Cross sets up Littler tie, Anderson wins thriller

3 months ago7 min read

The Alexandra Palace stage was set for a classic Sunday of darting drama, and it delivered in spades, blending the clinical with the heart-stopping as the PDC World Championship’s last-16 picture began to crystallize. In a display of ruthless efficiency that would make any football manager envious of such a clean sheet, 2018 champion Rob Cross, seeded 17th, dismantled Australia’s 16th seed Damon Heta with a commanding 4-0 victory.Cross, whose 2018 triumph over the great Phil Taylor remains one of the sport’s great underdog stories, was in imperious form, barely giving Heta a sniff to set up a blockbuster fourth-round clash with the teenage defending champion, Luke Littler. It’s a tie dripping with narrative—the seasoned former king against the prodigious prince—and one that promises fireworks, a bit like a Champions League final where past and future collide on the oche.Yet, the afternoon’s true epic was authored by the ageless Gary Anderson, a two-time champion whose last back-to-back titles in 2015 and 2016 feel a lifetime ago in darts’ rapidly evolving landscape. The 55-year-old Scot, seeded 14th, engaged in a ferocious, seven-set thriller against the relentless Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena, a match that had all the statistical brilliance and nerve-shredding tension of a cup final penalty shootout.Anderson roared to a 3-1 lead, producing a staggering 121 average in the third set—a number that in most matches would be a knockout blow—but the drama was only beginning. In a twist reminiscent of a striker missing an open goal, ‘The Flying Scotsman’ squandered three match darts in the fourth set, twice missing double eight, allowing Wattimena to storm back and force a decider.The final set was pure theatre: Anderson launched into a potential nine-darter, hitting eight perfect darts before his arrow strayed high on double 12, a moment that brought the Ally Pally crowd to a collective gasp. He eventually sealed a 5-3 set win, closing out a match where he averaged 102.24 (the eighth-highest of the tournament so far) but with a checkout percentage of just 37. 5%, a stat that tells the story of his late wobbles.“It’s no good for my age. It’s hard, especially with Jermaine on you.What a game,” a breathless Anderson told Sky Sports afterwards, his comment echoing the weary pride of a veteran athlete pushing his limits. “I bottled the nine-darter, like I bottled a lot of doubles.I was getting excited, I don’t often do that up there. But I got it done.” This victory keeps alive Anderson’s quest to become the oldest World Champion in PDC history, a feat that would be the equivalent of a 40-year-old footballer winning the Ballon d’Or, defying the sport’s increasing athleticism and youth movement. Elsewhere, 20th seed Ryan Searle booked his first last-16 spot since 2021 with a solid 4-0 win over Germany’s Martin Schindler, proving that consistency can be as lethal as flashy averages.The day’s action underscored the tournament’s evolving dynamics: while the new guard like Littler and world number one Luke Humphries—who played later in the evening—command headlines, the old masters like Anderson and Cross remain formidable obstacles, blending experience with undimmed skill. As the championship moves into its business end, the clash between Cross and Littler looms as a pivotal crossroads, a match that could either reaffirm a legend or further cement a new dynasty, all under the relentless pressure of the Ally Pally lights.

#lead focus news

#PDC World Championship

#Rob Cross

#Luke Littler

#Gary Anderson

#Jermaine Wattimena

#results

#schedule

Stay Informed. Act Smarter.

Get weekly highlights, major headlines, and expert insights — then put your knowledge to work in our live prediction markets.

Related News