South West darts players Gary Anderson and Ryan Searle both secured their places in the last 16 of the PDC World Championship with commanding victories on Sunday afternoon.
Two-time world champion Anderson, who resides in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, showcased his experience and composure at Alexandra Palace. He narrowly defeated Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena 4-3 in a thrilling encounter. Anderson held his nerve in the deciding set despite Wattimena saving four match darts and hitting a brilliant 124 checkout to force a tie-break. Anderson also nearly achieved a nine-dart finish, missing double 12, before sealing the win. The Somerset-based player hit 14 maximums in the match and averaged a strong 102.24, following an even higher average of 105.41 in his previous round against Connor Scutt.
Devon’s Ryan Searle, from Tiverton, delivered a dominant performance by whitewashing German number one Martin Schindler 4-0. Searle won nine consecutive legs on his way to victory and has yet to drop a set throughout the tournament. His average of 102.29 highlights his fine form as he now faces a fourth-round showdown with James Hurrell.
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In other notable action, former world champion Rob Cross overwhelmed Australian number one Damon Heta with a 4-0 victory to set up a last-16 clash with reigning champion Luke Littler. Cross, who famously defeated Phil Taylor in the 2018 final, dropped just two legs and displayed clinical finishing with a 46% checkout rate, while Heta struggled at doubles with just 31.6%. Cross admitted he hadn’t yet reached his best form but credited his mental resilience for progressing further.
Reflecting on his upcoming match against the talented Luke Littler, Cross said, “There’s no shackles, no worries. The pressure isn’t on me. Hopefully, I can take the shackles off and perform well.”