PDC World Championship Preview - Day 10, evening session

The 2018 PDC World Championship is the gift that keeps on giving. This afternoon, a magnificent match between Michael Smith and Rob Cross went down in the annals of history. Even a stoppage enforced by technical errors couldn't halt the English pair as they served up one of the best World Championship games ever seen, with Cross prevailing 4-3. In much less scintillating affairs, Keegan Brown and Steve West also reached the last 16 for the first time. And what treat the evening session will be. There's a repeat of a Grand Slam semi-final; a five-time world champion faces a major threat; and in between the two, the greatest of all time continues his final campaign.

Daryl Gurney vs John Henderson

First up is Daryl Gurney hoping to beat John Henderson for the second time in a major this year. The stakes are slightly lower - Gurney's 4-1 win took him to the Grand Slam final, as opposed to a meeting with Rob Cross in the final 16. But this is the biggest stage of them all. The Northern Irishman showed no sign of nerves in a 3-1 defeat of potential banana skin Ronny Huybrechts, averaging 100.51.
Henderson was much less impressive in a 3-0 victory over Marko Kantele, but didn't need to be. The Finn put very little pressure on the Highlander. A 160 checkout was a highlight, as was the 121 that all but sealed the victory. Henderson is solid on doubles - as Michael van Gerwen found out the hard way - but his scoring is patchy at best. Gurney could very quickly motor away if Henderson cannot keep him in check. If Smith vs Cross was brilliant - imagine what Gurney vs Cross could be like.

Phil Taylor vs Justin Pipe

The Taylor farewell tour continues. Chris Dobey is a fine player, but you get the impression that it will take some real class to put an end to the Power's career. The 16-time world champion was good value for his 3-1 win, with a 96 average, but evidently he was gearing up for something even more impressive in later rounds. Taylor's run has been made a little clearer by early exits for seeds - it's Keegan Brown in the last 16 if he wins this one. First he must deal with Justin - *cough, cough* - Justin Pipe.
The reason Pipe felt the need to get up close and personal with Bernie Smith in the first round is simple; utter desperation. The Taunton thrower was abysmal after shutting down with a 2-0 lead in sets, and frankly should have been beaten by the wasteful New Zealander. The debate rumbles on, and it means Taylor will have the crowd well and truly on his side. All signs point to a convincing victory for the Power.

Raymond van Barneveld vs Kyle Anderson

Besides Michael Smith vs Rob Cross, this is the tie of the second round. Should it match the quality of that encounter, we'll see another treat on the Ally Pally stage. Richard North was tipped to shock Barney, but a mix of nerves and the Dutchman's clinical consistency put paid to that. A 102 average was another sign of the five-time world champion's endless class. He is cool under pressure, and is a threat as long as he considers himself in the game. The 120+ checkouts aren't safe when Barney's at the oche.
He takes on the brilliant 24th seed Kyle Anderson, who will look to blow Barney away with power scoring. Anderson was not pushed hard by Peter Jacques, and should expect a serious working over by the big Dutchman. The Aussie has unquestionably improved his finishing this year, but needs to cut out the slack visits where too many darts are pulled left of the treble 20. Van Barneveld has an aura of invincibility about him, unless his opponent strikes early and puts the pressure on. If it's a case of calmest player winning, Barney has the edge. Yet Anderson can take the win if he can punish the old master's mistakes.

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