Scotland's Gary Anderson got the better of long-standing rival Michael van Gerwen to reach the PDC World Championship quarter-finals.

Having been part of the sport's elite for more than a decade, the pair's fourth-round tie was much anticipated and both players averaged more than 99 overall.

Anderson, who lifted back-to-back world titles in 2015 and 2016, won the first two sets against 36-year-old Dutchman Van Gerwen - himself a three-time former champion and the third seed at this year's event.

Although last year's runner-up pulled a set back, 55-year-old Anderson recovered to seal a 4-1 success and move into the last eight of the World Championship for the first time in four years.

He will next face popular English debutant Justin Hood, who produced a finishing masterclass to eliminate 11th seed Josh Rock 4-0 during the afternoon session.

Meanwhile, world number two Luke Humphries and Dutch 10th seed Gian van Veen set up a blockbuster quarter-final on Thursday by winning their respective last-16 matches by a 4-1 scoreline.

Unseeded Dutchman Kevin Doets averaged more than 111 to win the first set against England's Humphries, but was unable to maintain his exceptional start.

The 2024 champion won 12 of the next 14 legs as he coasted to a comfortable victory with an overall average of 103.07.

Humphries told Sky Sports: "I've felt like I've played well but I feel like that there's another level in me, which is important. If you're going to win this tournament, you have to have another level in you because that won't win you the World Championship.

"Gian is a classy player. He's changed a lot, he's worked on his game and now he's a top player.

"If I can bring what I did tonight, but a little bit extra, I'll give him a tough game. He'll definitely give me a tough game. This is what darts is all about and I'm looking forward to it."

Van Veen had earlier beaten 20-year-old English debutant Charlie Manby 4-1 to reach his first World Championship quarter-final.

Against Northern Ireland's World Cup winner Rock, Hood hit his first 11 attempts at doubles and missed for the first time when trying to take out 143 to win the match.

That was the first of four match darts he missed in that leg, but he got the job done in the next, to the delight of the crowd who chanted his name throughout.

"I've never experienced anything [in terms of atmosphere] like it," the 32-year-old from Somerset told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"To have people chanting your name like that and being on your side like that is an amazing feeling. Long may it continue."

Rock could only shake his head and smile in disbelief at the back of the stage as Hood continued to land double after double.

Hood has previously said he would like to open a Chinese restaurant with his World Championship earnings, which currently stand at £100,000.

Having started the tournament ranked 86th in the world, he is provisionally into the top 50 thanks to his victory over Northern Ireland's Rock, who had been tipped as a potential tournament winner.

Earlier, Welsh fifth seed Jonny Clayton held off the challenge of Swedish debutant Andreas Harrysson to set up a last-eight tie with England's Ryan Searle.

Harrysson missed chances in the fifth set to take a 3-2 lead, while five of the six sets played went to a deciding leg.

Clayton's 4-2 victory means he is provisionally up to fourth in the PDC world rankings and would qualify automatically for next year's Premier League if he is still in that spot at the end of the tournament.

Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski beat 25th seed Luke Woodhouse by the same score to set up a quarter-final against defending champion Luke Littler.

Woodhouse missed double 12 for a nine-dart finish in the third set, which would have been the first perfect leg of the tournament and earned the Englishman an additional £60,000.

All four quarter-final matches (best of nine sets) to be played on 1 January 2026