Smith and Van Gerwen Advance to Blackpool Quarter-Finals.

Multi Sports General

Smith and Van Gerwen Advance to Blackpool Quarter-Finals.

Michael Smith secured his spot in the World Matchplay quarter-finals in Blackpool by hitting his third match dart to defeat Chris Dobey 11-9.

England's Michael Smith started strong, cruising to a 6-2 lead, but faced a resilient Chris Dobey who narrowed the gap to 6-5 with an impressive 170 checkout. Despite Dobey's comeback efforts, Smith maintained his composure, extending his lead to 8-5. However, Dobey managed to snatch a crucial leg, making it 8-6.

Dobey further closed in with a brilliant 140 finish, bringing the score to 9-8. Yet, Smith showed his determination to avenge last year's quarter-final loss, eventually sealing the match 11-9 and setting up a clash with Rob Cross.

In another thrilling match, Michael van Gerwen fended off Joe Cullen's comeback attempts to secure his spot in the quarter-finals.