Preview, order of play, how to watch and predictions

The main event

Former world champion Michael Smith hopes to avoid a potential banana skin when he faces Kevin Doets on Thursday at the World Darts Championship.

The 34-year-old faces the Dutchman in the second round in what is a repeat of their first round encounter last year, in which Smith had to come back from 2-1 down to win 3-2.

Doets looked smart in beating Noa-Lynn van Leuven in their first match, but remains an underdog against the 2023 winner.

The Bully Boy is firmly part of Ally Pally folklore after his epic nine-dart against Michael van Gerwen on his way to victory in January 2023, but he heads into the finals needing a strong championship to remain in the top 10 of the PDC Order of Merit.

BEST LEG EVER! 🤯🔥

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES D12 BY A NINE DART, AND THEN SMITH GETS A PERFECT LEG!

ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU WILL SEE IN SPORTS. pic.twitter.com/WyKWFcxq5V

– PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023

“I don’t really (think about it), because the only thing that stresses me out now is the questions about it. But that doesn’t worry me, because I’m not going to drop out of the top 16,” Smith told Sky Sports.

“I could stay out of the top 10 if I don’t get my finger out, but that means that next year, because it’s practically taken me a year, I have nothing to defend.

“So I’ve probably got around £120,000 to defend next year, so I’ll go back to work anyway. So next year I won’t be bothered or pressured, I just want to play darts. On the other hand, my management team can worry about it, my family can worry about it, I just want to play.

“As long as I don’t fall out of ’64, because then I’ll retire. If I get out of ’64, I won’t do Q School, because I know I wasn’t good enough, so I’ll literally start something else.”

Mensur Suljovic returns to Ally Pally after a year at home last year when he takes on Canadian Matt Campbell.

Campbell enjoyed an impressive Ally Pally 12 months ago when he dismissed Lourence Ilagan and James Wade before crossing paths with teenage sensation Luke Littler.

Elsewhere, Romeo Grbavac faces Callan Rydz and Robert Owens faces Gabriel Clemens in eight matches throughout the day.

Order of play

Afternoon session (starting at 12:30pm UK time)

• Chris Landman vs. Lok Yin Lee (R1)
• Callan Rydz vs. Romeo Grbavac (R1)
• Martin Lukeman vs. Nitin Kumar (R1)
• Gabriel Clemens vs. Robert Owen (R2)

Afternoon session (starting at 7:00pm UK time)

• Nick Kenny vs. Stowe Buntz (R1)
• Mensur Suljovic vs. Matt Campbell (R1)
• Scott Williams vs. Niko Springer (R1)
• Michael Smith vs. Kevin Doets (R2)

how to watch

The PDC World Championship is broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK.
You can watch the afternoon session on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event at 12:30pm, and the afternoon session from 7pm.

Predictions

Don’t expect any trouble for Smith in the starting job, and Campbell will also enjoy another win against Suljovic.

We also back the victories of Grbavac and Owens, as well as Scott Williams, Nick Kenny and Martin Lukeman.