In Saturday’s afternoon session, fifth seed Jonny Clayton needed a deciding set to overcome world number 44 Niels Zonneveld.
The first six sets of a high-quality match all went with the throw, with Clayton moving in front of Zonneveld on three separate occasions.
The Dutch left-hander kept responding in an impressive display, but former Premier League champion Clayton found the key break of throw in the second leg of the deciding set before sealing victory.
Welshman Clayton, 51, was back in action after a 12-day break, having received a bye through to round three because his second-round opponent Dom Taylor was suspended for failing a drugs test.
In round four, Clayton will play Swedish debutant Andreas Harrysson, who defeated Germany’s Ricardo Pietreczko 4-2 later on Saturday.
Luke Woodhouse, the 25th seed, defeated fellow Englishman Andrew Gilding 4-1 to reach the fourth round for the second successive year.
Woodhouse will next face Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski, who beat Dutchman Wesley Plaisier in a deciding set having trailed 3-1.
Six more third-round matches are scheduled for Sunday, with four former world champions – Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson and Cross – among those hoping to secure spots in the last 16.
