The Important Occasion
Two-time world champion Gary Anderson will get his marketing campaign up and operating in opposition to Jeffrey de Graaf tomorrow night.
Anderson, the winner in 2015 and 2016, stays one of the vital fashionable gamers within the sport and he’ll obtain loads of vocal backing from the Alexandra Palace crowd in opposition to Dutchman De Graaf.
The Flying Scotsman has received three occasions this season nevertheless it was a defeat that has given him the internal perception that he could make a problem on the worlds.
Anderson took teenage sensation Luke Littler to a final-leg shootout within the semi-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts and though he misplaced 16-15, he gained lots from that conflict in Wolverhampton final month.
LITTLER WINS A CLASSIC! 🤯
THAT IS SIMPLY EXTRAORDINARY!
Luke Littler battles again from the brink to defeat Gary Anderson 16-15 in an EPIC Grand Slam semi-final in Wolverhampton!
Sensational from each gamers! 👏
📺 https://t.co/lkfAqflnXa #GSOD | SF pic.twitter.com/ldSbWCnxfj
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 17, 2024
He informed The Day by day Report: “It actually bought me going, correct sport, 4 legs up on him, I needed to maintain my throw as soon as and I made a large number of it.
“Even afterwards, I watched when Luke beat me, you may see the sort of reduction in his face, so I went, I’ve pushed you. It’s good, it provides me a wee little bit of a buzz and it does sort of provide you with that twinkle. Little issues give me a wee tweak and I would like that to maintain going. There’s some cracking darts gamers on the market and it’s nonetheless good to be concerned enjoying in opposition to them.
“If you happen to have a look at his video games within the semis and the ultimate, it was an outdated 54-year-old that sort of took him all the best way. I like issues like that, I prefer to see, can I nonetheless play as much as their normal? My ending that night time was nice, my scoring wasn’t too good.”
De Graaf is the world quantity 81 and beat Rashad Sweeting 3-1 within the first spherical.
World quantity 11 Dimitri van den Bergh follows Anderson on to the stage with Callan Rydz, so spectacular in his opener, additionally in motion within the night session.
Order of Play
Afternoon session (from 1230GMT)
Ryan Searle v Matt Campbell (R2)
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Madars Razma (R2)
Joe Cullen v Wessel Nijman (R2)
Ritchie Edhouse v Ian White (R2)
Night session (from 1900GMT)
Martin Schindler v Callan Rydz (R2)
Ross Smith v Paolo Nebrida (R2)
Gary Anderson v Jeffrey de Graaf (R2)
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Dylan Slevin (R2)
Easy methods to watch
The PDC World Championship is being screened on Sky Sports activities within the UK.
You’ll be able to watch the afternoon session on Sky Sports activities Darts from 12:30 GMT. The night session is on Sky Sports activities Darts at 1900 and Important Occasion from 1915.
Predictions
Anderson must be too good for De Graaf, as ought to Van den Bergh in opposition to Slevin.
The closest contest may come between Rydz and world quantity 22 Schindler. Rydz has the sport to blow anybody away and must be fancied regardless of being the outsider in opposition to the German.
Elsewhere, there must be wins for Searle, Van Duijvenbode, Nijman, Edhouse, and Smith.