Gerwyn Price suffered a second-round defeat at the Cazoo Masters at the hands of Dirk Van Duijvenbode, while world champion Michael Smith made safe progress into the quarter-finals.
Price exited after going down 10-8 to Van Duijvenbode in Milton Keynes, the Dutchman failing to make the most of five match darts in the penultimate leg before sealing victory with an 11-darter.
Van Duijvenbode, who had lost 15 of his 16 meetings with Price, said in quotes on pdc.tv: “Those match darts I had in the leg before were the hardest darts I’ve ever thrown.
“I always set myself high standards so if I am not hitting a 100 average every game, I’m not happy, but I’m pleased with how I managed to compose myself in that last leg.”
Van Duijvenbode will now face Chris Dobey, who saw off Luke Humphries with victory by the same score.
Michael Smith got past Ross Smith 10-7 and will next play Danny Noppert, a 10-9 victor over Stephen Bunting.
Ross Smith had won the European Championship final between the pair in October and took out 126, 130 and 136 combinations en route to a 4-2 lead at Marshall Arena before the world champion fought back.
And Michael Smith said: “The reception I got was unreal and I need to get used to it quick, because I was too busy enjoying it.
“That first session when Ross checked out 126 and 130, I thought it was the European Championship all over again!
“Every single time he left a ton-plus finish he hit it, but I stepped in, I took my chances and I’m glad to get the job done.”
Five-time Masters champion Michael van Gerwen beat Jose de Sousa 10-7 to set up a meeting with Rob Cross, who advanced to the last eight after emerging with a 10-6 triumph from a clash with Gary Anderson that produced the highest combined average in the competition’s history.
Cross and Anderson fired in eight 180s each and averaged 112.32 and 111.17 respectively.
The other quarter-final will be between 2020 title-winner Peter Wright and 2021 champion Jonny Clayton.
Wright defeated Dave Chisnall 10-7 and Clayton got the better of James Wade, winning 10-3.
