In a thrilling weekend of PDC World Championship qualifiers, darts fans witnessed the emergence of two exciting new talents. Rudy van Staden from South Africa and Lihao Wen from China have both secured their debut spots at the prestigious tournament. Van Staden overcame tough competition, including a surprising victory over the top seed, to become the second African player ever to qualify in a historic year for the continent. Meanwhile, Lihao Wen battled through a strong field in China, triumphing in a nail-biting final to finally achieve his World Championship dream after a previous qualification was thwarted by visa issues. These victories mark significant milestones for both players and their respective regions.
A Historic Year for African Darts: Rudy van Staden Secures His Spot
The road to the PDC World Championship saw regional qualifiers take center stage, and for the first time in its history, two players from Africa will compete. Earlier in September, Kenya’s David Munyua made history by winning the North African qualifier. Last Sunday, it was South Africa’s turn to send a representative to Alexandra Palace.
The tournament in South Africa saw several strong contenders vying for the coveted spot, including established names like Johan Geldenhuys, Cameron Carolissen, Mitch Minnie, and Rudy van Staden. All four of these top players successfully navigated their way to the semi-finals.
In a major upset, Van Staden delivered a stunning performance to defeat the number one seed, Geldenhuys, ending his World Championship hopes. In the other semi-final, Cameron Carolissen, aiming for his third World Championship appearance, overcame Mitch Minnie with a 7-4 victory, setting up a clash with debutant-hopeful Van Staden.
The final match saw Rudy van Staden, known as ‘The Wolfman’, dominate the early stages. Carolissen struggled to keep pace with Van Staden’s scoring power. Thanks to a crucial 77-finish and an impressive 106-finish, Van Staden quickly established a commanding 5-1 lead. Carolissen managed to claw back two legs with a 21-darter and an 18-darter, narrowing the gap to 5-3. However, Van Staden closed out the match with exceptional composure, hitting legs in 18, 16, and 14 darts to seal a surprising 8-3 victory and secure his ticket to Alexandra Palace.
South African Qualifier Results:
- Quarter-finals:
- Johan Geldenhuys 6-1 Giovanni Matthee
- Rudie van Staden 6-4 Liam Nicholson
- Mitch Minnie 6-0 Graham Filby
- Cameron Carolissen 6-3 Devon Petersen
- Semi-finals:
- Rudie van Staden 7-6 Johan Geldenhuys
- Cameron Carolissen 7-4 Mitch Minnie
China Championship: Lihao Wen’s Redemption and Debut
The following Monday, the China Championship unfolded, with 32 Chinese players initially competing in a group stage. The top two from each group advanced to the knockout rounds, where favorites like Xiaochen Zong, Qingyu Zhan, and Lihao Wen were expected to shine.
While most favorites progressed smoothly through the group stage, Qingyu Zhan was an early casualty in the last 16, falling 2-0 in sets to Bin Zheng. Both Xiaochen Zong and Lihao Wen, however, reached the semi-finals. Wen’s path included recovering from a 1-0 set deficit against Wenqing Liu in the last 16. In the semi-finals, Zong comfortably defeated Tianxiao Cao 2-0 in sets, while Wen emerged victorious in a thrilling 2-1 set battle against Yuanjun Liu.
The final pitted Xiaochen Zong against Lihao Wen. Zong started strong, securing the first two legs of the opening set. However, Wen staged a remarkable comeback, winning the next three legs with a 14-darter and an 18-darter to snatch the first set. Wen carried this momentum into the second set, quickly building a 2-0 lead with a 16-darter and a 19-darter. Zong managed to pull one leg back via tops, but Wen swiftly closed out the second set on double 5.
In the crucial third set, Wen held his throw. Zong then missed opportunities to check out 72, allowing Wen to break with a 17-darter. Despite this advantage, Wen couldn’t consolidate the break, and Zong broke back with a 16-darter to make it 2-1. Zong then had several chances to level the set at 2-2 but failed to hit his doubles. Lihao Wen capitalized on Zong’s misses, finding double one with his 22nd dart to win the set and the match, securing his long-awaited debut at the PDC World Championship.
This victory holds particular significance for the 43-year-old Chinese player. He had previously won the World Championship qualifier in 2021 but was heartbreakingly forced to miss the tournament due to unavoidable visa problems. His qualification this year represents a well-deserved second chance at the sport’s biggest stage.
China Championship Results:
- Quarter-finals:
- Xiaochen Zong 2-0 Zhijun Cui
- Tianxiao Cao 2-0 Tong Xu
- Lihao Wen 2-0 Pengyu Sun
- Yuanjun Liu 2-1 Bin Zheng
- Semi-finals:
- Xiaochen Zong 2-0 Tianxiao Cao
- Lihao Wen 2-1 Yuanjun Liu
Source: Based on an article from Darts Actueel.
