Two sessions with action underway from 12.30pm in the afternoon on Sky Sports Darts and the evening kicking off at 7pm
Friday 29 December 2017 21:15, UK
Phil Taylor against Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen's all-Dutch showdown with Raymond van Barneveld highlight quarter-finals day at the World Darts Championship.
MVG and RVB will clash for the third consecutive year at the World Darts Championship, Barney inflicted MVG's last defeat at Ally Pally, stunning 'The Green Machine' 4-3 in the last 16 two years ago.
However, Van Gerwen exacted his revenge with a record-breaking 114.05 average to defeat the five-time world champion in last year's semi-finals on his march to a second world title.
The world No 1 has enjoyed an extraordinary unbeaten run dating back to October, but Van Barneveld has beaten Van Gerwen twice in televised events in 2017.
Taylor takes on two-time champion Anderson in what could be the final match of his illustrious career while the Scot is aiming for a fourth consecutive final having beaten The Power to claim his first title in 2015.
Who will be victorious in the quarter-finals? Over to the Sky Sports experts.
Wayne Mardle - I am a believer that Michael will produce what he usually does against Barney, especially over the World Championship sets format. That means some kind of ridiculously high average with loads of high outshots.
Barney will have to make very few mistakes and any that he does make will have to come at the right time - and by that I mean missing tops when Michael is all the way back on 200, if that happens.
Michael has had his lull when he was unfocused against Gerwyn Price. He pointed it out, as if he knew what he was doing in steaming ahead - he perhaps didn't give Price the credit as he should have done.
He will be full-on from start to finish against Barney and I think he will be too good, too often. I think Michael wins 5-3 in a tight contest, the opposite of three years ago where Barney's timing got him over the line.
Wayne Mardle - Phil Taylor was impressive in beating Keegan Brown, he responded under pressure in the third and fourth sets and that will please him.
He was thinking clearly and I think he felt in control - you only know how well you are playing when you are under pressure. Sometimes when you get pushed you find you have got nothing but that wasn't Phil and he coped very well.
He will have to play to a similar standard against Gary who is different class and he will make Phil have to repeat some of the scoring finishes he had [against Brown] but on a more regular basis.
Gary's scoring is up there with the best I have ever seen and if he is on, Phil will not be able to hold on, and he will need to repeat the brilliant combination finishing he showed against Keegan.
If those finishes don't go Taylor will not win any more than two or three sets. I think now their respective roles have reversed from back in the day and Gary is the better player.
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
Keep up to date with the news as the PDC celebrates 25 years on Sky Sports, right through to the final on New Year's Day. Get all the latest at www.skysports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts- don't forget to use #LoveTheDarts
