World Darts Championship: Reigning champ Peter Wright out after shock Kim Huybrechts defeat | Darts News

Kim Huybrechts produced a stunning upset to dethrone reigning champion Peter Wright with a 4-1 victory in their third round encounter at the Cazoo World Darts Championship.

Although he took the opening set, Wright looked woefully out of sorts at Alexandra Palace and 31st-ranked Huybrechts duly capitalized to prematurely end the 52-year-old’s quest for a third world title.

“The Hurricanes will be joined in the last 16 by Gerwyn Price, who underlined his status as world leader with a 4-0 thrashing of former world champion Raymond van Barneveld, and Gabriel Clemens after he defeated Jim Williams in the first contest. night

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Kim Huybrechts beat reigning world champion Peter Wright in a surprise 4-1 victory to set up Belgium’s last 16 tie against Dimitri Van den Bergh.

Wright, who is aiming for a third world title, got off to a flying start against Huybrechts after winning the first set 3-0, but the Belgian roared back to level the match. legs 14, 13 and 15 darts respectively.

Despite the change in darts, the world champion continued to struggle in the third set as Huybrechts won 3-1 to complete the set with 51 to advance.

It was much closer in the fourth quarter, with Wright breaking the set in the blink of an eye to level the match, but that allowed Huybrechts to slip through to force the decider, which he duly triumphed with a 67, to be on the brink. memorable victory.

The first two parts of the fifth set were split, but Huybrechts pulled to within one, scoring 68 points in the third. Wright was able to send the set to a decider but was unable to take 115 and was penalized as Huybrechts went double 18 at the third attempt to break.

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Kim Huybrechts remains humble in his response to Peter Wright’s knockout to book his place in the last 16 of the World Darts Championships.

“I just played my game,” said Huybrechts, who faces compatriot Dimitri van den Bergh in the fourth round. “I beat the name Peter Wright, but the person Peter Wright wasn’t there – I have to be honest.

“Usually he’s 20 times better than this one, but I took my chances and won. I did what I had to do, but usually he plays much better – everyone knows it, and I know it. Beating the world champion, I’m happy.”

Price demolishes Van Barneveld to progress

Price, who Van Barneveld has beaten three times this year, including a Grand Slam quarter-final meeting last month, took an early lead against the Dutch icon after winning the first set with an 87 to secure a 3-1 lead. to win.

A superb check of 117 forced the Welshman into the second set and he fired a 66 to go two sets ahead, although the Iceman was well and truly tested in the third as Van Barneveld took the decider. the pair exchanged the first four legs.

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Gerwyn Price wins the match at 128 cashes with a 4-0 win over Raymond van Barneveld.

in 2007 A missed double eight by the PDC world champion and four-time Lakeside title winner saw Price clinch the win to pull within a set of victory, but Van Barneveld gave himself a glimmer of hope with a 1-0 lead. fourth perfect 147 finish.

However, in 2021 the world champion was unstoppable and he secured a clean sweep of Van Barneveld with a final round score of 128 to set up a last 16 meeting with former Grand Slam winner Jose de Sousa or Ryan Searle.

“I let Raymond down a lot in the grand slam, but I was clinical today,” Price said. “One leg I drop him and he wins it and then the crowd come back with Raymond so it’s really tough – but go!”

“I think I scored a lot better than him, I played a lot better than him, I deserved a 4-0 winner and you can’t say I never beat him on TV again.”

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World number one Gerwyn Price reacts to his 4-0 win over Raymond van Barneveld of the Netherlands in the third round of the World Darts Championships.

“I’m here to win, not to make up the numbers. Raymond and I were world champions fighting for our second PDC world title, so I’m here to win.”

Clemens pulls out the win over Williams

Earlier in the evening, Clemens won six of the last seven stages to record a thrilling 4-3 triumph over Williams to reach 16th in the PDC World Championship for the second time in his career.

The German giant, roared on by a sizable contingent of his compatriots from the crowd, stormed back in three straight legs to take the first set of the night after Williams fired back a penalty of 111. But the 2020 the runner-up in the BDO version of the world championships immediately took down his opponent in the second leg of the 13th and 14th darts.

The see-saw nature continued in a back-and-forth third set, including a 157 check from Clemens, who won the decider after Williams made it 2-2 with a perfect finish at 134.

In the first game of the night, Gabriel Clemens outpointed Jim Williams

The Welshman reached the decisive stage again in the fourth set when Clemens lost two doubles which would have put him just one set away from a place in the fourth round.

Instead, it was Williams who came close to winning the fifth set 3-1, but there was more drama as Clemens came back from 2-0 down to force a deciding set after her opponent missed a double. six for the match.

And the 39-year-old took his chance when it came, booking his place ahead of No.9 Danny Noppert or Alan Soutara in the next round to finish in style and success.

Wednesday at Ally Pally

Three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen returns to the home of darts when he meets Austrian Mensur Suljovic in a successful evening session that also features The Rockstar Joe Cullen and last year’s finalist Michael Smith.

Two-time winner Gary Anderson takes on Hollywood’s Chris Dobey in the afternoon session.

The third and fourth rounds will take place on December 27-30, before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final on January 1-3.

See 2023 The PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – right up to the final on January 3.