PDC World Darts Championship: Gary Anderson to face Phil Taylor

Anderson wins against West

Gary Anderson beat Steve West 4-2 to book a much-anticipated PDC World Darts Championship quarter-final against Phil Taylor but the Flying Scotsman appears to have a major injury worry.

Anderson struggled as he defeated West with an average of only 34 per cent on the doubles and the two-time world champion didn’t give an update on his condition after reaching the last eight.

Sky Sports pundits Wayne Mardle and John Part speculated that a back injury appears to be worrying Anderson.

"The way he was holding his back meant it looks like it might be some kind of sciatic problem," said Mardle.

"I don’t know how much pain he’s in but it was incredible how many darts he needed to finish it off at the end."

Part added: "He couldn’t stand rigidly enough to get the release he needed across the board (for the doubles). Hopefully he can compete and he’ll do everything in his power to be ready for tomorrow."

Sky Bet make Michael van Gerwen the odds-on favourite at 4/6 to win the tournament ahead of the quarter-finals.

Anderson follows in the odds at 5/1 ahead of Taylor at 11/2.

On Thursday night, Anderson took the first set with a 104 checkout but West wasn’t to be overpowered as he quickly levelled the match.

The Flying Scotsman proceeded to take control but he left it to a double one finish for a 3-1 advantage after West missed double 20 to once again pull level.

West took the fifth set but Anderson was able to secure the victory during a worrying conclusion to the match for the 47-year-old.

Anderson missed 11 match darts before finally sealing the victory with a double four but questions remain about his capabilities of facing Taylor on Friday night.

Power still on

Phil Taylor extended his glittering career with a 4-0 win against Keegan Brown to book his place in the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship.

The Power has confirmed that he will wave goodbye to darts at the end of the tournament and he is hoping to end his career on a high by winning a 17th world title.

It never looked like a shock was on the cards against Brown as Taylor sealed the first set with an 11-dart leg that opened with five treble 20s in a row.

The 57-year-old broke Brown’s throw with a 122 finish on the bull as he claimed the second set and was pushed all the way in the third before a remarkable conclusion to the deciding leg.

Taylor took out a 99 checkout with two double 20s in a row to leave Brown disconsolate after the Isle of Wight thrower had missed double 18 to pull a set back.

The Power went on to complete his 4-0 win with a 106 checkout on double 16 for a 3-2 success in the fourth set.

Next up is a quarter-final against Gary Anderson on Friday night.

"I think the pressure is off me,” Taylor told Sky Sports.

"It means the biggest headache for Barry Hearn and a headache for Sky (if I win the tournament) as I won’t be here next year to defend the title.

"I’ve loved every minute of it, I’ve been so dedicated and I’ve got loads of memories so I should do another book."

Lewis through to last eight

Jamie Lewis booked his place in the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship with a 4-1 victory over James Richardson in the first match of Thursday's evening session.

The qualifier continued his fine run at Alexandra Palace with a convincing win but it didn't start well for the Welshman as Richardson took the opening set.

That was as good as it got for Richardson though as the quality of Lewis' darts increased throughout the contest.

Lewis produced a 170 checkout in the first leg of the third set as he moved ahead and it got even better in the fourth as back-to-back 12 and 10-dart legs secured a 3-1 advantage.

The Welshman took out double five to seal the 4-1 win, the second day in a row that he has won by that scoreline after defeating second seed Peter Wright on Wednesday.

"I’m absolutely over the moon. It was so tough to get through that game as I didn’t play as well as yesterday," Lewis told Sky Sports after the match.

"I wasn’t feeling that great today backstage but luckily I got there in the end and started to play the darts that I know I can play."

Next up for Lewis is a quarter-final clash with 23rd seed Darren Webster and a tricky encounter is anticipated.

"I’ve got to keep it going," Lewis added.

"Darren is a very good player, it will be a good game and I’ve got to play well. It hasn’t really sunk in but I’m still going so happy days."

Cross ends Henderson run

John Henderson's bid for another upset came unstuck as Rob Cross marched into the quarter-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship with a 4-1 success.

Seven maximums and an average of just under 100 saw Cross progress to a last-eight clash with Dimitri Van den Bergh, who had earlier seen off fifth seed Mensur Suljovic.

The 27-year-old from Hastings may be in his first World Championship but is playing like an experienced stalwart and showed his resolve by coming through a sticky patch against the big Scot.

Cross came flying out of the traps to lead 2-0 but then suffered a slump as Henderson's persistent quality checkouts saw him drag himself back into the contest.

Hastings man Cross regained his momentum in the fourth set and from there raced away to victory, finishing off in style with a 10-darter.

"John played very well and his hundred-plus finishing every shot he got at a double he was superb," said Cross. 

"I actually lost concentration in that game, I felt I was lazy in the middle parts and could have done more but I'm happy to get through.

"The last set I was focused and better but going forward you need to push every set if you're going to win and I'm not quite doing that yet."

Youth champ thrashes Suljovic

World youth champion Dimitri Van den Bergh hinted that he might already be ready for senior honours with a ruthless 4-0 victory over fifth seed Mensur Suljovic.

Van den Bergh has long been touted as a potential successor to Michael van Gerwen and is now one win away from a potential semi-final showdown with the defending champion after taking another step up the ladder.

The Belgian was always in control against Suljovic but, most impressively of all, stepped up a gear with the winning line in sight - a sign, no doubt, of the sort of composure which should take him to the very top of the game in time.

For now, it's a quarter-final with Rob Cross after six maximums and a 96.6 average accounted for an out-of-sorts Suljovic, who failed to hit the heights of earlier this year.

Van den Bergh took out 115, his second three-figure finish of the match, to move within one leg of the final and took command of it against the throw before taking his first opportunity on double 20.

"It's unbelievable," said Van den Bergh. "I know the qualities of Mensur and normally he's a player that checks out every finish that he gets a chance to and this game was totally different.

"Every chance he got he missed them, three darts, two darts, one dart. But every shot I got I seemed to check out. 

"Winning 4-0 against the number five in the world, come on, a 23-year-old dreams of things like that."

Wonder Web strikes again

Darren Webster wasted no time in advancing to the quarter finals of the PDC World Darts Championship.

A comfortable winner against a below-par Simon Whitlock on Wednesday, the Norwich thrower again didn't need to be at his best to beat Toni Alcinas 4-0 in the first game on Thursday.

Webster averaged 94.54 in a solid, unspectacular dismissal of a rival who struggled to score throughout and was undone by missed darts at precisely the wrong moments.

That's not an accusation which could be levelled at Webster, who took control of the match with a 148 checkout in the third leg after Alcinas had missed a dart for it, and never gave it up.

"It doesn't matter who you play you've got to go up there and play the board," said Webster. "I'm really pleased with my performance.

"I'm chuffed with that, three down two to go!

"I've got no taller but I'm rolling back the years, what I lack in height I make up for in heart and passion."

Webster faces Jamie Lewis of James Richardson in a wide open section of the draw, but Webster insists he is not looking at his next opponent.

"Next round it's irrelevant who I'm playing, people saying you're the only seed left but is that good or bad, as all the seeds around me have dropped out, so I cant think about that.

"I've got one mission and that's to get up there on that board and do my job and that's what I'm trying to do.

"I'm just going to chill out and get ready for tomorrow for whoever, I don't care, bring them on!"

Afternoon Session
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)

• Toni Alcinas 0-4 Darren Webster
• Mensur Suljovic 0-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
• John Henderson 1-4 Rob Cross

Evening Session
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)

• Jamie Lewis 4-1 James Richardson
• Phil Taylor 4-0 Keegan Brown
• Gary Anderson 4-2 Steve West

Friday December 29
Afternoon Session (12.30pm)
Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• Jamie Lewis v Darren Webster
• Dimitri Van den Bergh v Rob Cross

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

• Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
• Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson

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