Former world number one Gerwyn Price was knocked out of the Grand Slam of Darts after a 10-6 loss to Gary Anderson.
Anderson, a two-time World Championship winner, was in superb form averaging 104.96 hitting an 11-darter in the second last leg of the game.
The “Flying Scotsman” believed finding form on the backstage tour by winning three Players Championship titles was important in putting him in a good headspace for the Grand Slam.
“I’ve actually enjoyed it I’ve got my darts and I know what I’m doing it’s all going well,” he told Merseysportlive.
Having never won the Grand Slam before, Anderson maintained this added no extra incentive treating every game and tournament the same.
“I just play if you win luck’s on your side if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be, if it’s meant to be winning the tournament on telly I don’t know we will see I can only hope.”
After a late scare, “The Machine” James Wade defeated the Masters champion Chris Dobey 10-9.
Despite three-ton plus checkouts from Dobey and winning four consecutive legs from 9-5 down to send the game 9-9, experience from the former three-time Grand Slam finalist James Wade proved pivotal.
Prior to the game world number 14 Wade had the better of Chris Dobey winning six out nine times in their previous meetings, however Wade believed this did not give him any psychological edge.
“No game by game its irrelevant he’s a great player and didn’t play like he can again its like Michael Smith when I play him, I think the occasion even though they both wont want to admit to it I think the occasion got to them.”
Surrey’s darting superstar Wade insisted he needs to rediscover his form of old to win the Grand Slam as he is currently not happy with his own darting performances.
“14-16 months ago I was number three in the world and doing pretty well and no one really wanted to play me. Unfortunately that life had its story, in between I had an inclusion in between so I have to recover from it all no ones going to wait for me as it’s shown.”
Having reached four finals on the players championship tour this year Josh Rock reached his first major televised quarter final beating Krzysztof Ratajski 10-5 hitting an impressive 177 checkout on his way in the third leg.
“Rocky” believed this moment topped that of breaking the record for the highest average in a world youth championship final where he averaged 104.13.
Luke Humphries defeated Ryan “Heavy metal” Searle 10-7 hitting nine 180s in the game.
The quarter finals will see Gary Anderson take on Luke Humphries and Josh Rock face James Wade.
(pic by Sven Mandel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
