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PDC World Championship: Gerwyn Price stunned as Luke Humphries escapes

Joey Keizer
Gerwyn Price of Wales looks on during his round three match against Brendan Dolan of Ireland
Gerwyn Price of Wales looks on during his round three match against Brendan Dolan of Ireland AFP
In the PDC World Championship on Thursday evening, two top favourites for overall victory were in action. Gerwyn Price, the 2021 world champion, played Brendan Dolan in the first match of the session, before Luke Humphries, who has already won three majors this year, faced Ricardo Pietreczko. Ricky Evans and Daryl Gurney concluded the evening.

Catch up on the action from Thursday's evening session:

Gerwyn Price (5) 2-4 Brendan Dolan (28)

Dolan missed three darts on the double in his own first leg and was immediately broken. From 130, the Northern Irishman had a chance to break back in the second leg and it was all Dolan's doing: T20, T20, D5. A leg later, he became the first to keep his own leg and in the fourth leg, the Welshman emulated him.

A fifth leg - started by Dolan - had to bring a decision. Dolan threw out his second 100+ finish by finishing 144 to take the first set.

Price - Dolan
Price - DolanPDC

In the second leg of the second set, Price threw the first 180 of the match and missed two darts on the double for a break, allowing Dolan to move to 1-1. Leg number three also went to whoever started it, with Price throwing out 72 to regain the lead. In Dolan's leg, Price was on 86 after nine arrows, saw Dolan miss an arrow to win the leg and won the second set.

Big finishes

In the third leg of the third set, Dolan ran into a break and Price was allowed to start the fourth leg to take the set. Price missed a handful of darts on the double and was broken back by the Northern Irishman after an 84 finish. The fifth and deciding leg was started by Dolan and from 90 he took the third set.

In the fourth set, Price managed to break early for a 2-0 lead. Dolan failed to break back and the set went in straight legs flying to The Iceman.

Dolan saw Price miss the chance to break in the third leg of the fifth set and threw Shanghai 20 to hold his own leg for a 2-1 lead. Price - with Dolan on 16 - managed to keep his own leg from 96. However, the Northern Irishman was allowed to start the fifth leg and from 64 he took the fifth set.

Dolan managed to eliminate the former world champion
Dolan managed to eliminate the former world championPDC

Dolan seized the initiative in the first leg of the sixth set started by Price. He saw the Welshman miss an arrow on the double and led by a break. Dolan managed to keep his own leg quite easily and got to match point. Already in the third leg, the chance came from 94, but the first match dart was missed.

For Price, 81 did go out and The Iceman stayed alive. In the fourth leg, Price had to break and he did so from 76. It caused a burst that only Price can produce and a 2-2 tie in legs. Dolan got six arrows for 134 in the fifth and decisive leg and hit his second match dart.

Dolan will play in the last 16 against the winner of the match between Boris Krcmar and Gary Anderson.

Luke Humphries (3) 4-3 Ricardo Pietreczko (39)

Already in the second leg of the first set, Humphries got the first break of the match from 96 and a 2-0 lead in legs. After seven missed set darts by Humphries in the third leg, Pietreczko managed to put back a break. In leg four, the Englishman got an eighth set arrow and it did hit.

Humphries - Pietreczko
Humphries - PietreczkoPDC

In the second leg of the second set Pietreczko got ahead by throwing out 91. The German missed three set arrows in the third leg and from 76 Humphries had the chance to break again, which he seized with both hands. In the fourth leg, Pietreczko managed to break again and take the set.

Despite chances for Humphries to break, both men managed to win their own first two legs of the third set and the Englishman got to start the fifth and deciding leg. Pietreczko recorded his fourth 180 of the match, saw Humphries miss two set darts and took the set away from the world number three.

Pietreczko grabbed a break and a 2-0 lead in the second leg of the fourth set and was allowed to start the third leg himself to move to 3-1 in sets. He had no problems in that leg and won the set in style by throwing out 121.

Double 16 from Humphries

Pietreczko won his sixth consecutive leg and led by a break in the first leg of the fifth set. A downcast Humphries threw his second 180 of the match in the second leg and broke back to 1-1. Humphries missed the double 16 - on which he was 1-for-11 at the time - and Pietreczko kept his own leg and got to match point. Humphries was allowed to start the fifth leg and took the set by now hitting the double 16.

Humphries needed a break sometime in the sixth set and he did so in the third leg for a 2-1 lead. He then kept his own leg and levelled the match.

By winning his own first leg, Humphries regained the lead for the first time since the third set. From 87, he grabbed a break in the second leg and even reached match point. The Englishman threw his sixth 180 of the match and took the lead from 120.

He missed his first match dart and failed to finish 161. The second match dart was a hit for Cool Hand Luke, who turned the match completely around.

Humphries came back from a 3-1 deficit
Humphries came back from a 3-1 deficitPDC

Humphries will play compatriot Joe Cullen in the last 16.

Ricky Evans (53) 2-4 Daryl Gurney (27)

Evans threw out 130 and took his own first leg of the match. Both men missed the chance to break after which, when Evans took a 2-1 lead from 85, it was a hit for the Englishman, who managed to take the break and the set.

Evans - Gurney
Evans - GurneyPDC

The first break of the second set was also for Evans, who took a 2-1 lead in legs. Evans could not enjoy his break for long, as Gurney took the fourth leg from him. Gurney got to start the decisive fifth leg and just managed to hold his own set.

Gurney misses six set arrows

Gurney grabbed his third leg in a row and led by a break in the first leg of the third set. A leg later, the Northern Irishman cashed in on his break and after missing several set darts in the third leg, he was allowed to start the fourth leg himself to win the set.

Gurney let Evans come back in the set and via 64 (T16, D8) Evans grabbed the break back. The fifth leg had to bring a decision. Evans got to start that one and he was also the one to win it for 2-1 in sets.

Gurney made it 2-0 in legs in the fourth set via a break but was broken back by Evans in the third leg from 100. A leg later, Evans equalised from 72 and Gurney was allowed to start the fifth leg. In a lacklustre match in which both men failed to convince and had to work hard for their chances, Gurney kept his leg and took the set.

164 finish

After misses by Evans, the Englishman was broken in the third leg of the fifth set. Evans threw his third 180 followed by 171 in the fourth leg and broke back in 10 darts. Gurney threw out 164 in the fifth leg and snatched the set from Evans.

In the second leg of the sixth set, Evans was dealt another blow. Gurney threw out 130 for the break and got to match point. From 105, Gurney missed a matchdart in the third leg and Evans grabbed a break back. In the fourth leg, two more matchdarts came from 84 for Gurney, who decided the match with his second arrow.

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