RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD made a winning return to the PDC World Championship as the Dutchman saw off Lourence Ilagan in the first round on Monday.
Former world champion Van Barneveld was back in action in the Alexandra Palace showpiece having retired following his first-round exit at the hands of Darin Young in December 2019, announced he had reversed the decision in September 2020 and then regained his PDC tour card in February.
The 54-year-old beat Filipino Ilagan 3-0 to set up a second-round clash with 2018 world champion Rob Cross.
๐ช๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐!๐งก
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2021
Raymond van Barneveld exorcises his Ally Pally demons with an impressive whitewash win over Lourence Ilagan! #BarneysBack#WHDarts | Round One pic.twitter.com/WbAYJlGQZM
Van Barneveld told Sky Sports: โItโs a privilege to be back. I miss it and I had one goal, to be back here. And here it is.
โMy last game was poor and I went home and thought the crowd deserves better. I never thought I was getting back, because I was done with darts, and then circumstancesโฆand then this.
๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ถ๐ป ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2021
What a performance from Raymond Van Barneveld on his return to Ally Pally!
He beats Lourence Ilagan in straight sets to reach the Second Round in style.
He will face Rob Cross next! #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/wKKhTOc2DT
โI knew Lourence is a good player. He played amazing in the first leg (which Van Barneveld won 3-1), he could have hit that and then the game could have been all different. But the crowd was always behind me and maybe because of that Lourence was maybe too much nervous, I donโt know.
โI didnโt play my A-game tonight, I can play much better, but I won and thatโs the only thing that matters.โ
Monday evening also saw James Wade record a 3-1 second-round victory over Maik Kuivenhoven, while Rusty-Jake Rodriguez and Luke Woodhouse advanced from round one with 3-1 wins against Ben Robb and James Wilson respectively.
๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ!
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2021
It wasn't Wade's best performance but he comfortably gets past Maik Kuivenhoven to reach the Third Round.
Average under 84, but that will matter not to Wade as he progresses! pic.twitter.com/XM3qBM6io5
