beat Ross Smith, in the third round.

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

A year after his maiden crown, Gary Anderson won his second PDC World Darts Championship title.

In 2016, Anderson was a 7-5 winner of Adrian Lewis in sets at Alexandra Palace.

From then, Anderson would have to wait more than two years to get his hand on his next PDC major, winning the 2018 UK Open.

Anderson is one of only six players in history to win two or more PDC World Championship trophies.

Image source, Getty Images

This year's PDC World Darts Championship marks the 10th anniversary of when Gary Anderson lifted his first world title.

Anderson beat Phil Taylor, the most-decorated darts player of all-time, 7-6 in the final to become world champion.

Later that year, Anderson would become Premier League champion for the second time following a victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final.

That world title was the third of Anderson's eight PDC major honours.

Image source, Getty Images

Seeds: 32

Seeds to have played: 22

Seeds to have lost: 10

Seeded players to have exited 2025 PDC World Darts Championship:

• Michael Smith (2)
• Danny Noppert (13)
• James Wade (16)
• Ross Smith (19)
• Martin Schindler (23)
• Mike De Decker (24)
• Dirk van Duijvenbode (25)
• Gabriel Clemens (27)
• Ritchie Edhouse (29)
• Raymond van Barneveld (32)

Paolo Nebrida, throwing for the match for the second time in this set, starts the leg with a 140.

Nebrida leaves 104 for the match, with Ross Smith waiting to go at 103.

20, 20 and 16 leave 48 for Nebrida.

Smith goes treble 20, 11 and splits double 16 in half.

Nebrida finds 16 and double 16 to take the match. An enormous win for Nebrida!

Smith becomes the 10th seeded player to be knocked out in the second round this year.

Ross Smith starts the fourth leg of the third set with the throw where a 100, 140, 100 start give him a healthy lead over Paolo Nebrida.

Smith gets six darts at 161 and with the first three, he leaves double 18 to level the set.

Nebrida's 140 is a consolation, with Smith levelling the set on double nine.

Ross Smith has to win three straight legs, two of which against the darts, just to stay in the match.

He starts with a 180, but the next visit brings just 41.

Smith does get down to a finish first and will have six darts at 120.

The first three end with a missed double 20, but he will be back - right after Paolo Nebrida scores a 131 to leave 35.

Smith stays in the match thanks to a double 10.

Paolo Nebrida is in cruise control.

Another 180 puts him in a strong position to break throw and move within one leg of the third round.

An 81 buys him three darts at 140, with Ross Smith waiting on 154.

Both men have two more visits without finishing, including a missed dart at double 16 from Smith.

Nebrida breaks throw with his second dart at the same double to move a leg away from another shock win.

Stuart Pyke
Commentator on Sky Sports

It's a darts match that is almost defying description. It's certainly defying expectation.

As well as being 2-0 up in sets, Paolo Nebrida starts the third set with the darts.

Ross Smith gets three darts at double eight to break throw, but misses one there and two at double eight.

Nebrida comes back to a 118, which he takes out on double 20 to hold excellently.

Ross Smith is in trouble here.