Gary Anderson and Luke Littler were both in action over the weekend (Image: Getty)
It was a Sunday night of shocks for the seeded players at Alexandra Palace, as , Ross Smith and Martin Schindler were all dumped out of the tournament.
Anderson, who had been tipped as a potential contender for the Sid Waddell trophy, didn’t get out of first gear during his humiliating 3-0 defeat against Jeffrey de Graaf.
The Swedish victor spoke of his pride after beating idol Anderson post-match, whereas Smith came unstuck against Filipino underdog Paolo Nebrida.
Just one day of Round Two action remains before Christmas, with Monday night seeing the return of to the Ally Pally stage.
Stick around as Express Sport delivers all of the latest coverage from the World Darts Championship…
Luke Littler dubbed ‘No.2’ by next Ally Pally opponent
It will be an all-Runcorn tie in Round Three of the World Darts Championship between Luke Littler and Ian White.
But despite taking the world of darts by storm, White sent a timely reminder to the teenage sensation that he was the original Runcorn star making waves at the oche.
Commenting after his second round win, White said: “He’s from Runcorn same as me, I just want to say he’s number two I’m number one.”
ud83dudde3ufe0f “This is what I wanted. That was my goal!”Ian White is relishing a showdown against Luke Littler for a place in the last 16, after dumping out European Champion Ritchie Edhouse in round two!
u2014 PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC)
Gary Anderson hits back at Barry Hearn’s Saudi claims
Gary Anderson might’ve been knocked out of the World Championship in his first match, but the Flying Scotsman has urged darts’ chiefs to keep the tournament at Alexandra Palace.
It comes amid claims from the higher-ups at the PDC, including head honcho Barry Hearn, that the event could be in line for a venue change, with Saudi Arabia listed as a potential destination.
Anderson said: “Nah, it should stay where it is. I mean, there’s talk of going to Dubai. Can you imagine our crowds going across to Dubai? No. I don’t think it would go down well. Yes, you need bigger crowds, but it works, doesn’t it? It just works.
“There’s talk of Saudi, Dubai, as you say. I think it’s Barry Hearn being a bit of a brinkmanship, isn’t it? I think supporters, there’s people going to be able to afford to get across there. It’s not just getting across there, it’s tickets, hotels, flights, food.”
Gary Anderson is BACK at Ally Pally ud83dude4c
u2014 Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts)
Good morning on the final day of pre-Christmas Ally Pally action
Good morning and welcome to the final day of action from Alexandra Palace before the darts pauses for its Christmas break.
It’s been a breathtaking first week in north London, with shocks galore having dominated proceedings so far.
Gary Anderson became the latest big-name player to crash out of the tournament on Sunday… will there be more surprises today?
Stick around throughout the day as Express Sport brings you all the latest Ally Pally coverage.
Jeffrey de Graaf triumphed over Gary Anderson on Sunday night (Image: Getty)