Raymond van Barneveld bids farewell

World Darts results: Raymond van Barneveld's career is ended by Darin Young as Rob Cross crashes out

By Chris Hammer

08:40 · SUN December 15, 2019

A review of Saturday's action at the William Hill World Darts Championship as Raymond van Barneveld's legendary career was ended and Rob Cross crashed out.

Follow @ChrisHammer180 on Twitter
World Championship draw & schedule
CLICK HERE FOR BARNEY TRIBUTE AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

EVENING SESSION

Barney's farewell ends in dejection

Raymond van Barneveld's career ended in the most deflating way possible in the first round of his last PDC World Darts Championship as Darin Young silenced the stunned Barney Army with a 3-1 victory.

The five-time world champion and his millions of fans around the world were desperate for him to enjoy one last lengthy run on the biggest stage of all but 'Big Daddy' had no interest in that particular fairytale and instead revelled in the villain role of a darting horror story.

Van Barneveld, who won four Lakeside crowns from 1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 before defeating Phil Taylor in an all-time classic to claim his sole PDC world title in 2007, previously admitted his final season had been "disastrous" and unsurprisingly he cut a dejected figure after a nightmare farewell.

Barney did of course receive a customary hero's reception during what will now go down in history as his final walk-on in a professional tournament, but that will be no consolation now.

The drama was on the cards from the off when Young, who qualified for his 10th World Championship and first since 2016 by virtue of being the highest ranked American on the CDC rankings, won the opening set 3-1.

You could almost hear a pin drop inside the Ally Pally but Barney finally got the crowd going by whitewashing Young in the second set, in which he averaged over 100 and sealed the deal with a fine 13-darter.

A closely fought third set of mixed quality went to a deciding leg that both had chances to win but after Barney spurned his dart at tops, Young pounced on two 10s to pull the plug on the crowd yet again.

Young broke the Barney throw with one of the most quietly celebrated 160 checkout in history before the 46-year-old doubled his advantage to move onto the brink of victory.

Van Barneveld bravely fought back with a pair of impressive 14-darters but despite reaching a finish first in the decider when a fifth 180 left him 61, he couldn't get the job done in two visits and Young ended his career with a 74 checkout.

Barney actually averaged a much higher 96.13 compared to his opponent's 87.92 and hit three more maximums but he spurned 18 of his 26 darts at doubles which ultimately proved costly in his forgettable finale.

"I played really bad," am emotional Van Barneveld told Sky Sports. "I was surprised, nothing more. Darin played really good, all credit to him.

"I lost first round, in my disaster year. I will never forgive myself, never ever.

"I had practised well and done everything I could to prepare but I didn't play anything like that on stage. I will never forget or forgive myself for this performance - it has been a nightmare end to a nightmare year."

Later, in his final press conference, he said: "The demons won again - I never felt comfortable in the whole match.

When later prompted to elaborate on what those demons, he said: "That I'm a loser. Every day is a disappointment in my life."

Barney was also asked if he was proud of his achievements to which he sarcastically laughed and said: "Proud of what? That's all in the past, I can't live with myself for this. Never ever."

"It (My legacy) doesn't matter. I don't belong at this high level anymore and that's what I've got to tell myself for the rest of my life."

Raymond van Barneveld's final press conference: "I don't belong at the top level anymore"

BARNEY'S ROLE OF HONOUR

People's Champion - Always
Career TV Titles: 26
Non-TV Titles: 15
Televised Nine-Darters: 5

PDC Televised Titles

2006, 2007 UK Open
2007 World Championship
2007 Las Vegas Desert Classic
2012 Grand Slam of Darts
2014 Premier League
2010, 2014, 2017, 2018 World Cup of Darts

Further Major Titles

1998, 1999, 2003, 2005 Lakeside Championship
2001, 2005 World Masters
1995, 2001, 2003, 2004 Zuiderduin Masters
2003, 2004 World Darts Trophy
2003, 2004, 2006 International Darts League
2007 Masters of Darts

CLICK HERE FOR BARNEY TRIBUTE AND CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Huybrechts pulls plug on Voltage

Raymond van Barneveld's career-ending defeat was not the only jaw-dropping moment on Saturday night, as Rob Cross slumped to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Kim Huybrechts.

The 2018 champion headed to the Alexandra Palace with high hopes of getting his hands on the trophy for the second time having won the World Matchplay and European Championship but he managed just two legs in one of his worst performances of the season.

Cross averaged 89.64 and spurned 11 of his 13 darts at doubles throughout the contest while he also managed to bust 130 in the opening leg of the third set that Huybrechts went on to win 3-1 with the help of a 152 checkout and a closing 11-darter.

Huybrechts may not have been at his best either with a shade of under 90 himself while he hit one fewer maximum with two but his superior finishing of 53% made a lacklustre Cross pay.

"I feel stunned - I can't really believe it," said Huybrechts. "Rob Cross did not turn up at all and I know that but I took my chances and I won. I'm very pleased to win.

"I was strong in my mind against one of the best players in the world and I'm proud of how I fought for that victory."

Debut despair for Hughes

Jamie Hughes suffered a surprising and dramatic exit as Zoran Lerchbacher stumbled over the line in a sudden death leg to claim just his second victory on the Alexandra Palace stage.

The former BDO star has enjoyed a superb debut season on the PDC circuit by winning a European Tour title and qualifying for a string of major tournaments including the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Grand Slam of Darts, so many felt he'd be a dangerous player in the draw.

Hughes didn't play badly and averaged 95.47 but it was below his best and the Austrian took full advantage with an inspired display, despite a nervy deciding set in which he missed eight match darts.

Lerchbacher's relief was clear to see especially having earlier blown all those golden chances to seal victory in the third leg.

Hughes knew he was in for a hard night as early as the opening set, which he trailed 2-1 before a superb 87 checkout completed an 11-darter to force a decider.

However he would spurn two darts at double in a sloppy leg and Lerchbacher just about punished him with a 23-darter.

This kicked the Tipton ace into life by racing through the second set 3-1 while the there was high quality from both players in the third as Hughes responded to Lerchbacher's 121 checkout with one from 130 on the bullseye.

Although Hughes was unable to back it up by taking the set, which went to a deciding leg, he did bounce back to defy the Austrian's 131 checkout at the start of the fourth by pinning tops with his last dart in hand to level the match.

Lerchbacher stormed into a 2-0 lead in the fifth set and while nerves got the better of him when his first eight chances came and went, he pulled himself together in a sudden death leg to progress.

Gladiator chops down Campbell

Mark McGeeney produced a superb display on his Alexandra Palace debut as he overcame Canada's Matt Campbell 3-1 to reach round two.

The Gladiator, who crossed over from the BDO in January after winning his Tour Card at Q School, averaged an impressive 93.66 but it was finishing which was the key to this success as he made two 100+ checkouts and pinned 10 of his 17 attempts at doubles.

McGeeney was in a fired up mood as he walked onto the stage and breezed through the first set 3-1, including a finish from 126 before taking the next by the same scoreline with the the help of a 110 checkout - although his task was made easier by the Canadian's missed doubles.

The former BDO World Championship runner-up was cruising towards round two but Campbell gave him something to think about with a superb 147 checkout en route to taking the third set.

Campbell, who averaged a creditable 88.33 and hit one more 180 with three, was now playing with confidence but he'd given himself too much to do and McGeeney pinched the deciding leg of the fourth to seal his victory.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Lim thrills but bows out

Paul Lim raised the roof as he rolled back the years with a fabulous 160 checkout but it would prove in vain as the ageless crowd favourite bowed out of his 24th World Championship.

The Singapore Slinger, who made his debut at the highest level way back in 1982 in the BDO before hitting that incredible Lakeside nine-darter eight years later, was competing in the PDC version for the 12th time after another superb year on the Asian Tour.

The 65-year-old's 160 checkout came in the very first leg but rising star Woodhouse strung together clinical finishes of 81, 109 and 87 to to take the opening set.

A 12-darter completed with an 81 finish, helped him take the second by the same scoreline and although there was still time for Lim to pin one more double in the third, it wasn't long before a debut victory was sealed.

Woodhouse, who was recently tipped by Daryl Gurney as a player to watch out for in a recent feature for Sporting Life, averaged 96.02 compared to Lim's 93.14 but hit two fewer 180s with three.

"It didn't feel as comfortable as the scoreline suggested but I got the job done," said Woodhouse.

"It was a different experience than anything I've had before but this is what we play all year for and it was important I stood up to the challenge - which I felt I did."

Humphries keeps his hand cool

Luke Humphries showed his class for the second day running as the Alexandra Palace were treated to a second-round classic that went right down to a deciding leg.

The recently crowned World Youth champion, who reached the quarter-finals here last year, followed up his impressive victory over Devon Petersen last night with a 3-2 victory over Jermaine Wattimena that will live long in the memory of those watching the drama unfold.

Humphries fired in nine maximums, averaged 97.7 and hit 50% of his doubles while he even had the sense of humour and coolness in the heat of battle to tease the crowd with this great moment in the second set.

Fresh from overcoming Petersen with the help of four 100+ checkouts last night, Cool Hand returned to the stage as marginal underdog against the fast throwing Machine Gun and before anyone could blink, he was one set down.

After losing the opening leg to the second, the 24-year-old burst into life with a sensational purple patch of darts, reeling off two legs in 12 darts and another in 11 to level the scores.

Wattimena responded in kind as a 110 checkout - the highest of the match - helped him take the next set 3-1 and move one away from victory.

Humphries pinned tops in back-to-back legs when Wattimena was on a finish to force a deciding set and after four successive high-quality holds of throw, the match moved into a tie-breaker situation.

With either player needing to win by two clear legs to advance, the match swung in Wattimena's favour when a 98 checkout featuring two double tops completed a 12-dart break for a 5-4 lead only for Humphries, who earlier missed a match dart on the bullseye when 3-2 up, to break back with a 12-darter of his own.

This forced a deciding leg and after winning the bull to throw first, Humphries defied the pressure to triumph with a 13-darter as Wattimena, who averaged 95.14 and hit three 180s, waited on 65.

Humphries told www.pdc.tv: "That was the most thrilling game I've ever played in. I'd love to say I stayed calm and composed but I didn't feel that way up on the stage. I do think I found the right things at the right time.

"I'm over the moon to have won that match and I showed a lot of bottle - that's what you need to win titles like this.

"I love playing here. I love the feeling I get when I am playing on the Ally Pally stage and that is the best game I've ever been part of."

Labanauskas pulls plug on Prime Time

Darius Labanauskas wasted little time in storming into the second round as he crushed Matthew Edgar for the lost of just two legs.

The Lithuanian won the first seven of the match as he threatened a rare total whitewash while the star of 'Edgar TV' had only managed two darts at a double by that point, both of which coming in the third leg of the second set.

Prime Time got his act together with back-to-back legs, including a fine 75 checkout after Labanauskas has missed four darts at doubles, but it was far too little to late and didn't even amount to winning a set. Although it did entertain the crowd.

Labanauskas, who reached round three on debut last year, averaged 94.73 compared to Edgar's 84.78, hit three more 180s (three) and converted nine of his 17 darts at doubles.

Yamada cuts down Barber

Yuki Yamada won the battle of the debutants as the Japanese thrower defeated Ipswich youngster Ryan Meikle 3-1 to upset the odds.

The Barber has enjoyed an encouraging season on both the Development and Pro Tours so it came as little surprise to see him finishing 88 on the bullseye and a further checkout of 102 in winning the opening set 3-2.

The little known Yamada, who qualified for the Ally Pally virtue of his placing on the PDC's Asian Tour, responded with a match high finish from 124 en route to taking the scrappy second set on a deciding leg - and he'd repeat the trick in a third.

The match was summed up in the final two legs - with Yamada taking out 96 for a 12-darter and followed it up with a finish from 83 to complete a 24-darter that included scoring visits of 15, 25 and 44!

He finished up with an average of 85.77 compared to Meikle's 81 while they both hit two 180s apiece and missed a combined 48 darts at doubles.

World Darts Championship: Saturday results & Sunday schedule

Saturday December 14
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Darius Labanauskas 3-0 Matthew Edgar (First Round)
Ryan Meikle 1-3 Yuki Yamada (First Round)
Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Paul Lim (First Round)
Jermaine Wattimena 2-3 Luke Humphries (Second Round)

Evening Session (1900)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Mark McGeeney 3-1 Matt Campbell (First Round)
Jamie Hughes 2-3 Zoran Lerchbacher (First Round)
Raymond van Barneveld 1-3 Darin Young (First Round)
Rob Cross 0-3 Kim Huybrechts (Second Round)

Sunday December 15
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Kyle Anderson v Xiaochen Zong (First Round)
Ross Smith v Ciaran Teehan (First Round)
Brendan Dolan v Nitin Kumar (First Round)
Ian White v Labanauskas (Second Round)