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Gary Anderson (front) defeated Dirk van Duijvenbode
Photo: Shane Healey / imago images / Pro Sports Images
Gary Anderson defeated world champion fright Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-1 and reached the semi-finals of the Darts World Cup.
Van Duijvenbode, who works full-time on an eggplant farm, had previously kicked former PDC world champion Rob Cross and Glen Durrant, former world champion of the BDO association, from the tournament.
Van Duijvenbode, who sees Anderson as his role model, started the match better on New Year's Day at Alexandra Palace and took the lead with the first set.
But Anderson, two-time world champion, did not let that unsettle him.
He won the following two sets without losing legs, the Scot only had to give up four legs by the end of the game.
In the end, Anderson had a good average score of 101.07 points per recording and a strong checkout rate of 50 percent.
In the semifinals on Saturday (7 p.m. / Sport1 and Dazn), Anderson will meet fellow favorites Michael von Gerwen or Dave Chisnall.
The Pole Krzysztof Ratajski, conqueror of the German darts hope Gabriel Clemens, was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Ratajski lost to Englishman Stephen Bunting 3: 5.
Ratajski, who had his birthday on the same day, hardly got into the game at the beginning, Bunting pulled away with three sets in a row.
In the meantime, Ratajski reduced the game to 3: 4 after sets, but Bunting won the last set without losing a leg.
Bunting played consistently well with an average score of 101.01 and a checkout rate of 52.78 percent.
In the semifinals on Saturday evening, he will meet fellow favorites Gerwyn Price or Daryl Gurney.
Who will make it to the semi-finals will be decided in the games in the evening.
Follow the games of Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price in the live ticker.
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ptz / dpa / sid