PDC World Championship: Luke Humphries beats Paul Lim but James Wade eliminated
Luke Humphries proved too strong for 71-year-old Paul Lim as the 2024 champion progressed comfortably to the third round of the PDC World Championship.
Humphries was in a ruthless mood in the first two sets, winning the entire first eight legs played; Lim brought the biggest joy of the night to Alexandra Palace by going double top to clinch what would be the only leg of the competition.
Before the match, the world number two described Lim as a “legend” and said the Singaporean veteran’s World Championship defeat in December 2020 was a turning point in his career.
Their mutual respect was shown when the pair shared a warm handshake after Lim’s successful double shot, and again when Humphries claimed a dominant victory, with Humphries admitting he was “delighted” that Lim had been able to win a leg.
The 30-year-old Englishman, who will next play Germany’s Gabriel Clemens, told Sky Sports: “When you’re up against someone you really like and you’re 6-0 up, obviously it’s difficult because you don’t always want to destroy people. “There are some players you want but there are some players you don’t want and that’s someone you don’t want.
“It was a match I had to win, that was the most important thing and after the first two sets I put myself in a good position.
“HE [Lim] “This is just a legend, I love him so much and I hope this isn’t the last time we see him on this stage.”
