World Darts Championship order of play: full Saturday schedule and start times including Luke Littler
Luke The Nuke and MVG are unleashed again on Day 11 at the Ally Pally as the heat turns up at the Paddy Power World Championship.
The business-end of the tournament is underway and there are six more Saturday ties. Record Sport guides you through the when and who for today's mouth-watering clashes.
Afternoon Session 12.30pm
Ryan Joyce v Ryan Searle
First game up could be the game of the session. Joyce and Searle are both excellent performers on their day and have shown it already in the championship. Joyce was solid to see-off Darius Labanauskas in round one before stepping up again to defeat dangerous Danny Noppert. Searle was simply superb in thrashing Matt Campbell and Heavy Metal has the game to go deep in this event if he keeps that up. His scoring and finishing was dynamite against the Canadian.
Scott Williams v Ricardo Pietreczko
Shaggy came through a strange game in the last round against his big pal and stablemate Rob Cross. The 2018 champ was out of sorts and Williams took advantage. However, a semi-finalist last year, he has the CV and his first-round performance against Niko Springer was of a high standard. Pietreczko has dropped one set in the defeats of Zong Xiao Chen and Gian Van Veen and came close to knocking Luke Humphries out 12 months ago. Could be a cracker if they both turn up firing.
Nathan Aspinall v Andrew Gilding
Big contrast in styles as the energetic and lively Aspinall comes up against the less-animated and methodical Gilding. Aspinall felt big pressure to deliver in his first game against Leonard Gates and, although winning, didn’t hit the heights he had hoped.
Gilding produced the stronger show to take care of Martin Lukeman. Two men with little form coming into the tournament. The seedings and the bookmakers say Aspinall, but it has the potential to be tight and go either way if he doesn’t really sparkle.
Evening Session 7.00pm
Chris Dobey v Josh Rock
Two players brimming with talent and the ability to smash their way into round four and there’s nothing between them in the seedings at No.15 and No.18. Dobey was strong in patches against Alexander Merkx with his biggest issues coming from orange wigs being lobbed at him from the crowd. His doubling was patchy, though, and a repeat could expose him. Rock was solid against Rhys Griffin and didn’t drop a set. The pair are big scorers at their best with the Geordie the slight favourite.
Michael van Gerwen v Brendan Dolan
The Green Machine opened his bid for a fourth title win with a strong defeat of James Hurrell. The Dutchman’s only issues came when his rival slowed the game down to a slug-like pace and that could happen again when facing the methodical Dolan, although he’s nowhere near as slow as Hurrell. It should be something Van Gerwen handles, but Dolan is no pushover.
He knocked Gary Anderson and Gerwyn Price out 12 months ago and there were signs he’s recovered from a shoulder issue as he beat Lok Yin Lee in round two.
Luke Littler v Ian White
Littler dealt with bundles of nerves and tension seven days ago when returning to Palace to beat Ryan Meikle. It took him some time to get going, but the last-set average of almost 141 was a new tournament record and he almost hit a nine darter.
That shows what The Nuke is capable of and White will be powerless to stop anything of that nature. Diamond didn’t have a first round game due to the sudden illness of scheduled opponent Sando Eric Sosing and he was not troubled by an out-of-form Ritchie Edhouse in round two. He says he will play without pressure. It’s all on Littler and all eyes are on the 17-year-old.
