PDC World Darts Championships: Adrian Lewis eases into third round with win over Ted Evetts

The 2011 and 2012 winner took the first two sets 3-2 and sealed a 3-0 win with an 11-dart leg in the third with both men scoring six 180s

Friday 21 December 2018 08:14 GMT
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Lewis will now face Darius Labanauskas in the third round
Lewis will now face Darius Labanauskas in the third round (Getty Images)

Adrian Lewis is convinced he can win a third PDC World Darts Championship after easing his way into the last 32 at Alexandra Palace.

Lewis was made to work harder than the scoreline suggested as he saw off Ted Evetts in the second round to progress to a head-to-head with Raymond Van Barneveld's conqueror Darius Labanauskas.

The 2011 and 2012 winner took the first two sets 3-2 and sealed a 3-0 win with an 11-dart leg in the third with both men scoring six 180s.

Asked how far he can go in the tournament, he told Sky Sports: "I can go all the way. Obviously I've just come off a victory there - a lot of people talk a lot of junk, but I do honestly think I have got a great chance this year."

There was a shock in the evening's final tie as seventh seed Mensur Suljovic went out to world number 61 Ryan Searle.

Suljovic, who hit 10 maximums in the match, won the first set, but claimed only three more legs as Searle, who will face William O'Connor in the next round, fought back to go through it 3-1.

Mervyn King was made to sweat by 28-year-old Jan Dekker as he eventually landed himself a third-round date with Brendan Dolan.

King looked to be cruising as he raced into a two-set lead but Dekker took the third, and after the Englishman had missed match darts in the fourth and fifth legs of the next, the Dutchman levelled at 2-2.

However, King held his nerve to close out the match, winning 4-2 in the deciding set.

Cristo Reyes will face reigning champion Rob Cross after coming from two sets down against Austria's Rowby-John Rodriguez.

Rodriguez took the first two sets 3-2, but the man from Tenerife hit back to level and then go through by claiming the fifth 3-0.

The afternoon session saw former BDO champions Steve Beaton and Stephen Bunting bow out of the competition.

Beaton won only two legs as he went down 3-0 to Chris Dobey.

Lewis is into the third round (PA)

Dobey edged the first set 3-2, but then eased through the second and third with the minimum of fuss to book a third-round clash with Vincent Van Der Voort.

Bunting fell victim to Luke Humphries as the 23-year-old completed the biggest win of his career to date.

Humphries went two sets up after taking the first set with a 142 checkout before Bunting, the 2014 champion, reduced the deficit and went on to lead 2-1 in the fourth, but his opponent hit back to clinch the match 3-1.

Alan Norris won a dramatic sudden death shoot-out with Steve Lennon to ensure his progression.

With the pair tied at 5-5 in the final set, Norris checked out on 81 to seal a 3-2 win and line up a clash with Ryan Joyce.

Dutchman Jermaine Wattimena enjoyed a far more comfortable afternoon as he cruised to a 3-0 victory over Michael Barnard despite missing 22 doubles.

Earlier, Englishman James Wade had apologised for comments in which he said he "wanted to really hurt" Japanese opponent Seigo Asada during his 3-2 victory on Wednesday night, blaming a hypomania episode for his outburst.

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