Darts results: Kim Huybrechts, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock book spots in last 16 of World Darts Championship

By Sporting Life

Darts

Wed December 28, 2022 · 2y ago

Kim Huybrechts dumped out reigning champion Peter Wright on a dramatic night of third round action at the Cazoo World Darts Championship, while top seed Gerwyn Price dispatched Raymond van Barneveld to seal his place in the last 16.

Following a three-day Christmas break, the sport’s flagship tournament resumed in some style at the Alexandra Palace, as Wright’s bid for a third World Championship crown was curtailed by an impressive Huybrechts.

The Belgian – a former quarter-finalist in the capital – recovered from a sluggish start to triumph in convincing style and set up an all-Belgian last 16 showdown against Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Wright came through a scrappy opening set to strike the first blow, but Huybrechts responded emphatically, following up legs of 13 and 14 darts with a 100 finish to square proceedings.

Two-time World Champion Wright changed his darts following set two, but it didn’t have the desired effect and Huybrechts continued to dominate, wrapping up set three before edging ahead in the fourth.

Wright wired the bull for a 121 finish which would have levelled the contest at 2-2 and Huybrechts capitalised, before surviving another set dart in a nervy fifth set to complete a surprise 4-1 win.

“To beat one of the best players in the world, the reigning champion, it means the world,” said an emotional Huybrechts, through to the fourth round for just the second time in a decade.

“It wasn’t my best performance. Peter didn’t even play his B-game, but I took my chances where I could and I’ve done what I had to do, so I’m very happy with that.

“Darts in Belgium is massive now. It’s huge. We’ve got an all-Belgian last 16 game and that is massive. It’s never been as big as this moment, so I’m very happy and very thankful.”

World number one Price endured no such difficulties, storming through to the last 16 in quick-fire fashion, dispatching five-time World Champion Van Barneveld in straight sets.

Price was without a win in his previous six televised tussles against the Dutchman, but he made a blistering start, converting clinical 84, 68, 87, 117 and 66 combinations to race into a two-set lead.

Van Barneveld responded with 125 and 147 finishes in his bid to launch a fightback, but he paid the price for spurning one set dart in the third, as Price sealed the deal with a superb 128 finish on double ten.

“I needed to start well, put Raymond under pressure and I did that,” reflected Price, who suffered two defeats against Van Barneveld at last month’s Grand Slam of Darts.

“In the Grand Slam I let Raymond off so many times and I didn’t want to do that tonight. I wanted to be clinical.

“I’m defending a lot of ranking points and I want to lift the trophy, so it’s been really difficult, but I’m looking forward to the last 16 and there’s not as much pressure on me now.”

Elsewhere, Gabriel Clemens survived a match dart to defeat Jim Williams in one of the games of the tournament so far, in a contest played out with over 700 German fans in attendance at Ally Pally.

The opening two sets were shared before Clemens followed up a sensational 157 finish with a 13-darter to lead 2-1, although the German number one then squandered two darts for a 3-1 lead as Williams levelled.

The Welshman – who dumped out James Wade in round two – raced into a 3-2 lead, only for Clemens to save his skin in dramatic fashion, taking out 64 and 110 finishes to stay alive.

Williams then missed one match dart at double six for a 126 show-stopper, and he was suitably punished late on, as Clemens followed up an 11-dart hold with an 85 finish on the bull to triumph in a seven-set classic.

Rock sets up Clayton clash

Josh Rock moved through to the last 16 on his World Championship debut, edging out two-time semi-finalist Nathan Aspinall in a seven-set thriller to set up a showdown with Jonny Clayton.

The pair fired in 25 maximums between them in a gripping tussle, but Aspinall was punished for missing 37 darts at double as the Northern Irishman held his nerve to progress.

Both players posted ton-topping averages in a high-quality opening set, although it was Rock who drew first blood courtesy of a sublime 141 checkout.

Aspinall responded by winning six of the next eight legs to move 2-1 ahead, but Rock rallied in some style, posting six perfect darts in the latter stages of set four to restore parity with an 11-dart hold.

The 21-year-old then came through a tense fifth-set decider to regain the initiative, and while Aspinall wrapped up set six without reply, Rock followed up a brilliant tops-tops 99 finish with a two-dart 70 kill to complete a landmark win.

ROCKY WINS A THRILLER! 🔥

Believe the hype! 🤩

Josh Rock hits THIRTEEN 180s on his way to a deciding set victory over Nathan Aspinall!

Special, special talent. #WCDarts | R3
📺 https://t.co/37DNuuK5Me pic.twitter.com/oNvyCqNVgA
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 27, 2022

Rock will now take on five-time TV title winner Clayton for a place in the last eight, after the Welshman came through a gruelling five-set battle against former quarter-finalist Brendan Dolan.

After all five sets went to deciding-legs, Clayton’s superiority in the crucial moments proved decisive, with Dolan missing 157 and 85 combinations in sets two and three.

The Northern Irishman opened his account in a tightly-contested fourth set, but a clinical 116 combination from Clayton propelled him to a 4-1 success with a 93 average and six 180s.

Elsewhere, Dimitri Van den Bergh was the first player to book their place in the last 16, courtesy of an emphatic 4-1 success against Poland’s number one Krzysztof Ratajski.