Lakeside has witnessed its share of unusual incidents over the years—lost darts disappearing into the lighting rig beneath the board, for example. But this time, it wasn’t a dart that went missing. Instead, a player suddenly vanished mid-match, leaving his opponent and the commentators visibly bewildered, as the footage clearly shows.
Neither the commentators nor the opponent had any idea what was happening. With the leg still in full swing and a brand-new set just underway, it was obvious the player wasn’t simply taking a scheduled break. His abrupt departure left everyone guessing.
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨… 🤷🏻♂️
Dalibor Smolik walks off stage mid-leg at Lakeside 😳pic.twitter.com/bV1HYXMiU3
— Live Darts (@livedarts) November 30, 2025
On the sporting front, Dutchman Jimmy van Schie secured a convincing victory, advancing to the third round after defeating Alex Williams 3–0. Fellow countryman Jeffrey Sparidaans also won his first match on stage, though his road was considerably tougher. Facing the formidable Brian Raman, Sparidaans edged out a thrilling 3–2 win.
In the women’s competition, Priscilla Steenbergen claimed a 2–0 victory over Nina Lech-Musialska, while Aletta Wajer also progressed after a successful 2–0 opening-round performance. As a result, four Dutch women will feature in the second round, with Aileen de Graaf and Lerena Rietbergen entering the tournament at that stage.
The WDF World Championship continues throughout the week, culminating in Sunday’s final. After that, attention will shift to the PDC World Championship. If you haven’t yet submitted your predictions for the PDC World Championship pool, now is the time to do so.
The 2026 PDC World Championship will span more days than previous editions due to its expanded field and will kick off on 11 December. Fans can look forward to near-daily darts action leading into the new year.