Darts World Championship: Gary Anderson books quarter final spot

Defending darts world champion Gary Anderson. Photo / Greg Bowker

Defending champion Gary Anderson booked his place in the quarter-finals of the William Hill World Darts Championship with a 4-2 win over Benito van de Pas at Alexandra Palace.

Anderson, the second seed, held off a spirited display from 23-year-old Dutchman van de Pas to open up a 3-0 lead without missing a double and producing nine maximums.

After the Scot had missed a dart at double top to win 4-0, Van de Pas rallied to reduced the deficit to 3-2.

However, Anderson - aiming to win the Sid Waddell Trophy for the third time in a row - made sure of a place in the last eight as he closed out victory with a match average of 107.8, which was the highest of the tournament so far.

In the crowd was golfer Andrew 'Beef' Johnston who seemed to enjoy his time at Alexandra Palace cheering on the players on the oche.

Wednesday's late match then saw Raymond van Barneveld knock out last year's runner-up Adrian Lewis with a thrilling 4-3 win.

Fifth seed Lewis, who won the PDC world title in both 2011 and 2012, took the opening set before Dutchman van Barneveld, the 2007 champion, levelled with a 70 check out.

Van Barneveld, a four-time winner of the BDO world crown and beaten by 'Jackpot' Lewis in last year's PDC semi-final, moved ahead at 2-1.

However, Lewis made the most of the Dutchman's failure to finish off the fourth set and squared the match once more.

Lewis maintained his momentum with a 106 checkout to take the fifth set for a 3-2 lead, only for van Barneveld to find his range on the doubles again and force a decider.

It was the Dutchman who then held his nerve to deliver a 52 check-out with the final dart at double 16 which secured the set 3-1 and a place in the last eight against either Phil Taylor, the 14-time PDC champion, or Belgian Kim Huybrechts on Friday.

Earlier on Wednesday, Peter Wright, James Wade, Jelle Klaasen and Huybrechts all recorded comfortable second-round victories.

No 3 seed Wright defeated Welshman Jamie Lewis 4-0, in which he dropped just one leg en route to the last 16 while Wade saw off veteran Steve Beaton, the 1996 BDO world champion, 4-1.

Dutchman Klaasen, who won the 2006 BDO world title as a 21-year-old outsider, beat Brendan Dolan of Northern Ireland 4-0 during which he twice came close to a nine-dart finish.

Huybrechts also produced a convincing display as the 13th seed defeated German Max Hopp in another straight-sets win.

Klaasen will next meet Dave Chisnall, with the winner then set to take on Anderson for a place in the semi-finals.