Gary Anderson must shake off rust to avoid the fate of fellow stars stars at PDC World Championship
Gary Anderson will bid to avoid becoming the fourth top-10 player to be dumped out of the PDC World Championship on Monday night.
On Sunday, last year’s runner-up Michael Smith joined world No2 Rob Cross and Ian White in crashing out in the second round.
Two-time world champion Anderson, having had much of his season curtailed by a back injury, is all too aware his lack of matches make him an unknown quantity going up against Brendan Dolan, a quarter-finalist at the event a year ago.
Former world semi-finalist Mark Webster warned: “He hasn’t had a lot of game time. He is getting better and did say at the Grand Slam [last month] that he’s getting there. Hopefully it just clicks into gear this year because we want to see the best Gary Anderson.
“He’s a naturally gifted player. Gary will have done quite a lot of practice in the build-up to his match and hopefully it all goes right for him when he’s here.”
Meanwhile, Mikuru Suzuki came agonisingly close to becoming the first female winner at the World Darts Championship after coming from 2-0 down to nearly defeat James Richardson.
The reigning women’s world champion picked up three 100-plus finishes, including a 151 and a 101, which helped take the contest into a deciding leg which Richardson won.
Suzuki, 37, said: “It was tough but I was very close. I was unlucky but next year I will be better on stage. I will keep going. I will be back.”
