Mensur Suljovic exits World Championship at Alexandra Palace
Dimitri van den Bergh, Rob Cross and Darren Webster all progress to the last eight at Ally Pally
Thursday 28 December 2017 18:21, UK
Fifth seed Mensur Suljovic became the latest big name to tumble at the World Darts Championship as he was hammered in straight sets by Dancing Dimitri van den Bergh, whilst Rob Cross produced another impressive display to reach the last eight.
World Youth champion Dimitri van den Bergh stormed into the last eight with a stunning 4-0 win over fifth seed Mensur Suljovic on Thursday afternoon.
The Belgian averaged 96.60, fired in six maximums and converted 41 per cent of his attempts at double to dump out 'The Gentle' and reach the World Championship quarter-finals for the first time.
The 23-year-old kicked off the contest with a fine 120 finish en route to clinching the opening set, before capitalising on missed opportunities from Suljovic to double his lead via D1.
Suljovic then squandered three set darts in the third and Van den Bergh converted a two-dart 64 combination to extend his cushion, before he kicked off the fourth set with six perfect darts.
'The Dream-Maker' then dispatched a 115 finish to hold throw after the Austrian missed three more at double, before Van den Bergh wrapped up a straight sets win with a sublime 11-darter.
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Van den Bergh will take on Rob Cross for a place in the last-four, after 'Voltage' saw off Grand Prix semi-finalist John Henderson 4-1 in the final match of the afternoon.
Cross averaged 99.78 and posted seven maximums as he defied four ton-plus finishes from the Scot to reach the last eight on his World Championship debut.
Cross posted an 11-darter in the opening leg to clinch the first set with a 110 average, before defying two ton-plus finishes from Henderson to move 2-0 ahead with a 14-dart break in the set decider.
'The Highlander' then crashed in brilliant 136 and 125 finishes to reduce the arrears to 2-1, but Cross took out 102 and 64 to restore his two-set cushion, before sealing the fifth set without reply to triumph with a majestic 10-dart leg.
Elsewhere, Darren Webster secured a place in the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time since 2007 after recording a 4-0 whitewash win over Spanish qualifier Toni Alcinas.
'The Demolition Man' averaged 94.36, landed three maximums and converted 50 per cent of his attempts at double to cap off a clinical display and set up a last eight showdown against either Jamie Lewis or James Richardson.
Webster piled in a brilliant 148 checkout en route to claiming the opening set, before continuing his clinical finishing with 72 and 75 outshots to double his advantage.
Alcinas landed a sublime 11-darter to lead 2-0 in the third but he was unable to make further inroads, as Webster reeled off six consecutive legs to round-off a comprehensive victory.
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The 2018 World Championship from Alexandra Palace continues with a mouthwatering double session of quarter-final action on Friday on Sky Sports Darts, coverage of the afternoon's play gets underway from 12.30pm with the evening underway at 7pm
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