Bridgend Battler Robert Owen Bows Out Of World Darts Championship

By Gareth James

Robert Owen’s fairytale run at the World Darts Championship is over after he just failed to make the quarter-finals.

The Bridgend thrower – who surged from nowhere into the last 16 to clinch his PDC tour card for 2025 – lost 4-3 to Englishman Callan Rydz.

Owen led  2-0 and looked on course for a place in the last eight alongside fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price, but Rydz booked his spot in the quarter-finals for the second time in his career with a brilliant comeback.

Rydz, who had not lost a set at the tournament, found himself 2-0 down but when Owen missed double 10 for a 140 checkout to win the third the Geordie began his comeback by winning the next three sets.

Doubles was to be Owen’s downfall in the latter stages, with just a 28 percent success rate overall, and although he managed to take the match to a decider his opponent proved better at closing things out.

Gutted for Robert Owen at the darts, he had his chances to win that

Can’t complain about the crowd he’s a Welshman over the bridge playing against an Englishman,so he’s bound to get the boos

If that tournament was in Wales, I’m sure us lot would be quiet and not boo the

— (@LeeJarvis10) December 30, 2024

“I saw a photo this week of me celebrating Christmas with my grandma who I lost and it really hurt, so this is for her,” Rydz told Sky Sports.

“The crowd got me through that match. Rob battered me in the first two sets.

“I didn’t feel like I played good there but I have seen the average (97.38) and I was decent. I have a day off tomorrow to recharge the batteries.”

Chris Dobey beat Kevin Doets 4-3 to set up a New Year’s Day quarter-final against Price.

“I gave the fifth set away when I should have been home and hosed but I dug in,” he said.

Nathan Aspinall produced an almost perfect whitewash over Ricardo Pietreczko to book his place in the quarter-finals.

The 33-year-old dropped just two legs in a 4-0 demolition of the German, whose average of 78.46 and just two 180s told its own story.

The fairytale run is over for Robert Owen at the World Championship as he’s edged out 4-3 by Rydz in the Last 16.

‘Stack Attack’ missed 3 crucial darts at double to take a 3-0 lead & things started to unravel thereafter.

What a few weeks for Rob. Up 18 places to World No.59. pic.twitter.com/NMYhfdYWfn

— Darts Cymru (@DartsCymru) December 30, 2024

World number 12 Aspinall admits he has occasionally struggled with the pressure to prove wrong the critics on social media but had no such worries on his way to a quickfire victory at Alexandra Palace, where he had a massive backing.

“I’m putting so much pressure on myself. My biggest problem is I go on social media. I’m off it now,” he told Sky Sports.

“I can’t do right for doing wrong: I play well, I get criticised. I say the wrong thing, I get criticised.

“I try so hard to stick two fingers up at the keyboard warriors – why am I bothered? I’ve got this support here today, why am I bothered what people are saying?

“I think it’s a lesson learned for myself and other darts players.”

Two-time semi-finalist Aspinall, who had six 180s, a highest checkout of 131 and an average of 94.28, has not dropped a set since his opening game.