PDC World Championship: Defending champion Peter Wright loses to Kim Huybrechts

Huybrechts beat Wright, who won the PDC World Championship in 2020 and 2022

Reigning champion Peter Wright was knocked out of the PDC World Championship in the third round, losing 4-1 to Belgium's Kim Huybrechts.

The Scot took the first set before his form slumped dramatically.

Huybrechts, who took the next three sets, had the advantage of throwing first in the deciding leg of the fifth set and kept his nerve to shock Wright.

"I beat the name Peter Wright but the person Peter Wright wasn't there," said Huybrechts, the number 31 seed.

"I have to be honest about that. Normally, he is about 20 times better than that. But I took my chances and got the win."

Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "I'm a happy man, I'm through to the next round."

Welshman Gerwyn Price was in impressive form as he beat five-time champion Raymond van Barneveld 4-0 to book his fourth round spot.

The top seed took a 2-0 lead and won the third set after Van Barneveld missed double eight and the chance to pull a set back.

Price, who won in 2021, hit 128 to take the fourth set and complete an emphatic win over the Dutchman.

"I blew him away. I scored way better than him, I played way better than him," said Price. "I was a deserved 4-0 winner.

"You can't say I've never beaten him on TV any more - I'm happy with that one.

"I'm here to win, I'm not here to make up the numbers."

Josh Rock hit 13 maximums against Nathan Aspinall

Northern Ireland's Josh Rock won a deciding set to beat England's Nathan Aspinall 4-3 in the third round at Alexandra Palace.

He produced a 141 finish on the way to taking the opening set, before Aspinall reeled off the next two.

World youth champion Rock went 3-2 up, but his rival bounced back to set up a decider.

Rock took the seventh set 3-1 in legs and said: "There is a lot more to come."

The 21-year-old hit two consecutive double 20s to go 2-0 up in the deciding set - and then completed the win in a tense finale as Aspinall missed a great chance to level at 2-2.

Needing 16, he missed a dart at double eight and two at double four.

Rock checked out with 70 for victory said: "I was under a lot of pressure. I dealt with it well and I'm happy."

He will now play Jonny Clayton after the Welshman was a convincing 4-1 victor over Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan.

Fellow Welshman Jim Williams, who beat eighth seed James wade in the last round, failed to progress after a dramatic match against Germany's Gabriel Clemens.

Williams had a match dart at double six when on a 126 checkout but missed it and Clemens took the leg to take the match to a decider, which he won 3-1.

Belgium's Dimitri van den Bergh also made it through to the fourth round after beating Poland's Krzysztof Ratajski 4-1.