Paul Lim has become the oldest player ever to win a match at the PDC World Darts Championship.
The 71-year-old defeated Dutch-born Swede Jeffrey de Graaf 3-1 in the opening round as the Singapore veteran was roared on by the crowd at Alexander Palace in north London.
Lim beat the previous record held by Northern Irishman John MaGowan, who was 67 when he knocked out Englishman Chris Mason in round one in December 2008.
Lim, known as the ‘Singapore Slinger’, will face 2024 world champion Luke Humphries in the second round.
Humphries, 30, had progressed with a 3-1 win over fellow Englishman Ted Evetts in his opening match on Saturday.
Lim beat Humphries in the tournament five years ago, when the older player, then aged 66, won 3-2 in the first round.
The darts rematch will see a different Humphries altogether take on Lim with a raft of major titles to his name.
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However, he knows the crowd may not be on his side in his latest battle.
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On facing Lim, Humphries said: “It’s amazing. He’s a legend. The hardest thing for me is that he loves me to bits.
“I talk to Paul a lot and he always says to me, ‘you’re my favourite player’. It’s hard to go and play him – the crowd are going to be against me, so it will be a tough game.”
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Lim said after his own win: “First and foremost, I’m thankful to be here and I’m thankful to this crowd behind me. Just to make it here is an achievement.
“No matter how good you are, there are times where you can miss a shot, and you’ve just got to take advantage.
“I just took the advantage and I’m glad.
“Luke Humphries, I’ve been watching the last few years and he puts so much effort and time into what he’s doing.
“He’s a good guy, a gentleman and a great player. I just hope on a given day it can happen again. He’s good but can be beaten.”
