Dave Chisnall crashes out of World Championship in second round
By Press Association Sport Staff
Dave Chisnall was dumped out of the PDC World Championship by Ricardo Pietreczko despite hitting 11 180s in an Alexandra Palace thriller.
Chisnall, the number 21 seed, paid the price for double trouble and missed a match dart in the final set when it seemed as if the Englishman would complete a remarkable recovery.
Pietreckzko capitalised on Chisnall’s poor finishing to win the first two sets, but the 2021 World Championship semi-finalist stormed back to level with some extraordinary scoring.
PIKACHU DEFEATS CHISNALL!
Ricardo Pietreczko denies Dave Chisnall a memorable comeback win, taking two consecutive legs in the tiebreak to seal a 3-2 victory and advance to round three!
ðº https://t.co/59TualjgND #WCDarts | R2 pic.twitter.com/aJg4Cw4u3r— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2025
Chisnall took a 2-1 lead in the final set with a 113 finish and then missed double 16 for a match-sealing 143 checkout.
Pietreckzko did not hit a single 180 in the match, but the consistent German had kept plugging away – averaging 88.58 to Chisnall’s 88.15 – and rattled off three straight legs to get across the line.
Crowd favourite Motomu Sakai bowed out of the tournament with his conqueror Andreas Harrysson admitting that he had been worried by the Japanese’s exuberant walk-on.
Sakai has become a cult hero this week with fans warming to his energetic dance moves and signing autographs en route to the stage.
The 28-year-old qualifier won his opening match against Thibault Tricole 3-0, but went down by the same scoreline to Sweden’s Harrysson as the second-round action got underway.
“I was a bit worried seeing his walk-on,” Harrysson said after following up his first-round win over 12th seed Ross Smith.
“How he does the stage, but I think I managed it quite OK. I think he wasn’t as he was in the first game on the stage.
"I was a bit worried seeing his walk-on!" ð
Swedish star Andreas Harrysson reflects on his convincing 3-0 win against crowd favourite Motomu Sakai!#WCDarts pic.twitter.com/IKjZncLJ03— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 20, 2025
“It’s a great feeling. I didn’t play my best, but nor did he. It was a great win.”
Ryan Searle averaged over 98 in an impressive straight-sets win over Brendan Dolan.
“Before the match started I was just thinking finish well and put him under pressure,” said Searle, who has fallen at the third-round stage in the last three years.
“He missed a few doubles here and there and I was pretty ruthless. I’m going home now and looking forward to Christmas.”
James Hurrell claimed one of the biggest wins of his career by upsetting number 29 seed Dirk van Duijvenbode 3-2.
Hurrell missed two match darts for a final-set whitewash, but he held his nerve to win the next leg and could now meet fourth seed Stephen Bunting.
