Darts results: Gerwyn Price defeats Mervyn King to reach World Grand Prix quarter-finals

By Sporting Life

Darts

Wed October 07, 2021 · 3y ago

Gerwyn Price came from a set down to defeat Mervyn King and book his place in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix.

The defending champion wasn't quite at the same levels as he was in round one when he became just the sixth different player in history to record a double-start 100+ average, but he still had too much in his locker for King after a slow start.

Price did, however, open up the match with a superb 115 checkout only for the 2012 runner-up to reel off the next three legs without reply - including a 109 finish after his opponent threatened a nine-darter with visits of 160 and 171 - to move into a 1-0 lead.

The world champion reversed the scoreline in the second, edged a decider in the third on tops and then coasted through the fourth 3-1 to wrap up what turned out to be a fairly comfortable victory.

Price, who averaged 93.65 compared to King's 82.65, threw five of the seven 180s and converted 37% of his doubles, remains hot favourite for glory following the exits of Michael van Gerwen and Peter Wright on Monday night.

𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗗𝗩𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗦!

Gerwyn Price dropped the opening set but the defending champion rallied to a 3-1 success over Mervyn King!

📺 𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙪𝙥 👉 Dave Chisnall v Ross Smith pic.twitter.com/DLCh1nHznN
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 5, 2021

Price will now meet Dave Chisnall, who produced a sensational comeback from two sets down to defeat Ross Smith in a thriller.

The two-time runner-up looked set to become a sixth seeded player to exit this year's event when Smith won six of the opening seven legs in their tie.

However, Chisnall mounted a rousing fightback to claw his way back into the contest before taking out a superb 135 finish to seal his place in the quarter-finals.

Smith made an exceptional start, following up a 14-darter to break throw with a 152 checkout to seal the opening set without reply, and he took the second set 3-1 to double his lead.

The pair traded 13-darters to open the third set, but Chisnall pounced to break throw on tops in leg three and then finished a brilliant 12-darter with an 88 checkout to kick-start his challenge.

Chisnall then came from a leg down to win the fourth set 3-1, hitting another 12-darter in the process, to send the tie into a decisive fifth set.

Smith again held the advantage, after finishing 52, but Chisnall took out 130 on the bull to level, double nine to break and then 135 to complete a memorable recovery.

𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗭𝗭𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞!

WOW. 🤯

Dave Chisnall sets up a quarter-final clash with Gerwyn Price after coming from two sets down to defeat Ross Smith 3-2!

A remarkable comeback from Chizzy 👏 pic.twitter.com/CFmcQOHTu1
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 5, 2021

"I'll never give up and I keep fighting," said Chisnall. "When I was 2-0 down I thought I was going to get bashed 3-0 because I wasn't playing well at all, and I just kicked in a gear.

"I started hitting the 180s and I felt good. I had to hit the 135 because he would have had a shot, so I'm over the moon to get the win."

Chisnall now renews his rivalry with Price in a tasty quarter-final on Thursday - with the Welshman having edged a thrilling seven-set semi-final 12 months ago.

Ryan Searle won through to his maiden televised quarter-final with a classy 3-1 defeat of Luke Humphries..

The impressive Somerset thrower produced some superb doubling during a fast-paced contest, opening with over 56% of his attempts at the outer ring and landing three ton-plus finishes to progress to the last eight in Leicester.

Humphries hit back from 2-0 down with the aid of an 11-darter to level in set one, but missed two darts at double 19 to claim the opener as Searle returned on tops to take the advantage.

Searle then doubled his lead by winning a brilliant second set without reply, taking out finishes of 140 and 152 for successive 12-dart legs along the way.

𝟭𝟱𝟮 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗛!

He took out 150 in his first round tie, 140 in the previous leg of this match and now he's taken out 152!

Superb finishing from Ryan Searle and he doubles his lead in the second set! pic.twitter.com/yl1AxE1rr0
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) October 5, 2021

Humphries hit back to keep his hopes alive in set three, defying an opening 160 score from Searle in the deciding leg to complete a 14-darter and pull back to 2-1 in the match.

Searle followed a 93 finish with a sensational 170 checkout to move 2-0 up in the fourth set, with Humphries taking out 112 and 65 to force another deciding leg - but the UK Open finalist was unable to finish 100 with six darts and his rival stepped in on tops for victory.

Luke Humphries: BULL-BULL-D8 (when he needed D16)

Ryan Searle: T20-T20-BULL

Incredible 170 finish to a leg and great sportsmanship 👌👏pic.twitter.com/wR0t7VyO5X
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) October 5, 2021

Stephen Bunting reached his first World Grand Prix quarter-final since his debut seven years ago with a 3-1 defeat of James Wade, ending the left-hander's bid to claim a third double-start title.

Bunting followed up his impressive first round defeat of Daryl Gurney with another clinical performance, finishing almost 50 percent of his doubles and limiting Wade to just four legs.

The 2014 semi-finalist won the opening set without reply, landing a crowd-pleasing 132 checkout on the way, and responded to a Wade 11-darter with a 14-darter and a 107 finish to lead 2-1 in the second.

Wade, though, levelled and took the set's decider with a 14-darter to square the contest, only to see Bunting pull clear by winning six of the next seven legs - including a 102 finish to secure set three - as he wrapped up the win.