Thursday December 30th 2021
Darts World Cup in Londown
Top favorite Price effortlessly in the quarterfinals
The Corona crisis also overshadows the Darts World Cup. Several players, including top star Michael van Gerwen, can only watch because of positive tests. Meanwhile Gerwyn Price is slowly turning up to top form in “Ally Pally”. The world champion is in the quarter-finals after defeating Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Defending champion Gerwyn Price has reached the quarter-finals at the Darts World Cup in London’s Alexandra Palace. There he meets the Englishman Michael Smith on New Year’s Day, who defeated Price’s formidable Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton 4: 3 in a dramatic crime thriller.
Price won 4-1 almost effortlessly against Dutchman Dirk van Duijvenbode on Wednesday evening. Then Clayton, who had eliminated Germany’s top player Gabriel Clemens in round three, and ninth in the world ranked the best World Cup game so far. Smith won razor-thinly against the Premier League winner (102.5) with an average of just under 100 points. In total, both players achieved the maximum number of points of 180 25 times.
Before that, the two-time world champion Gary Anderson had completed the round of the top 16 thanks to a spectacular race to catch up. The 51-year-old Scot turned in the last third round match of the tournament against the world number 27. Ian White from England a 3-0 set deficit to a 4-3 win, White even missed a match dart.
In the afternoon session, two co-favorites were surprisingly eliminated: Premier League finalist Jose de Sousa lost to Scottish Alan Soutar 3: 4. Then it got the world number ten Nathan Aspinall, who had no chance in the 0: 4 against his English compatriot Callan Rydz.
Meanwhile, the pandemic is affecting the tournament at the Ally Pally more and more: After the three Dutchmen Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld and Vincent van der Voort, Dave Chisnall from England and the already eliminated Danny Noppert also tested positive on Wednesday. The three-time world champion Gerwen accused the PDC World Federation of not having controlled enough.
Postponing the tournament would no longer be a taboo for Price. “It wouldn’t be the best option, but I wouldn’t disagree,” he wrote on Instagram the afternoon before his round of 16 game.