Yahoo Sports Price goes through while tearful Menzies beaten
Former champion Gerwyn Price began his bid to regain the world darts title with a 3-0 win over Keane Barry, while there was an emotional defeat for Cameron Menzies.
Welshman Price, who won the PDC World Championship in 2021, averaged 91.31 as his Irish opponent missed 22 doubles in the second round.
Scot Menzies struggled to keep his emotions in check as he fell to a 3-1 defeat against American world number 130 Leonard Gates.
Menzies, ranked 39th, looked distraught as the game progressed and wiped away tears in the latter stages of his first-round loss.
He later posted a photo on social media of him visiting his father in a hospital bed, with the message: "I didn't wanna post this, man... my dad, my hero."
Price has endured a largely frustrating 2024 but said he was playing some of his best darts going into this year's world championship.
"A win's a win. I probably wanted to win that match more than any match in my life," he said after beating Barry. "I wanted to enjoy Christmas, I wanted to just get a win and get home."
The 10th seed is scheduled to face Joe Cullen in the third round, should his compatriot overcome the winner of Wessel Nijman and Cameron Carolissen.
Four-time semi-finalist James Wade was earlier knocked out in the second round by Jermaine Wattimena, while England's Connor Scutt averaged nearly 102 in an impressive 3-0 win over Ben Robb.
Distraught Menzies loses to Gates
Grand Slam quarter-finalist Menzies was crestfallen after suffering a surprise defeat to veteran Gates.
The 54-year-old never looked back after hitting a 138 checkout in the opening leg against the Scot, who made the last four of the WDF World Championship in 2022.
While Gates wiggled his hips after nailing doubles, and was backed by chants of 'USA, USA', his opponent faced jeers and looked increasingly despondent as the match progressed.
Menzies, whose partner Fallon Sherrock plays Ryan Meikle on Tuesday, took deep breaths and appeared to wipe away tears between throws in the latter stages.
"I was definitely aware of it [his emotions]," said Gates. "But at the same time, I want my opponent to play their best against me to see if I can play my best against them.
"I told him to use the energy of the crowd, keep coming and keep playing the best he can to grow the PDC."
Gates will now face two-time major winner Nathan Aspinall on Wednesday in the second round.
Before Price's headline act, another Welsh win on night two was provided by Robert Owen, who came from behind to clinch a 3-1 victory over Dutchman Niels Zonneveld with a 121 checkout.
Owen's first Ally Pally win sets up a second-round match on Thursday against German Gabriel Clemens, a semi-finalist in 2023.
England's Scutt, a quarter-finalist at the Players Championship, encouraged the crowd to get behind him and gave them a show with a 101.92 average and 56% checkout success.
Nicknamed 'The Sniper', Scutt finished top of the secondary Challenge Tour order of merit and dominated Robb, of New Zealand, who has now lost all five of his World Championship matches.
Scutt, 28, faces Australian number one Damon Heta in the second round on Saturday, when teenage prodigy Luke Littler will also play his first match of the tournament.
Wade beaten by Wattimena
Wade was the first seed to exit this year's tournament after being overpowered by Wattimena.
Wade, a former Premier League, World Matchplay and World Grand Prix champion, lost 3-0 in the final match of Monday's afternoon session.
The Englishman had received a bye to round two as the 16th seed.
Wattimena, 36, will face either two-time world champion Peter Wright or Wesley Plaisier in the third round.
The Dutchman was the first player to have played on both days of this year's World Championship after beating Swiss debutant Stefan Bellmont 3-0 on Sunday.
Having lost the opening leg to Wade, Wattimena reeled off eight straight legs to win the first two sets and move within one leg of a second-round victory.
Wade hit double 20 to avoid a whitewash in the final set, but Wattimena took advantage of Wade's missed doubles to seal the win.
Wattimena averaged 99.17 in the match, with Wade on 97.01.
Monday results
Afternoon - First round
Wesley Plaisier 3-2 Ryusei Azemoto
Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Lourence Ilagan
Alan Soutar 1-3 Kai Gotthardt
Second round
James Wade 0-3 Jermaine Wattimena
Evening - First round
Niels Zonneveld 1-3 Robert Owen
Connor Scutt 3-0 Ben Robb
Cameron Menzies 1-3 Leonard Gates
Second round
Gerwyn Price 3-0 Keane Barry
Tuesday's schedule
All times GMT
Afternoon Session (12:30)
First round
James Hurrell v Jim Long
Kevin Doets v Noa-Lynn van Leuven
Ryan Joyce v Darius Labanauskas
Second round
Mike de Decker v Luke Woodhouse
Evening Session (19:00)
First round
Jeffrey de Graaf v Rashad Sweeting
Ricardo Pietreczko v Xiaochen Zong
Ryan Meikle v Fallon Sherrock
Second round
Peter Wright v Wesley Plaisier
