Peter Wright celebrates reaching his second world final

World Darts results: Peter Wright beats Gerwyn Price 6-3 to earn rematch with Michael van Gerwen

By Sporting Life

Darts

Tue December 31, 2019 · 5y ago

Peter Wright got the better of a below-par Gerwyn Price to win 6-3 and seal a place in the World Championship final, where he'll meet Michael van Gerwen.

Wright through to second world final

Peter Wright got the better of a lacklustre Gerwyn Price in a 6-3 victory which presents him with his second opportunity to win a World Championship final, where he'll face the player who beat him in his first.

Wright's consistency was enough to overcome an opponent who failed to deliver in arguably the biggest match of his life, producing one of his sloppiest performances of a breakout year which has seen him ascend to second in the world.

Price ends a brilliant 2019 frustrated at having gift-wrapped victory and handed it to Wright, whose task was made relatively straightforward after a tense and at times ill-tempered beginning to the first semi-final.

Come the end of the match, the atmosphere was decidedly subdued, the crowd at Alexandra Palace having been denied the drama which had been promised throughout the early stages as the pair exchanged words and brushed shoulders on the stage.

When Price moved ahead at 2-1 despite playing poorly, it appeared likely he would work his way through the gears and win. Instead, he went missing, averaging 78 to lose the eighth set before Wright went on to close out the match with his eighth dart for it.

That this finished on double one was fitting; after a bright start, full of tension, it descended into something of an ordeal for both. Not that Wright, who has lost 12 of his 13 major televised finals, will care much as he spies improvement on the biggest stage of all.

Wright's reward is a repeat of the 2014 final, which saw him defeated by then-maiden champion Michael van Gerwen, who once more stands in his way. First, though, he had time to reflect on what happened on Monday.

"I like Gezzy, but I don't appreciate what he done (sic)," said Wright, referring to both some pre-match comments he alleged the Welshman to have made, as well as their encounter at the end of the second set.

"You wanted me to concentrate, I'll concentrate. There you go, you lost. He was nowhere near me and I didn't even play my game."

Referring to their clash when Price levelled at 1-1, he added: "That spurred me on. Wind me up on the dart board, and I'll get you back.

"I played Gezzy in the Grand Slam where he was untouchable. I said I was going to give him a better game.

"I played rubbish. I've got to play better than that to win this, and I think I will."

The match began with a 21-dart hold for Price, who smiled wryly in acknowledgement of the palpable tension. But the smile had gone when, from 2-1 down, Wright fired in an 11-dart leg on double 12 before tapping his rival on the arm in a rare display of gamesmanship.

Wright began the second set with an audacious 131 finish, hitting tops twice to further enrage his opponent, but this time it was Price's turn to counter as he hit double 12 to force a deciding leg before capitalising on a miss from Snakebite to level the scores.

Having done so, Price's reaction was not unexpected, but nevertheless angered Wright, the pair brushing shoulders as the latter left the stage. And if that was Price's intention, it worked at first, as he dominated the third set and sealed it with a 100 checkout.

Price began the next set with his fifth 180, but a trio of 140s from Wright - scoring much the heavier - was enough for a 13-dart hold, and another 13-dart leg soon after sealed the set without the concession of a leg, bringing the scores level once more.

Wright took the next two legs in 12 and 13 darts, and while Price again forced a decider, once more it went to the Scotsman as he hit double 12 for an 81 finish and another 12-darter, moving back into the lead.

While Wright was playing much the better of the two, Price was hanging on grimly, and he took the sixth set against the throw, bagging the final leg with six darts from 183.

Still, he'd taken the set with substandard darts, averaging just 88, and Wright was able to expose more signs of weakness at the end of the seventh set, arguably the crucial moments of the match. Throwing first, Price went nine visits without hitting three-figures, allowing Wright to cruise to double 12 and hit it to move back ahead at 4-3.

This time, Wright was able to back that break up with a hold, Price's run of sub-100 visits extending to 13 as he allowed his opponent to dictate terms. Wright sealed the set 3-1 thanks to his 14th maximum, taking a clear lead at 5-3 and moving within a set of the final.

Wright broke at the start of the ninth set, taking out 98 on double 16, before a visit to the same double saw him hold from 72 and move within a leg of victory.

Price, looking deflated but still clinging to hope, held throw on double 10 and then took out 77 in two darts, but once again went missing with the darts in hand as Wright coasted towards the final double.

In the end, there was drama after all, Wright missing seven darts - two of them at bullseye - and surviving one for the set before finally hitting double one. He knows full well that he'll need more on New Year's Day, but this was job done.

MATCH STATS

Averages

Wright: 98.39
Price: 89.94

180s

Wright: 16
Price: 9

Doubles

Wright: 22/61 (36.07%)
Price: 18/53 (33.96%)

100+ Checkouts

Wright: 131, 100
Price: 100

Mighty Mike does just enough

Michael van Gerwen again failed to impress as he beat Nathan Aspinall 6-3, though the three-time world champion never looked in danger of suffering a surprise defeat as he progressed to another meeting with long-time rival, Wright, in Wednesday's final.

Aspinall missed 33 doubles compared to 31 from van Gerwen, but this match was decided on deciders, van Gerwen winning four sets via a fifth leg to achieve a margin of victory which flattered him somewhat.

Van Gerwen averaged just 96.34 and hit only three maximums, showing only glimpses of his best - as has been the case throughout this year's World Championship.

"Of course, with a win I feel phenomenal - it's always nice to be in the final, (but) with my performance, how I played, I'm not too happy," admitted van Gerwen.

"It was hard work for both of us. It was tough, but I won. So far, I didn't have to produce my A-game - it's nice to be in the final without your top level.

"Me and Peter have a history, we've played so many games against each other. I beat him in the World Championship before - normally he's runner-up in finals against me."

Those hoping for the fireworks which never materialised in the night's first semi-final were left disappointed, as the first set passed by without a single maximum.

Not that it was devoid of drama, Aspinall missing double six for the set by the finest of margins as van Gerwen swooped, setting the tone for the entire match in the first significant moment.

Aspinall responded with a 124 checkout to kick-off set two, which he took convincingly, but from 2-1 up in the third set his level dropped and the tournament favourite swooped to move back into the lead.

Again Aspinall refused to stay down, responding to a 103 finish from van Gerwen to steal the fourth set with a 110 checkout of his own, and at 2-1 up in the fifth set there were signs that an upset might well be on the cards.

Alas, van Gerwen kept doing enough, and when Aspinall's sole dart for the set missed, the three-time world champion again made him pay to edge back in front akin to a horse just doing enough to keep ahead of the assessor.

Eleven and 13-dart legs in the sixth set saw van Gerwen step up a level at last, only to lose the seventh without winning a leg as he showed the same signs of vulnerability which have been the hallmark of his still-fruitful 2019 campaign.

But yet again, it was van Gerwen who took the deciding leg of the eighth set, taking out 68, and that was to prove the final telling blow as he dominated the ninth in a victory which both booked his place in the final, while casting some doubt as to just what shape he's in.

Ultimately, the world number one did as Wright had done and won the match without being especially impressive. Yet if he doesn't manage more than these three maximums and one big finish on New Year's Day, perhaps this tournament littered with small surprises will end with one more.

MATCH STATS

Averages