Clayton battles past Zonneveld to book last-16 spot at PDC worlds

Jonny Clayton survived a stern examination from Niels Zonneveld to secure his place in the last 16 of the PDC World Championship, edging the Dutchman in a deciding set, Sport360NG reports.

The fifth seed, returning to action after a 12-day absence, was forced to dig deep as Zonneveld matched him set for set in a contest dominated early on by strong scoring and clinical holds of throw. Clayton had advanced directly to the third round after his scheduled second-round opponent, Dom Taylor, was suspended following a failed drugs test.

The opening six sets all went with the darts, with Clayton repeatedly nudging ahead only for the world number 44 to respond. Zonneveld’s resilience ensured the match went the distance, but the Welshman found a crucial break in the second leg of the final set before closing out victory.

Both players averaged above 98 in a high-quality encounter, with Clayton firing 11 maximums to Zonneveld’s seven.

Clayton later reflected on the impact of a tournament that has already seen a high attrition rate among the seeds, with 17 of the 32 top-ranked players eliminated in the first two rounds.

“I don’t watch the games but I keep track of the results, and it’s an opportunity,” he told Sky Sports. “You see another seed go out and it gives you belief that you can make a run. I’m enjoying every moment on this stage and I feel in a good place.”

The former Premier League champion will face either Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko or Sweden’s Andreas Harrysson in the fourth round.

Elsewhere, 25th seed Luke Woodhouse continued his impressive form with a 4-1 victory over fellow Englishman Andrew Gilding to reach the fourth round for the second consecutive year. He will next meet Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, who produced a dramatic comeback to defeat Wesley Plaisier.

Ratajski recovered from a 3-1 deficit by landing three ton-plus finishes in the fifth set, then survived three match darts in the sixth before forcing a decider. He sealed the win with a 116 checkout.

Saturday’s evening session, beginning at 19:00 GMT, is headlined by world number one and defending champion Luke Littler, who takes on Austria’s Mensur Suljovic. Fourth seed Stephen Bunting is also in action against James Hurrell, while Pietreczko faces Harrysson in the opening match of the session.