Gary Anderson (7/1 to win title) has booked his place in the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championship after edging past Rob Cross 4-3 on Thursday, while there was more serene progress for Peter Wright.
Thursday 30th December results:
Afternoon Session:
Raymond Smith 3-4 Mervyn King (R4)
Alan Soutar 1-4 Callan Rydz (R4)
Chris Dobey 3-4 Luke Humphries (R4)
Evening Session:
James Wade 4-0 Martijn Kleermaker (R4)
Gary Anderson 4-3 Rob Cross (R4)
Peter Wright 4-1 Ryan Searle (R4)
Two-time former champion Anderson continued his remarkable record at Ally Pally, as he is through to the last eight for the seventh time in eight years, although he had to withstand a spirited comeback from 2018 winner Cross to come through a deciding set for the second round in a row.
Anderson had been critical of his own performance following his third-round victory over Ian White, but after digging deep against Cross, the Flying Scotsman is hopeful he is now finding his best form at exactly the right time.
“We’re at the stage of the tournament now where you have to be at your best, hopefully I can produce it when it matters,” the 51-year-old told reporters.
Luke Humphries will be Anderson’s opponent in the last eight after the UK Open runner-up produced a dramatic comeback of his own, coming from 3-1 down to get the better of Chris Dobey 4-3 (Humphries 13/10, Anderson 8/13 – Match Betting).
Peter Wright’s progress was much more straightforward, as the 2020 champion eased past Ryan Searle 4-1 in the final match of the night to set up a quarter-final tie with Callan Rydz, who earlier saw off Alan Soutar 4-1 (Wright 8/15, Rydz 6/4 – Match Betting).
James Wade was the most emphatic winner of the night, thrashing Martijn Kleermaker 4-0, and the world number four will now face the evergreen Mervyn King in the last eight after he rolled back the years to come from 3-0 down to beat Raymond Smith 4-3 and book his place in the quarter-finals for the first time in 13 years (Wade 8/13, King 13/10 – Match Betting).
All four quarter-finals will be contested on New Year’s Day, with the afternoon session seeing Wade take on King and Anderson face Humphries, while the evening action begins with Wright against Rydz before defending champion Gerwyn Price tackles Michael Smith (Price 4/7, Smith 7/5 – Match Betting).
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