PDC World Darts Championship day three: Gary Anderson too good for Jeff Smith
A review of the action on the third day of the PDC World Darts Championship, where Gary Anderson proved much too good for qualifier Jeff Smith.
World Darts: Evening session round-up
Anderson cruises into second round
Gary Anderson produced bursts of exhilarating darts and some distinctly average ones to whitewash Jeff Smith, who had earlier qualified for the first round by beating Luke Humphries.
The two-time world champion took the first leg 3-0 despite missing seven doubles, as Canada's Smith proved unable to match the standards he'd reached earlier in the night, averaging short of 70 in falling a set behind.
Anderson came out after the short interval in blistering form, hitting two maximums on his way to the first 10-dart finish of the World Championship as he found double eight to make it four legs out of four.
Smith responded by getting on the board but only after Anderson had narrowly missed bullseye for a 170 finish and that would prove a rare blip for the Scot, who showed just why he's considered the chief threat to Michael van Gerwen.
Anderson wrapped up the second set with 11 and 12-dart legs, averaging 132 for the stanza and upping his checkout percentage in the process.
The third set was less convincing, Anderson missing five darts for double to allow Smith to take the opening leg before taking the next three without ever hitting top gear, finally sealing victory on double three.
Despite missing 18 darts at double, Anderson averaged 100.93 thanks to seven maximums and nine 140s. He's 13/2 second-favourite for the title behind 8/11 MVG with both due to play their second-round ties on Friday December 22.
"Michael took it off me last year and I would like to do the same to him this year," Anderson told Sky Sports Main Event after the match.
"I want it back so I'm going to have to try now. I've got a new baby and everything is good and I want to get back on it now."
Double Dekker ousts Klaasen
Jan Dekker recovered from a slow start to beat fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen 3-1.
Dekker was quickly a set down as his more experienced compatriot hit three doubles from as many attempts having started the match with an 11-dart leg.
Klaasen took the first leg of the second set, too, but Dekker got on the board with the throw in the next as he hit double eight.
A first maximum from the younger player helped him break for the first time with a 100 checkout and after Klaasen missed his nemesis, double 20, Dekker landed double eight to level up the match by sealing the set.
Dekker was by now throwing with great confidence and signed off a 12-dart leg with a 128 checkout to move ahead in the match for the first time at the start of the third set.
Klaasen responded with a 12-dart leg of his own, taking out 101 for it, before a 120 finish from Dekker continued the run of sublime finishes.
Dekker is known to be one of the best finishers on the circuit and showed why with a ruthless 74 to take the set and a 2-1 lead in the match.
Klaasen began the fourth set with his third maximum followed by two more treble-20s, ultimately coasting to the leg in 13 darts with Dekker lagging behind.
Dekker held just as comfortably in the next but there were now signs that Klaasen, whose season has been beset by injury issues, was becoming unreliable on doubles as he took an age to finally take the third leg on double five.
Klaasen had a chance to win the set against the throw but missed five darts for it as Dekker escaped before heaping on the pressure in the fifth leg with two throws of 140 and another of 133, which left him on 32.
Still, Klaasen had a chance to survive if he could finish 118 but some wayward darts got nowhere close and Dekker returned to hit double 16 at the first attempt.
He missed just five doubles in the match to beat Klaasen, a former semi-finalist at Alexandra Palace, and earn a clash with Belgium's Dimitri Van den Bergh.
Mega Watt sees off Cullen
Jermaine Wattimena beat Joe Cullen 3-2 to reach the second round of the PDC World Darts Championship, in the match of the tournament so far.
The Dutch thrower raced to the first set in under five minutes only for Cullen to win the second in almost half that time, taking out 135 in the second of three rapid-fire legs.
Wattimena took advantage of throwing first to win the third, which he started with a 111 checkout, before Cullen upped his game considerably with a sensational run of darts in the fourth set, winning all three legs including bull finishes of 130 and 84.
It was Cullen who now appeared to take the momentum into the deciding set and he duly broke in the very first leg, his sole dart at double 20 finding the centre of the bed after his opponent had spurned two at double 12.
However, Wattimena wasn't ready to roll over and made immediate amends, hitting double 12 this time for a 141 finish to level things up once more.
Then came the key moment for Cullen, who held throw to lead 2-1 after the Dutchman missed double 17 and appeared set to close the door in the fourth leg of the set.
Cullen's dart for a match-winning 160 finish narrowly missed but he still returned for 40, only to hit single 20 and twice miss double 10 for the match as Wattimena returned to mop up 24 in one dart.
Handed a reprieve, a brace of 140s helped Wattimena edge back in front as he took out 70 with Cullen waiting on 36, piling pressure on the Englishman who by now was throwing to stay in the match in a tie-break situation.
Cullen opened the door with throws of 58 and 60 and Wattimena took advantage with just his second 180, which paved the way for a 64 finish on double 16 for a famous win.
Smith sets off Saturday fireworks
Jeff Smith opened up his qualifier against Luke Humphries with a stunning 170 finish, the second of the tournament, on his way to a 2-0 victory.
The Canadian, a regular contender at the BDO World Championship in recent years, fired three perfect darts to take the lead in this battle to face Gary Anderson in the first round later on.
It came a day after Stephen Bunting had registered the first 170 finish of this year's tournament, albeit in defeat to Dimitri Van den Bergh.
Smith went on to take out 82 in two darts, bullseye followed by double 16, and was flawless again in a 106 checkout to wrap up the first set without missing a double.
In the second set, he took out 78 in two darts to hold before breaking the Humphries throw with a 126 checkout finished on double six, which came on the back of his sole maximum.
Throwing for the match, Smith was untroubled and signed off with another impressive finish, this time a 74 on double 20 for a one-sided win.
Smith averaged upwards of 95 and hit six of his seven attempts at double, in a performance which might just have caught the attention of Anderson.
Evening Session (7pm)
First Round (Best of 5)/Prelim (Best of 3)
- Jeff Smith 2-0 Luke Humphries (P)
- Joe Cullen 2-3 Jermaine Wattimena
- Jelle Klaasen 1-3 Jan Dekker
- Gary Anderson 3-0 Jeff Smith
World Darts: Afternoon session round-up
Thorn in the side of Dolan
Robert Thornton avoided a potential banana skin as he fought off the challenge of qualifier Brendan Dolan to win 3-1 in a pulsating first-round encounter.
The Scot averaged upwards of 113 in the first set, which he stole against the darts thanks to a two-dart 90 finish, and while unable to keep up such high-scoring standards still produced one of the standout performances of the tournament so far.
Dolan took the second set 3-0 thanks to finishes of 126, 104 and 100, at which point he was a flawless five-from-five on doubles, and made it four 100-plus finishes in succession as he took out 107 in the first leg of the third set.
Thornton responded with a 144 checkout and dominated the next leg, which he began with five perfect darts before taking out double 12, and it was the same double which saw him wrap up the set and move back into the lead.
Dolan's first maximum arrived in the first leg of set four but so did his first missed doubles, which allowed Thornton to maintain control with a tidy 74 finish before Dolan also held throw.
Thornton then set up the chance for a nine-dart finish with two maximums to start the third leg of the set and while unable to take it, eventually finished a 12-dart leg on double 20 to move within one of the second round.
Dolan bravely extended the match by holding once more, his doubles return now 9/13, but Thornton was always in command throwing for the match and closed it out back on double 12.
The Scot ended this riveting affair with six maximums and an average of 98.67, with his own doubles return of 60 percent representing a high standard for either Mensur Suljovic or Kevin Painter to match in the second round.
Van de Pas hopes go West
Benito van de Pas suffered the ignominy of being the first seed knocked out of the PDC World Darts Championship as he lost 3-1 to Steve West on Saturday afternoon.
The 24-year-old, who had reached the last 16 on all three previous visits to Alexandra Palace, could never recover from a slow start which allowed West to seize the initiative.
Van de Pas missed a dart to take the second set having lost the first 3-0, letting his opponent off the hook after West had missed three for it himself. The Englishman returned to double his advantage, hitting his fourth attempt at double 12.
A superb 124 checkout saw 14th seed van de Pas take the third set 3-2 to haul himself back into the contest, but West upped the ante with finishes of 106 and, finally, 141 for the match, as he dominated the fourth.
West was beaten 3-2 in the first round of his debut in this event last year but now advances to a second-round clash with Jermaine Wattimena.
King's crown slips
Mervyn King became the second seeded player to lose at Alexandra Palace as he let a 2-0 lead slip against Zoran Lerchbacher.
King took out 112 and then 56 to win the first set having trailed 2-1 in legs and again edged a tight second, at which point his Austrian opponent appeared to be on his way out.
Lerchbacher took out 107 to move ahead in the third, however, and when King bust 20 was on hand to halve the deficit on double eight.
King was now struggling and lost the fourth set in double-quick time, failing to set up a single shot at double, and that trend extended through the decider as the Austrian cruised to victory in the end.
Lerchbacher won eight legs in succession to completely turn around the game, one ultimately defined by his heavier scoring and greater success on doubles.
Dolan does the business
Brendan Dolan showed his class to beat Alan Ljubic 2-0 in their qualifier which kicked off the action on day three of the PDC World Darts Championship.
Dolan fired in three maximums and averaged a solid 92.19, losing just a single leg in a largely one-sided 2-0 victory.
Ljubic hit just one of his three attempts at double but the three misses all came at the end of the first set; in other words, seldom do he threaten the Dolan throw and never did he appear set to spring a surprise.
Dolan, a former World Grand Prix finalist, will now present a genuine threat to Robert Thornton in the first-round proper.
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
First Round (Best of 5)/Prelim (Best of 3)
- Alan Ljubic 0-2 Brendan Dolan (P)
- Benito van de Pas 1-3 Steve West
- Mervyn King 2-3 Zoran Lerchbacher
- Robert Thornton 3-1 Brendan Dolan