Anderson beats Van Gerwen to reach quarter-finals

1 week ago 2

Scotland's Gary Anderson got the better of long-standing rival Michael van Gerwen to reach the PDC World Championship quarter-finals.

Having been part of the sport's elite for more than a decade, the pair's much-anticipated fourth-round tie at Alexandra Palace did not disappoint, with both averaging more than 99.

Anderson, who lifted back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2016, won the first two sets against 36-year-old Van Gerwen - himself a three-time former champion and the third seed at this year's tournament.

Although last year's runner-up pulled a set back, 55-year-old Anderson recovered to seal a 4-1 success and move into the last eight of the World Championship for the first time in four years.

He will next face popular English debutant Justin Hood, who produced a finishing masterclass to eliminate 11th seed Josh Rock 4-0 during the afternoon session.

Gian van Veen, the Dutch 10th seed, beat 20-year-old English debutant Charlie Manby 4-1 and will face the winner of Tuesday's final match between world number two Luke Humphries and unseeded Dutchman Kevin Doets.

Debutant Hood continues dream run

Against Northern Ireland's World Cup winner Rock, Hood hit his first 11 attempts at doubles and missed for the first time when trying to take out 143 to win the match.

That was the first of four match darts he missed in that leg, but he got the job done in the next, to the delight of the crowd who chanted his name throughout.

"I've never experienced anything [in terms of atmosphere] like it," the 32-year-old from Somerset told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"To have people chanting your name like that and being on your side like that is an amazing feeling. Long may it continue."

Rock could only shake his head and smile in disbelief at the back of the stage as Hood continued to land double after double.

Hood has previously said he would like to open a Chinese restaurant with his World Championship earnings, which currently stand at £100,000.

Having started the tournament ranked 86th in the world, he is provisionally into the top 50 thanks to his victory over Northern Ireland's Rock, who had been tipped as a potential tournament winner.

Earlier, Welsh fifth seed Jonny Clayton held off the challenge of Swedish debutant Andreas Harrysson to set up a last-eight tie with England's Ryan Searle.

Harrysson missed chances in the fifth set to take a 3-2 lead, while five of the six sets played went to a deciding leg.

Clayton's 4-2 victory means he is provisionally up to fourth in the PDC world rankings and would qualify automatically for next year's Premier League if he is still in that spot at the end of the tournament.

Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski beat 25th seed Luke Woodhouse by the same score to set up a quarter-final against defending champion Luke Littler.

Woodhouse missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in the third set, which would have been the first perfect leg of the tournament and earned the Englishman an additional £60,000.