Nathan Aspinall received a Star Wars-themed fright before his second-round World Championship clash on Monday evening when opponent Leonard Gates ambushed him in the practice room wearing a Chewbacca mask.
The 55-year-old American qualifier tapped Aspinall on the shoulder while sporting the hairy costume, leaving the Englishman genuinely startled ahead of their encounter at Alexandra Palace.
Gates explained his pre-match antics: “We were in the players’ room and I was wearing my Chewbacca mask. I walked up to him and he was like, ‘Oh my God, what is this?'”
The American added: “No disrespect to Nathan, of course.”
Despite the pre-match scare tactics, Aspinall had the last laugh as he cruised to a dominant victory, conceding just three legs throughout the contest.
The 15th seed admitted the prank had genuinely unnerved him: “Honest to God, I can’t say it, I nearly pooed my pants, I was a bit scared.”
However, Aspinall, 34, was quick to praise his opponent’s character.
Nathan Aspinall and Leonard Gates were all smiles following their match at the World Darts Championship
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“He’s a great guy. I played Leonard here last year. I had a job to do, I won 3-0, it was very comfortable and I’m back after Christmas,” he added.
The Stockport thrower noted he has now surrendered only a single set across his opening two matches at this year’s tournament.
Aspinall will return to north London following the festive break to take on Dutch player Kevin Doets in the third round, though he acknowledged the matchup presents a challenge.
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Kevin is a great player. I haven’t got a very good record against him. And I think he knows that as he has been talking to me in the hotel,” Aspinall revealed.
The 34-year-old remained confident about his prospects despite his historical struggles against Doets.
“Rest assured, I will enjoy my Christmas with my family, come back and I will put a show on for these guys as they deserve it,” he continued, referencing the passionate Ally Pally crowd who have backed him throughout the tournament.e at least 4 paragraphs
Elsewhere on Monday night, Gian van Veen delivered a stunning performance that set a new benchmark for this year’s championship.
The 23-year-old Dutchman, a former aviation industry worker who has won two world youth titles, recorded an average of 108.28 in his 3-1 triumph over Scottish firefighter Alan Soutar.
Van Veen’s display featured seven maximum 180s, a checkout percentage of 48 per cent on doubles, and a spectacular 170 Big Fish finish, with only three visits to the board failing to hit a treble.
Nathan Aspinall remains on course for World Darts Championship glory
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The young Dutchman benefited from Soutar’s error in the second set, when the 47-year-old accidentally hit double 16 instead of his intended double eight target, busting his score of 71.
It was also a straightforward night for Luke Humphries, who cruised to victory over Paul Lim.
Speaking after his win over his 71-year-old opponent, Humphries said: “The third set wasn’t great, but I didn’t want to destroy him 9-0. I’m glad he got a leg in the end.
“I knew the crowd were going to be on his side.
“For me, it was a game I had to win and that was the most important thing.
“He’s just a legend and I love him to bits.”
