The full results and round-ups from the 2019 PDC World Darts Championship, which took place at the Alexandrea Palace from December 13 to January 1.
The biggest event in darts is over, with Michael van Gerwen defeating Michael Smith 7-3 in the final on New Year's Day.
Although the favourite from the start lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy for the third time, it'll be a tournament remembered for its shocks and drama.
Look back on how it's all unfolded with the daily results, round-ups and match highlights while we also have the odds, and a bumper history section including past winners and tournament statistics.
Michael van Gerwen 'only' won 18 titles and three majors during his 'disappointing' 2018 but he kicks off the New Year in style by becoming world champion for the third time!
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) January 1, 2019
Congratulations @MVG180 on bouncing backpic.twitter.com/VjY6jqvUux
FINAL
MVG's impossible dominance, underdog stories, life-changing journeys, dream debuts, showmanship, celebrate-gate, public enemies, shocks, the future of darts, 'betting mishaps' and a Premier League revamp idea.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) January 3, 2019
A series of ramblings about the dartshttps://t.co/JdRAk0IhSE
SEMI-FINALS
CLICK HERE FOR SEMI-FINAL BLOG, STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
CLICK HERE FOR SEMI-FINAL ROUND-UP
QUARTER-FINALS
CLICK HERE FOR QUARTER-FINAL ROUND-UP, STATS & HIGHLIGHTS
FOURTH ROUND
THIRD ROUND
SECOND ROUND
The 32 seeded players qualified from the PDC Order of Merit and entered the event at the second-round stage. They played a winner from the 32 first-round matches featuring the 32 international qualifiers and the 32 ProTour Order of Merit qualifiers.
FIRST ROUND
Thursday December 13
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
ROB CROSS RETURNS AND STARTS HIS DEFENCE WITH A WIN 👏🏼
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 13, 2018
3-1 win for Voltage over De Zwaan#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/kjZVzUguBI
Friday December 14
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Evening Session (1900)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Gary Anderson will next play one of the fastest players ever (Wattimena) or one the slowest (Barnard).pic.twitter.com/SaGY9gDgVv
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 14, 2018
Saturday December 15
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Evening Session (1900)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
💚 Michael van Gerwen gets the win, Alan Tabern played great too and that disgraceful fan gets banned from darts for life.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 15, 2018
👏👏👏👏 @MvG180 pic.twitter.com/phCeGUSp83
Who would even think to do that? No wonder Michael van Gerwen was so upset. pic.twitter.com/vryi4QKdn8
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 15, 2018
Sunday December 16
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Evening Session (1900)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Peter Wright didn't win dressed as Santa. He's out!
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 16, 2018
Toni Alcinas was 6/1 to cause the first big shock of this World Championship. I really didn't see it coming, despite Snakebite's form.pic.twitter.com/5sTH8sQXQN
Monday December 17
Evening Session
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Thirteen missed match darts in that sudden death leg!
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 17, 2018
Anyone know what the most ever missed in a decider is?pic.twitter.com/14WArXfXFr
Tuesday December 18
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Evening Session (1900)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
👏 Diogo @brazilliant180 Portela takes being gracious in defeat to new levels. Fantastic match.pic.twitter.com/IQJHyhRaOi
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 18, 2018
Wednesday December 19
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
First/Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Evening Session (1900)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
James Wade doing his Gerwyn Price impressions tonight.pic.twitter.com/HLuvXE7fuF
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 19, 2018
Thursday December 20
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
WHAT A FINSH TO THE MATCH | Alan Norris wins a last leg shootout over Lennon#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/6XpIt9WVWD
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2018
The atmosphere, emotion and celebrations of hitting a 180 in a World Championship sudden leg...and going on to win.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 20, 2018
Darts. pic.twitter.com/0BEIdjtK42
Evening Session (1900)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
"I'll probably get a fine for saying this!"
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 20, 2018
Adrian Lewis got off to a flyer earlier but afterwards had some very honest views on...
'Celebrate-gate'
The amount of matches at the World Champs
If MVG should be afraid of him
And his beard@jackpot180 pic.twitter.com/ytYbEnV03z
😱 Yet another shock at the World Darts Championship!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 20, 2018
👏 This time Ryan Searle produces a superb display to send Mensur Suljovic crashing out!
Who saw that coming?pic.twitter.com/mYxxGFm9D2
Friday December 21
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Another Comeback. Another Shock. More Dancing. Scenes.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 21, 2018
Devon Petersen’s incredible victory epitomises this World Darts Championship. pic.twitter.com/LbCcjXrfaO
Evening Session (1900)
Second Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
“Two nil and you...it up” the crowd yell at Gerwyn Price! pic.twitter.com/cJBgdEyiCx
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 21, 2018
🙌 Scenes! Nathan Aspinall is the new hero of the Ally Pally after coming from two sets down to defeat the man everyone loves to hate, Gerwyn Price! Amazing atmosphere! pic.twitter.com/hlnOhTcv4q
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 21, 2018
Saturday December 22
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
What. A. Match.
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 22, 2018
Unbelievable atmosphere as Gary Anderson survives one hell of a scare against Jermaine Wattimena. pic.twitter.com/CI2QL8XiWV
Evening Session (1900)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
👍 Just a casual 170 checkout from Michael van Gerwen
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 22, 2018
👏 @MvG180 pic.twitter.com/qqG2R4n0es
Sunday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
JAMES WADE COMPLETES THE COMEBACK | The Machine overcomes a hostile environment to defeat Keegan Brown and book a spot in the last 16#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/qUh5woNLqG
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
Evening Session (1900)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
ON. THE. BULL
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 23, 2018
Rob Cross finishes the 126 on the bull. Lovely stuff.#WHDarts pic.twitter.com/b55Rtp770U
🎯😲 Shocks, underdog stories, comebacks & rising standards of darts around the globe.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 22, 2018
👍 It's been a compelling World Championship and our @ChrisHammer180 caught up with player and pundit Paul @TheAsset180 Nicholson at the Ally Pally practice boards to reflect on the drama pic.twitter.com/l4WX1BJ9YU
Thursday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
“I’ll save my dancing for after I win” pic.twitter.com/BhOECGliH9
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 27, 2018
Evening Session (1900)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
🙌🎯 What. A. Match!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 27, 2018
🚂 Gary Anderson comes back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to defeat Chris Dobey, who hit 15 180s and averaged 101 in a terrific display!
👏 Great entertainment from both players! pic.twitter.com/KTurFjzpbD
Best match of the World Championship so far?
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 27, 2018
Friday December 28
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
So happy for Ryan Joyce. What a story! Used to pack women's clothes Matalan, joined the PDC Tour this year, qualifies for his debut World Championship, 1000/1 at the start and now knocks James Wade out to reach the quarter-finals! pic.twitter.com/HiThkaCvZB
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) December 28, 2018
🎯 Devon Petersen and Nathan Aspinall will clash on Friday with a World Championship quarter-final spot on the line.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 27, 2018
👏 Paul @TheAsset180 Nicholson tells our @ChrisHammer180 just why both @devon_petersen and @NathanAspi are so inspiring... pic.twitter.com/MiBxGT504z
Evening Session (1900)
Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
😲🎯 Defending world champion Rob Cross is the latest victim of the tournament of shocks!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 28, 2018
👏👏 Rising star Luke Humphries, just 23, produces a stunning comeback from two sets down to defeat Voltage 4-2 and reach the quarter-finals!pic.twitter.com/YmgYk9G4gx
Saturday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
🎯 Nathan Aspinall through to the semi-finals of the @OfficialPDC World Champs with a blistering 5-1 win over Brendan Dolan
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 29, 2018
😲 What a way to do it as well with a double-double finish!#PDCWorldChampionship #LoveTheDarts pic.twitter.com/CRv4OLQitD
Evening Session (1900)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
🐟 Luke Humphries nails a 170 checkout and goes on to win the third set with an average of 107!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 29, 2018
💯 So far he's four from four on doubles... and still trailing 2-1pic.twitter.com/w0xiuLYzDT
Sunday December 30
Evening Session
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
🎯👏 What a finish to an incredible match!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 30, 2018
🙌 Michael Smith hits his 17th 180s - a record for a World Championship semi-final - in the last leg and finishes it off with a 121 checkout!
👍 Great performance from both @BullyBoy180 and @NathanAspi! pic.twitter.com/9a87oc8NKu
👊 Brutal.
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 30, 2018
👏 MVG completes an emphatic 6-1 victory over the second best player in the world, finishing the demolition job with a 90 checkout for an 11-darter.
👍 @MvG180 pic.twitter.com/mTbeL96ZpL
Tuesday January 1
Evening Session (2000)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts
Final (Best of 13 sets)
💚🎯 Michael van Gerwen is a three-time world darts champion!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 1, 2019
🏆🏆🏆 2019, 2017, 2014pic.twitter.com/xlGDngOUv0
🎯🙌 There were six 100+ checkouts in Michael van Gerwen's 7-3 victory over Michael Smith, including two on the bullseye!pic.twitter.com/yZc13qpR5W
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 1, 2019
Michael van Gerwen is 11/8 favourite to win his third World Championship while Gary Anderson is next in the running at 10/3 - although they are in the same half of the draw.
Peter Wright can be backed at 11/1 ahead of Michael Smith, who is 14/1, while defending champion Rob Cross is out at 22/1 after he was given a tough draw.
Here are all the odds (correct at 01/12/2018) of players rated as 125/1 chances or shorter but you can click here to view every player with Sky Bet.
Every throw of every session will be broadcast live on a dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel. As well as live coverage of every dart thrown there are highlights of great games of years gone by, memorable rivalries and our legends profiles.
A tie-break would be in operation in all matches other than the Preliminary Round. Any match which goes to a deciding set must be won by two clear legs. If the score in the final set reaches 5-5, a sudden-death leg will be played.
Yes, there are! Click here to head to the PDC's official ticket information page for full details
The world's top 32 from the PDC Order of Merit will automatically advance to round two, where they will meet the winners of matches involving the top 32 from the 2018 ProTour Order of Merit (who haven't already qualified by the main PDC Order of Merit) and 32 international qualifiers.
The latter group of 32 will include two female players, who have the chance to qualify in a UK or a Rest of the World qualifier to book their places at Alexandra Palace.
Also among this 32 include the top four players from the 2018 PDC Asian Tour Order of Merit, the top two from the PDC Unicorn Development Tour, PDC Nordic & Baltic rankings and the Order of Merit winners from the PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour and DartPlayers Australia and EuroAsian Darts Corporation circuits.
In addition, the top ranked American player and top-ranked Canadian player from the Championship Darts Corporation will join the 2018 North American Championship winner in earning a spot at Alexandra Palace.
The World Youth Championship and DPA Oceanic Masters will join knockout events to be held in China, Japan, India, Africa, New Zealand, South America, Germany, Ireland and four qualifiers across Europe ahead of November’s PDPA Qualifier, which is the last chance for professionals to secure one of two places in the World Championship.
The full list of qualifiers are:
The World Darts Championship is the highlight of the PDC calendar and takes place over Christmas and New Year at the Alexandra Palace in London.
Since it was first held at the Circus Tavern in 1994 following the much-publicised breakaway from the British Darts Organisation, only seven different players have lifted the world title thanks largely to darts legend Phil Taylor winning it no fewer than 14 times during his astonishing career. He also won the BDO version twice before the split to make it 16 times in total.
Dennis Priestley beat Phil Taylor 6-1 in the first final before The Power's era of dominance began with eight straight world championships before Canada's John Part famously defeated him 7-6 in a classic in 2003 - much to the bookmakers' relief!
Three more crowns followed for perennial odds-on favourite Taylor before Raymond van Barneveld triumphed 7-6 in another unforgettable final, while John Part's victory over Kirk Shepherd in 2008 was the first time the Stoke thrower failed to reach the final in the tournament's history.
It was also the year the event switched to the Alexandra Palace. A resurgent Taylor claimed back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010 before Adrian 'Jackpot' Lewis emerged on the world stage by beating Gary Anderson in the 2011 final before repeating the trick against Andy Hamilton 12 months later.
The Power reassured the doubters he could still win world titles by clinching his 14th crown against Michael van Gerwen, who bounced back to lift the trophy in 2014 with victory over Peter Wright. Mighty Mike was the hot bookies favourite to win again a year later but didn't even make the final as Gary Anderson held his nerve to sink Taylor 7-6 for his first world championship title before repeating the trick in 2016 when defeating Lewis.
Van Gerwen regained his status as world champion at the start of 2017 when defeating the Flying Scotsman.
A popular market to bet on is whether there will be a nine-dart finish although the world championship had to wait until Raymond van Barneveld's effort in 2009 for its first. There have been eight since then, although four of those have been in vain during defeats, while Taylor has interestingly never hit one in this tournament.
Final scores in sets
🎯🙌 One week to go until the World Darts Championship!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 6, 2018
💚 Remember when MVG sent the Ally Pally crazy when going oh so close to back-to-back nine-darters...pic.twitter.com/Oi7n5jDZv7
🎯🙌 World Championship Nine-Darters!
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) December 6, 2018
Paul Lim '90
Barney '09
Barney '10
Adrian Lewis '11
Winstanley '13
MVG '13
Terry Jenkins '14
Kyle Anderson '14
Lewis '15
Gary Anderson '16
Lim (almost!) '18
Phil Taylor (almost) '18
📽️ Watch all these moments 👇https://t.co/zmT1WS1v2h
Top 10 highest three-dart averages
There's been over 150 three-dart match averages of 100 or more since the PDC World Championship began while averages of over 105 are becoming more common than ever. Here, are the highest 10 three-dart averages achieved by a player in a single match:
Five highest losing averages
Players with the most 100+ averages