PDC World Championship Preview - Day 4, Afternoon Session

The PDC World Championship is in full flow. We've already been treated to some excellent first round action. In fact, the first three days of this year's competition have featured more ton-plus averages than the first round of the 2016 and 2017 championships put together. Seeds are falling by the wayside, big checkouts are being taken with such regularity that you'd think there's a Christmas sale on, and the intrigue continues to build.
The afternoon session on day four features a handful of players with the potential to do well at the Ally Pally. Only one of the five non-debutants featuring has reached the quarter-finals. They will all be dreaming of what they can achieve. But for four of these players, the dream ends today.

The first of two World Championship debutants taking part this afternoon, Kenny Neyens made it to the Ally Pally via the Central European qualifier. Hard-fought wins over Davy van Baelen, Wesley Plaisier and Davyd Venken sealed Neyens' spot; Jamie Lewis is a bit of a tougher prospect. Lewis may have only sneaked in at the last, claiming third spot in the PDPA qualifiers, but the Welshman had to negotiate a long and tough schedule to make it. Beating the likes of Paul Nicholson, then holding his nerve to overcome Chris Quantock in the all-important playoff, showed real class.
But the man formerly known as 'Rasta' doesn't come without his shortcomings. One of them is a difficulty to finish games off under pressure. It was that hesitance that allowed Brendan Dolan to pounce and defeat Lewis in the PDPA semi-finals. Lewis' World Championship record is hardly stellar, either. He won against Mick McGowan last year to taste victory for the first time in five attempts, only to pick up just a single leg in a 4-0 battering at the hands of Peter Wright.
Experience counts in Lewis' favour, though. The Ally Pally atmosphere, and requisite pressure to perform, will not be new to him. Even without it, the man from Carmarthen should have enough quality to progress. A meeting with fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton awaits if he can overcome Neyens, who will have the support of a large Belgian contingent.

Alan Norris may feel like this is the time to embark on another run at the World Championship. In 2016, Norris powered through to the quarter-finals but fell short, narrowly missing out on both a win over Jelle Klaasen and a nine-darter. Chuck may have looked at his possible fixtures with a glimmer of hope. If he could beat Kim Huybrechts, an ailing Peter Wright and an out-of-form Adrian Lewis - assuming none of them are knocked out before they meet him - a semi-final would beckon. Runs to the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the World Matchplay and UK Open respectively this year suggests he has a cup run in him. But Norris can't afford to look beyond the first round yet, even if his opponent is not the most daunting. Kim Viljanen has a terrible Ally Pally record, having been thrashed by Sascha Stein, Kevin Painter and Michael van Gerwen on his three trips to London. But qualifying for the PDC's flagship event four times means the Fin must have something about him. His compatriots will probably feel World Cup of Darts team-mate Marko Kantele has a better chance against John Henderson then Viljanen does against Norris.

It isn't totally clear where Kyle Anderson's career is headed; what's for certain is that he's capable of achieving some truly special things. The world's first Aboriginal professional is on the World Championship nine-darter honour roll. His admirers believe that one day he will make history in new ways. What's important now, however, is the present. Anderson was denied a spot in the 2017 World Championship due to visa issues, but has kicked on in 2017. A milestone victory at the Auckland Darts Masters was followed by a European Championship semi-final, in which the Original notched another perfect leg and came within the width of the wire of beating Michael van Gerwen.
In Anderson's way at the Ally Pally is Peter Jacques, who makes his debut on the biggest stage of them all. Like his favourite football team, Huddersfield Town, Jacques has defied expectation at times this year. A first Players Championship final was followed by two Challenge Tour wins, before the Terrier stunned Cristo Reyes on the way to the last 16 of the Players Championship finals. Anderson's heavy scoring makes him the favourite, but Jacques will not be afraid of a man 14 years his junior - especially one with a fairly poor record at the World Championships. If Anderson can be ruthless in his finishing, he will have more than enough to seal a tasty second round meeting with Raymond van Barneveld or Richard North.

The final tie of the afternoon sees the winner of the earlier preliminary tie tussle with the Ferret. Jonny Clayton's fine form in 2017 was sparked in December 2016, when the Welshman overcame compatriot (and heavy favourite) Gerwyn Price in the first round of the World Championships. Clayton won his first PDC ranking title at Players Championship 22, and followed that up with a fantastic run at the Players Championship finals in Minehead. The list of players he overcame is impressive - Jeffrey de Graaf, Price, Stephen Bunting, Steve Beaton and Rob Cross. Losing to Michael van Gerwen did not take the gloss off a superb showing. That run nudged Clayton up to 31st in the world and a seed at the Ally Pally, meaning a clash with Jamie Lewis or Kenny Neyens. He'll be the favourite, but he's more qualified than most to remind people that unseeded players can spring plenty of surprises.