European Championship darts results: Max Hopp delights home crowd as James Wade and Gerwyn Price march on
Max Hopp sent the home fans crazy as he reached the European Championship quarter-finals while James Wade and Gerwyn Price impressed.
In a landmark victory for German darts, Hopp became the first man from his country to reach the last eight of a PDC televised major tournament with a thrilling 10-7 victory over James Wilson at Dortmund's Westfalenhalle.
The former World Youth champion, now 22, further underlined his growing potential and ability to cope under immense pressure by landing a 156 checkout to go 9-7 up when Lethal Biscuit was waiting on 38 in a pivotal leg.
Hopp, who won his maiden senior PDC tournament on home soil in a European Tour event back in April before collecting his second on the Pro Tour last month, finished the job in the next leg with help from his fourth 180 of the match.
The 22-year-old finished with an average 93.12 and hit 41% of his doubles as he brushed off the dogged challenge of Wilson.
He'll now meet Darren Webster, who edged out Cristo Reyes 10-9, and the way the whole draw has opened out, he'll fancy his chances of making more history for Germany on Sunday.
Webster has lost both of his 2018 encounters with Hopp but will be on a real high having taken out 156 to win his deciding leg after Reyes had fought back from 7-3 down.
The Demolition Man, who averaged 92, hit six 180s and 33% of his doubles, still be hopeful of reaching his second televised semi-finals having last achieved the feat at the 2016 Players Championship Finals.
Unlike Hopp, the 50-year-old also has experience of four other major quarter-final appearances at the World Championship (2007 & 2017) and World Matchplay (2017 & 2018).
Webster said: "I should have run away with it but I missed a few things and he came back at me, and I kept control of myself. He hit the 145 and normally I'd panic but I know I can produce it now under pressure. That's the difference between me now and two or three years ago.
"There's more to come from me, I'm still learning and if you want to get better you have to do everything you can.
"I'm loving every minute of it. Anything I do at my age is a stand-out performance but I'm getting better and better. I'm treating it like a job and the others are in trouble."
In the opening match of the night, Dave Chisnall's long-standing hopes of winning a first PDC major again ended in disappointment as Gerwyn Price kept alive his own glory bid.
Chizzy, a four-time runner-up in PDC televised events, had high hopes of ending his long wait this weekend having seen MVG and Peter Wright eliminated from the top half of the draw on Friday night while nobody in the bottom half would have fazed him.
However, despite averaging a pretty solid 95 and firing in five 180s, the St Helens thrower missed 10 darts at doubles and was generally out battled by a determined Price.
The Iceman, who won his maiden European Tour event in Germany last month, averaged 95, hit four 180s but made 50% of his doubles including a bullseye finish to take out 126 for a 12-darter in the 11th leg.
Premier League star Price is appearing in his third televised quarter-final of the season having done so at the Masters in January and the World Grand Prix earlier this month but he hasn't gone beyond this stage since reaching the UK Open final in 2017.
Price has been forced to use a new set of darts after his suitcase was lost when returning from Dublin earlier this month and said: "I was a bit anxious - I didn't know how these darts were going to go. I haven't been scoring very well but I finished well.
"I changed my darts again today because I wasn't scoring very well with the other set that I had, but to come out with a 180 was a good start and I built from there.
"I played with a lot more rhythm today, I was a lot more fluent and I'm happy with the way I played but I need to build on this and hopefully improve over the next day.
"I've been to the UK Open final, and hopefully I can go one step further this time. It's wide open but I need to play a lot better if I'm going to win this tournament."
The Welshman will meet James Wade in Sunday afternoon's quarter-finals after the Machine brushed aside Ricky Evans 10-5.
Wade is another player licking his lips at the prospect of returning to the winners' enclosure and will have plenty of backers after another solid display consisting of a 94 average, five 180s and two 100+ checkouts including a high of 130 and a match-clinching 121.
The 35-year-old Englishman is seeking a eighth PDC televised major almost five years after his last at the 2014 Masters while he hasn't won a title of any kind since the European Darts Matchplay back in 2016.
Nevertheless, after a disappointing 2017 led to losing his place in this year's Premier League, Wade has shown signs of a return to top form of late, reaching two finals on the European Tour.
"I played okay and I've done enough to get through, but I made it hard work at times," admitted new father Wade, who now plays Price.
"I'm looking forward to my next game now. Gerwyn is a flamboyant and entertaining player but I will focus on my own game.
"Since the birth of my son I'm not worry as much and I can get on with darts. It's a slow process and I'm starting to enjoy darts again."
Sunday's other quarter-finals will see MVG's conquerer Steve West taking on Simon Whitlock, who beat Peter Wright, while Joe Cullen will meet Rob Cross.
The semi-finals and final take place on Sunday evening, live on ITV4.
European Championship: Saturday results & Sunday schedule
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Saturday October 27 (1900 BST)
Second Round (Best of 19 legs)
- Gerwyn Price 10-5 Dave Chisnall
- Cristo Reyes 9-10 Darren Webster
- James Wade 10-5 Ricky Evans
- Max Hopp 10-7 James Wilson
Sunday October 28
Afternoon Session (1245 BST)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 19 legs)
TV Channel: ITV4
- Steve West v Simon Whitlock
- Joe Cullen v Rob Cross
- Darren Webster v Max Hopp
- James Wade v Gerwyn Price
Evening Session (1900 BST)
TV Channel: ITV4
- Semi-Finals (Best of 21 legs)
- Final (Best of 21 legs)
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