Clayton lands UK Open nine-darter as Klaasen ousts Anderson and Gurney sees off Wright to reach Quarter-Finals

Jonny Clayton produced a magnificent nine-darter on his way to reaching the Quarter-Finals of the 2020 UK Open in Minehead on Saturday, while Jelle Klaasen edged out Gary Anderson.

Welsh ace Clayton ended the four-year wait for a nine-darter in the UK Open as he struck perfection in a 10-8 win over Chris Dobey on Stage Two.

Clayton completed the feat in leg 12 as he followed in back-to-back 180s with a nerveless 141 checkout.

He went on to win the game – despite Dobey’s brave fightback from 5-0 down to pull back to 9-8 with finishes of 117 and 104 – to move into the Last Eight for the first time, where he now challenges for the £100,000 title in Sunday’s final stages.

“It’s a very special moment for me and I’m chuffed to bits,” said Clayton, who defeated Joe Cullen 10-4 earlier in the day. “There were loads of Welsh fans watching too, which was great.

“I’ve never hit one in a tournament before – I’ve had a few in practice but only my dog was watching, so to do it in front of a crowd has shown that I can do it.”

Clayton is now aiming to claim his maiden televised title on Sunday, and added: “I’m on the big stage tomorrow and I can’t wait. I’ve done well here before and I’d love to go all the way.”

Clayton’s nine-darter was the ninth in the history of the UK Open, and the first since Michael van Gerwen achieved the feat in 2016.

It was also the second in a televised event inside a fortnight, following Michael Smith’s nine-darter in the Premier League in Dublin, as well as being the 13th in a PDC event so far in 2020.

Clayton was joined in winning through to the Quarter-Finals by compatriot Gerwyn Price, who edged out Germany’s Gabriel Clemens 10-9 by landing an 11-darter in the deciding leg of their contest.

Price celebrated his 35th birthday with a 102.8 average having earlier thrashed Ricky Evans 10-3, and admitted: “It’s a nice birthday present for me!

“I’ve played well in all three games I’ve played so far but in the first two I took my chances. I missed some doubles early on in this game and he got in front of me.

“He was full of confidence and played well but I stuck in there and I’m thankful that I had such a good last leg. I’m through and I can look forward to Sunday now.”

Daryl Gurney punished a series of crucial missed doubles from Peter Wright to knock out the 2017 UK Open champion 10-6 with three ton-plus finishes to his name.

Gurney secures his spot in the Last Eight (Photo by Lawrence Lustig/PDC)

Gurney incredibly recovered from 7-1 down and survived three match darts to edge out William O’Connor 10-9 earlier in the day, and averaged 99.3 average send home the World Champion in the final match of the evening.

Jelle Klaasen moved through to his first televised Quarter-Final since October 2016 after a shock 10-9 win over 2018 champion Gary Anderson.

A resurgent Klaasen began the day by thrashing Steve West 10-1 on the outer boards and went on to punish 22 missed darts at doubles from The Flying Scotsman and seal the deal with a 14-darter in the decider.

Jamie Hughes booked his place in a first televised PDC Quarter-Final with a 10-5 defeat of Mensur Suljovic as he followed up a 10-7 win over Wigan’s Martin Atkins in Round Four.

Michael van Gerwen stepped up his quest for a first PDC ranking title of the season with a 10-4 rout of James Wade.

The world number one had survived a huge scare from rank outsider Jason Lowe in the afternoon session as he squeezed through a 10-9 winner after Lowe had denied himself a match dart by missing the single 18 on an 86 finish.

Van Gerwen was a contrastingly comfortable winner over Wade as he averaged 109 and landed six 180s and ten doubles from 14 attempts.

He will now meet Rob Cross in a repeat of last year’s Premier League final after ‘Voltage’ edge out Stephen Bunting 10-8 on Stage Two.

Cross had earlier denied world number five Michael Smith in a tense last-leg decider in which Smith missed the bull for a 164 checkout to win it.

Dimitri van den Bergh progressed to his first UK Open Quarter-Final courtesy of a 10-8 defeat of Northern Ireland’s Kyle McKinstry with nine 180s to his name.

Sunday afternoon session sees the Quarter-Finals take place before the Semi-Finals and final take centre stage in the evening with the £100,000 title up for grabs.

BET ON & WATCH UK OPEN DARTS HERE (18+)

Ladbrokes UK Open 2020 Results

Saturday March 7

Afternoon Session (12.30pm-5pm)

Last 32

Main Stage
Simon Whitlock 5-10 Chris Dobey
Jason Lowe 9-10 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 10-6 Ian White
Rob Cross 10-9 Michael Smith

Stage Two
William O’Connor 9-10 Daryl Gurney
Gerwyn Price 10-3 Ricky Evans
James Wade 10-1 Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson 10-5 Simon Stevenson

Stage Three
Jonny Clayton 10-4 Joe Cullen
Dirk van Duijvenbode 7-10 Mensur Suljovic
Stephen Bunting 10-2 Alan Tabern
Matthew Edgar 4-10 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Stage Four
Martin Atkins 7-10 Jamie Hughes
Jelle Klaasen 10-1 Steve West
Kyle McKinstry 10-5 Martin Schindler
Andy Boulton 6-10 Gabriel Clemens

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)

Last 16

Main Stage
Gerwyn Price 10-9 Gabriel Clemens
James Wade 4-10 Michael van Gerwen
Jelle Klaasen 10-9 Gary Anderson
Peter Wright 6-10 Daryl Gurney

Stage Two
Chris Dobey 8-10 Jonny Clayton – *Clayton hits a nine-darter*
Jamie Hughes 10-5 Mensur Suljovic
Dimitri Van den Bergh 10-8 Kyle McKinstry
Rob Cross 10-8 Stephen Bunting

Sunday March 8

Afternoon Session (12.45pm-4.30pm)

Quarter-Finals
Dimitri van den Bergh v Gerwyn Price
Michael van Gerwen v Rob Cross
Daryl Gurney v Jelle Klaasen
Jamie Hughes v Jonny Clayton

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)

Semi-Finals

Final