Missed doubles prove costly as Dave Chisnall crashes out of World Darts Championship

Morecambe’s Dave Chisnall lost a thrilling encounter with Ricardo Pietreczko to crash out of the World Darts Championship in the second round at Alexandra Palace.

Pietreczko broke Chisnall’s throw in the very first leg of the match, and after missing double top to break straight back, he went on to lose the opening set by 3 legs to 1.

The second set saw Chisnall take out double top to break in the first leg, before missing seven darts at the double to hold his throw and be immediately broken back. More missed doubles saw his German opponent take the second set by 3 legs to 1, with there looking no way back into the match for the Morecambe man.

But set three saw an early lead for Chisnall as he hit double 16 in the opening leg, before more missed doubles almost proving costly in holding his throw for 2-1 in legs. Strong scoring saw then him pin double 8 to take the set and half the set arrears.

A rejuvenated Chisnall, spurred on by a vocal home crowd at the Alexandra Palace, started to find the treble 20 bed with more regularity, and survived a 141 check out attempt by Pietreczko to hit double top for an early break in set four. Chisnall survived two darts for an immediate break back, before taking out 68 in leg 3 for a second break and level the match up at two sets all.

He then secured his 10^th maximum of the match for an eleven dart leg to start the deciding set, before a Pietreczko hold levelled the game once more, only for Chisnall to hold with a superb 113 checkout to push him to the brink of victory.

Chisnall then came within a whisker of checking out 143, missing a dart to win the match, before Pietreczko hit double 8 to take the contest into extra time with players needing to win the deciding set by two clear legs.

But the comeback wasn’t to be as Chisnall missed a crucial double 10 in leg 5, with double 8 hit to break Chisnall’s throw.

In what proved to be the deciding leg of the match, Chisnall couldn’t checkout on 153, and with Pietreczko on 50, he hit double 16 to take the match by 3 sets to 2.