PDC World Championship: Smith dumped out but Anderson through, MVG downs Bunting
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Boris Krcmar (61) 1-4 Gary Anderson (21)
Anderson had to surrender his first leg immediately to the Croatian, but helped by the first 180 of the match, Anderson managed to break right back in the second leg.
Anderson got a dart on the bullseye to keep his own leg but was broken again in the third leg. Krcmar missed a set arrow in the fourth leg and saw Anderson post the fourth break in a row for a 2-2 tie. Anderson was allowed to start the decisive fifth leg, but a sublime 161 finish from Krcmar ensured the fifth break in a row and the set win.
Krcmar had a chance for a break in the second leg of the second set but was broken a leg later himself and found himself trailing 2-1 in legs. Things did not go well for The Flying Scotsman, but he managed to keep his own leg and win the set from Krcmar to make it 1-1.
Levels rising
Both men eventually got into a nice rhythm and the averages shot up. The first four legs of the third set all went with the darts and the fifth and deciding leg was started by Anderson. The former two-time world champion had no trouble keeping his own leg in 12 darts and won the third set.
In the first leg of the fourth set, Anderson mercilessly punished misses by Krcmar by finishing 102 to take a break. Krcmar got a dart back for the break but saw Anderson run out to 2-0. Krcmar hit back by finishing 93 but needed a break in the fourth leg to stay in the set. The Croatian did not succeed and Anderson ran out to 3-1 in sets.
In the second leg of the fifth set, Krcmar missed the big 20 and got only one arrow for double 16 from 52. That was missed and Anderson grabbed another break and a 2-0 lead. From 135, Anderson missed his first match dart, but one turn later he hit it via double 12.
Michael Van Gerwen (2) 4-0 Stephen Bunting (18)
Neither man had lost a set all tournament and the first four legs went cleanly with the arrows. Bunting notched a 138 finish for 2-2 and Van Gerwen got to start the fifth and deciding leg. The fifth leg did not yield a break either and Van Gerwen took the first set with an average of just over 100.
In the first leg of the second set, Van Gerwen hit 87 after nine arrows and immediately broke Bunting.
Throwing out 72, the Englishman also managed to break straight back. From 108, Van Gerwen missed an arrow for another break and Bunting took a 2-1 in legs lead. Van Gerwen had all the time in his fourth leg to level the score and Bunting was allowed to start the decisive fifth leg.
Throwing 180 and 136, Van Gerwen took over the initiative in the leg. From 48, he snatched the set from Bunting to lead 2-0 in sets.
Three in a row
After narrowly keeping his first own leg of the third set, Van Gerwen rallied to a break and a 2-0 lead in 12 darts. From 125, Bunting managed to break back in the third leg. Van Gerwen missed two arrows for tops in the fourth leg, but was allowed to come back a turn later with three arrows in hand and took the third set.
Misses by Van Gerwen allowed Bunting to keep his first own leg of the fourth set. The Englishman failed to do so in the third leg and Van Gerwen was 2-1 ahead and on match point after the break. Van Gerwen started his fourth leg with his ninth maximum score and his first match dart on double 8 went on to hit for a 4-0 win.
Michael Smith (1) 0-4 Chris Dobey (17)
Dobey flew out of the starting blocks by taking the first leg from 130 and leading a break. Smith missed two darts on tops for the break back and Dobey made it 2-0. Smith got on the scoreboard in third leg but needed a break to avoid surrendering his set. That chance came from 71, but it did not go out for Smith, who saw Dobey win the first set.
In the first leg of the second set, it was Smith who managed a break and a leg later 114 went out for cashing.
However, Dobey managed to win two legs in a row and also got to start the fifth and deciding leg. From 57 came the chance to win the set and via 17 and tops, Dobey also took the second set.
Six legs in a row
Things started to look ugly for the reigning world champion, who immediately fell behind by a break in the third set. Dobey cashed in his break in the second leg from 100. In Smith's third leg, he was broken again and Hollywood won his sixth leg in a row after he threw out 87.
Straight sets
Smith did not throw badly, but Dobey was focused and left little behind. Smith needed a 140 finish to lead a break in the first leg of the fourth set and so he did. A leg later 145 didn't go out and Dobey broke back from 40. A leg later, 102 also went out for Dobey, putting him on match point.
Both men opened the fourth leg with 180, but could not follow that up with another maximum score. From 62, Dobey hit his first match dart and eliminated the reigning world champion.
