The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsThe third round of the PDC World Championship has concluded, and there were two stand out shocks in the round as two players tipped to lift the trophy exited the competition.
World number one Michael van Gerwen is out after losing to countryman Raymond van Barneveld in an all Dutch encounter. Despite averaging over 105, van Gerwen couldn’t finish off his opponent as van Barneveld secured a 4-3 victory in a match that will be remembered as a classic.
Van Barneveld will face Michael Smith in the quarter finals after the eighth seed beat Benito van de Pas 4-0. Another Englishman through in convincing fashion is Adrian Lewis. Lewis beat Austrian Mensur Suljovic 4-0 to book his place in the next round. Lewis will meet Peter Wright in the quarter finals after the Scotsman beat Dave Chisnall 4-3.
Garry Anderson is also through to the next round after he beat Vincent van der Voort 4-0. Anderson will face a mouth-watering match against James Wade in the quarter finals after Wade beat Jamie Caven 4-1. With van Gerwen out, Wade will be confident of finally winning the tournament, while Anderson will have his eye on a second consecutive title.
The unseeded Alan Norris is also through to the quarter-finals after he beat Mark Webster 4-1. Norris will meet Jelle Klaasen who caused an upset himself, beating Phil Taylor 4-3. Taylor has won the tournament 14 times in the past, but he will not be involved in the latter stages this year.
With Taylor and van Gerwen, attention will turn to the likes of Anderson, Wade and Lewis. However, the open nature of the competition means that anyone could still win it.
