Daryl Gurney is marginal favourite to beat Simon Whitlock in Saturday's World Grand Prix final in Dublin. We have a full round-up of Friday's action as well as match-by-match statistics and updated Sky Bet odds.
A dramatic night in Dublin began with Whitlock reaching his first major televised final since 2013 by upsetting the odds to defeat favourite Mensur Suljovic 4-3 in a see-saw encounter.
The veteran Australian was the 7/4 underdog heading into the clash with the man-of-the-moment from Austria, who was bidding to win back-to-back televised crowns following his September's Champions League of Darts success last month, but held his nerve in a final set.
Whitlock blasted out of the blocks and produced four 100+ checkouts of 141, 111, 109, 101 in the opening four sets to surge into a 3-1 lead as Suljovic struggled - apart from a 154 finish of his own - to produce the magic which has helped him win 21 of his last 23 games, which also included a Players Championship crown as recently as Saturday.
The Wizard, who has developed a reputation for failing to cope with the pressure at big moments on TV, had the darts at 2-2 in the fifth set but despite hitting a double on his opening visit he could only manage two trebles in his next five as Suljovic pounced to keep the match alive on his favourite double 14.
The momentum was suddenly with the world number six and he cruised through the sixth set 3-0 to force a decider before an impressive 96 checkout saw him move 1-0 up.
The Aussie levelled matters with a cool three-dart finish from 80 before his seventh 180 of the match in the following leg set up a 15-darter on double tops.
Suljovic missed his first three darts at an opening double in the next leg to hand the initiative to Whitlock and it was an opportunity he took with both hands as went on to take out 74 for an emotional victory.
Whitlock's only televised PDC major title came back at the European Championship in 2012 - the same year he reached the Premier League final - but since being a runner-up at the same event a year later, he generally struggled to produce his best again on the biggest stages.
What great character from Whitlock after it looked like he'd blown his chance! 👏#WorldGrandPrix
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) October 6, 2017
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Afterwards he told the PDC: "When I was 3-1 up I felt in control and all of a sudden I panicked a bit. I still don't know how I won that. I did choke - I lost my way a bit to be fair and somehow when I was a leg down in the final set I found it again. I didn't give up - Mensur's so good but I dug deep to win the match and found some good darts in that last set.
"I've been working so hard on everything, practising for three hours a day and especially on my doubles and checkouts, and it's paying off finally."
He will now play rising star Daryl Gurney as the Northern Irishman reached his maiden TV major final by ending the dream run of John Henderson with a commanding 4-1 victory.
Henderson entered the tournament as a 500/1 no-hoper having been handed a daunting first-round draw with Michael van Gerwen but after shocking the world number one on opening night, he then defeated Alan Norris and then Raymond van Barneveld to find himself in his first major semi-final.
Despite turning on the style to level the match at 1-1 by whitewashing Gurney in the second set with some superb darts, the Highlander had the stuffing knocked out of him when losing the next in a deciding leg.
Gurney, who had also reached the semi-finals of both the UK Open and World Matchplay during a breakout season which has surely sealed him an invite into next year's Premier League, cruised through the fourth set 3-0 thanks to checkouts of 56, 45 and 86 but he needed to rely on a missed dart at a double from Henderson in a deciding leg of the next to claim an emotional victory.
The 31-year-old, who is receiving huge support from the crowds at the Citywest Hotel, is 8/13 favourite with Sky Bet to beat Whitlock, who can be backed at 5/4.
Sky Bet's Price Boost is Gurney to win, hit the highest checkout and score most 180s at 4/1 from 3/1.
Anyone back Daryl Gurney at 33/1 or Simon Whitlock at 80/1 at the start of the #WorldGrandPrix ?#lovethedarts
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) October 6, 2017
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He said: "I'm very glad to get over that hurdle from the semi-final into the final. I've been knocking on the door in the UK Open and World Matchplay and eventually I've got over the finishing line. I've been trying my very best since I joined the PDC five years ago and I'm starting to reap the rewards now.
"The players are so good and although John being in the semi-finals may be a shock to the TV viewers, to the players it's not. I've got a chance to win this title now, and if I can get in front and stay in front I don't care what my average is as long as I get to the winning post before Simon does.
"I'm looking forward to playing Simon and he knows that he's going to be in a battle. I'm going to go out there and try and beat him from the first dart to the very last dart."
Friday's's World Grand Prix results & statistics
Seedings in brackets
Simon Whitlock 4-3 Mensur Suljovic
- Three-dart averages
Whitlock: 86.03
Suljovic: 92.92 - 180s
Whitlock: 7
Suljovic: 3 - 100+ checkouts
Whitlock: 141, 111, 109, 101
Suljovic: 154, 137 - Finishing checkout percentage
Whitlock: 53.57% (15/28)
Suljovic: 48.28% (14/29)
John Henderson 1-4 Daryl Gurney
- Three-dart averages
Henderson: 83.88
Gurney: 83.42 - 180s
Henderson: 2
Gurney : 3 - 100+ checkouts
Henderson: N/A (Highest: (96)
Gurney : N/A (Highest: 86) - Finishing checkout percentage
Henderson: 25.93% (7/27)
Gurney : 1.58% (12/38)
Saturday schedule
Saturday October 7 (2000 BST)
Final (Best of nine sets)
TV Channel: Sky Sports
Daryl Gurney v Simon Whitlock
