Gary Anderson (Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

World Darts results: Gary Anderson hits a 170 checkout in comeback win as Adrian Lewis wins epic

By Chris Hammer

Darts

Tue December 24, 2019 · 5y ago

A review of Monday's action at the William Hill World Darts Championship as Gary Anderson hit a 170 checkout in a trademark thriller while Dave Chisnall lost to Jeffrey de Zwaan.

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World Championship schedule and results
Scroll down for highlights and reports from both sessions

EVENING SESSION

Snakebite brings power back on

Peter Wright rounded off a quite incredible first half of the PDC World Championship with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Seigo Asada that featured no fewer than seven 100+ checkouts and a mid-game change of darts.

There had been a delay to proceedings due a power cut at the Alexandra Palace following Gary Anderson's dramatic five-set thriller with Ryan Searle, and while Sky Sports took the opportunity to fittingly play a rerun of a Phil Taylor classic, former electrician Rob Cross won Twitter to partially make up for his early exit from the tournament, which now takes a three-day break until Friday.

Eventually the final match began, with Cross thankfully not required to make the drive from Hastings, and despite a plucky challenge from Asada, Snakebite battled his way through to set up a last 16 meeting with Jeffrey de Zwaan.

The world number seven hit eight of the 10 maximums in the match and averaged 94.42 - which he'll need to improve upon against the explosive young Dutchman - while he made three of the ton+ finishes, including the highest of 157.

Those stats took the tally of 180s hit in a dramatic day of six matches to a whopping 75 and the number of the three-figure outs to an astonishing 27.

Wright, who wouldn't even be still here had it not been for a quite incredible comeback against another PDC Asian Tour star in Noel Malicdem last time out, survived a set dart in a pretty ropey opener to take it 3-2.

Unimpressed with his performance, Snakebite bizarrely changed his darts and it didn't pay off at first with a number of poor scoring visits in the opening two legs of the next set and although he found his range to level it up, he then missed a costly double in the decider.

Asada responded to the Scotsman's Shanghai finish from 120 with the first of his four 100+ checkouts but it didn't stop him losing the third set 3-1.

The fourth set was a similar story for the Japanese thrower, who is planning on entering Q School in January after another impressive showing at the highest level, as he lost it 3-1 despite another fine finish from 104.

Spectacular finishing continued into the fifth set, with the 2014 finalist completing a fine 12-darter with a 131 checkout only for Asada to respond from 103 to make it 1-1.

The World Cup winner, who has won four individual titles this season including the televised German Darts Masters, pulled his 157 out of the bag to force a decider in the set before coming agonisingly close to the eighth 170 of the tournament and second of the day after Gary Anderson during his 4-3 win over Ryan Searle.

It would have also been the second 'Big Fish' to win a match, with Ricky Evans also a achieving the feat in round two, but he couldn't find the bullseye and Asada punished him with a finish from 96.

That high was short lived as he spurned three darts at doubles in the opening leg of the sixth set although he did make up for it with his fourth 100+ checkout of the match.

Wright was not to be deterred and rattled off a pair of 15-darters to seal his place in the last 16 for the sixth time in his career.

The 2016 UK Open champion, who has finished runner-up in 12 other majors including this season's Champions League of Darts and the Grand Slam of Darts, will return to the oche on Saturday night.

Flying Scotsman catches record Big Fish

Gary Anderson threw a record-breaking 170 checkout at the PDC World Darts Championship and then had to produce a stirring comeback to avoid a shock exit at the hands of Ryan Searle.

It was the seventh 'Big Fish' caught since Michael van Gerwen hit the first on day one - the most in a single tournament - although it didn't prevent him losing the second set as the world number 52 levelled the scores.

Anderson, who had only won the opener after Searle missed three darts at double in the deciding leg, then found himself behind in sets when the Somerset thrower followed up a 104 checkout with an 11-darter en route to taking the third 3-1.

Despite a clinical 13-darter at the start of the fourth set, Anderson was struggling to find any rhythm and allowed Searle to win each of the next three legs in 15 darts or more.

The Flying Scotsman has endured a largely miserable season by his sky high standards - albeit some of it being down to injury problems - but refused to bow out with a whimper as his rallying comeback began.

Anderson won the next set 3-1 with the help of a pair of 84 checkouts while he maintained his motoring momentum with an 11-darter in the sixth, which he took by the same scoreline.

The 49-year-old, who is bidding to become the third three-time world champion behind Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, raced through the decider 3-0 although it could have been different had Searle not missed two darts at tops in the second leg.

Chizzy bows out in epic

Dave Chisnall's dreams of a first world championship are over after losing one of best third-round matches in the tournament's history.

Chizzy, who is yet to win any major title that his career richly deserves, averaged almost 102, hit 10 maximums, threw a 161 checkout and enjoyed the unanimous support of a partisan crowd, but it still wasn't good enough to deny an inspired Jeffrey de Zwaan.

The Dutchman pulled the plug on an electric atmosphere by racing through the deciding seventh set by averaging 115 with his 39 darts, which included just 10 in the second leg, before the crowd gave both players the rousing reception they deserved.

De Zwaan's match average was a tournament high 106.09 thanks to long periods of sustained scoring power that included 31 scores of 140 or more as well as consistent finishing, pinning 15 of his 28 attempts at doubles.

The Dutchman, who reached the 2018 World Matchplay semi-finals, is still just 23 but if he can keep pulling out performances like these it might not be too much longer before he's challenging another certain Dutchman for top honours.

He also showed great character to respond so brilliant to the Ally Pally shaking moment when Chisnall took out 341 in six darts, including a 161 checkout for a second successive 12-darter in the sixth set that he won to force the decider.

De Zwaan had also strung a pair of 12-darters together in a mesmerising spell in the fifth set, which he won 3-1 after Chisnall's other 100+ checkout of the match.

The opening four sets of the match were all won against the throw, with De Zwaan storming through the first 3-1 while the St Helens man stormed back after a sloppy start to pinch the next with a 72 checkout in the deciding leg.

Just 41 darts were required from the Black Cobra to win three successive legs in the third set as Chizzy's throw was broken twice and although his comeback was equally emphatic with a 3-0 scoreline in the fourth, it would ultimately prove in vain.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Webster misses out on Jackpot

Darren Webster came one dart away from hitting the 10th perfect leg in PDC World Darts Championship history in an enthralling defeat to a resurgent Adrian Lewis.

The Demolition Man, who has never managed a televised nine-darter, was leading 3-2 in sets at the time but after seven treble 20s - and a treble 19, he narrowly missed double 12 on the inside.

It would have put him halfway towards the £100,000 jackpot on offer for a pair of perfect legs in the tournament but unless it had inspired a different result, his elimination would have ended that hope anyway.

Webster pinned the target on his next visit to move one leg away from a place in the fourth round for the second time in three years, only for Lewis to snatch the decider and push the match into a fifth set.

As tension grew, the sky high standards of earlier in the match dropped but it was no less compelling to watch as Jackpot came from 2-0 down with a pair of 13 darters and one in 15 to lead 3-2, before closing it out with a 78 checkout with Webster waiting on tops.

The nine-darter attempt was part of an incredible sixth set that will be etched in the annals of Ally Pally for quite some time.

It started when Lewis followed up a 132 checkout with another from 124 to complete a 12-darter, only for Webster to come back with a finish from 142 and then his near miss perfect leg.

Lewis went on to seal it with a 16-darter as Webster waited for his chance on 96 before his final set comeback put him through to the fourth round.

It's no wonder he later described it as one of the best games he's ever played in.

With PDC chairman Barry Hearn watching intently in the arena, you have to wonder whether a few more performances like this could even give him an outside chance of getting back in the Premier League next season, although perhaps only a spot in the final will achieve that.

Webster, who has reached the quarter-finals twice in the 2007 and 2018 editions, flew out of the blocks in terms of the set score as he defied an 11-darter from Lewis to take the first 3-2 having initially blown a 2-0 lead while he added a second with the help of a 124 finish on the bullseye - his first of four 100+ checkouts in the match.

However, at 2-2 in the third set, the 51-year-old from Norwich spurned three darts at double having been pressured by a Lewis maximum, and Jackpot came back to half the deficit.

The 2011 and 2012 champion looked in real danger of falling two sets behind again as Webster chalked up another big checkout - this time from 108 - to move 2-0 up.

But the 34-year-old forced another deciding leg after surviving a set dart and made the most of it with a clinical finish from 91.

The Demolition Man wasn't done yet, firing in a 140 checkout that Lewis had no choice but to applaud before a finish from 72 saw him restore his overall match lead.

The pair then played out 'that' sixth set before Lewis' stirring comeback in the seventh as he set up a clash with Dimitri Van den Bergh, who defeated Luke Humphries.

Lewis, who has been moving in the right direction in 2019 after a tough couple of the seasons, has now reached the fourth round for the second year in a row but he'll be desperate to go even further and remind the world just why he's one of the most naturally talented players of all time.

Humphries keeps Cool on big stage

Luke Humphries is through to the fourth round of the World Darts Championship for the second successive year after an impressive 4-2 victory over young German star Nico Kurz.

The World Youth champion, who defeated Rob Cross en route to the quarter-finals 12 months ago, is one win away from achieving the same feat, with Kim Huybrechts standing in his way.

Humphries was pushed hard by the 22-year-old debutant, who had earlier upset the odds to defeat James Wilson and Joe Cullen, and had to come from 2-1 down before reeling off three sets in a row.

The Newbury thrower averaged a little less than Kurz's mark of 96.16 with 94.8 but his eight 180s were six more than his opponent while he pinned 15 of his 35 double attempts as the German spurned 15 of his 25.

Humphries raised the roof in the opening match of the afternoon session when a 124 checkout saw him move 1-0 up in sets.

Kurz held his nerve to draw level by winning the second set on a deciding leg and then a pair of 13-darters helped him take the third 3-1 as another upset looked on the cards.

Humphries added to his 100+ finishes with another from 122 on the bullseye to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the fourth set, which he won 3-0, but the fifth went the distance.

After pinching it with his last dart in hand, with Kurz waiting on 42, the 24-year-old stormed through the next 3-1 to seal victory although there was still time for the young German to bring the crowd to their feet.

Dancing Dimitri waltzes on

Dimitri Van den Bergh showed more flashes of his potential to be a star of the sport as he came through a tough test with flue stricken Luke Woodhouse to reach the last 16.

The former two-time world youth champion was not quite at the same level which helped him record the highest average of the tournament of 103.81 on Saturday against Josh Payne, but he still managed to throw four 100+ checkouts and hit six 180s in a promising display.

Van den Bergh made his intentions clear early on with a 128 checkout on the bullseye in the opening set that he won 3-1, although Woodhouse found the middle of the board for a 126 in the second.

That would prove to be in vain as the 25-year-old won it 3-1 to double his set lead while a brilliant 112 finish helped him take command in the third, as a whitewash was threatened.

Despite his illness, the conqueror of Paul Lim and Michael Smith battled back to half the deficit in sets only for Van den Bergh to hammer in another ton+ checkout - this time with the Shanghai of 120 - on his way to taking the fourth set 3-2.

Woodhouse, who averaged 90.41 and threw two fewer 180s with four, kept fighting and took out 117 in a fifth set that he won 3-1 to keep himself alive.

Van den Bergh then trailed 2-0 in the sixth set, but a 110 checkout completed a timely 12-darter before punishing Woodhouse for a missed doubles in each of the next two legs to progress.

World Darts Championship: Monday results & Friday schedule

Monday December 23
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Nico Kurz 2-4 Luke Humphries
Adrian Lewis 4-3 Darren Webster
Luke Woodhouse 2-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Evening Session (1900)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Dave Chisnall 3-4 Jeffrey De Zwaan
Gary Anderson 4-3 Ryan Searle
Peter Wright 4-2 Seigo Asada

Friday December 27
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Simon Whitlock v Mervyn King
Fallon Sherrock v Chris Dobey
Daryl Gurney v Glen Durrant

Evening Session (1900)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

Gerwyn Price v John Henderson
Gary Anderson v Nathan Aspinall
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting

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