Darts results: Gerwyn Price overcomes crowd and Kim Huybrechts to win a sudden-death leg at the World Darts Championship

Gerwyn Price defied the crowd and a gutsy performance from Kim Huybrechts to survive the drama of a sudden-death leg at the PDC World Darts Championship.

The Iceman endured a barrage of jeers on his checkout attempts - as well as thousands of cheers whenever he missed his intended trebles and doubles - throughout an absorbing third-round clash as his fired-up opponent whipped up the fans to create an raucous Ally Pally atmosphere.

There was also a minor altercation at the oche towards the end of the contest when Huybrechts took issue with Price's celebrations but the defending champion said afterwards: "I just said that's 1-1. If you're going to do it to me, then I'll do it to you. If you're good enough to give you're good enough to get."

Price averaged a below-par 92 compared to the Belgian's 93.6 and hit eight of the 17 maximums in the match but he did weigh in with five of the eight 100+ checkouts and pinned 20 of his 42 double attempts.

Huybrechts was far less clinical as he missed 32 of his 46 attempts but despite that he still managed to keep pushing Price all the way and was waiting hopefully on 112 in the deciding leg before the Welshman pinned double top with his last dart in hand.

The Grand Slam of Darts champion initially looked like he was in for an easy night when racing through the opening set 3-0 only for Huybrechts to take the next two 3-1 and 3-2 with checkouts of 147 and 120.

This kicked Price into a change in gear as he wrapped up sets four and five by 3-0 scorelines and clinched each one with finishes of 130 and 120 respectively while he managed another Shanghai checkout to level up the sixth at 2-2.

Huybrechts clinched the decider to stay in the game before coming from 2-0 down in the seventh and final set to force the tie-break situation - but he'd go on to miss eight darts at doubles in total over three different legs to break the Price throw and that ultimately proved costly.

Jonny Clayton laid down another marker with a crushing 4-0 victory over Gabriel Clemens in which he averaged 102.56 and dropped just four legs.

The Ferret, who has won six titles this season including the World Grand Prix and Premier League, threw seven of the nine 180s in the match and also added another three 100+ checkouts to his bulging tournament tally of eight but he did show a little sign of weakness on the doubling as he only pinned 12 of his 32 attempts.

Still, on this evidence, he'll be more than a match for Price should they meet in the quarter-finals. Before then, Clayton will face Michael Smith in a mouthwatering fourth-round clash.

AFTERNOON SESSION

Dirk van Duijvenbode got the PDC World Darts Championship back under way after the Christmas break with a stunning comeback from three sets down to defeat Ross Smith 4-3 and book his place in the fourth round.

The 17th seeded Dutchman looked on the brink of defeat when his English opponent followed up a comfortable first set (3-1) by pinching the next two on deciding legs.

The fourth set also went the distance but after Smith failed to earn himself a dart at a double from 66, van Duijvenbode made the most of his reprieve by taking out 57 and finally getting himself on the board.

Aubergenius was now beginning to find his trademark scoring prowess and raced through the next two sets for the loss of just one leg overall as Smith's average plummeted into the 80s.

Van Duijvenbode, who averaged 91.71 and hit 10 of the 12 maximums in the match, maintained the momentum in the fifth and final set, which he also clinched 3-1 after Smith spurned two darts at tops in the fourth leg.

Michael Smith underlined his title credentials with a 4-2 victory over Willie O'Connor that could have been more resounding were it not for a missed match dart in the deciding leg of the fifth set.

Bully Boy made a slow start as the Irishman took the opening set 3-1 but after edging the next 3-2 with his last dart in hand on double five, it was pretty much one-way traffic as he won eight of the nine legs to move to the brink of victory.

However, the gritty O'Connor came from 2-0 down in the fifth set to stay alive and even took the sixth to a decider before Smith held his nerve on double five to complete the job.

The former runner-up averaged 97.42, hit 10 of the 17 180s in the match and also weighed in with four 100+ checkouts including a stunner from 132.

Raymond Smith continued his dream debut with a surprisingly one-sided 4-1 victory over Florian Hempel, who knocked Dimitri Van den Bergh out in the previous round.

The Australian averaged in the mid 90s for the third successive match, hit four of the seven maximums, fired in the the highest checkout of 102 and was also more clinical on his doubles, hitting 14 of his 36 as Hempel missed 17 of his 26.

Two of the sets Smith won came in deciding legs, including the last when the German agonisingly missed tops for a match-saving 100 finish.

World Darts: Monday results and Tuesday schedule

Monday December 27
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• Ross Smith (85.7) 3-4 (91.71) Dirk van Duijvenbode
  (Set scores: 3-1, 3-2, 3-2, 2-3, 0-3, 1-3, 1-3)
• Michael Smith (97.42) 4-2 (92.46) Willie O'Connor
  (Set scores: 1-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2)
• Florian Hempel (87.66) 1-4 (94.79) Raymond Smith
  (Set scores: 1-3, 2-3, 3-2, 1-3, 2-3)

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

• James Wade BYE v Vincent van der Voort
  (VDV withdraws due to Covid)
• Gerwyn Price (92.04) 4-3 (93.6) Kim Huybrechts
  (Set scores: 3-0, 1-3, 2-3, 3-0, 3-0, 2-3, 6-5)
• Jonny Clayton (102.56) 4-0 (87.66) Gabriel Clemens
  (Set scores: 3-1, 3-1, 3-2, 3-0)

Tuesday December 28
Afternoon Session (12.30pm GMT)
Third Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports Darts

• Steve Lennon v Mervyn King
• Ryan Searle v Danny Noppert
• Joe Cullen v Martijn Kleermaker

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

• Rob Cross v Daryl Gurney
• Peter Wright v Damon Heta
• Michael van Gerwen v Chris Dobey

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