The fourth round of the PDC World Championship kicks off on Tuesday afternoon, with Gabriel Clemens facing Krzysztof Ratajski, and Joe Cullen taking on Michael van Gerwen. Watch all the live action on our exclusive Sky Sports Darts channel.
By Brian Barry
Last updated: 29/12/20 6:14 am
Either Clemens or Ratajski will be in the quarter-finals
Patrick Wright, Rob Cross, Nathan Aspinall. Three of the top six in the world have fallen in the bottom half of the PDC World Championship brake.
And as seeds soak, there is a chance to germinate for some dark horses.
The shadow of Michael van Gerwen’s main shows ties in heavily over the top half of the draw, ruining the hopes of outsiders.
That is far from the case on the other side.
Tuesday at the World Championships
| Afternoon (12pm) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Round Three | James Wade | vs. | Stephen Bunting |
| Round Three | Daryl Gurney | vs. | Chris Dobey |
| Round Three | Jason Lowe | vs. | Devon Petersen |
| Afternoon (6pm) | |||
| Round Three | Dave Chisnall | vs. | Danny Noppert |
| Visit Four | Krzysztof Ratajski | vs. | Gabriel Clemens |
| Visit Four | Michael van Gerwen | vs. | Joe Cullen |
Live World Darts Competition
Dec. 29, 2020, 12:00 p.m.
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Gabriel Clemens – the leader of the reigning champion – began marching into the last 16, after a last-ditch impact on the final leg on Snakebite.
“I have no words. I played against a world champion, such a good player and a nice guy. I’m so happy,” he said. Sky Sports after winning.
“Yeah. I’ve been feeling great in the last few weeks. I’ve worked hard and a lot. I’m very happy.”
It may have been largely speechless – but that made sense. He let his darts speak. That message was that he is a live contender in this tournament.
An average of 98.65, and a double rate of 15/33 under intense pressure from such a seasonal campaigner tells his own story. The popularity of the sport in Germany has increased over the last few years but, so far, no player from the country has wanted to crack it at the main table.
That will all change if Clemens supports his win over Wright and goes deep into the tournament.
0:59 Clemens stopped Peter Wright in the third round
Can the Polish Eagle rise?
Waiting for the German Giant in the fourth round is the Krzysztof Ratajski form. The Polish Eagle is widely regarded as one of the top players on the Pro Tour, but so far in his career he has not been able to achieve his ability on the big stage.
He will want to hone his moniker as a ‘top floor player’ in the coming days; was also recommended back into Gary Anderson in the past before the Flying Scotsman hit the long run.
Ratajski has yet to drop a set in the tournament, with complete winners over Ryan Joyce and Simon Whitlock. Ranked 15th in Merit Order, the Warsaw-native is a growing force in the game. But for it to go any further, it has to do it on the big stage.
The early signs have been good. Having reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, he has shown that he can thrive in these television situations ‘behind closed doors’. His Pro Tour form suggests he is capable of even greater altitude.
0:37 Ratajski reached the fourth round after beating Simon Whitlock 4-0
Make way for the King?
“It simply came to our notice then [why I can’t win the World Championship], “Told Mervyn King Sky Sports, after Jose de Sousa posted a Grand Prix winner packing with an impressive 4-0 win.
The experienced Englishman achieved remarkable performance, gaining an average of 103.47 with a pay rate of 57.14 percent.
But he still feels like there is more in the tank.
“I still have to pick it up,” he said. “I’m not going to win the Worlds playing like that. I have to go up a notch to beat the likes of Gary Anderson, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price. He’s almost there and I try.
“I take every game as it comes. If I play well enough, I win. If I don’t, I go home. It’s the way it has always been, over the 23 years. I’ve been a pro up and saying ‘I’m going to win this, I’m going to win that.’ I’ll do it on the day.If it’s good enough, happy days. no, I’ll keep an eye on you. “
In 2009, King reached the semi-finals where he lost Phil Taylor. Fast 11 forward 11 years, and he says his game is in a better place: “Without a shadow of a doubt. My game is in a much better position, through what I’m doing, not because I’ve talked to myself into that, it’s because of what I’m doing. So fingers crossed it’s going. “
3:48 Mervyn King says there is no reason he can’t win the World Championship
The elephant in the room
In fact, Gerwyn Price may have something to say about any underdog ‘s intentions to reach the finals from that half of the competition.
The Iceman grows into the competition as he progresses. After seeing countryman Jamie Lewis in strong fashion, he lifted his game to the edge of Brendan Dolan in a poem.
Price succeeds with the move, and Sid Waddell ‘s Cup is the only major omission on his glossy CB, after this year adding Grand Prix and World Cup titles to his two Grand Slam crowns.
1:01 Price made it to the final 16 after a convincing final decision at the last leg against Brendan Dolan
He is up against King with a quarterfinal win offered. The Welshman is their favorite to go on.
But if he enters Wright, Aspinall and Cross as high-profile casualties, the lower half will be blown open.
The fourth round of the PDC World Championship kicks off on Tuesday afternoon, with Gabriel Clemens facing Krzysztof Ratajski, and Joe Cullen taking on Michael van Gerwen. Watch all the live action on our exclusive Sky Sports Darts channel.