Michael van Gerwen thrashed Gary Anderson 6-1 in the semi-finals

PDC World Darts Championship results: Michael Smith beats Nathan Aspinall and will play Michael van Gerwen in final

By Sporting Life

Darts

Mon December 31, 2018 · 6y ago

A review of Sunday's World Championship semi-finals, as Michael van Gerwen destroyed Gary Anderson to set up a final showdown with Michael Smith.

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Electric MVG destroys Anderson

Michael van Gerwen still appeared as though there was more in the locker in an ominous 6-1 dismissal of Gary Anderson.

The battle of these fellow two-time world champions, who were both bidding to become the first man since Phil Taylor to lift the trophy more than twice, promised plenty and when Anderson started with a 180 before taking out 127 for the first leg, an epic semi-final looked on the cards.

But from the moment van Gerwen hit double 20 with one dart in hand to win the first set 3-2, there was only one winner as he raced into a 5-0 lead before a slight drop in quality saw Anderson prolong the agony by taking the sixth set.

When Anderson broke at the start of the seventh, the crowd in full voice behind him, there was the faintest glimmer of a fightback, but van Gerwen soon dismissed that notion and won the next three legs to win the match, taking the final one in just 11 darts.

Van Gerwen, who won 19 of the 27 legs played, told Sky Sports: "I think I played really well, especially early doors. Gary couldn't find his form in the beginning and I took advantage of that.

"I didn't give him any time to breathe in this game. After the 5-0 I was getting confident."

Ahead of his clash with Smith on Tuesday, Van Gerwen said: "It's going to be a phenomenal game but I'm going to be a bit different to Nathan Aspinall.

"This means the world to me. I do a lot to come to this stage but the work is not done yet, I have to do more."

Van Gerwen came into the world championship with his dominance being questioned having 'only' won three lucrative trophies - the Premier League, Masters and the World Grand Prix - out of his total haul of 18 but now he'll be supremely confident of clinching the biggest of the lot.

Defeat for Anderson brings an end to an otherwise superb season in which he won eight titles including the UK Open, World Matchplay and Champions League of Darts while his victories over Jermaine Wattimena and Chris Dobey in earlier round will live long in the memory.

Van Gerwen v Anderson: Match stats

Averages

MVG: 105
Anderson: 98

180s

MVG: 11
Anderson: 11

Doubles

MVG: 19/39
Anderson: 7/29

Highest Checkouts

MVG: 90
Anderson: 127

Super Smith ends Aspinall run

Michael Smith produced an outstanding performance to beat Nathan Aspinall 6-3 and earn a place in the final of the PDC World Darts Championship.

The former world youth champion, playing in his first semi-final on the biggest stage of all, averaged 105.22, hit 17 maximums and five 100-plus checkouts in a match of the very highest quality.

Former trainee accountant Aspinall, a 500/1 outsider coming into his debut World Championship, manfully fought back from losing the first two sets to level at 2-2 and 3-3, but as Smith found another gear his dream run came to an end.

The Premier League and World Series of Darts Finals runner-up, who has won three titles this season, started the match with a 180 on just his second visit and took the first leg in 14 darts, then added the second against the throw in just 13 and wrapped up the set without allowing his inexperienced opponent a look at double.

A 108 checkout to start the second set and a 100 finish to wrap it up meant he was 2-0 up within 10 minutes, a shell-shocked Aspinall yet to get on the board.

But the 27-year-old from Stockport responded, winning the third set from 2-1 down courtesy of a 13-dart leg, then levelling the tie with a 12-dart leg at the end of the fourth set.

It was the third time he'd come from two sets down in the tournament having also done so in his comeback wins over Gerwyn Price and Devon Petersen.

After the next two were shared, both men firing in quality darts at a high tempo, the St Helens thrower dominated the seventh with 11, 13 and 15-dart legs, and a quality 130 finish in the eighth broke the back of his opponent.

Leading 5-3 and with the darts in hand, Smith quickly set up a match-winning opportunity and, in keeping with a world-class performance, took it in 12 darts, checking out 121 to ensure he'll return to the stage on New Year's Day to face van Gerwen.

Smith, who was tipped up at 16/1 by our Chris Hammer pre tournament, told Sky Sports, "I've never felt like that ever. I'm so happy, I don't know what to say. I just took my chances when they came.

"I nearly made a mess of myself tonight, it felt like I was going to give birth to an ostrich egg or something. I was so nervous but I'm so happy I held it together. I'm one step away from living my dream."

Aspinall had no regrets at the end of his brilliant run, saying: "I've enjoyed every single minute of it. I never thought I'd get to the semi-final.

"It wasn't my night but I'm so happy to be involved in a quality game. I wish Michael all the luck in the world because he deserves to win this."

Aspinall, who won his maiden PDC title earlier this season, will now rise from 73 in the world rankings up to the cusp of the top 32 having taken £100,000 from this tournament.