We've already witnessed some thrilling matches in the third round, with the fourth round quickly approaching in the 2026 PDC Darts WC.
The best-of-7 format has brought the best out of some players, creating memorable games.
The same format returns for the fourth round, with spots in the quarterfinal round up for grabs this time around.
With a lot of action ahead, it's time to break down what to expect and who is the likely winner in each match.
Predicting the winner of every fourth-round game
Let's take a look at what to expect in each matchup. The fourth round will begin on Dec. 29, after the Rock/Rdyz match in the evening session, and will finish at the end of the day on Dec. 30.
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James Hurrell vs. Ryan Searle
Winner: Ryan Searle, 4-2
Searle is playing just a day after an amazing performance against Martin Schindler in the third round.
He swept Schindler in sets, only allowing him to win two total legs.
Hurrell, on paper, isn't a better player than Schindler, but it's hard to believe that Searle will have a win that dominant again, against Hurrell.
With that being said, I see Searle as the strong favorite, as Hurrell isn't near the numbers we have seen scoring-wise from Searle in the tournament, but he's been playing well enough to keep him in any match if he executes at the right times.
Luke Littler vs. Rob Cross
Winner: Luke Littler, 4-2
Littler is another clear favorite, but you shouldn't count out Cross entirely.
He's a former world champion himself, with plenty of quality WC runs in his career.
He hasn't had the best year, but he's started to show signs of life this tournament, which makes it hard to count him out.
There are a lot of factors that will influence how close this game really is, but I see Cross keeping it close.
Cross needs to raise his standard when it comes to scoring, as we know Littler is an explosive scorer himself, and will give his opponent few chances at doubles. Against Littler in the third round, Mensur Suljovic averaged 96.21, but only had six attempts at a double.
Cross had a very respectable average of 94.11 in the third round, and I see his scoring going up in this upcoming game, as he'll try to keep up with a much more quality opponent.
Luke Woodhouse vs. Krzysztof Ratajski
Winner: Krzysztof Ratajski, 4-3
This one on paper immediately jumps out as a 50/50 contest, which is why I see it going all the way.
Ratajski was on the cusp of being eliminated in the third round, but fought back to make an incredible comeback.
Both players have just beaten in-form opponents, with Ratajski beating Wesley Plaisier and Woodhouse beating Andrew Gilding.
Ratajski was much more quality on doubles in his last match than Woodhouse was, so with this contest likely being a tight one, I'll use that as the tiebreaker in my verdict for this upcoming match.
Jonny Clayton vs. Andreas Harrysson
Winner: Andreas Harrysson, 4-3
Clayton, by no means, has had a poor tournament, but he has been tested in both of his matches so far by non-seeded players.
Harrysson, on his debut, has faced quality opponents to this point and has shown that it wouldn't be out of the norm for him to push Clayton in this game and potentially beat him.
The safe pick would be Clayton, but I really like what I've seen out of Harrysson so far.
Harrysson is no worse than Niels Zonneveld, who almost took down Clayton in the third round.
Harrysson will look to replicate a similar performance to Zonneveld's to try and stay in the match against a world-class player.
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Michael van Gerwen vs. Gary Anderson
Winner: Gary Anderson, 4-3
I don't think it takes me to tell you that this is probably the match people are looking forward to the most in this round.
It's an old rivalry being restored, with both players meeting at the perfect time, as they're in top-tier form over their past couple of matches played.
MVG has a scare in his first round match, but has played with a chip on his shoulder since, averaging around 100 in both of his games that followed.
Anderson has been even better, averaging over 102 in each of his last two matches.
He's had to fight off some talented players, but he's proved that he can survive and win matches, even when he's battle-tested.
This is a match that can swing either way, and for entertainment purposes, hopefully goes all the way, so I would lean towards the side of Anderson in this potential Ally Pally classic.
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Hood/Meikle vs. Rock/Rydz
*Prediction and analysis added after third round matches on Dec. 29
Gian van Veen vs. Evans/Manby
*Prediction and analysis added after third round matches on Dec. 29
Luke Humphries vs. Aspinall/Doets
*Prediction and analysis added after third round matches on Dec. 29
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