Saturday 31 December 2016 10:05, UK
Gary Anderson progressed past Dave Chisnall to reach the semi-finals of the World Darts Championship and remain on course for a third successive title.
The 2015 and 2016 winner beat seventh seed Chisnall 5-3 to tie up a semi-final date against Peter 'Snakebite' Wright, who dispatched James Wade earlier on Friday.
Anderson took the opening set with a 104 checkout against the throw, despite Chisnall hitting a 180 in all five legs. The second set also went the distance, but again the defending champion pinched the deciding leg.
It looked bleak for Chisnall but he withstood Anderson breaking his throw to claim his first set, before improbably drawing level at 2-2 by racing through three consecutive legs.
A 124 finish on the bullseye put Anderson back ahead but Chisnall continued nipping at his heels, making it three apiece, before vitally missing four doubles that gift-wrapped a 4-3 lead to the champion.
Chisnall missed three more doubles to give Anderson control over the next set, which he used to complete his 16th consecutive victory at the World Darts Championship.
Earlier, 2014 runner-up Wright wrapped up a 5-3 win against Wade in an enthralling quarter-final between perennial contenders.
Wade took the first set after a brief delay caused by a draught blowing onto the stage, in scenes reminiscent of his farcical 2012 Ally Pally match against Adrian Lewis.
Wright fell one arrow short of a nine-darter but it carried him to the second set, only for Wade to edge in front again with finishes of 144 and 155.
Wright, the third seed, again pulled level by pinning the bullseye for a 130 checkout before establishing control of the chaotic tie. He went 3-2 ahead with the first set that went with the throw, before adding a fourth when Wade failed to punish his array of missed doubles.
Sixth seed Wade remained in the hunt by claiming the next set for 4-3 but Wright, a runner-up three years ago, secured another semi-final.
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