Former World Champion Rob Cross reminded everyone that pedigree does not evaporate simply because the spotlight has briefly wandered elsewhere, overpowering veteran Ian White to march into the last 32 with purpose etched across his performance.
Rob has not been the incandescent, voltage-spiking version of Cross we have grown accustomed to this season, but to dismiss him on recent form alone would be sporting negligence. Class, after all, outlives momentum. And calibre, when summoned, answers.
Cross set the tone early, asserting dominance in the opening set with the air of a man keen to reintroduce himself. The only blemish came courtesy of White, who briefly lit up the Palace by detonating a sublime 167 checkout – a reminder that Diamond White still possesses cutting edges of his own.
After the interval, however, the rhythm shifted. Cross momentarily disengaged, White pounced, and parity was restored. But champions have a habit of remembering who they are.
The 2018 king regrouped, reclaimed the initiative, and not long after, brought the contest to heel. Job done. Business handled.
Awaiting him next will be either Australia’s number one Damon Heta or Swiss challenger Stefan Bellmont.
Elsewhere, controversy erupted like a lit fuse following Mensur Suljovic’s 3–1 victory over Joe Cullen. Almost before the darts had cooled, the Rockstar was on social media, branding his opponent a cheat – a charge that sent shockwaves rippling through the darts community.
Statistically, Suljovic’s case was compelling. The Austrian fashioned double the opportunities of his Yorkshire adversary – an advantage so stark it demands respect. Cullen took the opener, Suljovic responded, then claimed the final two sets in deciding legs, clutch when the margins narrowed to razor thin.
The grievance centred not on scoring, but on tempo. Cullen alleged that Suljovic deliberately elongated proceedings, repeatedly returning to his table between throws, disrupting rhythm and unsettling flow. Whether strategy or instinct, it had the desired effect. The former Masters champion was knocked out of stride, and it is Suljovic – Serbian-born, ice-veined, unapologetic – who advances to face either Luke Littler or David Davies.
The afternoon had begun with authority from the Polish Eagle. Krzysztof Ratajski soared into round three with a commanding 3–1 victory over Ryan Joyce. Joyce’s reputation is built on ruthless finishing, but on this stage, at this moment, the outer ring deserted him.
Two sets down, the climb was steep. Though he clawed one back after rediscovering some double-top discipline, Ratajski was virtually immaculate in the fourth and now awaits the winner of former World Champion Gerwyn Price or the dangerous Wesley Plaisier.
There was no such tension for Luke Woodhouse, who breezed serenely past Max Hopp in straight sets. The German endured a torrid afternoon, converting just one of ten attempts at double – a statistic that tells its own unforgiving story. Woodhouse, sharp and composed, avoided what might have been a banana skin and instead strolled confidently into the post-Christmas third round, where compatriot Andrew Gilding awaits.
The field narrows. Tempers flare. Champions stir. And the World Championship, relentless as ever, continues to strip away pretence and reward only those prepared to endure.
SUNDAY 21st DECEMBER (Afternoon Session)
Ryan Joyce 1-3 Krzysztof Ratajski
Joe Cullen 1-3 Mensur Suljovic
Luke Woodhouse 3-0 Max Hopp
Rob Cross 3-1 Ian White
—–Ends—–
Images: PDC
