2004 PDC World Darts Championship - Day 3 - Monday 29 December

Monday 29 December

7 third round matches as the top players entered the fray. Matches had now been extended to the best of 7 sets, so the players require 4 sets to go through.

The 1st match saw to players with an excellent pedigree in the World Championship, and not for the first time, a tremendous fightback. Dave Askew, Semi-Finalist in 2001 and 2002, took a 3-1 lead against Keith Deller. However the 1983 world champion Deller fought back, taking six of the next seven legs to level the match at 3-3 and set up a deciding set. - Deller took it in the tie-break winning the set 5-3 to go through. However both players played short of the best and Deller could qualify with a 76 average. The second match saw the number 3 seed, Peter Manley pushed the entire way by Wayne Atwood. Atwood led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 in sets and was at one stage, just one leg away from victory before Manley sneaked the sixth set 3-2. Experience began to tell and Manley qualified with a 3-1 set victory in the decider. A 170 finish from Manley helping the 3rd seed's cause. The final match of the afternoon saw the number 6 seed, Dennis Smith go through 4-2 over Les Fitton however Fitton pushed the final set to the deciding leg, having the chance to go to the seventh set but Smith would go through.

Four matches took place in the evening, in the first Erik Clarys' run came to an end. The 2 time former world championship finalist Ronnie Baxter taking the match 4-2, however Clarys had levelled up at 2-2 from 2-0 behind. A 170 finish from Baxter began to put the pressure back on the Belgian as the match concluded. Then Bob Anderson, 16 years after his first world title began his push for a second title. In tremendous form, he took the first three sets, losing just three legs in the process to go 3-0 up on the 11th seed Andy Jenkins. Jenkins, took the fourth set 3-1 and got to 2-2 in the fifth before Anderson prevailed to book his place in the fourth round with an 84.69 average.

The big shock of the day and the entire event so far came in the third match of the evening. John Part's reign as Champion would come to an end as he lost 4-3 to Mark Dudbridge. Dudbridge, took the first two sets, 3-2 and 3-1 to open up a 2-0 lead. Part responded by showing glimpses of the form that beat Taylor a year ago to level the match up at 2-2. However Dudbridged nicked the fifth set by 3-2 to go 3-2 up and 1 leg away from the match. Part again responded, taking the sixth set 3-1 to level the match at 3 sets apiece.

The seventh set went into the tie-break when the pair became locked at 2-2 in legs. 2-2 became 3-3 as the 2nd seed tried desperately to hold onto his crown. However, Dudbridge would take the next two legs to decide the match as he went through to the fourth round. The drama of this match probably meant that another thriller was overlooked in Kevin Painter's 4-3 win over Paul Williams. Painter had gone 3-1 up playing great darts, however Williams had levelled up at 3-3. Painter would take the decider 3-1 to go through to the fourth round with a 88.62 average.