Dirk van Duijvenbode is the first player into the Last 16 at the 2021/22 PDC World Darts Championship after seeing off Ross Smith in a sensational comeback from 'The Titan'.
Van Duijvenbode won a thriller which saw him come back from 3-0 down in sets to see off Smith and he will return for the latter stages.
Disastrous finishing was the issue for Van Duijvenbode early on as despite taking out 100 to lead the first set, he lost it 3-1 to go down early. The second set went to a decider and Van Duijvenbode was soon 2-0 down with a 120 checkout seeing Smith surge ahead.
He was staring down the barrel at defeat as Smith claimed a deciding leg third set and went one away from there as Van Duijvenbode made it 23 missed darts at doubles and Smith went to the brink.
But he didn't have match darts from there as Van Duijvenbode clinched it in a decider as the luck finally went his way.
This gave the Dutchman the impetus as he swept the next set without reply to make it 3-2 and a break to go 2-1 up in the sixth set saw him en route to forcing a decider.
Smith had one last flourish in the form of a 126 checkout but Van Duijvenbode surged to the victory from there to deny Smith agonisingly.
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