James Wade made a strong start to his PDC World Darts Championship 2026 campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory over Ryusei Azemoto, while darts legend Raymond van Barneveld suffered a stunning first-round exit at Alexandra Palace.

Wade Dominates Japanese Opponent

Seventh seed Wade, a four-time semi-finalist at the World Championship, showcased his precision and composure in a dominant display against Japan’s Azemoto. He dropped only one leg in the match and finished with an impressive average of 94.75, comfortably outpacing Azemoto’s 84.42.

“Tonight showed the practice I’ve been doing. It wasn’t spectacular, but when I really needed to hit something, it happened,” Wade said after the match.

Wade now faces Ricky Evans in the second round on Monday, as he looks to build momentum in his first World Championship win in four years.

Shock Exit for Van Barneveld

In one of the biggest surprises of the opening round, five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld was eliminated in straight sets by Stefan Bellmont, the first Swiss player to win at Alexandra Palace.

Van Barneveld, a former BDO and PDC champion, started strongly by taking the opening leg but then lost eight consecutive legs. Despite a slightly higher scoring average than Bellmont, van Barneveld struggled with his doubles, hitting just 25% compared to Bellmont’s 39%, which proved decisive.

The 58-year-old Dutchman appeared a shadow of the dominant player who lifted the PDC World Championship crown in 2007.

Other First-Round Highlights

• Martin Schindler impressed with an average of 99.14 and seven maximum 180s as he beat Stephen Burton 3-1. Schindler will face either Keane Barry or Tim Pusey in the second round on Sunday.
• American debutant Adam Sevada defeated Canadian Matt Campbell 3-1 in a tightly contested match, with Sevada’s superior doubles accuracy making the difference.
• Fallon Sherrock, who made history in 2019 as the first woman to win a World Championship match, is set to take on 2021 semi-finalist Dave Chisnall in Thursday’s evening session.
• Three-time champion Michael van Gerwen begins his 2026 campaign against Japan’s Mitsuhiko Tatsunami.

Wednesday’s Results at the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship

• Matt Campbell 1-3 Adam Sevada
• Raymond van Barneveld 0-3 Stefan Bellmont
• James Wade 3-0 Ryusei Azemoto
• Martin Schindler 3-1 Stephen Burton

Thursday’s Key Matches

Afternoon session (from 12:30 GMT)

• Callan Rydz vs Patrik Kovacs
• Thibault Tricole vs Motomu Sakai
• Ryan Joyce vs Owen Bates
• Mike de Decker vs David Munyua

Evening session (from 19:00 GMT)

• Jermaine Wattimena vs Dominik Gruellich
• Dave Chisnall vs Fallon Sherrock
• Michael van Gerwen vs Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
• Krzysztof Ratajski vs Alexis Toylo

With the opening round complete, the PDC World Darts Championship 2026 promises thrilling matches, upsets, and world-class performances as players battle for the coveted title at Alexandra Palace.