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Rob Cross is the latest player to book his place in the semi-finals of the PDC World Darts Championship, seeing off World Youth champion Dimitri Van den Bergh by 5 sets to 4.
Cross – who has been the breakthrough star of the PDC circuit in 2017 – proved his credentials with a composed performance on the doubles, despite some stunning glimpses of real potential in a battling comeback from his opponent.
What a quarter-final!
Rob Cross takes out double 1 to win the match after Van den Bergh missed 3 darts at double 6!
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The 20th seed started the tie at lightning speed, taking out 88 to go into a 1-0 lead.
WATCH: Cross cleans up 88 to forge a 1-0 lead and is averaging around 100!
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A tight second set was taken again by Cross after the Belgian missed set darts, opening up a 2-0 lead.
WATCH: Neck-and-neck in the closing stages of the leg but Cross now leads 2⃣-0⃣!
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Van Den Bergh then sparked into life taking the third set and put Cross under some real pressure.
WATCH: Van den Bergh hits double 20 for the set. GAME ON! ?
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However, Cross then took six consecutive legs to go 4-1 up – and it looked as if the World Youth champion’s dreams were going to come to an abrupt end.
WATCH: Cross hits double 16 to move 3-1 up! Watch live on Sky Sports Darts or follow it here: https://t.co/Zw2MAfuv4Y #LoveTheDarts https://t.co/Bbvo61t3Zz
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There was still life left in the 23-year-old, however, with Van Den Bergh fighting against the odds to bring the scores back to 4-3, winning 6 out of 7 legs and developing some real momentum with the crowd on his side.
This stunning 134 checkout was the highlight of his fightback.
WATCH: 134 check-out from Van den Bergh! ???
“This match ain’t over just yet!”
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Van Den Bergh then raced into a 2-0 lead in the eighth set, before a 10-darter from Cross re-applied the pressure. However, Cross was powerless to stop the youngster clawing the game back from the death to make it 4-4 and take the tie to the deciding set.
A D18 checkout in the first leg saw Van Den Bergh lead for the first time in the game, but Cross managed to hold his throw and make it 1-1. Three darts at D16 were blown, however, and Cross took out the same double to hold the advantage for the match.
Again, Van Den Bergh missed six darts at the double and Cross punished him to take the game on D1 in arguably the best game of the tournament so far.
The better player may have lost, but it was ruthless finishing that prevailed.
Jordan Norris, Pundit Arena
