Scott Williams produced the performance of his darting life as he knocked out Michael van Gerwen out of the PaddyPower PDC World Darts Championship.

Shaggy took advantage of an out of sorts MvG to win 5-3 and move into the last four of the sport’s showpiece event for the first time, becoming just the second player in history to beat Mighty Mike in the last eight at the Worlds. He will play Luke Humphries in the last four, after Cool Hand averaged 103.5 to see off Dave Chisnall 5-1 in the last quarter final.

Elsewhere on quarter final day at Alexandra Palace, Rob Cross produced the best last eight comeback of all time, being the first player to win from 4-0 down in any last eight tie at a World Championship as he knocked out Chris Dobey in a classic. Cross will play the teenage superstar Luke Littler in the other semi final, after he once again averaged a ton in a comfortable 5-1 win against Brendan Dolan.

Williams stays cool v MvG, faces Cool Hand in last four

From the off, van Gerwen looked out of sorts in comparison to how he’d breezed into the last eight at the PaddyPower World Darts Championship.

He missed all seven darts he had at a double in the first set, allowing Williams to whitewash the opening stanza, the first player to take a set off The Green Machine at this event. Van Gerwen though returned to form in the second set, hitting double 12 to equalise and threatening a nine darter in the third leg.

The third set went on throw until the fifth leg. Both missed darts for it, but van Gerwen eventually hit double 16 to break and go in front. The three time World Champion fell off a cliff though in set four, averaging just 77.9, as Shaggy secured a whitewash to level at 2-2.

Williams then made it six legs on the spin, averaging 112.73 in the fifth to complete another 3-0 whitewash and move back in front. Van Gerwen fought back, producing a whitewash of his own in the sixth set to get back level once again.

Shaggy though regained the advantage in set seven, hitting tops to go within one. After missing darts to break in the opening leg of the eighth, he broke in the third leg, either side of two holds to complete the victory.

Williams will take on world number three Luke Humphries, after Cool Hand produced his best performance of the tournament so far to beat Dave Chisnall and extend his winning streak to 17 matches.

Humphries took the opening set as Chizzy struggled to get a foothold in the game. Cool Hand produced an astonishing 164 outshot to force a deciding leg in set two, but Chisnall found double two to hold throw and level the contest.

It was the World Grand Prix, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals winner though who took control of the game. After comfortably winning set three, he went 2-0 down in set four and it looked like that Chizzy would level again. However, he missed multiple set darts across the next three legs, allowing the Newbury ace to eventually ping double two for a 3-2 set four win, going 3-1 up in the match.

Humphries averaged 110.3 and Chisnall hit 113.6 in an extraordinary fifth set. In the end though, another deciding leg went the way of the world number three, as he pinged a 121 on double 14 to move one away. He then broke again at the start of set six, eventually pinging tops for a 117 outshot and a whitewash set to win 5-1, moving into his maiden PDC World Darts Championship semi final.

Cross completes remarkable comeback, Littler up next for Voltage

Earlier in the day, Rob Cross produced a comeback against Chris Dobey that will live long in the memory of anyone fortunate enough to be in the Alexandra Palace on quarter finals day.

Despite going seven darts into a nine, Voltage could not live with Hollywood early on. The Geordie ace raced into a two set lead, before continuing his outstanding form that he’s shown throughout the tournament.

It took Dobey just 43 darts to win the third set, before an outstanding average of 121.9 featuring an amazing 161 finish on the bull with Voltage sat on 32, secured him another set whitewash and go within one of the match.

Voltage though found the switch to power himself back on. Back to back 3-1 wins halved the deficit, before Hollywood missed a match dart at bullseye by a whisker in the deciding leg of the seventh. It allowed the 2018 World Champion to ping double 16 and move just one set behind Dobey.

Cross then followed up with another 3-1 set to equalise and improbably force the game into a deciding set. There, Voltage found a 117 checkout, followed by an outstanding 130 on the bull to move one leg from the match. Hollywood though broke back in the third leg, before holding on double 16 to force extra time.

Three holds followed, before Dobey missed tops to make it 4-4. It gave Voltage a shot at 70, and he pinged double eight to complete the remarkable turnaround.

Cross will play the teenage sensation Littler in the first semi final tomorrow, after the 16 year old won against Northern Ireland’s number one Dolan.

It was Dolan who made the brighter start, going 2-0 up in set one. That though started a run of six legs on the spin for The Nuke, winning the first set 3-2 before whitewashing the second set, averaging a stunning 121.86 in the second stanza.

Littler was again behind in set three, as Dolan went 2-1 up. The History Maker then missed double 16 to get the game back on throw, allowing The Nuke to hit a stunning 111 outshot to level, before a 14 darter gave him a three set lead.

The History Maker again started a set well, finding a 142 to win the opening leg of the fourth. However, that was his last dart at a double in the fourth, as 43 darts later, Littler had reeled off three straight legs to take the set and move within one.

Dolan did win the fifth set against the throw, finding a 118 to do so. However, it was not to start a comeback of Rob Cross proportions, as Littler won the first leg of the sixth by taking out 302 in six darts, and 28 darts later, hit double four to prevail.

PaddyPower PDC World Darts Championship Quarter Final Results

Afternoon Session (1230 GMT)

2x Quarter Finals

Rob Cross 5-4 Chris Dobey
Luke Littler 5-1 Brendan Dolan

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

2x Quarter Finals

Scott Williams 5-3 Michael van Gerwen
Luke Humphries 5-1 Dave Chisnall

PaddyPower PDC World Darts Championship Semi Final Schedule of Play

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Evening Session (1930 GMT)

2x Semi Finals

Rob Cross v Luke Littler
Scott Williams v Luke Humphries