Luke Littler has remained on course for a first world title with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Ryan Joyce in the last 16.
Last year's runner-up was in line to face Luke Humphries in the semi-finals in what would have been a repeat of the 2024 final before the defending champion lost to Peter Wright on Sunday.
However, the 17-year-old will continue to focus on his own performances having been pushed all the way by Joyce, who came back from 2-0 and 3-2 down to force a deciding set.
While Littler missed 31 darts at a double, he was still able to average in excess of 103 across the course of the match and 110.89 in the final set when up against it.
Joyce averaged 97.73 in what was an absorbing contest, yet the power scoring of the teenager proved too much as he set up a quarter-final showdown with Nathan Aspinall.
LITTLER SURVIVES JOYCE SCARE 👏
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 30, 2024
What a game, and what a battling performance from Luke Littler as he beats Ryan Joyce in a deciding set to reach the Quarter-Finals!
He will face Nathan Aspinall in the last eight!
📺 https://t.co/ItCofNEHJs#WCDarts pic.twitter.com/D9y1JDVieO
Van Gerwen marches into last eight
Michael van Gerwen is also through to the last eight having recorded a 4-2 victory over a spirited Jeffrey de Graaf.
Despite coasting into a 2-0 lead, Van Gerwen was pegged back by his inspired opponent who averaged 112.73 in taking the third and 97 in the fourth.
Nevertheless, that only instigated a response from Van Gerwen who had been superb throughout, the world number three taking the final six legs without reply and ending the match with a 101.98 average.
In the first game of the evening, Stephen Bunting breezed through to the quarter-finals by easing past Luke Woodhouse by a 4-0 scoreline.
Bunting did not have to get out of first gear against an opponent who recorded just one maximum as well as taking just three of his 14 double attempts.
By comparison, Bunting hit six 180s and was over 40% on his doubles as the Liverpudlian set up a meeting with Wright on New Year's Day.
Darren Plant
