2024's darting calendar has started just as 2023's finished, in incredibly dramatic fashion. Rob Cross has become the first man into the World Darts Championship semi-finals with a miraculous comeback.
In arguably the toughest quarter-final to predict, each of the first three legs went against the throw. With Dobey leading 2-1 in the set and having the darts, 'Hollywood' had a great chance to take the opener. Although he missed his first set dart, Cross was unable to punish and upon returning to the board, Dobey made no mistake this time to move 1-0 up.
Dobey continued the momentum, taking the opening leg of set 2 in 15 darts. Despite Dobey kicking off the next leg with four perfect darts, he couldn't nail the double 16, allowing Cross to level up the set. Cross then went seven darts into a perfect leg, before breaking throw with an 11-darter but could not punish some double trouble from Dobey in leg 4, missing a set dart. Holding in the decider, Dobey moved into a 2-0 lead.
Racing through the third set in three straight legs of 15, 14 and 14, Dobey pushed his average up towards 103 and looked completely in control.
It quickly became six consecutive legs with a hold of throw to open set 4, as Cross seemed unable to offer any resistance. After 'Voltage' had curiously turned down a chance to set up a shot at the bull, instead setting up double 16, Dobey pinned a sensational 161 to further stamp his authority. Moments later it was an eighth straight leg for the Masters champion, putting him 4-0 and on the verge of a first World Championship semi-final. Notably, Dobey was averaging around 122 for that set!
Cross finally stopped the rot to begin set 5 and had the chance to break the Dobey throw in the following leg but couldn't pin double top for a 78 checkout. Nevertheless, Cross had definitely upped his game and took the set 3-1 to avoid the whitewash.
The task was still a big one for Cross to get back into things though and with Dobey holding throw in the first leg of set 6, it was made a little bit tougher. 'Voltage' did respond with a hold of his own though, and after Dobey missed double 16 to move a leg from victory, Cross punished to break the throw. Sealing the set on double 10, it was another rung completed on the ladder of a comeback for the former world champion.
With Dobey missing three clear darts at double in the first leg of set 7, the momentum had well and truly swung in the favour of Cross. Despite a couple more misses in the following leg, Dobey managed to hold throw unconvincingly. With a 14-darter, Cross then moved just a leg away from another set, before a clinical 93 checkout from Dobey sent the set to a decider and in turn moved him one from the semi-final. With both players throwing maximums, neither were wilting. Dobey had first shot, wiring the bull for a 124 and the match. Cross punished on double 16 to make it 4-3 in sets, pushing Dobey back to three legs from victory in the process.
Despite Dobey firing in a 180 to put the pressure on, Cross broke the throw at the start of 8 as attention continued to flick back to their World Matchplay classic a couple of years ago when Dobey led 8-2, only for Cross to win 11-9. Cross punished another Dobey miss to go 2-0 in the set and despite Dobey holding throw in leg 3, Cross sent us to a deciding set that was scarcely believable half an hour previously.
Starting the deciding set with a 117, Cross actually took the lead in the match and a roof-raising 130 took him to within a leg from victory. With Dobey now the man whose back was against the wall, 'Hollywood' kept himself alive with a 14-dart break and then held throw to send us into a tie-break.
After Dobey missed the bullseye to nudge in front, Cross pinned double 16 to punish. Despite six missed darts, Dobey eventually nailed double 2 under the most extreme pressure to level up again. Cross though, with a 10-dart refused to give Dobey a chance at a break. When Dobey then missed a chance at tops for 71, Cross had his chance and took out a ruthless 70 for an incredible victory.
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