World Darts Championship 2023/24 | Day 12 Preview and Order of Play
Round Three draws to a close at the World Darts Championship on Friday before two mouth-watering fixtures commence the Last 16.
The field continues to be whittled down at a rate of knots following the Christmas break, with just 14 players set to be left standing following Friday’s action at Alexandra Palace.
Four places remain up for grabs in the Last 16, before the evening session plays host to the opening two Fourth Round ties featuring a quartet of decorated darters.
Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld resumes his campaign with a Third Round clash against Jim Williams in the afternoon session.
Having won four Lakeside world titles, Barney lifted the sport’s ultimate prize in 2007 when he defeated rival Phil Taylor in a classic sudden death final at the Circus Tavern.
The Dutch legend made the final at Ally Pally in 2009, with Taylor exacting his revenge, but he went on to win the Grand Slam and Premier League among a host of other titles and remains among the elite at the age of 56.
Van Barneveld began his 17th PDC World Championship stint with an impressive 3-1 win over Poland’s Radek Szagański, averaging 99.8, and is bidding to reach the Last 16 for the first time since the 2017/18 event.
Williams, meanwhile, is into the Third Round for the second successive year, having swept aside Guyanese qualifier Norman Madhoo in nine straight legs, before powering past two-time World Champion Peter Wright in straight sets to continue his flawless start.
The former BDO world finalist, who picked up a Players Championship title last season, will be out to break new ground and close in on a place in the world’s top 32.
World Cup of Darts winner Jonny Clayton comes up against Polish number one Krzysztof Ratajski for the right to take on 2018 World Champion Rob Cross in the Last 16.
Clayton claimed World Cup of Darts and Austrian Open glory for the second time this year and was runner-up in the World Matchplay, while also reaching the Premier League play-offs for the third season in a row.
The Welshman suffered personal tragedy earlier in the year when his father passed away, and he had lost in the opening round in three of his last four televised ranking majors coming into this event.
Quarter-finalist here 12 months ago, ‘The Ferret’ got off and running with a 3-1 win over Steve Lennon despite an average of 88.5.
Ratajski, winner of ten PDC ranking titles, is Poland’s most successful darter of all-time and added the German Open title and a Players Championship to his haul this season.
Quarter-finalist here behind closed doors in 2020/21, Ratajski recovered from a set behind to defeat Jamie Hughes 3-1 in his opener before Christmas.
The opening match of the afternoon sees Australian number one Damon Heta take on Dutch debutant Berry van Peer.
Heta headed to the capital as the number 11 seed after reaching a trio of major ranking Quarter-Finals this season, as well as four European Tour Semi-Finals and scooping two Players Championship titles.
The former Brisbane Masters champion is appearing in his fifth consecutive World Championship and is out to avert a third consecutive Third Round exit at Ally Pally, having defeated Martin Lukeman 3-1 in his opener.
Van Peer has enjoyed a memorable debut in the sport’s showpiece having qualified by finishing top of this year’s Challenge Tour Order of Merit.
The reigning Dutch Open champion battled past Luke Woodhouse in a deciding set in Round One, before dumping out 23rd seed Josh Rock 3-1 to continue his run against the odds.
The final match of the Third Round sees two-time World Champion Gary Anderson take on Croatian number one – Boris Krcmar.
Anderson had looked to be on a collision course with rival Gerwyn Price for a meeting in the Last 16, but the Welshman’s shock exit on Thursday night has scuppered that possibility and means the ever-dangerous Brendan Dolan now awaits the winner.
Anderson has had to wait 13 days for his return to the palace after thrashing 2010 finalist Simon Whitlock 3-0, and the 52-year-old boasts a clinical record on the sport’s biggest stage, reaching five finals since 2011, as well as a further two Semi-Finals.
The Flying Scotsman is one of only three players to have successfully retained the PDC world title, having triumphed in 2015 and 2016, and he has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence this year, scooping a hat-trick of Players Championship titles and finishing runner-up alongside Peter Wright for Scotland in the World Cup of Darts.
Krcmar finds himself in uncharted territory, having won just one match in four previous visits to Ally Pally, before overcoming Keegan Brown and 12th seed Dirk van Duijvenbode from a set down to break new ground for his country.
A blockbuster opening tie of the Fourth Round sees three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen take on former Lakeside Champion Stephen Bunting.
An eagerly anticipated contest sees the current title favourite take on one of the most in-form players on the planet for the right to become the first man through to the Quarter-Finals.
Van Gerwen claimed glory here in 2014, 2017 and 2019, joining only Phil Taylor in landing three or more PDC world titles in the 30-year history of the competition.
Mighty Mike boasts a prolific record at Ally Pally, reaching the final in four of his last seven appearances, including in last year’s event when he was denied by nine-darter Michael Smith in a pulsating contest.
The world number two is yet to drop a set en route to this stage, brushing aside Irish youngster Keane Barry with a 98.2 average before thrashing Dutch compatriot Richard Veenstra 4-0 with a 101.4 average.
A decade on from his career-defining triumph at Lakeside, Bunting is bidding to claim the sport’s ultimate prize on the back of a terrific season which has seen him finish runner-up in the German Open and reach the Semi-Finals of the Grand Slam.
Semi-finalist here three years ago, Bunting began his pre-Christmas campaign with a sensational 3-0 win over Ryan Joyce – registering the highest average of the tournament so far (107.28) in the process and followed that up with a 4-0 whitewash of Florian Hempel with a 101 average on Thursday afternoon.
Reigning champion Michael Smith then steps up the defence of his crown with a box office clash against fellow Premier League star Chris Dobey.
Smith is bidding to become only the fourth player in the history of the competition to successfully retain the world title and has continued his love affair with this venue with two impressive wins so far.
He fended off a terrific effort from Kevin Doets to prevail 3-2 with a 100 average on opening night, before dispatching a methodical Madars Razma 4-1 in the Last 32.
Smith will be out to avenge his defeat to Dobey in July’s World Matchplay in which he led 3-0 before going down 11-7 in the Second Round.
Dobey is making his eighth consecutive World Championship appearance, having reached the Quarter-Finals last year for the first time, and the Bedlington ace has enjoyed a memorable 2023.
He landed his maiden TV title at The Masters back in January, securing a debut spot in the Premier League, as well as reaching the Quarter-Finals of the World Matchplay, World Grand Prix and European Championship.
Dobey averaged 103 in a thrilling five-set win over William O’Connor in Round Two with ten 180s along the way, and that match was emulated by a scintillating tie against Ross Smith on Thursday which saw the pair exchange 27 maximums as Dobey prevailed 4-2 with another ton-topping average.
The action gets under way from 12.30pm GMT, with Third Round and Last 16 matches to be contested over the best seven sets.
Matches must be won by two clear legs, unless the score reaches 5-5 in the deciding set, in which case a sudden-death leg will be played.
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World Darts Championship 2023/24 Day 12 Schedule of Play
Friday December 29
Afternoon Session (12.30pm-5pm)
Damon Heta v Berry van Peer (R3)
Jonny Clayton v Krzysztof Ratajski (R3)
Jim Williams v Raymond van Barneveld (R3)
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Boris Krcmar v Gary Anderson (R3)
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting (R4)
Michael Smith v Chris Dobey (R4)
