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Michael van Gerwen
Michael van Gerwen

Darts results: Michael Smith, Michael van Gerwen and Chris Dobey reach the PDC World Championship quarter-finals

By Chris Hammer
Darts
Sat December 31, 2022 · 2y ago

Michael van Gerwen maintained his march towards a fourth Cazoo World Darts Championship title but Michael Smith laid down a marker about his own credentials as the quarter-final line-up was completed.

The tournament favourite, who lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy in 2014, 2017 and 2019, thrashed his fellow Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-1 with his third successive 100+ average to send another ominous warning sign to his rivals.

MVG followed up his 101.84 against Lewy Williams and 107.66 against 161 checkout hero Mensur Suljovic with a mark of 100.42 while he landed a pair of 100+ checkouts and pinned 43.3% of his doubles.

Van Duijvenbode, who averaged just short of 90 and missed 17 of his 24 darts at doubles, wasn't at his high-scoring best despite throwing six of the nine 180s in the match but he did thrill the Alexandra Palace crowd with a 170 finish in the second set that he lost 3-1.

Aubergenius did take the next set by the same scoreline but after losing a deciding leg in the fourth set, van Gerwen punished him for spurning four double attempts across the fifth set and won it 3-0.

“It wasn’t a perfect performance, but I did some really important shots when I had to,” reflected Van Gerwen, who recorded his seventh consecutive ton-plus average on the televised stage.

“I’m full of confidence and in the next round the format is going up. Everything is going to be in my favour, but you need to stay sharp and stay focused.

“I’m only in the quarter-finals and last time I was in the quarter-finals I was smashed 5-0 by Dave Chisnall, so I don’t want to put myself in the same position again.”

Hollywood show

Van Gerwen will next play Chris Dobey, who reached the quarter-finals for the first time in his career with a thrilling 4-2 triumph over 2018 world champion Rob Cross.

Fresh from defeating another former winning in Gary Anderson, the Northumberland ace produced arguably the best performance of his career as he averaged 102.13, hit eight of the 15 maximums and also landed a 170 checkout.

Hollywood lost the opening set 3-1 but despite bouncing back to take the next 3-0, he too was subsequently whitewashed in the third to fall 2-1 down.

The fourth set, which featured his Big Fish checkout, went the distance and Dobey showed nerves of steal in the decider en route to a classy 14-darter before dominating the next 3-1.

Cross dug deep to take the sixth set all the way but ultimately came up short as Dobey finally pinned his fourth match dart of the leg.

“It’s the best win of my career,” said Dobey. “This is the biggest competition in the world and it’s my best performance on the World Championship stage, so to get over that last 16 hurdle is another tick on my list.

“Michael is on top form and he’s going to take some beating, but I beat him last time out at the European Championship, so I’ll be ready.”

Brilliant Bully Boy

Michael Smith laid down a marker to his rivals with a stellar display to beat Joe Cullen 4-1 at the Alexandra Palace.

Bully Boy averaged 103.25 and threw 10 of the 17 maximums while he held his nerve brilliantly for all three of the deciding legs played as Cullen failed to have a dart at a double in any of them.

Smith also threatened a nine-darter in what proved to be the final leg of the match but after seven successive treble 20s he could only hit single 19 en route to a 12-darter.

The St Helens was particularly impressive in the third set, which he won 3-0 in just 36 darts and an average of 125.25, but Cullen ran him all the way in the others.

Smith pinned 40% of his doubles as the Rockstar spurned 20 of his 29 attempts at the outer ring, although he did land the highest checkout of 156.

“I finally turned up and it felt good,” declared Smith, who averaged 103, landed ten 180s and converted 40% of his attempts at double.

“I think the first set was important. Being 1-0 down against Joe could have been a big game-changer, and I knew I couldn’t afford to throw sets away.

“I want to play the best players, I want to beat the best players and I want to show how far my game has come, and winning this title would mean everything.”

Smith will next play Stephen Bunting in a St Helens derby after the Bullet upset the odds to blow away Luke Humphries 4-1 in the final match of the night session.

Bunting averaged 99.43 compared to his opponent's lacklustre 89.92 although Cool Hand was still suffering the effects of a recent illness that had prevented him producing his best darts in previous rounds.

Even if Humphries was in full health, he'd have still found the challenge tough to deal with as Bunting hit seven of the 11 maximums, landed three 100+ checkouts and pinned 46.4% of his doubles.

Gabriel soars

Earlier, Gabriel Clemens became the first German ever to reach the PDC World Championship quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory over Scotland's Alan Soutar.

The match was closer than the scoreline suggests, with the Gentle Giant pinching the last two sets in deciding legs while his average of 93.96 was marginally higher than Soutar's 91.92.

Clemens hit five of the six 180s in the match but did weigh in with two of the 100+ checkouts, including a brilliant 148 in what proved to be the final set of the match.

“I’m in the quarter-finals of the World Championship, it’s amazing,” admitted Clemens, who will feature in his first televised ranking quarter-final on New Year’s Day.

“I hope this inspires younger players in Germany. There are so many German fans in the crowd, and that’s really nice.

“Gerwyn is the favourite, but I’ve played three good games on this stage, and we will see. I believe I will give him a good game and I will take my chances.”

Dimitri Van den Bergh breezed into the quarter-finals for the third time - and first since the 2020 edition - with a 4-0 thrashing of fellow Belgian Kim Huybrechts.

He averaged 95.59 compared to the Hurricane's 87.13, hit six of the seven 180s and pinned 40% of his doubles in a one-sided affair in which his opponent only won three legs.

World Darts Championship: Friday results & remaining schedule

Friday December 30
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Fourth Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Kim Huybrechts (87.13) 0-4 (95.59) Dimitri Van den Bergh
    (Set scores: 0-3, 2-3, 1-3, 0-3)
  • Gabriel Clemens (93.96) 4-1 (91.92) Alan Soutar
    (Set scores: 3-0, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2)
  • Michael Smith (103.25) 4-1 (93.86) Joe Cullen
    (Set scores: 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 3-2, 3-2)

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

  • Rob Cross (100.02) 2-4 (102.13) Chris Dobey
    (Set scores: 3-1, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3)
  • Michael van Gerwen 4-1 Dirk van Duijvenbode
    (Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 1-3, 3-2, 3-0)
  • Luke Humphries (89.92) 1-4 (99.43) Stephen Bunting
    (Set scores: 1-3, 0-3, 3-1, 2-3, 0-3)

Sunday January 1
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jonny Clayton
  • Michael Smith v Stephen Bunting

Evening Session (7pm GMT)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Gerwyn Price v Gabriel Clemens
  • Michael van Gerwen v Chris Dobey

Monday January 2
Evening Session (7.30pm GMT)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Gerwyn Price/Gabriel Clemens v Michael Smith/Stephen Bunting
  • Michael van Gerwen/Chris Dobey v Dimitri Van den Bergh/Jonny Clayton

Tuesday January 3 (8pm GMT)
Final (Best of 13 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

  • Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2

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