Florian Hempel will renew his rivalry with Dimitri Van den Bergh on the game’s greatest stage, courtesy of a powerful comeback victory towards Irish debutant Dylan Slevin.

SENSATIONAL FROM SLEVIN! 💥

Dylan Slevin produces a second of magic to ship the Ally Pally crowd wild!

The younger Irishman produces a surprising 167 end – the best checkout of the match thus far – to attract first blood in set two!

📺 https://t.co/f3RU9WTIoD#WCDarts | R1 pic.twitter.com/vI9VSPZsuj

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 17, 2023

Following a tentative begin to the competition, an excellent 167 checkout from Slevin in set two sparked each gamers into life, but it surely was Hempel who ran out a 3-1 winner with 5 180s and a 91 common.

Niels Zonneveld defied some late finishing-line nerves to safe his first victory on the World Championship, closing out a hard-fought 3-1 win towards two-time quarter-finalist Darren Webster.

Webster recovered from a nightmare begin to threaten an unlikely comeback, solely to squander six darts to power a decider in a dramatic conclusion to the competition.

In the meantime, Jim Williams received 9 consecutive legs in breezing previous Guyana’s Norman Madhoo, wrapping up proceedings with an 11-darter to arrange a second spherical tie towards two-time winner Peter Wright.

The Paddy Energy World Darts Championship continues on Monday night, as 2021 champion Gerwyn Value kicks off his marketing campaign towards Connor Scutt.

Elsewhere, World Youth Championship runner-up Gian van Veen faces Hong Kong’s Man Lok Leung, whereas Thibault Tricole will make historical past as the primary French participant to compete within the sport’s showpiece occasion.

2023/24 Paddy Energy World Darts Championship

Sunday December 17

Afternoon Session

3x First Spherical, 1x Second Spherical

Ricky Evans 3-0 Simon Adams (3-2, 3-0, 3-0) (R1)

Jim Williams 3-0 Norman Madhoo (3-0, 3-0, 3-0) (R1)

Matt Campbell 3-2 Lourence Ilagan (3-1, 3-1, 2-3, 2-3, 3-0) (R1)

Joe Cullen 3-0 Darren Penhall (3-1, 3-2, 3-1) (R2)

Night Session

3x First Spherical, 1x Second Spherical

Florian Hempel 3-1 Dylan Slevin (1-3, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1) (R1)

Niels Zonneveld 3-1 Darren Webster (3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 3-2) (R1)

Jermaine Wattimena 3-1 Fallon Sherrock (2-3, 3-1, 3-0, 3-2) (R1)

Luke Humphries 3-0 Lee Evans (3-1, 3-2, 3-2) (R2)

Monday December 18 (1900 GMT)

3x First Spherical, 1x Second Spherical

Mario Vandenbogaerde v Thibault Tricole (R1)

Gian van Veen v Man Lok Leung (R1)

Martin Lukeman v Haupai Puha (R1)

Gerwyn Value v Connor Scutt (R2)