Gary Anderson has made a remarkable return to the World Championship semi-finals for the first time in four years, ending Justin Hood’s impressive debut run.
The 55-year-old Burnham-on-Sea native is in the midst of a career renaissance and is now just two wins away from claiming a third world title, a decade after his last triumph. Achieving this feat would make Anderson the oldest player to win the PDC World Championship and see him join Michael van Gerwen in second place on the all-time champions list.
After a stunning victory over van Gerwen on Tuesday, Anderson proved his championship credentials once more by dispatching Justin Hood 5-2. Anderson will now face either Luke Humphries or Gian van Veen in Friday’s semi-final, marking his eighth time reaching the last four at Alexandra Palace.
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Justin Hood, from Glastonbury, has been one of the breakout stars of the tournament, making it to the quarter-finals in his first appearance at Ally Pally. Though he fell short this time, Hood’s £100,000 prize money will help him realize his dream of opening a Chinese restaurant—a fitting reward for an extraordinary debut.
Ryan Searle also secured his spot in the semi-finals and looks set for a challenging match against Luke Littler. Searle, hailing from Tiverton and a former Wellington league player, has not dropped a set on his way to the last four, including a 5-2 win over fifth seed Jonny Clayton.
Searle’s journey is even more inspiring due to his struggle with Kjer’s optic neuropathy, a hereditary eye condition that significantly impairs his vision. Despite this challenge, he competes at the highest level.
“It’s a hereditary condition,” Searle shared. “Both my children have it, with my daughter severely affected and registered as visually impaired. Understanding the diagnosis in recent years has helped, though there’s no cure yet. I wear contact lenses to reduce some blurriness, but sometimes I rely on my caller for scores when I can’t see clearly.”
Searle hopes his story will inspire others with visual impairments to take up darts and pursue their passions.