Darts

Peter Wright's PDC world title defence came to a sorry end while Gerwyn Price ended Raymond van Barneveld's fairytale run.

I’m the world No 1 and I’m here to win. The Welshman eventually sewed up victory with a 128 finish (54-54-20) and will meet Ryan Searle or José de Sousa in the last 16. But he seized the initiative by winning seven of the next eight legs and a cool 67 checkout gave him a 3-1 advantage. But the 55-year-old was whitewashed 4-0 as world No 1 Price showed there is no room for sentiment on darts’ biggest stage. Wright took the first set 3-0 and Huybrechts, who came to London battling to stay in the world’s top 32, appeared to be up against it. But I’m a happy man to go through to the next round.”

An out-of-sorts Peter Wright suffered a comprehensive defeat to Belgian Kim Huybrechts as he was dumped out of the World Darts Championship at the third ...

I beat the name Peter Wright but the person Peter Wright wasn't there, I have to be honest about that. But, hey, I'm a happy man, I'm through to the next round." "I'm not going to be arrogant and cocky and say 'oh, I beat Peter Wright'. "Normally he is about 20 times better than this but I took my chances and I got the win. Fans also felt all was not well with Wright. That failed to aid his cause as the Belgian clinched one of the biggest victories of his career. "I didn't play Peter up there, I have to be fair," conceded Huybrechts. Wright won the first set but never looked comfortable thereafter and changed his darts at regular intervals. However, when presented with his first real challenge, he faltered badly. After beginning 2022 by landing his second world title, Snakebike has endured poor form while there have been health scares for both himself and his wife, Jo. [Emotional Peter Wright was on the verge of tears before even throwing a dart](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/darts/peter-wright-tears-kim-huybrechts-28825496) [Peter Wright](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/latest/peter-wright) has crashed out of the World [Darts](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/darts/) Championship following a 4-1 defeat to Kim Huybrechts in the third round.

Controversy followed Chris Mason throughout much of his career as a professional darts player, and the successful pundit will soon mark the 20-year ...

And fans will continue to benefit from his insight at Alexandra Palace, where the likes of "He absolutely loved me, he didn't mind telling me he loved me as a player," Mason detailed. I’m more about talking about it than playing in it. [Daily Star Sport](https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/darts/chris-mason-darts-super-series-28279310) in October. . .he was a prison officer in the jail I was in and saved my life—and my career. It was almost 20 years ago that the two-time World Championship semi-finalist was jailed for one such offence, in which a judge said the victim's house was made to look like "something out of a horror movie." I'm like, 'Oh this is how he done it,'" Mason told The Darts Show Podcast in August 2022. And come back he did. However, he wasn't without friends during his confinement and lauded one guard in particular for helping him move past that period. He was like a father—but a good one. That didn't prevent the Bristol-born star from being handed a three-year prison sentence in June 2003, though he served just 12 months before he was released. Former PDC regular-turned-prized pundit Chris Mason has been back in the World Championship commentary booth on behalf of talkSPORT this year.

Sky Sports darts commentator Wayne Mardle and sports presenter Emma Jones couldn't hold it together as they discussed darts nicknames and contrasting ...

“Buckshot,” replied Jones. A third Jones supporter said: “Was watching My Fair Lady yesterday. Is that not right?” “Bookshop?,” he asked. Northwich-born Jones replied: “I think I’d call myself the Blond Buckshot.” An incredulous Mardle then joked “just stop” to the camera as a confused Jones asked “why?”.

Kim Huybrechts dumped out reigning champion Peter Wright on a dramatic night at the Cazoo World Darts Championship, while top seed Gerwyn Price dispatched ...

I wanted to be clinical. It’s never been as big as this moment, so I’m very happy and very thankful.” Ratajski halved the deficit with a clean sweep in set three - sparked by a superb 135 finish on tops and sealed with an 11-darter - but Van den Bergh recovered to close out a convincing win. Van Barneveld responded with 125 and 147 finishes in his bid to launch a fightback, but he paid the price for spurning one set dart in the third, as Price sealed the deal with a superb 128 finish on double ten. “It wasn’t my best performance. “To beat one of the best players in the world, the reigning champion, it means the world,” said an emotional Huybrechts, through to the fourth round for just the second time in a decade.