Former world champion Rob Cross cruised into the semi-finals of the PDC Home Tour with a commanding display in Group 5.
The world No 4, the highest-ranked player left in the field, beat Sweden's Daniel Larsson 6-3 before seeing off Ryan Searle 6-4.
Needing only three legs against Luke Woodhouse in the night's final match to secure top spot, Cross soon ensured his progress before ultimately losing 6-5.
Cross wins again! It's back-to-back wins for Rob Cross but he was certainly made to work by Ryan Searle. Cross takes it 6-4! pic.twitter.com/G3LgcYlcQG — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 30, 2020
A tight contest with Larsson remained with the throw for six legs and just as the Swede appeared well placed to break, Cross took out 107 in the seventh.
Cross then broke in the eighth and Larsson missed three darts at double in the ninth before Cross got over the line.
Cross quickly surged into a 3-0 lead against Searle but began to wobble as he was broken twice late on – missing six match darts at double 16 in the process.
That is a stunner from Ryan Searle! 57-tops-tops to steal the leg after Larsson misses the bull for the 170. Magnificent stuff 🎯 pic.twitter.com/sUGpoIzLNv — PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) May 30, 2020
However, having got back on throw, Searle was broken in the 10th leg as Cross sealed a 6-4 victory.
Searle had earlier been a 6-4 winner over Woodhouse – who threw a nine-dart finish in progressing from the first group phase but swiftly found himself eliminated when he blew a 5-3 lead in the next game against Larsson.
Searle's 6-4 win over Larsson gave him a slight chance of progressing, but Cross swiftly wrapped up the three legs he needed against Woodhouse to ensure he topped the group.
