Gerwyn Price reached his first Betfred World Matchplay Final on Saturday, beating Danny Noppert 17-11 and included the first nine dart leg since 2018, ending the wait for perfection at the Winter Gardens. After reclaiming the number one spot back, the Welshman kicked on in the Semi Final including thirteen maximums and an average of 102.37 over twenty-eight legs of darts.
Michael van Gerwen continued his run to reclaim the Phil Taylor trophy, winning seven of the last eight legs to beat Dimitri van den Bergh 17-14 having not won the competition since 2016. MVG despite not hitting a ton plus checkout all match was consistent throughout with nine maximums and 35 140s, going through to set up a blockbuster Final with The Iceman on Sunday night.
The World Number 1 despite being broken by his opponent in the third leg, went in at the first break ahead thanks to double eight with his last dart in hand as Noppert waited to return on 112, which going off this tournament could have certainly checked out.
The Red Dragon star found a ton plus checkout of 107 on double tops, opening a three-leg advantage having broken throw in the previous leg. Perfection struck Blackpool in the thirteenth leg, as treble nineteen, treble twenty and double twelve followed two maximums sending the crowd into joyous celebrations, having waited four years for a nine darter.
Markham man Price broke in the very next leg on 56 to take a four-leg advantage and went in at the third break 10-5 ahead hitting tops to complete a 58 finish with his opponent waiting on the boards top segment should he have missed.
The Winmau man had his moments in the match and reeled off three legs including a 104 finish in the seventeenth leg on tops, breaking throw trailing in the match 10-7. The quality of the former World Champion came through from the nineteenth leg onwards, not giving his opponent any room for error as he won five legs of throw including breaks in the twentieth and twenty second leg.
Ton plus checkouts off 117 and 120 saved the World Number 11, hitting double 20 both times to go in at 15-11 but his shanghai finish would be the last success for the Freeze in the match. The three-time Grand Slam champion found double twelve with his second dart to complete a 63 checkout, breaking throw once more to reach his maiden World Matchplay Final.
Michael van Gerwen struggled early in his Semi Final with Dancing Dimitri, going in at the first interval 4-1 down after the 2020 champion included a 116 checkout on tops for the third leg of the match before breaking on 76 in the next leg.
The Dutchman came out firing after the break finding three legs on the spin, including an elusive break in the seventh leg before levelling at 4-4. The Antwerp thrower responded to the pressure from his opponent, finding double four with his last dart in hand, going 6-4 ahead at the second break.
The highest checkout for the three-time World Champion came in the twelfth leg, finding 68 to level at 6-6 as the match continued on throw for eight legs straight with the score at 10-9 just before the final interval of the match. The Belgian pounced on missed doubles from his opponent, hitting tops with his second dart to finish 100 to lead 11-9 opening a two-leg advantage courtesy of the break.
The Winmau man made his move in the twenty fifth leg, punishing six treble less darts for Van den Bergh at the start, pulling ahead as he searched for an important break of throw given the situation in the tungsten tussle. MVG hit double eight with his second dart to reduce the deficit to 13-12 and following with an elusive hold in the next leg to level.
The Semi Final may have been one game too many for the 28-year-old, losing throw twice thanks to his opponent hitting double eleven to lead for the first time in the entire Semi Final 15-14. The reigning Premier League champion closed out on double ten breaking with his first dart, winning 17-14 to reach another World Matchplay Final in the iconic Winter Gardens.
It all comes down to tomorrow night as Michael van Gerwen faces Gerwyn Price for the Phil Taylor trophy and £200,000, which for MVG will be taken very seriously as he looks to close in on the top 2 in the rankings.
Before the Final, the women enter Blackpool for the first ever Women’s World Matchplay, with Fallon Sherrock taking on the impressive 18-year-old Katie Sheldon. Darts World’s very own Laura Turner is also in action, taking on tournament fourth seed Aileen de Graaf in the second match of the tournament live on Sky Sports Sunday afternoon.
2022 Betfred World Matchplay Results
Semi Finals:
Gerwyn Price (2) 17-11 Danny Noppert (11)
Michael van Gerwen (4) 17-14 Dimitri van den Bergh (9)
Betfred World Matchplay Final: Sunday Night
Michael van Gerwen (4) v Gerwyn Price (2)
Women’s World Matchplay: Order of Play Sunday Afternoon
Lisa Ashton (1) v Chloe O’Brien (8)
Aileen de Graaf (4) v Laura Turner (5)
Fallon Sherrock (2) v Katie Sheldon (7)
Lorraine Winstanley (3) v Rhian Griffiths (6)
—–ENDS—–
Images: Taylor Lanning / PDC
