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Afternoon session: Searle and Anderson into semi-finals
That’s all for this afternoon’s coverage. Ryan Searle and Gary Anderson, good friends and practice partners, are into the semi-finals after 5-2 wins over Jonny Clayton and Justin Hood respectively.
The first game was all about the finishing, with Searle hitting 57 per cent of his doubles to Clayton’s 25. Anderson and Hood were all square after four sets, at which point Anderson went through the gears to win nine of the last ten legs.
Thanks for your company. We’ll be back at 6.45pm ahead of a cracking evening session.
Updated at 10.29 EST
Scores on the doors
ShareGary Anderson’s reaction
I felt in control at some stages but then I’d make a mess of it and he’d check out. The next minute it’s 2-2 and I’m going, ‘Oh dear.’
I started get into a faster rhythm towards the end. I’m just glad to get over the line.
[Why can’t you win the worlds again?] No, no, next game first!
ShareGary Anderson beat Justin Hood 5-2!
Gary Anderson will play Luke Humphries or Gian van Veen tomorrow night after ending Justin Hood’s life-changing run. It was level after four sets; then Anderson went into overdrive, winning nine of the last 10 legs to settle the match. In the last three sets he averaged 104, 112 and 107.
Anderson made a bit of a meal of the last leg, missing four doubles. The crowd loved it and were willing Hood to take out one last big finish. He couldn’t manage it and Anderson hit D6 before turning to embrace Hood. The match was played in a brilliant spirit throughout.
*Anderson (4) 2-0 (2) Hood Anderson breaks Hood to move within a leg of victory. He has upped it big-time in the last three sets, both in the scoring and the doubling, and that was another 14-dart break.
Anderson (4) 1-0 (2) Hood* Anderson hits bull for 161 and gets a fistbump from a single Hood. Glorious stuff! He’s two legs away from the semi-finals.
ShareAnderson wins the sixth set 3-1!
Anderson 4-2 Hood Fabulous darts from Anderson. He takes out 121 to clinch the set and move within one of the match. In fact, Anderson averaged 112.38 in that set, the best of the match because Hood also averaged 101.
Gary Anderson is closing in on victory. Photograph: Warren Little/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 10.22 EST
*Anderson (3) 2-1 (2) Hood We see it so often: a player misses a chance to break and is then broken in the next leg. And it has happened here at a crucial time. Hood misses two for a 76 finish, Anderson cleans up 98 on D19. Brilliant stuff from Anderson, who is now throwing for a 4-1 lead – and he has the darts in set six.
Hood has missed four doubles in the last two legs; they may cost him the match.
Updated at 10.11 EST
Anderson (3) 1-1 (2) Hood* A seventh 180 gives Hood control on the Anderson throw. For once he’s loose on the doubles, missing tops and tens for a 100 finish. Anderson punishes him, taking out D12 for a 72 finish.
*Anderson (3) 0-1 (2) Hood Anderson threatens to break, leaving 104 after nine. Then he misses the big number, doesn’t get a shot at double and has to watch Hood hit D8 for an exceedingly important hold of throw.
ShareAnderson wins the fifth set 3-0!
Anderson 3-0 Hood Not a scintilla of faffage from Gary Anderson, who takes the fifth set with a 104.86 average. Hood isn’t quite taking the Anderson sets off but he has saved his best for when he has the darts.
*Anderson (2) 2-0 (2) Hood Make that eight out of eight, although he did need Hood to miss two at double. I’ve seen it all now.
Anderson leads 11-6 in legs, but the match is going with throw. The joy of set play.
Anderson (2) 1-0 (2) Hood* Pop pop! A brilliant 127 finish gives Anderson the lead in the fifth set; he has won all seven legs in his sets.
“Happy new year Rob!” says Simon McMahon. “Hope you had a good one. I stayed up until half past midnight, there’s life in the old dog yet. Now a full day of drinking darts. Gary Anderson has been extremely impressive, at times even vintage, in this tournament so far. But I always expect him to lose when I watch, I think it comes from being Scottish. Though you can never really lose when you’re a darts fan, can you? There’s always something. Ryan Searle. Justin Hood. It’s the sport that just keeps on giving.”
Happy new year to Simon. Ah hell, happy new year to all of you.
I worry a bit of Anderson here; I wonder if Hood is starting to kill him with kindness. Anderson is at his best when he is totally focussed and slightly hacked off.
ShareThe match stats so far
Averages
Anderson 93.04
Hood 93.79
Doubles
Anderson 9/25 (39.13%)
Hood 6/8 (75%)
180s
ShareHood wins the fourth set 3-2!
Anderson 2-2 Hood It’s all square again! Hood needs 120 for the set with Anderson on 144. After hitting single and treble 20, he stops to ask the crowd to make more noise, then returns to hit tops. Fantastic stuff! Hood’s doubling has been sensational.
ShareHood breaks back in set four!
Anderson (2) 2-2 (1) Hood* Anderson is in control of the set – until Hood hits a 180 to leave 45 for a break back. Anderson can’t set up from 106 and Hood hits with his first attempt at D16. That is so good. Anderson is slightly discombobulated and has to check who has the darts in the fifth leg. It’s Hood, who will level the match if he holds throw.
Updated at 09.49 EST
*Anderson (2) 2-1 (1) Hood Anderson has been half a dart ahead of Hood in the majority of the legs. This is no exception and he hits tops for a crucial break of throw. That could be a gamebreaker.
Anderson (2) 1-1 (1) Hood* A fifth 180 for Hood puts pressure on Anderson, who needs 60 for a hold. He holds his nerve to hit D10 last dart in hand.
*Anderson (2) 0-1 (1) Hood Big set, this. Hood has the darts and you feel like he probably needs to hold. Anderson misses four darts for a break – one at the bull, three at D15 – and Hood does the needful on tops.
ShareAnderson wins the third set 3-0
Anderson 2-1 Hood Beautifully done by Gary Anderson, who wins all three legs in 15 darts to move ahead. It was his set, sure, but clean sweeps like that can bleed into the next set.
*Anderson (1) 2-0 (1) Hood Anderson misses the bull for a 12-dart break. Hood, on 152, can’t set up – he wasn’t helped by a deflection – and Anderson gets the job done. He’s throwing for the third set.
Anderson (1) 1-0 (1) Hood* There’s a game on here all right, and it’s being played in a fantastic spirit. Both players start the set with a maximum; Anderson extends it to five perfect darts and the two players smile broadly when an imperfect sixth dart is greeted with boos. Anderson eventually cleans up in 15 darts with Hood back on 140.
Hood could – probably should – have crumbled after being broken in the first leg of the second set. Instead he went three straight legs, two on the Anderson throw, with a 180 in each and a 100 finish. There was some poor stuff in between but the champagne moments more than made up for it.
Updated at 09.35 EST
Hood wins the second set 3-1!
Anderson 1-1 Hood An unreal set of darts from Justin Hood. He hits another 180 to put pressure on the Anderson throw; Anderson missed two for 96 and Hood cleans up 100 with his last dart. The crowd are making an almighty racket and Hood is loving every minute of it.
*Anderson (1) 1-2 (0) Hood Justin Hood is starting to settle. He hits his second 180 in as many legs before pinning D18 for a two-dart finish of 96. This guy looks a serious talent, particularly on stage.
ShareHood breaks back in set two
Anderson (1) 1-1 (0) Hood* Terrific stuff from Hood, whose first leg of the match is a 14-dart break on D8. Superbly played.
Updated at 09.27 EST
*Anderson (1) 1-0 (0) Hood This is a superb start from Anderson. He puts instant pressure on Hood’s throw, is first to a finish and goes out in 14 darts on tops.
ShareAnderson wins the first set 3-0
Anderson 1-0 Hood Justin Hood misses a dart at tops for a break; Anderson returns to sweep the first set on D5.
Hood didn’t play badly (average 92) and ultimately that was just a set with the darts, but the first leg of the second set already feels like a big one.
*Anderson (0) 2-0 (0) Hood Anderson bulldozes his way to 181 after six darts against the throw. The leg slows down after that, for both players, before Anderson breaks on D16. He’s throwing for the set.
Here we go! Photograph: Steven Paston/PAShare
Updated at 09.20 EST
Anderson (0) 1-0 (0) Hood* A 14-dart hold for Gary Anderson to kick things off.
Gary Anderson will throw first. Game on!
“Ryan Searle appears to have three hands,” writes Magnus Johnson. “Isn’t that cheating?”
He can still only use one.
Ryan Searle celebrates. Photograph: Shane Healey/ProSports/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 09.06 EST
Next up: the great Gary Anderson against the surprise star of the tournament, Justin Hood, who hit a record 11 consecutive doubles in his win over Justin Rock. Hood has not fluked his way to the last eight: only Gian van Veen has a higher tournament average than his 101.97.
ShareRyan Searle’s reaction
It means a lot. Neither of us played particularly well – I felt nervous and there was a lot on the line. I think my finishing under pressure was pretty good.
At least I’ll be on tomorrow night. I get to set my alarm late and have a lie-in for once!
I think I’m provisionally No7 in the world, which is crazy to me.
I can’t see particularly well, so if there are other people out there who want to play darts and can’t see particularly well, I hope I can be an inspiration.
Searle hit a 180 to take control of the leg and finished 38 on D8 after hitting single 19 and single three. It was the finishing wot won it: 57 per cent to Clayton’s 25.
He now has the uneviable task of facing Luke Littler (probably) in tomorrow’s semi-final. But that’s for another day: right now, and pending Gary Anderson’s result againts Justin Hood in a moment, he is the No7 in the world.
ShareRyan Searle beats Jonny Clayton 5-2!
The greatest moment in the career of Ryan Searle. After a bit of a wobble, he sweeps the seventh set to finally see off Jonny Clayton.
Searle (4) 2-0 (2) Clayton* Ryan Searle is one leg away from the semis after another superb two-dart finish, this time on 87. Clayton’s spirit may finally have been broken.
*Searle (4) 1-0 (2) Clayton Superb response from Searle, who breaks ruthlessly at the start of the fourth set: 14 darts culminating in a two-dart finish of 76. He’s still above 50 per cent on the doubles.
Updated at 08.51 EST
Clayton wins the sixth set 3-1!
Searle 4-2 Clayton Jonny Clayton isn’t the Ferret, he’s Tigger. He should have accepted defeat ages ago but he keeps bouncing back. He pumps another 180 and goes out in 11 darts to win the set against the throw. Searle is starting to look a bit edgy.
Jonny Clayton wins the sixth set. Photograph: Andrew Boyers/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 08.54 EST
Searle (4) 1-2 (1) Clayton* Hello! Clayton breaks in 16 darts and will throw for the set.
Updated at 08.48 EST