Paul Lim turned the oldest participant to win a match on the PDC World Championship because the 71-year-old claimed a surprising victory over Jeffrey de Graaf.

Backed by a partisan crowd on the Alexandra Palace, the Singapore veteran claimed a 3-1 success over the Dutch-born Swede.

He beat a file held by Northern Irishman John MaGowan, who was 67 when he knocked out Chris Mason within the first spherical of the match in December 2008.

“A second like this has saved me going for all these years,” stated Lim.

“The usual of play these days is just not like the way it was earlier than. This match is the Tremendous Bowl of darts so I might say it is a good second.”

Lim will face Luke Humphries within the second spherical after the 2024 world champion progressed with a 3-1 win over Ted Evetts in his opening match in a while Saturday night.

Humphries had cruised right into a 2-0 lead in opposition to his fellow Englishman earlier than Evetts pinched a set again.

Nonetheless, 30-year-old Humphries regained his depth and clinically completed out the competition with a mean of 98.58, throwing eight 180s.

Lim, who thew the first world championship nine-darter on the BDO occasion at Lakeside in 1990, beat Humphries when the pair final met on the Ally Pally 5 years in the past.

On assembly once more, Humphries informed Sky Sports activities: “He is superb, he is a legend. The group are going to be in opposition to me so it should be a tricky recreation.”

Lim stated: “I hope on a given day it will possibly occur once more. I by no means surrender. He’s good however he might be overwhelmed.”

The group roared on Lim, who’s 72 subsequent month, when he gained the primary set in opposition to De Graaf earlier than his opponent levelled the match.

Lim went forward once more after a scrappy third set as De Graaf wilted whereas the skilled ‘Singapore Slinger’ held his nerve in a tense fourth, sealing victory with a mean of 86.52.

5-time world championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle stated Lim was in a position to “take his probabilities” in opposition to De Graaf to safe an “unimaginable” win.

“In case you have the will, the fervour however most of all the flexibility people can obtain superb issues – and that was superb,” stated Mardle on Sky.

De Graaf was six years previous when Lim made his PDC debut 29 years in the past.

Elsewhere, Wessel Nijman of the Netherlands eased to a 3-0 win over Czech Karel Sedlacek whereas Germany’s Gabriel Clemens beat American Alex Spellman by the identical scoreline.