Dimitri Van den Bergh v Florian Hempel (2-3)

Hempel - a World Championship participant for the third time - is still hard on the hunt for a 2024 tour card, which is reserved for the top 64 in the world rankings.

Steve Lennon and Radoslav Szaganski are direct competitors for that ticket. Van den Bergh was allowed to start in the first set, but saw the German 'steal' the first leg in 15 darts. The Belgian, last year's semi-finalist, was very sloppy on his doubles, allowing Hempel to finish off a poor second leg on double-16.

Van den Bergh recovered in leg 3, but it was only on his eighth double of the set that he took his first leg: 1-2. Hempel lost his leg, after which Van den Bergh found his rhythm and was able to make it 3-2.

With a 120-out throw in the first leg of the second set, the German regained the lead. Van den Bergh equalised in his own leg. Meanwhile, the 180s also slowly started to fall in Ally Pally.

In the next leg, Van den Bergh stepped up the pressure considerably and managed a break via double-8 (2-1). In the fourth leg, the Belgian had six darts to clear 40 and did so in a very creative way: 3-1 and thus 2-0 in sets.

Turnaround

In the third set, Van den Bergh thought he would 'briefly' finish the first leg, but Hempel came alongside with a 72. This put him ahead for the third time in a set. Via a steady second leg, it was even 2-0 after double-10 before Van den Bergh reached a finish. The Belgian came back to 1-2 - just like in set 1 - and then threw another 180. It was the prelude to a break and a 2-2 score in set 3, allowing Van den Bergh to throw for the match. However, Hempel was not finished yet and took the deciding leg: 3-2.

Thus, Hempel started to throw in the fourth set to make it 2-2. Van den Bergh had other plans, however, and via a 14-darter took the first set for once.

In his own leg it then became 2-0 and so Hempel now had to hold on to his own leg to stay in the match. He succeeded after Van den Bergh failed to finish 157 on the bull, after which Hempel made 151 (1-2). He was on 70% finishes at that point.

Van den Bergh's first leg went smoothly. Via 51 Van den Bergh did not yet secure his match with two match darts (total of 10 from 32), after which Hempel threw out 84. Thus Hempel was 'in control' again and a start of 140 and 180 took him to 181 after six arrows.

Van den Bergh lagged behind. Via 145 it was 36 for Hempel and with a double-18 he made - nota bene - the second 10-darter of the tournament.

Another 10-darter!

The decisive set started for Hempel again with a 10-darter after six perfect darts. In the leg in which the Belgian started. An incredible comeback seemed to be in the making, but in his own leg the German stalled.

Van den Bergh refused to throw out 76 and neither did Hempel, after which the Belgian missed three more doubles. Hempel hit double-10 to take a 2-0 lead.

In his own leg, Van den Bergh failed again on 76. Hempel with 80 made triple-60, single 10, double-5 to complete a mega comeback. The Belgian's three missed matchdarts will haunt him for a long time to come.

Martin Schindler v Jermaine Wattimena (3-1)

Present at the PDC World Cup for the tenth consecutive time, Wattimena was allowed to start the match against the German, from whom he has lost six times in the past and won three times. The Dutchman retained his leg and Schindler subsequently succeeded.

The first 180 for Wattimena was answered by a 180 from Schindler, who then managed to throw 81 in five arrows for a break: 2-1. Schindler threw out the set at 58 in two arrows: 3-1.

Schindler was allowed to start the second set and he unconventionally finished that leg via a double-7. Wattimena thus started the second leg and in it he came fairly unthreatened at 1-1 via double-10.

The German then took his own leg again via double-18. In the fourth leg, Schindler was soon on a 24 throw out and finished quickly with double-12. Again 3-1 and thus a 2-0 tie in sets.

Matchdart

In set numero three, the picture of the match continued. In Wattimena's leg, Schindler immediately took the lead. Alexandra Palace fell pretty quiet after Hempel's spectacle and with the arrival of Barney in prospect. Wattimena managed to break back and grabbed a leg for the first time in which the German was on a throw-out.

In the third leg, the venue came back to life with a 170-out throw. The fourth of the tournament. Schindler equalised in his leg and so the Dutchman went on to throw in the fifth to stay in the match. Schindler missed tops to throw out 145, after which Wattimena threw out 40 in two arrows: 3-2 and 1-2 in sets.

In set four, the initiative again belonged to the German, who had thus missed one matchdart. However, he did not let himself be distracted from his goal and threw in the first leg unchallenged.

In the second leg, the German then struck on a 74 finish for 2-0. In the potentially decisive leg for Schindler, the German did not throw any triples in the first three innings, but was first to throw for a finish on 146. Wattimena missed on 68, after which Schindler threw in the double-16 with 50 on his second matchdart: 3-0 in the set and 3-1 in the match.

Raymond van Barneveld v Radoslav Szaganski (3-1)

Van Barneveld was at the oche for the 17th time at the PDC World Championship and became world champion for the fifth time in 2007. In his 108th match at his 31st World Cup, Van Barneveld fell behind in Szaganski's leg, but then made it 1-1 via the double-18.

In the Ireland-based Pole's leg, Barney then missed double-18, but got a second chance. This time he hit the target and could throw for the set in the fourth leg. A very steady 140-140-180 gave the chance for an 11-darter with the Pole on 220. And Barney did it in style: 9, double-16 and 1-0 ahead.

The first leg of the second set was then also immediately a triumph for RvB, who at that point threw out 4 out of 5 darts on a double, against 1 in 6 from the Pole. In Szaganski's leg, van Barneveld had the chance to break at 104 and - naturally - he did so in one arrow. With that, the fifth arrow out of six doubles was also hit. A 180 in his own leg (his second of the match) provided another finish (116). This time tops went wrong for once, but in the retry he failed to hit double-20 and double-10, but did hit double-5: 3-0 in legs and 2-0 in sets with six legs in a row.

High finishes

At the start of the third set, it was the Pole's turn to start and take a 118-finish to take a 1-0 lead. In Van Barneveld's leg, Szaganski made his first 180, but it was still the Dutchman who threw out a 113 for the 1-1.

After four 140s in the next leg, it was 221-all. The Pole was then first on double-12 and threw out that finish in three arrows for 2-1. The equalising leg was for Van Barneveld who worked very steadily towards a 118-out throw but failed to repeat his opponent's feat.

Szaganski failed to make 112, allowing Van Barneveld to throw out a 60 and make it 2-2. The Pole then had to win the fifth leg to stay in the match and he succeeded while Van Barneveld was still on 116.

The Dutchman regained the initiative in the fourth set and in the first leg Van Barneveld was on 138 and the Pole on 144 and one arrow to break. Via a finish of 98 in two arrows, Barney still gained the lead.

In the second leg, Van Barneveld had a breaking chance at 121, but missed the double 14 this time. He went up for "his" third leg and started it with 140-140-140. A chance for an 11-darter came in the fourth turn, but two attempts at double-12 went wrong. Via double-6 and double-3 it was over in 14 arrows: 2-1.

So the Pole had to save himself again in a leg of his own. Barney put the pressure on with a 180, but two 140s kept Szaganski up. The Pole did not fail and made it 2-2, eventually via double-5. So the match had to be decided in the fifth leg. Two 140s from the Dutchman left Barney with 80, which he threw out in two arrows: 3-2 in legs and 3-1 in sets.

Chris Dobey v William O'Connor (1-1)

Irishman O'Connor failed to throw out in his first leg, allowing the placed Dobey to take advantage: 1-0. Dobey - who won five of the eight matches between them - then also made it 2-0 in two darts on 100 under the pressure of a 26 finish opportunity from his opponent.

O'Connor popped in his second 180 and was also first to finish with 88. The double fell, not after which Dobey also failed to finish 54. Via the double-1 he made it 1-2. Dobey threw 180 at a crucial moment to leave 36 in leg 4. Via double-18 he thus secured the fourth leg: 3-1.

In the second set - Dobey's - the Englishman started brightly and was on a 130 finish after nine arrows. Those did not go out in six arrows, allowing O'Connor to seize the opportunity via a 68 in two arrows. The Irishman was allowed to start the second leg, but saw Dobey throw six perfect arrows before putting away 32.

With arrows 10, 11 and 12, O'Connor also left 32 after which Dobey also failed to capitalise on arrows 10, 11 and 12. At arrow 13 for the Irishman, it became 2-0. Dobey came back to 1-2 after which the Irishman put away a 170 for himself and missed on the bull. On the next attempt, double-9 did hit: 3-1 and 1-1 in sets.

Always 3-1

The third set also started with a break, putting Dobey in the lead 1-0. Dobey stepped up a gear and was on 38 after 12 darts, which failed to go out in three arrows. O'Connor failed to finish a 113, after which Dobey made it 2-0 via double-8.

In the Irishman's third leg, Dobey left a 170 in front, but it was O'Connor who finished 72. Dobey got off to a late start in leg four but was still first on a finish of 100, which went out in four arrows for 3-1 in legs. Standings in sets: 2-1.

Set four started with seven perfect darts for O'Connor and a 10-darter and thus another break. The fourth 10-darter of the tournament. They all fell on this Friday. Dobey threw the 14th 180 of the match in the second leg and broke back in 12 darts: 1-1. With that, there was a trend break by Dobey, who started smoothly but saw O'Connor make it 2-1 via a 105 finish and also won the set 3-1.

Set 5 started with a chance on the bull from 167 for Dobey, but a double-20 for the Irishman's 1-0. Dobey popped back with a steady leg for the 1-1 via double-8.

The third leg of the fifth set was an ideal time to throw out double-16 for the first time. Eight was the right time and good for 2-1 and the chance to finish the match in leg four. Twice 140 and 96 provided a 125 finish with O'Connor on 219. Of the six darts, he needed six to win the set and the match.