After dumping out Van Barneveld & Cross, Andy Baetens sets sights on Gary Anderson: 'Another legend in darts. We will see'

Andy Baetens is enjoying a dream run at the Baltic Sea Darts Open. The 36-year-old Belgian produced another statement performance on Saturday night, defeating Rob Cross 6-2 to reach the last 16 — his second successive win over a former world champion.

Cross, the defending champion in Kiel, had no answer for Baetens’ power scoring and composure on the doubles, as ‘The Beast’ averaged over 98 to cruise through. The reward? A Sunday showdown with yet another former world champion: Gary Anderson.

The 54-year-old Scot eased past Krzysztof Ratajski by the same 6-2 scoreline in his second-round match, setting up a marquee clash with Baetens, who is now starting to deliver on the potential many saw in him when he joined the PDC. “Yeah, I feel good today on stage,” Baetens said. “Practised well, so I'm very happy to be here.”

Since winning his WDF world title at Lakeside in 2023 and immediately claiming a PDC Tour Card at Q-School a month later, expectations around Baetens have been sky-high. However, his time on the Pro Tour hasn’t always been smooth sailing, with inconsistent results seeing him hover around the 70–80 mark in the Order of Merit.

Baetens himself admits the learning curve has been steep. “It's hard to be a PDC player — 188 people, they can all throw darts,” he said. “You have to fight for every win.”