WHAT A WAY TO WIN IT! 🔥 THAT IS SENSATIONAL! 👏 Rob Cross follows up a maximum with a sublime 144 checkout to wrap up a 6-4 success against league leader Michael Smith! 📺 bit.ly/PLD24Live #PLDarts | QF1
Rob Cross beat Michael Smith while Michael van Gerwen beat home-favourite Peter Wright in the opening quarter-final matches of Night 3 of the Premier League in Glasgow.
In a generally sluggish contest between Cross and Smith, Cross checked out 324 in six darts to seal his spot in the semi-finals, winning 6-4.
Initially receiving boos from the crowd, potentially due to his visit to watch a Rangers football game earlier this week, Cross started the game well, leading 4-1 with two breaks of throw while being clinical on the doubles.
Smith on the other hand was well-off the pace, but a 20-dart leg hold in leg three soon had things starting to flow for him, going from a 73 average to a 90-average - level with Cross for the match.
But, despite starting leg 10 with three treble-less visits, Cross smashed in a 180 and a 144 checkout using the 18s route - his second ton-plus finish after his 104 in leg six - to see off Smith's hopes for a deciding leg.
Cross hit four 180s in all, while Smith hit three, securing his first points of this Premier League campaign.
WHAT A WAY TO WIN IT! 🔥 THAT IS SENSATIONAL! 👏 Rob Cross follows up a maximum with a sublime 144 checkout to wrap up a 6-4 success against league leader Michael Smith! 📺 bit.ly/PLD24Live #PLDarts | QF1
For van Gerwen and Wright, it was likewise a sluggish contest with both averaging late-80s, but a special 136 checkout gave MvG a 6-2 victory.
While having darts at double in almost every single leg, Wright could not make his scoring prowess count, finishing the match having missed 17 darts at double - a 10.5 doubles percentage.
The crowd were willing on Wright throughout, but after missing nine darts at double in leg six, resulting in MvG taking a 5-1 lead, the writing was on the wall.
Van Gerwen will now face Rob Cross in the first semi-final of the night, with both guaranteeing themselves at least two points from this evening.
Up next is Nathan Aspinall v Luke Humphries, while Gerwyn Price faces Luke Littler.