Christian Kist made headlines at the PDC World Championship by hitting a remarkable nine-darter, but despite his stunning achievement, he was ultimately defeated by Madars Razma in the first round. The Dutchman’s perfect leg came in the opening set of the match, earning him a £60,000 payday. Kist’s flawless performance began with back-to-back 180s, followed by a treble 20, treble 19, and a double 12 to seal the perfect finish, sending the crowd at Alexandra Palace into a frenzy. This nine-dart finish was the 15th in the history of the PDC World Championship and the first since Michael Smith’s legendary leg in the 2023 final.
Despite the early brilliance, Kist couldn’t maintain his momentum throughout the match. After the first set, which he won with the perfect leg, Razma broke Kist’s throw in the fourth leg of the second set. Razma continued to apply pressure, breaking again in the third leg of the third set to take a 2-1 lead. The final set saw no further breaks, and Razma held his throw to secure the victory, advancing to the next round despite having a lower average (90.65 to Kist’s 94.90).
Kist, who was knocked out in the previous year’s tournament by Luke Littler, can take solace in the financial reward of his nine-darter, which surpassed the amount he would have earned by reaching the quarter-finals. The 38-year-old, who was the Lakeside champion in 2012, is currently ranked No. 102 in the PDC’s order of merit, having earned just £19,500 in the last two seasons as a professional. His performance at the World Championship, however, brought him a significant payday, and he will receive £60,000, along with the charity donation to Prostate Cancer UK, which was also part of the sponsorship deal.
Meanwhile, Nathan Aspinall made it through to the next round with a 3-1 win over Leonard Gates. Aspinall, who was seeded No. 12, had a disappointing exit in the previous year’s tournament when he lost to Ricky Evans before Christmas. This year, he faced a challenging match against the American qualifier, but he did enough to secure the win, despite not being at his best. Aspinall averaged 88.03, while Gates averaged 83.41. The match was a scrappy affair, with Gates taking the second set on double two after Aspinall had won the first. However, Aspinall regained control in the third set, snatching it on his throw in the fourth leg. The fourth set was tightly contested, with all five legs going against the throw, but Aspinall managed to hold his nerve and secure the victory.
In other matches, Ricky Evans triumphed over Australian player Gordon Mathers in a thrilling 3-2 encounter. Evans showed his resilience in a tight match that went to the wire, while Paolo Nebrida of the Philippines progressed after a last-leg decider against Jim Williams. These results set the stage for the next round of the tournament, with more exciting matches to come.
Thursday’s action will see former World Champion Michael Smith begin his campaign against Kevin Doets. Smith, who was a finalist in the previous year’s tournament, will be looking to make a strong start and go deep into the competition once again. With the tournament heating up, fans can expect more thrilling moments, as the world’s best darts players battle it out for the prestigious PDC World Championship title.
