Rob Cross made light work of Maik Kuivenhoven as he reached the final day at the Baltic Sea Darts Open in Kiel. It was 6-2 for the former world champion, who posted an average of 102.59.
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Already in the opening leg, Cross showed he felt like it was his day. He started with a 125 finish after Kuivenhoven put himself away with a 180 on 50. Kuivenhoven broke Cross in the third leg, after a mediocre leg from Cross. That was the exception rather than the rule.
Cross steamed through. Regularly he had two trebles per turn and this proved a difference. Cross took the 5-1 lead with a 167 finish, let Kuivenhoven take another leg but then it was over. It was 6-2 for Cross.
After getting off to a difficult start against James Wade, Joe Cullen flew to a 6-3 victory with some impressive legs. For the first three legs, Cullen was no different on the scores, but after that he regained himself.
Wade was too shaky, where Cullen was rapidly piling up the ton of scores starting in the fourth leg. Wade got few chances at the double as Cullen ran away from him scoring. When Wade did get chances at the double, it was more because Cullen did not pin his doubles right away.
Cullen won as many as six of seven legs after falling behind 0-2. The highlight was a 10-darter to make it 5-3. In the following leg, Cullen finished it off in 17 darts after multiple missed match darts. He will play tomorrow against Dave Chisnall or Madars Razma.
Ricardo Pietreczko had little trouble with qualifier Moritz Hilger in the final match of the afternoon session. Without exerting excessive effort, Pietreczko won 6-0.
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Hilger did not punish Pietreczko's fumbling on the doubles in the second leg, allowing him to run out to 2-0 and then to 3-0 with a 120 finish. Pietreczko rushed to the finish line with a 13- and 15-darter.
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CROSS CRUISES THROUGH! ⚡
Rob Cross overcomes some late double trouble to dispatch Maik Kuivenhoven with a 102 average!
Impressive from the 2018 World Champion 👏
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