Graham Usher and Harry Lane will meet on stage at Bridlington Spa on Sunday evening with the British Classic Open title at stake, after a Saturday where margins between the latter entrants were fine.
Three of the four quarter-finals went to a deciding leg. Usher was the exception. The 53-year-old posted a 91.52 average to beat Pat Scurfield 4-2, the best figure of the round by more than three points and almost 14 clear of his opponents 77.75.
Elsewhere, nothing separated the winners from the beaten. Carl Wilkinson edged young Jack Nankervis to the finish line, 4-3 with an 84.84 average 83.54, while Benjamin Smith needed all seven legs to see off Danny Penney.
The cruelest exit belonged to Wales’ Mark Graham, the only non-English player left in the last eight. He averaged 88.06, more than three and a half points better than finalist Lane, and still lost 4-3.
The semi-finals told two different stories. Usher was taken all the way by Wilkinson, edging a 5-4 decider. The scoring dipped, Usher got over the line with a 76.33 average, a long way from his quarter-final form, but the win was enough to send him through.
Lane, who had survived a decider of his own against Graham, was far more assured against Smith. He took the semi-final 5-2, not needing the ninth leg.
The pair will fight it out tomorrow evening over the same format as the semis, with the £1,500 prize on offer. The silver ranking event concludes in conjunction with the British Open, which also kicks off tomorrow.
Images: Tip Top Pics / World Senior Darts
