Webster prepares for Titanic tussle with Dutch master Van Gerwen
Will Norwich's Darren Webster be celebrating after he plays World Championship title favourite Michael van Gerwen on Thursday night? Photo: PA. - Credit: PA
Norwich's Darren Webster steps on to the oche for one of the greatest challenges of his career on Thursday night.
A packed Alexandra Palace will be in full voice when the unseeded 48-year-old takes on the world's top-ranked player, Michael van Gerwen.
The prize is a place in the quarter-finals of the World Championships – a stage he has reached just once before, back in 2007.
The affable Webster moved into the last 16 with a stunning performance to destroy 17th-seeded Australian Simon Whitlock.
'It's the moment of my career,' said Webster.
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'I've always said that my best is yet to come and it's coming. I'm happy with how I played. I'm still learning how to take my floor form on to the big one but I'm getting there.
'I know I'm playing really well and I'm happy with myself.
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'I'm a realist and I know how good Michael is. If I play like I did, I'll give him a game if I play him. It will be hard – people thought the Titanic couldn't sink but it did, and I'm the iceberg to sink Michael.
'We are just a couple of humans with two arms and two legs so we will see what happens.'
Webster will perhaps take heart from Van Gerwen's almighty second round tussle with Spaniard Cristo Reyes, who set a record for the highest average ever from a losing player at the world championship with 106.07 before bowing out 4-2.
'He played phenomenal, I've never seen him play that well,' said the Dutchman.
'He gave me more of a game than Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson.
'This is going to give me a good feeling for the rest of the tournament because under pressure I played good darts.'
