James Wade, Kim Huybrechts and Jelle Klaasen victorious at World Darts Championship
Thursday 29 December 2016 11:42, UK
James Wade produced a typically efficient performance to book his place in the World Darts Championship last 16 thanks to victory over Steve Beaton.
Tuesday saw the tournament return with two magnificent sessions of darting excellence and there was more of the same on Wednesday as the second round drew to a close.
Wins for Wade, Kim Huybrechts and Jelle Klaasen mean just Peter Wright's showdown with Jamie Lewis remains to complete the line-up for the last 16 - a match you can see on Sky Sports Darts from 7pm, on Wednesday along with two bumper third-round matches.
Two-time, back-to-back reigning and defending champion Gary Anderson meets Benito van de Pas and Raymond van Barneveld takes on Adrian Lewis in a third round blockbuster, but the afternoon was headlined by Wade.
The Machine produced a superb performance to see off 1996 BDO champion Beaton with an average just under 100 and a check-out percentage of 50 per cent, a display he needed against the Bronzed Adonis who rolled back the years himself.
However it was Wade who made a blistering start, moving into a 3-0 lead with an average of almost 107 and losing just three legs along the way.
Beaton though is made of stern stuff and with Wade's level dropping, the 52-year-old maintained his typically steady form to pinch the fourth set, pinning double eight to ensure there was no whitewash.
But Wade remained on course for his first ever World Championship final, the three-time semi-finalist pinned double top twice on his way to the fifth set that set up a third round meeting with Michael Smith.
The Machine has not gone beyond the last eight in each of the last three years but will fancy his chances of seeing off Bully Boy after another rock solid performance on Day 11 at Alexandra Palace.
It was Huybrechts who kicked off the afternoon action with a demolition of German youngster Max Hopp - the Belgian lost just five legs as he eased to a 4-0 victory to set up a last-16 showdown with old nemesis Phil Taylor.
The Hurricane broke Hopp in the first leg of the match and never looked back, wrapping up the win with a 12-dart leg to seal the fourth set 3-2 and a comprehensive victory of the German no 1.
Afterwards Huybrechts admitted that he is making a conscious effort to tone down his on stage behaviour, and will look to continue that despite the needle that has existed between himself and Taylor in the past.
"As long as I am winning it doesn't matter. I feel insecure on stage and that's why I do the things I do on stage," said the 13th seed.
"I am focused and it is working. I will try to do the same things and I don't really care what Phil Taylor says or does.
"Last year he tried to say something that would annoy me, but it's not going to happen this year - I am going to play my own game, no war of words."
After two dominant displays, the final match of the afternoon looked set to be an intriguing clash of styles with the pace of Klaasen and the methodical approach of Brendan Dolan and despite a 4-0 win for Klaasen, the match was a keenly contested affair with the Dutchman edging three of the four sets by the same 3-2 scoreline.
Klaasen hit seven perfect darts in the second leg of the match but could not complete the first nine-darter of this year's tournament, although it was enough to get him on the board and set him on the way to the opening set which he edged 3-2.
Klaasen took a firm grip on the match by claiming the second set before Dolan kept his hopes alive with a fabulous 134 check-out to level the third set. However it proved in vain as a composed Klaasen returned to take a 3-0 lead thanks to double 16.
Dolan continued to pile up the big finishes, a 142 and a 101 in the fourth set put him on course to pull back a set but the Dutchman's class told, levelling the set before firing six perfect darts on his way to a double eight that set up the victory and a meeting with Dave Chisnall.
Follow all the action from Alexandra Palace as the World Championship continues on Sky Sports Darts from 7pm on Wednesday night.
Live World Darts Championship
