The first round of the World Cup of Darts is already in full swing, and on Saturday two more players will be hoping to make it to the second round of the World Darts Championship – including Dutchman Richard Veenstra. In addition, another Dutch player will play his second match and try to qualify for the next round.
The afternoon session begins with two exciting duels in the first round. This will be followed by two games in the second round, in which the winners can secure a place in the third round after the Christmas break. The tension rises as the players give everything to get one step closer to their dream of winning the World Cup.
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Karel Sedlacek vs Rhys Griffin (R1)
Karel Sedlacek has continued his impressive streak at the World Darts Championship. Since his debut in 2019, the Czech has found his way to Alexandra Palace every other year. His last appearance came in 2023, when he defeated Raymond Smith in the first round before narrowly losing to Dirk van Duijvenbode in a thrilling duel. Sedlacek showed solid performances on the Pro Tour in 2024, reaching the round of 16 five times and celebrating his best result with a semi-final appearance at the Players Championship 16.
His opponent Rhys Griffin is making his Ally Pally debut at this World Cup. The Welshman had a mixed year on the Pro Tour and clearly missed out on the qualifying places. One of his few highlights was the World Cup qualifying tournament for Tour Card holders, where he was able to secure one of the three coveted tickets. In terms of the record between the two players so far, Sedlacek is clearly ahead: he was able to win both historic encounters.
It remains to be seen whether Sedlacek can continue his dominance against Griffin and claim another win on darts' biggest stage.
Richard Veenstra vs Alexis Toylo (R1)
Richard Veenstra, the last Dutchman in the first round, returns to Alexandra Palace after an impressive debut last year. In 2024 he beat Kim Huybrechts with a clear 3-0 set win and reached the third round before being eliminated by an outstanding Michael van Gerwen. This year Veenstra qualified for six Euro Tour events and collected a lot of prize money. On the Pro Tour he made it to at least the third round in 10 of 30 tournaments – a strong performance for the 47th in the world rankings.
His opponent, Alexis Toylo, is considered one of the best Asian darts players of recent years. In 2024 he dominated the Asian Tour with eight finals and five titles. Together with Lourence Ilagan, the Filipino player represented his country at the World Cup of Darts, where he gained his first experience on the big stage. For Toylo, the Darts World Cup marks his debut at an individual major and a chance to make a name for himself internationally.
The duel promises to be exciting, as Veenstra brings experience from the last World Cup, while Toylo wants to transfer his dominance from Asia to darts' biggest stage.
Richard Veenstra is the Dutchman who had to wait the longest to play in the first round of the World Cup of Darts
Brendan Dolan vs Lok Yin Lee (R2)
After Alexis Toylo, another Asian player comes into the spotlight, this time in the second round. Lok Yin Lee impressed in the first round with a clear win against Chris Landman. Although his average of 84.40 points was nothing extraordinary, his impressive finish rate of 46 percent made the difference and his strength on the doubles.
In the second round, the Hong Kong player will face Brendan Dolan, a top-32 seed who has not been at his best for months. “The History Maker” surprisingly won a Players Championship tournament at the beginning of May, but was defeated in the first round in 20 of 31 tournaments. Dolan, a permanent guest at Alexandra Palace since 2009, can still look back on successful years. In particular, his quarter-final appearances in the 2019 and 2024 editions indicate that he has the potential for great performances.
It remains exciting to see whether Lok Yin Lee can use his impressive doubles against the experienced Brendan Dolan or whether the Northern Irishman will find his form again in time to continue his path at the Darts World Cup.
Chris Dobey vs. Alexander Merkx (R2)
The second Dutchman in the second round of the Darts World Cup is Alexander Merkx. The 30-year-old from Hapert started his World Cup debut on Friday afternoon with a 3-0 win against Stephen Burton. But despite the clear result, the performance of “Alexander the Great” was anything but convincing. With an average of just 78.41 points, Merkx needs to improve his performance significantly – at least by 20 points – to have a realistic chance against Chris Dobey.
Chris Dobey, the 34-year-old Englishman, has an impressive record at Alexandra Palace. Since 2019, “Hollywood” has only failed before the round of 16 once and has even reached the quarter-finals in the last two years. This season, Dobey has been particularly successful on the Players Championship Circuit, where he won three titles and reached the final twice. However, Dobey was unable to repeat these performances at the major televised tournaments and was eliminated in the first round of the World Grand Prix, the European Championship and the Players Championship Finals in 2024.
Whether Dobey can once again use his strengths in the Ally Pally or whether Merkx manages a surprise will be one of the highlights of the second round. “Hollywood” was considered the favorite, but an increased Merkx could make life difficult for him.
TV guide during the Darts World Championship
This year's World Darts Championship 2025 can of course be followed live on TV again. The tournament at Alexandra Palace will take place from Sunday December 15th to Friday January 3rd 2025.
The darts rights in German-speaking countries have been held by Sport1 and DAZN for several years. At DAZN, every single dart is broadcast. Sport 1 is also broadcasting the entire Darts World Championship, but on Saturday you can only follow it in a live stream on the website and on YouTube.
Prize money
format
First round: Best of 5 sets
Second round: Best of 5 sets
Third round: Best of 7 sets
Fourth round: Best of 7 sets
Quarterfinals: Best of 9 sets
Semifinals: Best of 11 sets
Final: Best of 13 sets
There is no tiebreak in the first round if the score is 2-2 after four legs in the fifth set. In this case, the fifth set will be played in sudden death. From the second round onwards, a tie-break rule is applied in all games; A deciding set must be won by two legs. If the score is 5:5 in the last set, a sudden death leg is still played.
Darts World Championship 2025 schedule
Saturday December 21st
Afternoon session (from 1:30 p.m.)
Karel Sedlacek vs Rhys Griffin (R1)
Richard Veenstra vs Alexis Toylo (R1)
Brendan Dolan vs Lok Yin Lee (R2)
Chris Dobey vs. Alexander Merkx (R2)
Chris Dobey usually does well at the World Darts Championship. What can he achieve this year?
By Pascal Michiels
