Darts results: Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton reach World Championship quarters as Dirk van Duijvenbode and Ross Smith break 180s record

Price still wasn't at his best but didn't have to be in a 4-1 victory over Jose de Sousa.

The 2021 champion only won the legs total 12-10 as he needed deciders for three of his sets, including the fifth and final one as he hit double 10 for a 100 finish, the highest of the match.

That number had been required after the latest in a long line of darts at tops fell short and Price, who missed 28 double attempts in total, was fortunate that his opponent was not able to capitalise.

De Sousa had come from behind to win his first two matches at the Ally Pally but a third such victory never appeared likely, as he averaged less than 92 and couldn't conjure the big finishes needed to put real pressure on his opponent.

Price had said before the game that his best darts would be enough to see him lift the Sid Waddell trophy. These were far from his best, but they were always enough.

“I just wanted to win. It doesn’t matter about the performance,” said Price, who will play Gabriel Clemens or Alan Soutar in the last eight on New Year’s Day.

“I was battling against myself, battling against Jose, but I felt comfortable all the way through the game. I thought I was going to win the game, it was just a matter of time.

“I knew how well I could play. I knew I wasn’t playing at my best, but when chances did come my way I took them.”

Clayton throws Rock out

Clayton joined his World Cup partner in the last eight after recovering from 3-2 down to curtail Rock’s dream of lifting The Sid Waddell Trophy on debut.

The World Youth Champion made a blistering start to seal the opening set with a 110 average, but Clayton punished the Northern Irishman’s profligacy to lead 2-1, clinching set three with a remarkable 104 (18, D18, Bull) checkout.

The roles were reversed midway through the contest as Clayton missed a dart to wins sets four and five, but the Welshman’s experience paid dividends in the closing stages.

Clayton converted a sublime 122 checkout on double seven which catapulted him to set six, and although Rock had darts to win all three legs in the deciding set, Clayton’s clinical combination finishing proved decisive.

“It’s unknown territory for me now, but it’s a good place to be," reflected the seventh seed, who will play Dimitri Van den Bergh or Kim Huybrechts for a place in the semi-finals.

“Josh went off like a train. I was trying to play at his pace but it was my night. It was a fantastic game.

“I always think I’m a contender. I know if I play my game, I can do it. It just needs to come together, so hopefully it’s my year.”

Record-breakers

Earlier in the day, Dirk van Duijvenbode came through a record-breaking clash with Ross Smith to reach the quarter-finals.

The 180 machines are the two most prolific maximum hitters in the game and their last-16 showdown lived up to the hype and more.

They combined for 31 of them to smash the 180 record for a best-of-seven set match that was previously set by Rob Cross and Michael Smith in the 2018 edition (29).

Ross Smith set the individual best of 19 while Aubergenius landed 12 of them to keep the Alexandra Palace crowd on their feet throughout an absorbing encounter that had begun with spectacular back-to-back checkouts of finishes of 156 and 136.

Van Duijvenbode, who hit two more 100+ finishes to go with his 136, averaged 93.44 compared to his opponent's 96.95 but his doubling was much better, pinning 19 of his 47 attempts as Smith spurned 41 of his 58.

Five of those were for the match, but he missed the bullseye in the deciding leg of the sixth set before blowing all three attempts to finish 40 when 2-1 up in the seventh.

His fifth and final match dart came in the sudden-death shoot-out at 5-5 but he agonisingly went outside of double 10 before van Duijvenbode took out 71 to spark wild scenes of jubiliation.

Afterwards, the Dutchman revealed that Smith's pre-match 'trash talking' and his subsequent celebrating of 180s fired him up.

"Obviously he's playing in his own country and the crowd are cheering him on a lot more.

"But before the game he was saying I'd celebrated my last win (v Sedlacek) more than when he won the European Championship.

"Then then I see him celebrating his 180s like it's his first one! If he's giving me this trash talking, what's all this about? But it gave me more strength to keep digging in. I was lucky he missed match darts, but I won."

Van Duijvenbode next plays Michael van Gerwen and said: "It will be a fantastic game for the neutral, but I’m not happy with the way I’m playing.

"My best game is in there, but I’m not showing in and I definitely need to show it against Michael or I’m out tomorrow."

Derby delight

Stephen Bunting produced one of his finest performances to defeat his Dave Chisnall in an exhilarating St Helens derby, which saw both players register 100+ averages.

Chizzy took the opening set 3-1 but the Bullet hit back by winning the second 3-0 with a remarkable 121.86 average before wrapping up another whitewash set with a sensational 140 tops-tops finish.

Chisnall responded with a 116 average in set four to level the scores but Bunting, who had lost his previous six matches against his local rival including a pair of 6-0 defeats on TV in 2022, held his nerve in the next two closer sets to seal his place in the fourth round.

Meanwhile, Rob Cross cruised into the last 16 with a dominant 4-1 win over Mervyn King.

The 2018 world champion won the opening eight legs while denying King a solitary dart at double, although last year’s quarter-finalist eventually opened his account with a 136 checkout out of nowhere.

It paved the way for King to win the fourth set but it would merely delay the inevitable as Cross set up a clash with Chris Dobey.

Humphries survives decider

Luke Humphries was taken the distance by Vincent van der Voort before dominating the final set to win 4-3.

Cool Hand had been on top early, denying his opponent a look at double in the final three legs of the first set and then pinning double 16 for a 105 finish to win the second.

But after missing a dart at double 10 for a 3-0 lead, Humphries was pegged back by a resurgent van der Voort before then hitting the same double to narrowly edge the fifth set and gain back a narrow advantage.

Van der Voort though kept on coming, breaking throw in the decider for set six with a 13-dart leg to take the match the distance.

If Humphries was annoyed not to have slammed the door shut much earlier, he surely will take great heart from the way he raised his game in set seven, winning all three legs having started each of them with a maximum.

It was a gear shift that finally shook off the challenger as Humphries came through a stern test of his title credentials.

World Darts Championship: Thursday results & Friday schedule

Thursday December 29
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• Dirk van Duijvenbode (93.44) 4-3 (96.95) Ross Smith
  (Set scores: 3-1, 1-3, 3-0, 1-3, 2-3, 3-2, 6-5)
• Rob Cross (99.13) 4-1 (92.1) Mervyn King
  (Set scores: 3-0, 3-0, 3-1, 1-3, 3-1)
• Dave Chisnall (101.82) 2-4 (102.24) Stephen Bunting
  (Set scores: 3-1, 0-3, 0-3, 3-2, 1-3, 2-3)

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

• Luke Humphries (96.48) 4-3 (92.68) Vincent van der Voort (R3)
  (Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 2-3, 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-0)
• Gerwyn Price (94.43) 4-1 (91.92) Jose de Sousa (R4)
  (Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 1-3, 3-2, 3-2)
• Jonny Clayton (97.73) 4-3 (96.97) Josh Rock (R4)
  (Set scores: 0-3, 3-1, 3-1, 2-3, 2-3, 3-1, 3-0)

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

• Kim Huybrechts v Dimitri Van den Bergh
• Gabriel Clemens v Alan Soutar
• Michael Smith v Joe Cullen

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

• Rob Cross v Chris Dobey
• Michael van Gerwen v Dirk van Duijvenbode
• Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TOURNAMENT DRAW, SCHEDULE, RESULTS & AVERAGES

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