Darts veteran Gary Anderson has stormed into the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship for the first time in four years, ending the fairytale run of debutant Justin Hood at Alexandra Palace.
Anderson's quest for a historic third title
The 55-year-old Scot, a two-time former champion, displayed his class with a 5-2 victory over Hood in their quarter-final clash. This win puts Anderson just two matches away from securing an incredible third world crown, a full decade after his last triumph in 2016.
If he succeeds, Anderson would make history by becoming the oldest player ever to win the PDC world title. Such a victory would also see him join Michael van Gerwen in joint second place on the all-time list of champions, a remarkable feat for the resurgent legend.
Anderson, who famously defeated Van Gerwen earlier in the tournament, now awaits the winner of the match between Luke Humphries and Gian van Veen in Friday's semi-final. This will be his eighth appearance in the last four at the iconic Ally Pally.
Hood's dream debut ends with life-changing prize
For opponent Justin Hood, the journey ends at the quarter-final stage, but his debut at the World Championship has been nothing short of sensational. The 32-year-old captivated fans with his run to the last eight in his first appearance at the tournament.
While the match proved a step too far, Hood departs with £100,000 in prize money. He has revealed that this windfall will allow him to fulfil a lifelong ambition: opening his own Chinese restaurant.
Searle's inspirational run despite vision impairment
In the other half of the draw, Ryan Searle also booked his place in the semi-finals with an impressive 5-2 win over fifth seed Jonny Clayton. The 38-year-old, known as 'Heavy Metal', has been in formidable form, not dropping a single set on his path to the quarter-finals.
Searle's achievement is made all the more extraordinary by the fact he competes while managing Kjer's optic neuropathy, a hereditary eye condition that often prevents him from seeing where his darts land.
"It's a hereditary condition, so I've passed it to both of my children," Searle explained. "My daughter has it really bad and is registered as visually impaired. If I can raise awareness for that and try and find a cure, that means a lot to me."
He detailed the challenges of playing with the condition: "There's no cure for what I've got. I'm stuck with it... Sometimes on stage, I'm asking the caller what I've scored, and sometimes I don't, and it puts me in a bit of a difficult position."
Despite this, Searle hopes his performance can inspire others: "If I can inspire people who maybe can't see as well as others to pick up the game and give it a go, then that means a lot to me."
Searle now looks ahead to a likely semi-final showdown with teenage sensation Luke Littler, promising a thrilling encounter as the tournament reaches its climax at Alexandra Palace this weekend.
