Chris Dobey’s breakout run in the German Darts Masters continued as he set up a meeting with the defending champion Michael van Gerwen in the quarter-finals tonight.
The 25-year-old hit seven 180s and averaged 102.25 as he beat Dave Chisnall in the third round of the tournament in Munich this afternoon.
Fresh from beating another Premier League player in Robert Thornton in the last 32 yesterday, Dobey won three legs in a row from 4-3 down to book his place in a PDC quarter-final for the first time in his career.
After the pair broke each other’s throw in the opening two legs, the next five legs all went with throw as Chizzy went 4-3 ahead.
But Dobey had the perfect response, hitting back-to-back 180s before taking out 100 to complete an 11 dart leg to level once again.
Dobey’s seventh 180 came in leg nine as he looked for a crucial break of throw, which he gained when hitting double 14 for a 13 darter, with double 10 in the next leg securing the youngster a memorable win on the Ballhausforum stage.
The world number one, van Gerwen, now stands in Dobey’s way in the quarter-finals, after the Dutchman continued the defence of his title with a 6-2 win over Kevin Painter in the final game of this afternoon’s session.
MVG averaged 102.85 in the victory, which saw him reel off four straight legs to go 5-1 up, and despite a 106 checkout in leg seven keeping the match alive for Painter, it was double top in the next leg that sealed the win for van Gerwen.
Elsewhere, world champion Gary Anderson is enjoying his best run in a European Tour event since February 2015, as the Flying Scotsman saw off a plucky William O’Connor 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
Anderson trailed the Irishman 2-1 in the early stages before winning the next five legs to finish with a 101.66 average, and book himself a quarter-final clash with Joe Cullen tonight.
Cullen survived four match darts to beat Benito van de Pas 6-5 in a third round tie which went all the way in Munich.
With the match finely poised at 4-4 Cullen produced a stunning 11 dart leg, taking out 100 in two darts while van de Pas was sat on 40, to hold throw and move to within one of the match.
Rockstar kicked off the next leg with seven perfect darts but then crucially missed five darts at doubles to secure the win, and van de Pas stayed alive with a 41 checkout to force a deciding leg.
The Dutchman spurned four match darts in the decider to complete an unlikely victory, which left Cullen able to hit tops to reach his fifth quarter-final in 2016.
Second seed Michael Smith will take on Ian White in the quarter-finals tonight after both came through tricky third round games this afternoon.
A 123 checkout on double nine sealed a 6-4 win for Smith against an impressive James Wilson, who finished with a 101.07 average in defeat.
Bully Boy’s finishing won him the game as he ended up hitting six out of seven on the doubles to reach his first European Tour quarter-final of the season.
Smith averaged over 104 to win his last 16 tie, while White also posted a three figure average as he edged past Jelle Klassen 6-5 in a high quality encounter this afternoon.
Klassen was quick out of the blocks as he stormed into a 2-0 lead, before White hit back with 15, 10 and 12 dart legs to go 3-2 in front.
The Cobra continued to be clinical on the doubles with 15 and 11 darters putting him 4-3 up, but White responded with back-to-back legs of his own to move one away from victory.
Klaasen defied a match dart to take the match to a deciding leg, as White missed double 15 for a 150 checkout and the Dutchman hit double seven to make it 5-5.
Diamond checked out 56 in the decider to move into the quarter-finals, with Klaasen ending the game having landed five out of seven on the doubles and with a 98 average.
Earlier in the afternoon, James Richardson progressed to a European Tour quarter-final for the first-time since 2012 after pulling off a surprise 6-3 win over Adrian Lewis.
The first five legs all went with throw before Ruthless produced an excellent 130 checkout on the bull to break the Lewis throw to go 4-2 up.
Richardson hit double eight to move 5-2 in front, with Lewis then checking out 85 to keep his hopes alive.
However, Jackpot missed five darts at doubles in leg nine to pull another leg back, and Richardson held his nerve to hit double one and reach his first European Tour quarter-final since the Austrian Darts Open in 2012.
Richardson will now face world number five Peter Wright in the quarter-finals tonight, with Snakebite having survived one match dart to squeeze past Cristo Reyes 6-5 in the third round.
The opening match of this afternoon’s session saw no fewer than five breaks of throw, with Reyes holding leads of 2-0, 4-2 and 5-4 before losing in a deciding leg.
Wright checked out 124 on the bull in leg 10 to force a decider, with Reyes waiting on 63 to win the match. And after the Spaniard missed double 16 for a 106, Snakebite hit double 10 with his last dart to progress into the quarter-finals.
2016 German Darts Masters (12pm-4pm UK time)
Day 3 Afternoon Session (Last 16)
Peter Wright 6-5 Cristo Reyes
Adrian Lewis 3-6 James Richardson
Ian White 6-5 Jelle Klaasen
Michael Smith 6-4 James Wilson
Joe Cullen 6-5 Benito van de Pas
William O’Connor 2-6 Gary Anderson
Dave Chisnall 4-6 Chris Dobey
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Kevin Painter
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