By Harry Eddolls
The second round of the Winmau World Masters concluded this evening.
There were four more games for the crowd at Arena MK to enjoy, to decide the final names in this years quarter-finals.
Starting off the evenings action was a clash between Rob Cross and Josh Rock. Set one began with a trade of breaks, before Rock held in the decider to take the opener.
Voltage fought back though, storming to set two without reply to level the contest going into the first break.
The third set produced an incredible standard, as both players averaged a staggering 118. It went on throw throughout, which meant it was Rocky who regained his advantage.
He ran with it in the fourth set, breaking then holding to go 3-1 up and within a set of the match going into the second interval.
There would be no respite for Cross in the fifth set, as Rock once again stormed to a set without reply, to record a 4-1 win and become the first name into the quarter-finals from tonight.
Next was the turn of Stephen Bunting and Danny Noppert to face off. The Freeze started off very well. He won four legs without reply, which included a straight ton out in the opening leg, to open up a 2-0 lead going into the first break.
Bunting got on the board to start set three, but it was very brief relief for The Bullet. Noppert won the next three legs to secure a comfortable 4-0 win, and safe passage into the quarters.
The world champion was next to the stage, as Luke Littler faced Ross Smith. It would be a brilliant start by the teenager. He roared to the first two sets, hitting four 180s and averaging nearly 118, while only allowing Smith to win leg two of the first set.
The Nuke continued his barrage after the break, taking his streak of legs to five to win the third set. Set four would stay on throw throughout, which meant that Smudger reduced the deficit to 3-1 going into the second interval.
The pair traded ton-plus outs at the beginning of set five. Littler found a Shanghai 120 out in leg one which was followed by a 101 out from Smith to take the set all the way. The Nuke held his nerve on throw, to take the set and by extension the match, a 4-1 win enough to see him into tomorrow’s action.
Finally, the reigning champion Luke Humphries continued his title defence against fellow Englishman Luke Woodhouse. Humphries set the early pace, winning the first three legs to put himself within a leg of a two set lead.
Then, in the second leg of the second set, Humphries kicked off with two 180s to leave him a shot at 141 for a 9-darter. Cool Hand lived up to his nickname, taking it out to record just the second ever 9-darter at the World Masters, and put him 2-0 up in the match.
Humphries extended his run of legs to five at the beginning of set three, but there was to be a fight back from Woodhouse, as he held then broke to get a set on the board.
Cool Hand didn’t let that fester however, as he broke straight back before consolidating with a hold, to go into the second interval at 3-1 up and within a set of the match.
Woodhouse came back out with a 114 out to break throw. That began a set which saw three straight breaks, which Woody would take to close the gap back to one set.
The sixth set was the reverse of the previous, with three straight holds. It saw the same outcome however, as Woodhouse brought the game back level at 3-3 and into a final set.
In the final set, Humphries held in the opener, before missing several match darts in the second leg, which was eventually taken by Woodhouse to force a deciding leg for the whole match.
The defending champion kept his cool on throw, to secure a dramatic 4-3 victory, and complete tomorrow’s quarter-final lineup.