Nathan Aspinall is confident that this could finally be his year to win the PDC World Darts Championship as he returns to Alexandra Palace.
The 34-year-old began his campaign with a 3–1 victory over Lourence Ilagan, recovering from losing the opening set and sealing the win with an impressive 170 checkout. Seeded 15th, Aspinall is no stranger to success at Ally Pally, having reached the semi-finals in both 2019 and 2020 during his first appearances at the tournament. This year marks his eighth straight World Championship appearance.
Already a winner of the World Matchplay and UK Open, Aspinall also reached the Players Championship Finals last month, although he narrowly missed out on another major title after losing to Luke Littler in the final.
Despite Littler and Luke Humphries being the tournament favourites and top two seeds, Aspinall believes he can prevent a “Luke vs Luke” final. He is set to potentially face Humphries in the last 16 and says he is determined to disrupt expectations and “spoil the party.”
Speaking to talkSPORT Breakfast, Aspinall described a hectic build-up to the tournament, including reaching the Minehead final and completing 14 exhibition events in just over two weeks across England and Scotland. While busy, he says the schedule has kept him sharp and match-ready.
Aspinall admitted he feels more confident than ever heading into the World Championship and believes his form and mindset are stronger than in previous years. While many fans and bettors expect Littler and Humphries to dominate, Aspinall insists that outcome is far from guaranteed.
After his win over Ilagan, Aspinall will next face Leonard Gates. If successful, he could then meet either David Munyua or Kevin Doets for a place in the last 16, where a potential clash with Humphries awaits. Further along the draw, James Wade and Gian van Veen remain possible quarter-final opponents.
Having only lost his opening match once in eight World Championship appearances, Aspinall believes all the pieces are in place for a deep run and possibly his first world title.
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