Former champions Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price and James Wade were pushed hard at the Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals on Saturday, as top seed Dimitri Van den Bergh was knocked out in Amsterdam.
Four-time winner Van Gerwen delighted the AFAS Live crowd with a 6-4 defeat of Damon Heta, although the Australian had hit back from 2-0 down to lead 3-2 and 4-3.
The Dutchman levelled with a 14-darter, then punished missed doubles from his opponent to move 5-4 up before double nine secured the win.
2020 winner Price prevailed against Matt Campbell in a deciding leg after the Canadian pushed the world number one all the way.
Campbell finished 115, 76, 85 and 70 to share the opening eight legs, before breaking throw with a 101 checkout to move 5-4 up.
Price took out 113 to save the contest and utilised the advantage of throw in the decider to pin double ten and progress.
Price now plays Joe Cullen in the quarter-finals, after the Masters champion also went the distance to see off Dave Chisnall, who paid for eight missed match darts.
Chisnall led 2-0 and 5-2, but saw two match darts go begging in leg eight and six more in the tenth, before Cullen took the decider with the aid of a 180.
Wade, the 2018 champion, was a 6-4 winner against America’s Leonard Gates, who hit back from 5-1 down to cut the gap to one leg before the left-hander closed out victory.
Michael Smith powered through to a tasty quarter-final against Wade with the performance of the second round, averaging 107.40 in a 6-4 win over Peter Wright.
The World Champion averaged almost 103 in reply, but paid for missed doubles in three successive legs as Smith opened up a 4-1 lead.
Legs of 14 and 12 darts saw Wright pull back to 5-4, but a 101 finish saw Smith complete a superb display with six doubles from 11 attempts.
Reigning champion Jonny Clayton was another impressive winner, as he overcame Dutchman Danny Noppert 6-2 with a 104.39 average.
UK Open champion Noppert took out 110 to get off the mark in leg three, but finishes of 118 and 146 in successive legs – alongside a second 12-darter of the game – helped Clayton surge through to an eagerly-awaited last eight meeting with Van Gerwen.
Number one seed Dimitri Van den Bergh suffered a second round exit to Ryan Joyce, with the qualifier claiming a clinical 6-2 success to reach the final day.
Joyce will be up against home star Dirk van Duijvenbode, after the Dutch Darts Masters finalist reeled off four straight legs to come from 3-2 down and defeat Gary Anderson.
Saturday’s eight winners will return for Finals Day on Sunday, when the quarter-finals will take place in the afternoon session before the semi-finals and final in the evening.
The tournament is being broadcast live on ITV3 & ITV4 in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding subscribers based in the UK, Germany, Austria and Switzerland).
2022 Jack’s World Series of Darts Finals
Saturday September 17
Second Round x8
Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-3 Gary Anderson
James Wade 6-4 Leonard Gates
Joe Cullen 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Ryan Joyce 6-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gerwyn Price 6-5 Matt Campbell
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Damon Heta
Michael Smith 6-4 Peter Wright
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Danny Noppert
Sunday September 18
Afternoon Session (1300 local time)
Quarter-Finals – Order of Play
Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen
Ryan Joyce v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Michael Smith v James Wade
Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton
Best of 19 legs
Evening Session (1900 local time)
Semi-Finals
Order of Play TBC
Best of 21 legs
Final
v
Best of 21 legs
Draw Bracket
Ryan Joyce v Dirk van Duijvenbode
Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton
Gerwyn Price v Joe Cullen
Michael Smith v James Wade
—-ENDS—–
Images: Kelly Deckers / PDC
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