PDC World Championship: Cross crushes Clayton in straight sets
Michael van Gerwen also joined the last eight, and today a further 12 players will compete for a ticket to continue in darts' premier competition on January 1st.
Catch up on the action from Saturday's last 16 afternoon session at Alexandra Palace:
Scott Williams (52) 4-1 Damon Heta (10)
Heta finished 126 to hold his own second leg and move to 1-1 in legs. A leg later, he threw his first 180 of the match and missed a dart on the bullseye for the break.
Williams also threw 180 and missed an arrow on the bull, after which Heta finished the job and took the break. Williams broke right back a leg later and got to start the fifth leg himself. Both men threw a loose dart at an awkward moment and Williams was able to hold his own set as a result.
The fifth 170-finish of the tournament became a reality in the second leg of the second set, when Williams did not even necessarily have to go for the bullseye and levelled the score. Heta took the set by taking his own third leg and breaking in 12 darts in the fourth.
Misses by Heta
Williams missed three set darts at 2-1 in legs and saw Heta hold his own leg. The fifth leg was required and Williams got to start it. Heta took the initiative but also missed three set arrows after which the Englishman held his own set.
Williams dealt the next blow to Heta by throwing out 108 in the first leg of the fourth set for the break. It did not seem to bother Heta, as after his fifth and sixth 180 of the match, he grabbed a break back for a 1-1.
Williams again punished Heta's misses in the third leg by throwing out 110 to break again. Williams could afford plenty of misses and got all the time he needed to take his own fourth leg and snatch the set from Heta.
Williams held his own first leg of the fifth set and started the second leg with two 180s, yet Heta managed to win his own leg in 12 darts. Heta needed to break once and in the third leg, the Australian managed to do so and then he got to start the fourth leg himself.
Heta again missed four set darts and Williams came back on match point through the break. Williams threw his sixth maximum score in the decisive fifth leg and got six arrows for 144. Heta got no pressure on Williams' 88, but the Englishman missed his first two match darts. One turn later, Williams was allowed to try again from 7.
Via 3 and double 2, his third match dart was taken advantage of.
Williams will play the quarter-finals against Michael van Gerwen on January 1st.
Daryl Gurney (27) 2-4 Dave Chisnall (11)
Chisnall missed two set darts in the fourth leg of the first set and, despite a shaky start, Gurney managed to drag out a fifth and deciding leg. The third dart did go off for Chisnall, who managed to hold his own first set.
To keep his own first leg of the second set, Gurney threw out 110. Chisnall missed the chance to win his own second leg and fell behind by a break. After his first 180 of the match, Chisnall managed to break back in the third leg and started his own fourth leg with his second maximum score.
After nine arrows, the Englishman was on 41 and was out in 11 arrows for a decisive fifth leg, which Gurney got to start. Throwing 140, 177 and 140, Chisnall took the initiative and was on 44 after nine arrows. After nine missed set arrows from Chisnall and five from Gurney, the tenth dart did hit and Chisnall made it 2-0 in sets.
Gurney strikes back
Helped by his fifth 180 of the match and an 88 finish, Chisnall took his own third leg of the third set to lead 2-1 in legs. Gurney easily managed to hold his own fourth leg and again a fifth came. Via 130 (T20, 20, bullseye), Gurney grabbed the much-needed break and took the set from Chisnall.
Gurney looked like he could turn the match around when he managed to win the first two legs of the fourth set. Throwing out 151, he took his fifth leg in a row to make it 2-2 in sets.
Chisnall powers through
By finishing 99 (19, D20, D20), Chisnall grabbed a break for 2-0 in legs in the second leg of his own fifth set. Chisnall won all three legs to take another lead in the match.
Chisnall smashed his seventh 180 of the match in the second leg of the sixth set and held his own for a 1-1 tie. Gurney missed an arrow to keep his own third leg and from 44 (18, D13) Chisnall got on match point. His ninth 180 gave him the first opportunity from 104.
The first match dart was missed, but as Gurney was on 208, Chisnall was allowed to return with a full hand of arrows.
Match dart number two hit and the Englishman qualified for the last eight.
Chisnall will play the winner of the match between Luke Humphries and Joe Cullen in the quarter-finals on January 1st.
Rob Cross (8) 4-0 Jonny Clayton (9)
Cross managed to snatch the first leg after three misses by Clayton from 140 and took a 2-0 lead a leg later. Clayton got on the scoreboard in his own third leg and needed a break to avoid surrendering his own set immediately.
Clayton had a chance from 161 but missed the bullseye. Cross did go out and snatched the set from Clayton.
Clayton was dealt another blow in the second leg of the second set when Cross managed to make it 2-0 from 57 via a break. Partly due to his first 180, Cross managed to win his own third leg and with it the set quite easily.
Cross waltzes through
Clayton finally took another leg in his own first leg of the third set. The Welshman ran into trouble in his own third leg and was once again broken by Cross, who made it 2-1 in legs. Cross also managed to win his own fourth leg in five innings and took the third set in a row.
Cross managed to take a 2-1 in legs lead in the fourth set and Clayton needed to win two legs in a row to stay in the match.
From 161, the Englishman missed his first match dart but was allowed to come back on 41. He missed two more match darts and saw Clayton fail from 92.
Cross missed three more match darts before Clayton managed to keep his own leg.
Cross did get to start the fifth and deciding leg. Cross chose not to aim his seventh match dart on the bullseye and went out via double 16 in 13 darts for the match.
Cross will play his compatriot Chris Dobey in the quarter-finals on January 1st.
