PDC World Darts Championship: Title-holder Gerwyn Price advances to quarter-finals as Michael Smith beats Jonny Clayton in thriller

Despite two positive Covid-19 tests that shocked the darting world over Christmas, the last 16 of the 2022 PDC World Darts Championship was electric. ‘Bully Boy’ Michael Smith edged out Jonny Clayton in a nine-leg tie-breaker, while defending world champion Gerwyn Price dominated a quiet Dirk van Duijvenbode.

Gerwyn Price continues to march on

It was that latter game that kicked off the round-four match-ups. Welshman Price started out slowly but went on to win 12 legs on the bounce to wipe out the Dutchman. 

Van Duijvenbode, who walked out fist pumping, threw the first punch by hitting a 180 and then taking out tops on his next trip to break the throw and win the first set 3-2.

But that was the last we saw of the usual Van Duijvenbode, with the No 1 seed Price dominating the rest of the game. Price averaged 102 in the second set as he swept it 3-0.

Van Duijvenbode, who was unusually passive, was struggling to hit a triple as Price silenced the crowd by winning his fourth, fifth and sixth leg on the bounce, taking out 91 to win the third set. 

On commentary, Wayne Mardle called Van Duijvenbode performance: ‘the worst I’ve ever seen [from him]’ and it continued into the fourth set with Price taking out 57, 100 and 132 to win the set. 

Price ended the game even stronger by taking out a 164 with a bullseye checkout and a 136 to win the game 4-1 and advance to the final eight.

Michael Smith squeezes by Jonny Clayton

On the other hand, it was a tantalisingly close game between the inform duo of Smith and Clayton. 

Clayton rushed off to a two-set lead, averaging a monstrous 110.60 score but, the ‘Bully Boy’, Smith came roaring back to tie the game. 

Smith took the fifth set by nailing double 20 but that was when the game exploded into chaos.

Clayton immediately hit back with a 180 and an incredible 161 finish to break throw in the opening leg of the sixth set. Smith immediately replied with a 121, bullseye checkout to bring it back. But the Welshman Clayton saw out the set by nailing a 105 checkout and then a double 12 finish to tie the game up at three sets a piece.

In the deciding set, the two held throw to tie it up at 1-1, but then Smith hit a massive 112 checkout to break throw and bring him to match point. However, Clayton, who won this year’s Premier League, replied with a stunning 120 to tie the set at 2-2 and bring the match into a tie-break. 

At 4-4 in legs and the match seemingly heading towards sudden-death, Smith took out 65 to break throw before completing an astonishing win thanks to double 10.

By Charlie Parker