Deciding leg heartbreak for Scott Waites as Nathan Aspinall wins World Darts Championship classic

Huddersfield's Scott Waites missed four match darts and let a 2-0 lead slip when he went out of the PDC World Darts Championship tonight (Wednesday).

By Peter Smith

Published 23rd Dec 2020, 21:44 BST

Updated 23rd Dec 2020, 21:50 BST

Scott Waites. Picture by Lawrence Lustig/PDC.

The two-time BDO champion averaged 107 as he won six of the first nine legs to go two sets ahead against sixth seed Nathan Aspinall in the best of five sets second round clash at London's Alexandra Palace.

But as Waites faltered, Aspinall - semi-finalist in each of the past two years - hit back to win the next two sets 3-1, taking the tie into a decider when he had the advantage of throwing first.

Waites seemed on course for victory when he broke in the third leg with a stunning 125 finish - hitting bull, 25, bull - to go 2-1 ahead, but then missed one dart at double-top and three at double-10 for the match.

Aspinall took advantage to send the tie into a deciding leg, which he won on his throw.

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