Chris Dobey beats Gary Anderson 4-1 to reach last 16 of World Darts Championship where he will face either Rob Cross or Mervyn King next – “Gary said something to us in the last break and I didn’t like it. It annoyed me. There was no way he was winning after that”
Last Updated: 28/12/22 6:04pm
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Chris Dobey was angry with some comments made by Gary Anderson in the break prior to claiming a 4-1 victory over the two-time world champion
Chris Dobey was angry with some comments made by Gary Anderson in the break prior to claiming a 4-1 victory over the two-time world champion
Chris Dobey said words from Gary Anderson wound him up before he clinched victory over the two-time world champion in the third round at Alexandra Palace.
Dobey advanced to the last 16 of the PDC World Championship for the fourth time after a 4-1 win over Anderson on Wednesday afternoon and will now face either Rob Cross or Mervyn King next.
Speaking afterwards, Dobey revealed Anderson had “annoyed” him but did not elaborate on what the Scot – world champion in 2015 and 2016 – had uttered.
Dobey beat Anderson 4-1 to reach the last 16 at the PDC World Darts Championship
Dobey told Sky Sports: “Gary said something to us in the last break and I didn’t like it. It annoyed me and there was no way he was winning the game after that.
“I came out and tried to forget about it. He is a class lad, everyone knows that, but I didn’t agree with what he said. I had one job and I made sure I was winning this game.
“It was a big win, Gary is a class lad, one of the big names in darts and has been for a while so it is a massive win. I never gave up. That’s the kind of lad I am, always fighting to the end. I am delighted to get the win.”
Anderson took the first set against Dobey but then lost four on the bounce
Talking to reporters, Dobey added: “After what was said on stage, you start thinking things but I came out to do one thing and got it done. I don’t know if he was playing mind tricks but I am the winner. Who cares?! If he was playing mind tricks, he doesn’t need to as he is a class act.
“Gary is straightforward, says what he thinks. If he has a problem he will tell you. He didn’t have a problem with me but he couldn’t say to whoever it was and it kind of got to us. I just tried to block it out.”
Live World Darts Championship
December 29, 2022, 12:30pm
Live on 
‘Dobey put in a complete performance’
Dobey lost the first set 3-0 as Anderson averaged around 115, and would have been 2-0 down in sets had his opponent not wobbled on his doubles.
However, ‘Hollywood’ rallied after that and will now be aiming to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship for the first time after being eliminated in the last 16 by Anderson in 2019, Glenn Durrant in 2020 and Luke Humphries in 2022.
Should he face Cross, it will be a rematch from the 2022 World Matchplay first round, a game in which Dobey squandered an 8-2 lead to lose 11-9 in legs.
Dobey could face Rob Cross (pictured) in his next match at Alexandra Palace
Sky Sports Darts’ Mark Webster said of Dobey’s win over Anderson: “The second set was key.
“Dobey hung on in there, pinched it and from there on in was the better player. He looked calm and composed and never played the player. It was a complete performance.
“He bottled that game [against Cross in the Matchplay] – his words, not mine – but has found composure now. He got near the winning line against Anderson and closed out the game, channelling his anger in the right way.”
Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts – all the way through to the final on January 3.
