"Usually I get the lead but it comes back so today I had to concentrate. It's my daughter's birthday Ffion today so I missed that, that kills me but I've got to do the job on the dart board just to keep her happy," said Clayton post match.
"To be fair, Peter missed a few doubles and let me in but you have to take those chances so I did thank god."
Next up will be Michael van Gerwen and despite his performances not only against the World Number Three but his form, he doesn't see himself as favourite.
"Every time I play darts it's like when you play the MVG's, the Peter Wright's, the Gary Anderson's, they come up here to do their job so I come up to do mine and hopefully my job is good enough to beat them. I'm going to try my best and see what happens."
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.