World Darts Championship: Luke Humphries units up Peter Wright last-16 conflict as Gerwyn Value beats Joe Cullen in sudden-death thriller

Luke Humphries stormed into the fourth spherical of the World Darts Championship with a straight-sets win over Nick Kenny, on the identical night time Gerwyn Value triumphed in an exciting final-leg decider towards Joe Cullen.

World No 1 Humphries received 9 of the final 10 legs and averaged 98.59 in powering to a 4-0 victory over Kenny, establishing a corker of a last-16 conflict between the defending champion and two-time winner Peter Wright.

Wright, regardless of visibly battling sickness, put in arguably his finest efficiency of a troublesome 2024 when beating Jermaine Wattimena 4-2.

Value overcomes Cullen regardless of ‘Large Fish’ in epic end

Earlier, Value got here via a outstanding opening match towards Cullen by which he coughed up a 3-0 lead in units and spurned three match darts whereas being damaged thrice when throwing for the match.

Two of these missed match darts preceded an unbelievable 170 ‘Large Fish‘ end from Cullen – solely a second for the match – that levelled the ultimate set at 5-5 and compelled a sudden-death leg.

It was 2021 winner Value, nevertheless, who would lastly safe his spot within the fourth spherical with a seventh-straight break of throw as he lastly discovered tops along with his fourth match dart, establishing a gathering with fellow Welshman Jonny Clayton subsequent.

“The crowd were well behind him, and I actually thought I was going to lose that game,” Value stated afterwards.

“I put myself in that position, but I got myself out of it. I kept in it right till the end and thankfully got the win.

“I’ve bought much more within the tank and I will play so much higher than I performed tonight. I did sufficient to win – and I am simply proud of that.”

Within the night’s second match, Wright produced a efficiency that belied his well being struggles, ‘Snakebite’ apologetically denying the group his trademark walk-on dance strikes earlier than coughing his means via his win over Wattimena.

The 2020 and 2022 champion averaged a formidable 96.19, and whereas Wattimena himself was up at 96.50, it was Wright who delivered in the important thing moments to maintain the Dutchman at bay.

He’ll now face Humphries within the subsequent spherical who, regardless of not producing his best darts, made mild work of Kenny within the ultimate contest of Friday night time.

The reigning champion stole the primary set with a final-leg break of throw after a pricey Kenny missed dart at double 16, whereas he was damaged to start out the second however any ideas of a closely-contested battle had been swiftly put to mattress as Humphries reeled off 9 of the subsequent 10 legs – together with a 145 checkout within the fourth set.

Humphries relishing Wright conflict | ‘A lot extra to present’

“It was one of those games where I didn’t want to take it for granted,” Humphries stated.

“I wasn’t firing. I felt there was so much more to give, it just wasn’t coming out of me, but a solid performance. As long as I can keep winning every set, no sets lost, is all that matters.

“I am not going to surrender this world title and not using a struggle. It is not my finest, however when somebody pushes me I do know I can present the products.”

Looking ahead to his meeting with Wright, Humphries added: “He stated just a few issues within the final spherical. He stated Barney [Raymond van Barneveld] was going to smash me and that he was going to smash Jermaine [Wattimena].

“He said he don’t fear me and Luke Littler, so we’ll see when we play again.”

Bunting cruises into fourth spherical after Heta hits nine-darter in defeat

Within the afternoon session, Stephen Bunting cruised into the fourth spherical with victory over Latvia’s Madars Razma, whereas Damon Heta threw a sensational nine-darter in defeat to Luke Woodhouse.

Bunting is likely one of the darkish horses for the match, significantly as half of the unique 32 seeds are already out, and he noticed off Razma 4-1 regardless of not being at his finest.

The previous Lakeside champion – whose earlier finest run at Alexandra Palace got here in 2021 when reaching the semi-finals – will play Woodhouse subsequent after he roared again from 3-1 down, rattling off 9 legs on the spin to beat Heta 4-3 and attain the final 16 for the primary time in his profession.

The primary match after the quick Christmas break noticed Heta produce the second excellent leg at this 12 months’s match, sending the Ally Pally crowd into raptures throughout the second set – Woodhouse additionally celebrating wildly in a particular second.

Dutchman Christian Kist made the primary excellent leg within the opening spherical final week and likewise misplaced his match. The file for probably the most nine-darters on the World Championship is three in 2022, so yet another would equal that feat.

Heta does win £60,000 for his nine-darter although, as did a fortunate fan within the Ally Pally crowd, with match sponsors Paddy Energy additionally donating £60,000 to Prostate Most cancers to mark the second.

The opposite match of the afternoon was received by Clayton as he held off a fightback from Northern Eire’s Daryl Gurney to win 4-3.

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