World Darts Championship 2022/23 | Day 13 preview and order of play
The Quarter-Final line-up will be confirmed at the World Darts Championship on Friday following the final day of action in 2022.
Welsh duo Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton became the first men to book their place in the Last Eight at Alexandra Palace on Thursday, leaving a host of other star names vying to join them in returning on New Year’s Day.
The afternoon session commences with only the second all-Belgian clash in the history of the PDC World Championship as World Cup team-mates Dimitri van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts collide.
Van den Bergh is bidding to reach the Quarter-Finals here for the third time since 2018, having dropped just one set in seeing off Lourence Ilagan and Krzysztof Ratajski so far.
The world number 15 has picked up two World Series titles this year, while also reaching the Semi-Finals of the World Matchplay and finishing runner-up in two European Tour events.
Huybrechts last made the Quarter-Finals at Ally Pally on his debut a decade ago and comes into the contest fresh from dethroning reigning champion Peter Wright with a commanding 4-1 victory on Tuesday.
The Hurricane has partnered Van den Bergh in the last five World Cups, with the pair twice reaching the Semi-Finals, and will look to reaffirm his stance as the grand master of Belgian darts by defeating his young compatriot on the sport’s biggest stage.
Two players aiming to break new ground go head-to-head as Gabriel Clemens faces Alan Soutar.
Clemens is carrying the hopes of Germany on his shoulders after winning through to the Last 16 for the second time in the space of three years.
The ProTour event finalist dismissed William O’Connor in straight sets before edging out Jim Williams in a nail-biting last-set decider and will once again be backed by a large German contingent at Ally Pally.
Scottish hero Soutar finds himself in the Last 16 for the second successive year, having started out in the First Round.
He followed up a routine 3-0 win over Mal Cuming by brushing aside Daryl Gurney by the same score-line, before staging a trademark revival from two sets down to dump out Danny Noppert earlier in the week.
Two of this year’s maiden major title winners lock horns in a mouth-watering climax to the afternoon session as Michael Smith meets Joe Cullen.
This has proved a familiar fixture throughout the season, with the duo having featured in the Premier League and met twice in last month’s Grand Slam.
Smith prevailed 5-1 in the Group Stage before recovering from 15-13 down to claim a thrilling 16-15 win in the Quarter-Finals, then going on to secure his first televised ranking title that weekend.
Smith is bidding to go one better than a year ago when he finished runner-up to Peter Wright after leading 5-4 in the final, and he has endured two contrasting matches so far.
The world number four got off to the perfect start by whitewashing Nathan Rafferty in nine consecutive legs, before surviving a major scare from Martin Schindler as he battled back from 3-1 down to snatch a narrow 4-3 victory on Wednesday.
Premier League finalist Cullen is vying to reach his first World Championship Quarter-Final at the 13th attempt, having defeated Ricky Evans 3-1 before whitewashing Damon Heta 4-0 with a 98 average.
The evening session centres around a fascinating all-Dutch encounter between three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen and multiple TV finalist Dirk van Duijvenbode.
Van Gerwen, World Champion in 2014, 2017 and 2019, has been the dominant force on the circuit this year, storming to Premier League, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals glory to take his tally of PDC major titles to 45.
The Dutch sensation has racked up a further three European Tour titles, two ProTours and a World Series crown this season and put down an immediate marker upon his return to the capital by thrashing Lewy Williams in straight sets with a 101.8 average – dropping just one leg.
He then fended off a spirited effort from a resurgent Mensur Suljovic to clinch a 4-2 victory with a stunning 107.6 average – the highest of the tournament so far.
Van Duijvenbode is into the Last 16 here for the third consecutive year after holding his nerve in two nail-biting encounters, firstly against Karel Sedlacek after the Czech ace had missed a match dart, before surviving five match darts from Ross Smith in a pulsating tie which featured a record 31 maximums and went all the way to a sudden death leg.
Van Duijvenbode enjoyed a breakthrough run to the final of the 2020 World Grand Prix has gone from strength-to-strength since, picking up three ranking titles and finishing runner-up in a further two televised events, including this year’s Dutch Darts Masters on home soil.
The opening match of the night sees 2018 World Champion Rob Cross take on three-time major semi-finalist Chris Dobey.
Dobey will be eyeing a dose of revenge after squandering an 8-2 lead in an eventual 11-9 defeat to Cross in the opening round of July’s World Matchplay.
The Tynesider followed up a routine 3-0 win over Martijn Kleermaker by knocking out two-time World Champion Gary Anderson 4-1 and is now aiming to avoid a fourth exit at this stage of the competition in his last five appearances.
Cross famously lifted the Sid Waddell Trophy at the first attempt with victory over departing legend Phil Taylor in the final and has gone on to win the World Matchplay and two European Championship titles.
The world number six warmed up for the main event of the year by finishing runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in last month’s Players Championship Finals, having also reached three European Tour finals this season and picked up a brace of Players Championship titles.
Voltage, who came from a set down to defeat his close friend Scott Williams 3-1 in Round Two, then averaged 99 in comfortably seeing off former World Master Mervyn King 4-1.
Luke Humphries looks to continue his superb record at Ally Pally by reaching a fourth Quarter-Final in his last five outings, and the fifth seed comes up against an in-form Stephen Bunting.
Humphries is enjoying his highest ever ranking position and has had a terrific end to the season which has seen him reach the Semi-Finals of both the Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals last month.
However, he has had to dig deep for deciding set wins over Florian Hempel and Vincent van der Voort this campaign and will be keen to hit top form at the business end.
Bunting’s best run at Ally Pally came behind closed doors two years ago when he reached the Semi-Finals before being denied by eventual champion Gerwyn Price.
The former Lakeside Champion recovered from losing the first set to defeat North American champion Leonard Gates 3-1 in his opener, before averaging 102.2 in a magnificent 4-2 win over Dave Chisnall on Thursday afternoon.
The action commences from 12.30pm GMT, with Fourth Round matches to be contested over the best seven sets, best of five legs per set.
Deciding sets must be won by two clear legs, unless the score reaches 5-5, in which case a sudden-death leg will be played.
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World Darts Championship 2022/23 Day 13 Schedule
Friday December 30
Fourth Round
Afternoon Session (12.30pm-4.30pm)
Kim Huybrechts v Dimitri van den Bergh
Gabriel Clemens v Alan Soutar
Michael Smith v Joe Cullen
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Rob Cross v Chris Dobey
Michael van Gerwen v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Luke Humphries v Stephen Bunting
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