Peter Wright and Rob Cross have both reached the World Championship fourth round after producing statement performances on Tuesday evening.
On a day when it was revealed that Michael van Gerwen had withdrawn from the tournament due to a positive coronavirus test, two other former world champions suggested that they are ready to make a bid for another crown.
Cross was involved in a back-and-forth thriller with Daryl Gurney, the pair sharing 23 180s over seven sets, but Cross eventually prevailed 3-1 in the decider, ending the match with a 170 checkout.
Wright did not have it all his own way against Damon Heta, the Scot finding himself 2-0 adrift during the early stages, but he was sensational during the second half of the contest.
As well as ending the match with an average in excess of 102, Wright landed 12 out of 18 darts at a double in the closing four sets to seal an impressive win.
Earlier in the day, Mervyn King eased past Steve Lennon, Ryan Searle edged out Danny Noppert by a 4-2 scoreline and Martijn Kleermaker withstood a comeback from Joe Cullen to progress with a 4-3 win.
Darren Plant
