Ruthless Vincent van der Voort punishes Beaton to power through

A rejuvenated Vincent van der Voort followed up a 3-0 thrashing of Dave Chisnall with a 4-0 demolition job on Steve Beaton to reach the last 16 of the World Championship. A back pain-free van der Voort, who averaged 101.5 and notched up seven 180s, will meet Raymond van Barneveld or Kyle Anderson next.
Van der Voort blitzed Beaton in the first set with an average of 109. Despite Beaton kicking off with consecutive 140s, the Dutchman kept pace, and a brilliant 129 checkout sealed a 12-dart leg. He followed up with a 14-darter on throw, before some slack darts from Beaton at the end of the third leg allowed van der Voort to polish off double nine for a clean sweep. Beaton, despite averaging not far off 100, was not allowed a single dart at a double.
The second leg started in the same vein, with van der Voort dancing around the doubles before landing double three, with Beaton waiting on 36. The 1996 Lakeside champion bounced back, starting the second leg with six perfect darts. But van der Voort had hit back-to-back 180s himself. When Beaton missed darts for a 10, an 11 and a 12-darter, van der Voort stepped in to double his advantage in the set. The Bronzed Adonis was staring down the barrel, and needed something special. He managed just that, checking out 102 with his opponent waiting on double 16 for the set. Beaton then wired double 12 for a 144, and missed three more darts at the double, allowing van der Voort to go 2-0 up with minimal fuss.
Wastefulness was putting paid to Beaton's World Championship hopes. An opportunity to break throw in the second leg was squandered, and then punished by van der Voort's 100 checkout to steal throw. An unlikely spurt of benevolence from the Dutchman let Beaton take the set to a deciding leg, but consecutive visits in the 40s meant van der Voort could take the third set.
Beaton needed a break in the fourth set to have the chance to extend the match. With the score at 1-1, he got one. Van der Voort piled in a maximum to reach an attainable finish, but the Adonis piled in 124 on the bull. There was a small flicker of hope, but van der Voort snuffed it out with yet another maximum and the all-important double 16. The 2015 quarter-finalist struck a brilliant 177 to set up 42 and, with Beaton unable to leave a finish, a two-dart finish completed a convincing win.