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Scotland’s Alan Soutar missed 15 match darts before finally defeating Finnish debutant Teemu Harju in a sudden-death leg to reach round two of the PDC World Championship.<\/b><\/p>\n
In an epic first-round match that lasted almost an hour and a half, 33-year-old Harju missed four match darts of his own in the sixth leg of the deciding set.<\/p>\n
Soutar, 47, had flown into a two-set lead without losing a leg, averaging 107.36 at that stage and hitting six of his first eight attempts at doubles.<\/p>\n
But while Harju maintained a steady level, Soutar’s overall three-dart average dropped closer to 90 and when opportunities arose, he was unable to put the match away.<\/p>\n
Harju had the advantage of throwing first in the 11th and deciding leg of the fifth set at Alexandra Palace, but Soutar broke to win – landing his first dart at double 16 to complete a 45 checkout.<\/p>\n
The record number of missed match darts in a major match is 18, by three-time world champion John Part.<\/p>\n
He was wearing glasses on stage for the first time and missed a succession of doubles in a defeat by Andy Hamilton in their Players Championship Finals contest in Minehead in 2013.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n