2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship - Day 11 latest
The 2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship continues on Thursday, as 2021 champion Gerwyn Price and world number three Luke Humphries headline the third round action.
Day 11 of the sport's showpiece event will see a further six third round ties take place at London's Alexandra Palace, with 2021 champion Price up against Brendan Dolan for a place in the last 16.
Humphries will play Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko in another intriguing tussle, while 2021 semi-finalist Stephen Bunting - who produced the highest average of the tournament in round two - meets comeback king Florian Hempel.
Elsewhere, Masters champion Chris Dobey plays former European Champion Ross Smith, Joe Cullen faces Ryan Searle, while Ricky Evans and Daryl Gurney also lock horns.
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2023/24 Paddy Power World Darts Championship
Thursday December 28
Afternoon Session
Stephen Bunting 4-0 Florian Hempel (3-2, 3-1, 3-2, 3-1) (R3)
Joe Cullen 4-2 Ryan Searle (3-1, 3-1, 0-3, 2-3, 3-2, 3-2) (R3)
Chris Dobey 4-2 Ross Smith (3-1, 3-1, 2-3, 1-3, 3-2, 3-1) (R3)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Brendan Dolan 4-2 Gerwyn Price (3-2, 1-3, 3-2, 0-3, 3-2, 3-2) (R3)
Luke Humphries v Ricardo Pietreczko (R3)
Ricky Evans v Daryl Gurney (R3)
Friday December 29
Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)
Damon Heta v Berry van Peer (R3)
Jonny Clayton v Krzysztof Ratajski (R3)
Jim Williams v Raymond van Barneveld (R3)
Evening Session (1900 GMT)
Boris Krcmar v Gary Anderson (R3)
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting (R4)
Michael Smith v Chris Dobey (R4)
Afternoon Round-Up
Stephen Bunting kicked off Thursday's action in some style, producing a scintillating display to thrash Germany's Florian Hempel in straight sets.
Bunting - who averaged 107.28 in his opening round win over Ryan Joyce - stormed into a two-set lead with a monstrous 112 average, and he continued his clinical finishing to set up a mouth-watering last 16 tie against Michael van Gerwen.
Masters champion Chris Dobey will take on World Champion Michael Smith for a place in the last eight, after overcoming former European Champion Ross Smith in an Alexandra Palace classic.
The pair fired in 27 maximums between them in a captivating affair, which saw Dobey threatening to shatter a host of records at one stage, as his average climbed above 118 midway through set three.
Smith, who averaged 103 and crashed in 13 180s of his own, somehow responded to restore parity at two apiece, only for Dobey to respond with a brilliant late burst to book his place in round four.
Elsewhere, Joe Cullen won through a six-set thriller against Ryan Searle, defying a spirited fightback from the Somerset star to reach the last 16 for a second consecutive year.
Cullen stormed into a two-set lead before Searle levelled with a brilliant 124 on the bull, but after surviving six set darts in a crucial fifth set, the Yorkshireman regained the lead before going on to clinch victory.
