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World champion Luke Humphreys set a new record on the opening night of the World Match Play in Blackpool.
Humphries is bidding to become just the fourth player in history to win the World Championship and World Match Play in the same year and got off to a strong start on Saturday night.
He defeated debutant Ricardo Pietrecko 10-4 on the Winter Garden stage with a staggering average of 108.76, a score that has only been bettered three times in an opening match in the tournament’s history.
Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright are the only three players to have appeared at both Alexandra Palace and the Winter Gardens in the same year, and Humphreys would love to join them.
He said: “I felt like I was worth a million dollars. It would be great to join them, but you can’t get too carried away. It’s only the first round.”
“It was a great performance but there are still four games left.
“That was a great performance but if we keep it up we can win the title.
“It’s going to be hard to maintain that performance. You have to give it your all.”
Nathan Aspinall started his title defence with a win, beating Luke Woodhouse 10-8.
Aspinall will be hoping to lift the biggest trophy of his career in 2023 and join an exclusive club of consecutive champions.
He won a point against Woodhouse, who missed a chance to decide the match at double 12.
But nerves got the better of him and Aspinall, who appeared to be struggling with an injury to his right arm, won the final two legs to get the job done.
Gerwyn Price produced a fine performance in his opening match of the tournament, beating Daryl Gurney 10-4.
Price, the fourth seed, looked set to make it a close match when Gurney hit two darts at double eight to tie the score at 5-5.
But the Northern Irishman made a mistake and Price made him pay with a leg steal and then four more goals to book his place in the last 16.
Price hit five maximums and recorded an impressive 130 checkout to book his place in the last 16 against either Josh Lock or Ross Smith.
Jonny Clayton defeated Raymond van Barneveld 10-7.
“I love this stage. The stage doesn’t love me, but hopefully the tide will turn,” the eighth seed said.
“I’m happy because I achieved my goal.”