Preview Sunday afternoon PDC World Darts Championship: Anderson-Wattimena and Heta-Cross headline

This Sunday afternoon the World Darts Championship resumes with the next three matches. We’re set for three potentially thrilling ties, including a clash between a former world champion and a Dutchman.

We start this afternoon session with a match between the German Martin Schindler and the Englishman Ryan Searle. After that it’s the Australian Damon Heta and Rob Cross who take to the stage. Finally, we get the match of the afternoon: two-time world champion Gary Anderson faces the Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena.
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We kick off the afternoon with a match between Martin Schindler and Ryan Searle. Schindler faced the Irishman Keane Barry in the second round. He won that match 3-0 in sets, but although that looks straightforward on paper, it was far tighter in reality. The first set immediately went to a deciding leg. Barry missed two set darts right away, allowing Schindler to escape and move 1-0 up. In the second set the German fell 2-0 behind, but turned it around impressively to force another decider. In that leg Barry was waiting on tops after 12 darts, but Schindler produced a superb 118 checkout to move 2-0 ahead. The third set was also tense and went to a deciding fifth leg. Again, Barry was waiting on tops to take the set, but once more Schindler, this time via a 76 checkout, gave him no chance and sealed the match on the spot.

Searle delivered a rock-solid performance in his second-round match against Brendan Dolan. He was never troubled by the Northern Irishman. He took the first set fairly comfortably 3-1, before the second set went to ‘Heavy Metal’ by 3-0. In the third set Dolan managed to take the opening leg, but that was all for ‘The History Maker’. Searle reeled off three legs in a row to win the match 3-0. Although Schindler and Searle should be evenly matched on paper, Searle appears slightly favored based on their earlier matches. It likely won’t be one-way traffic, however.

Next up are Damon Heta and Rob Cross. Heta had a scrappy match against the Swiss Stefan Bellmont in his second round. He lost his opening set 3-1, then took the second by the same score. Bellmont moved back in front, but Heta again leveled immediately. That forced a decisive fifth set. The first three legs went with throw, but in the fourth Heta landed a crucial break in 15 darts to get over the line.

Cross played a solid match against Ian White, though it certainly wasn’t all smooth. He won the first set relatively comfortably 3-1, but the second went 0-3 to White. After the second break it was Cross who swept a set 3-0 to lead 2-1 in sets. In the fourth set it was 2-2 after four legs, bringing up a fifth-leg decider. White failed to finish in five visits on his own throw, and Cross took out 82 for a 15-darter and a 3-1 victory. The meeting between Heta and Cross could be tight, as neither has truly convinced on the Ally Pally stage so far this edition.

Then it’s time for the match of the afternoon: Gary Anderson takes on Jermaine Wattimena. Anderson impressed against Connor Scutt and at times looked like the player who won the world title. The Scot averaged over 105, but Scutt didn’t make it easy. The Englishman started boldly and took the first set 3-1 with finishes of 78 and 75. Anderson then floored the accelerator and won the second set 3-1 with two 15-darters and an 11-darter. He continued in the same vein in the third, firing a 15-darter, 12-darter and 14-darter to take it 3-1 as well. The fourth set went to a decider, where Scutt was on double 6 after twelve darts. However, Scutt took out 90 on the bullseye to settle the match.

Wattimena also left a strong impression in his second match against Scott Williams. The Dutchman led 2-0 in the first set, but let Williams claw back to 2-2. In the decider he then threw a fine 11-darter to edge ahead. The second set followed the exact same pattern, with Wattimena giving up a 2-0 lead and a fifth leg required. Again it was ‘The Machine Gun’ who produced an 11-darter to go 2-0 up. After letting Williams level at 2-2 by dropping sets three and four, the Englishman finally drew level in sets. But while Wattimena played strong deciders, he also delivered an excellent deciding set. With two 15-darters and a 17-darter he took it 3-0 to book his place in the third round.

With the pace Anderson and Wattimena play at and the level they’ve shown so far, this can only be a cracking watch for both the crowd in the arena and the viewers at home. Either player can win it, but hopefully it becomes the spectacle everyone is hoping for.