Gary Anderson is vying for a third world title, a decade after securing his second.
Scotland’s Gary Anderson triumphed over longtime rival Michael van Gerwen to advance to the PDC World Championship quarter-finals.
Having been mainstays of the sport for over a decade, the highly anticipated fourth-round match saw both players achieve averages exceeding 99.
Anderson, a back-to-back world champion in 2015 and 2016, seized the first two sets against Van Gerwen, the 36-year-old Dutchman, three-time former champion, and third seed in this year’s tournament.
Despite a set claimed by last year’s runner-up, the 55-year-old Anderson rallied to secure a 4-1 victory, marking his return to the World Championship’s last eight after a four-year absence.
He will next face Justin Hood, a popular English debutant who delivered a masterclass in finishing to eliminate 11th seed Josh Rock 4-0 during the afternoon session.
Meanwhile, world number two Luke Humphries and Dutch 10th seed Gian van Veen have set the stage for a compelling quarter-final showdown on Thursday, each securing their respective last-16 victories with a 4-1 scoreline.
Unseeded Dutchman Kevin Doets averaged over 111 to claim the first set against England’s Humphries, but he was unable to sustain his exceptional start.
The 2024 champion then won 12 of the next 14 legs, cruising to a comfortable victory with an overall average of 103.07.
Humphries told Sky Sports: “I’ve felt like I’ve played well, but I feel like there’s another level in me, which is important. If you’re going to win this tournament, you have to have another level in you because that won’t win you the World Championship.”
“Gian is a classy player. He’s changed a lot, he’s worked on his game, and now he’s a top player.”
“If I can bring what I did tonight, but a little bit extra, I’ll give him a tough game. He’ll definitely give me a tough game. This is what darts is all about, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Van Veen had earlier defeated 20-year-old English debutant Charlie Manby 4-1 to reach his first World Championship quarter-final.
Justin Hood (left) will earn at least £100,000 for his efforts at Alexandra Palace.
Against Northern Ireland’s World Cup winner Rock, Hood successfully hit his first 11 attempts at doubles and missed for the first time when aiming for 143 to win the match.
That marked the first of four match darts he missed in that leg, but he ultimately secured the win in the following leg, much to the delight of the crowd who chanted his name throughout.
“I’ve never experienced anything [in terms of atmosphere] like it,” the 32-year-old from Somerset told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“To have people chanting your name like that and being on your side like that is an amazing feeling. Long may it continue.”
Rock could only shake his head and smile in disbelief from the back of the stage as Hood continued to land double after double.
Hood has previously expressed his desire to open a Chinese restaurant with his World Championship earnings, which currently stand at £100,000.
Having entered the tournament ranked 86th in the world, he is provisionally within the top 50 thanks to his victory over Northern Ireland’s Rock, who had been considered a potential tournament winner.
Recap: Tuesday’s fourth-round matches as they happened
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Earlier, Welsh fifth seed Jonny Clayton overcame the challenge of Swedish debutant Andreas Harrysson, setting up a last-eight clash with England’s Ryan Searle.
Harrysson missed opportunities in the fifth set to take a 3-2 lead, while five of the six sets played went to a deciding leg.
Clayton’s 4-2 victory provisionally elevates him to fourth in the PDC world rankings and would secure his automatic qualification for next year’s Premier League if he maintains that position at the tournament’s conclusion.
Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski defeated 25th seed Luke Woodhouse by the same score, setting up a quarter-final against defending champion Luke Littler.
Woodhouse narrowly missed a double 12 for a nine-dart finish in the third set, which would have marked the tournament’s first perfect leg and earned the Englishman an additional £60,000.
Luke Woodhouse 2-4 Krzysztof Ratajski
Jonny Clayton 4-2 Andreas Harrysson
Justin Hood 4-0 Josh Rock
Charlie Manby 1-4 Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen 1-4 Gary Anderson
Luke Humphries 4-1 Kevin Doets
Luke Littler (1) v Krzysztof Ratajski
Ryan Searle (20) v Jonny Clayton (5)
Luke Humphries (2) v Gian van Veen (10)
Gary Anderson (14) v Justin Hood
All four quarter-final matches (best of nine sets) to be played on 1 January 2026
World Darts Championship 2026 schedule and results
World Darts Championship – Draw, seeds, prize money
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