PDC World Darts Championship: Jonny Clayton wins to reach fourth round
Fifth seed Jonny Clayton needed a decisive set to finally beat world number 44 Niels Zonneveld and reach the last 16 of the PDC World Championship.
51-year-old Welshman Clayton returned to the field after a 12-day break, saying goodbye to the third round because his second-round opponent Dom Taylor was penalized for failing a drug test.
The first six sets of a high-quality match were all shot; Clayton moved the set ahead of Zonneveld on three separate occasions, but the Dutch left-hander continued to respond with an impressive display.
But the former Premier League champion found the key to the shot in the second leg of the deciding set before sealing victory.
Both players averaged over 98, with Clayton hitting 11 180s to Zonneveld’s seven.
17 of the 32 seeds were eliminated from the tournament in the first two rounds and Clayton told Sky Sports: “I don’t watch the games but I follow all the results and it’s a chance. [to go far in the tournament].
“I’m not going to lie, I look and think ‘another one’s gone’ and that gives me hope that I can do this. I look forward to every moment I get on this stage and I feel good.”
In the fourth round, Clayton will face the winner of Saturday evening’s opening match between Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko and Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson.
