Saturday 20 December 2014 20:24, UK
Robert Thornton dominated Andrew Gilding with a 97.6 average in the Saturday afternoon session in the PDC World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Scottish thrower Thornton was in cruise control from the opening arrow and won three sets with no reply to send an ominous message to his rivals for the Sid Waddell Trophy.
After Thornton quickly took the first leg, he and Gilding exchanged maximums in a crowd-pleasing intro but from that point onwards, it was largely one-way traffic.
Thornton took the first set from the Ally Pally debutant and returned to the oche to immediately check out on double seven for a quick leg and then slammed home another 180.
Gilding, with seemingly no room to manoeuvre, had dropped four straight legs and although he checked out from 56 to avoid a whitewash, Thornton quickly wrapped up the second set anyway.
A classy break in the third ended Gilding’s faint hopes and Thornton will advance to the second round.
Rocking through
Ronnie ‘The Rocket’ Baxter provided a reminder of his prowess by halting the exciting afternoon of Daryl Gurney.
Baxter checked out with a bullseye and a double top to take the first set from Gurney, who had come through a thrilling preliminary shoot-out with Scott Mackenzie earlier.
Baxter continued to overwhelm his less experienced opponent in the second set but Gurney displayed spirit by hitting a 180 and taking the first leg in the third set. He then checked out from 108 en route to winning the third set.
But Baxter stopped his rise and a 104 check out was a stylish way to end the afternoon session.
Gurney had briefly threatened a comeback against Baxter but had already completed a remarkable come-from-behind win against Mackenzie.
In a best-of-seven legs tie, he was three down before reeling off four straight legs to persevere.
Lawrence Ryder also overcame the trademark slow style of Justin Pipe in a war of attrition while Ronny Huybrechts kicked off the day with a thrashing of Andy Smith.
The evening session on Saturday begins at 7pm on Sky Sports Darts.
