'The Highlander' eased through the first set in consecutive legs with Kantele only averaging 74 to begin the tie.
But despite a poor start from the Finn, Henderson's issues came on the doubles with 17 missed darts at double as he lost the second set in a decider despite Kantele's average remaining around the mid 70's mark.
It was much better from Henderson though as he claimed the third set with a 98 average despite Kantele missing three set darts to force a decider.
It was Henderson's turn to miss pivotal darts in the next set as it went all the way. The Scot missed a match dart at his favourite double 20 and Kantele forced a fifth set decider.
But Kantele's battle to stay in the tie was over as Henderson pinned double 16 to hold and go 2-1 up.
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From there, despite missing more match darts, Kantele couldn't pin a 72 checkout and Henderson wasn't going to miss another opportunity and hit double six first time.
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.
𝙃𝙀𝙉𝘿𝙊 𝙒𝙄𝙉𝙎 𝙄𝙏
John Henderson eventually comes through an incredibly hard-fought battle with Marko Kantele to seal his spot in the next round!
📺 Up next 👉 Luke Humphries v Paul Lim