MvG too strong for Superchin, while Snakebite fights back from 3-0 down to sink Mensur Suljovic
Saturday 6 October 2018 22:03, UK
Michael van Gerwen remains on course for a fourth World Grand Prix title after ending Daryl Gurney's reign as the darling of Dublin.
The world number one produced a super display on Friday night to see off Superchin with a dominant 4-1 victory and book a date with Peter Wright, meaning the top two seeds will contest the final on the outskirts of the Irish capital.
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MvG claimed his first major title on the Citywest stage in 2012 and has since claimed two more in 2014 and 2016. He has been in determined mood this week, out to make amends for his first-round defeat last year and curtail Gary Anderson's recent dominance of the big TV tournaments.
In Saturday's final, Van Gerwen will face Wright, who battled back from the brink of defeat to stun Mensur Suljovic and seal a place in his ninth major TV final. At 2-2 in the fourth set and trailing 3-0, Snakebite was one leg away from a sobering defeat but he took out double one to steal the set, and never looked back
Suljovic will rue his worst display of finishing of the week as he somehow allowed Wright back into the match, but the world no 2 deserves huge credit for not giving up and raising his own level to pull off the greatest of comebacks.
Wright - whose 2017 UK Open win remains the biggest title of his career - has lost five major finals to MvG but recently declared, on the back of a run of TV wins over the world no 1, that he has the secret to beating the Dutchman. On Saturday, we will find out if that is true.
World Grand Prix Final
Michael van Gerwen (1) v Peter Wright (2)
Masterful MvG marches on
Van Gerwen proved too strong for Gurney, who was powerless to stop the Dutchman and despite remaining competitive throughout, the man from Derry slipped to a first defeat on the Citywest stage since October 2016.
A 106 average from MvG gave him the first set, with Gurney barely given a sniff other than a 16-dart break in the third leg.
Van Gerwen's response was to pin an 11-dart leg of his own to claim the opener and despite a 20-point disparity in the averages for the second set, it went the distance as Gurney took the chances that came his way.
It was a similar story in the third, Superchin hanging on gamely to force a deciding leg thanks to a 14-dart hold courtesy of double 16, but Van Gerwen stepped up his level to claim the set and a 3-0 lead.
To his credit, Gurney refused to buckle, reeling off the next three legs to claim the first sweep of the match and with it the fourth set, thanks to an average of 104 that sent the world no 1 off for the interval with something to think about.
However, it served only to stir Mighty Mike back into action and he produced a classy winning run in three of the next four legs, including a blistering 115 finish, to seal his return to the final courtesy of double nine.
WORLD GRAND PRIX; Results, Draw & Schedule
Sensational Snakebite stuns Suljovic
A brilliant Wright comeback ended Suljovic's hopes of a second big final of the year and secured a rare win over the Austrian for the world no 2, who had lost to The Gentle in the Matchplay, Champions League and Premier League this year.
Suljovic had taken out an array of big finishes throughout the week and continued in the same vein, reeling off the first set in three straight legs with an average of 100 and check-outs of 133, 96 and 113.
Wright had done little wrong picking off a couple of maximums but he had not managed a single dart at double in the opening stanza, and missed his first in the opening leg of the second set.
He found a brilliant double eight to get a first leg on the board before missing a dart at double 16 for a 146 combination and he was punished by Suljovic, who pushed average higher still, mopping up 53 and then claiming the next two legs for a comfortable 2-0 lead.
On the Austrian ploughed to move 2-0 up in the third, a 14-dart break of throw putting him on the brink before the first dip saw him miss three darts for the set. Wright responded to clean up 88, before missing a dart to level.
Suljovic took out 64 for the third set and stood on the brink of victory before Snakebite bit back. An inspired Wright responded with the best leg of the tournament; 10 darts was all it took for the second seed to hit the front.
The Austrian took out the next two to move within a leg of a place in the final but inspired by a pivotal double one with his opponent waiting, Wright battled back to take his first set.
With Suljovic losing his way, Wright kept his cool to take a 2-1 lead in the fifth as nerves took hold and the pair traded missed doubles - Suljovic chasing the match, and Wright attempting to keep his hopes alive.
It was Wright who prevailed to close to within a single set and when Suljovic missed a dart at bullseye and a 129 check-out in the sixth, Wright took his chance to lead, producing a sensational 130 finish to take the set 3-1 and level the contest.
With Suljovic crestfallen, Wright took out 52 to take the first leg of the decider and move ahead for the first time in the contest, before back-to-back legs were sealed with a clinical 80 kill that wrapped up one of the greatest comebacks in the tournament's history.
Coverage of the World Grand Prix continues on Saturday with the final. Join us on Sky Sports Action from 8pm.
Darts season is in full swing and continues on Sky Sports with the Grand Slam of Darts in November and the World Championships which get underway from the iconic Alexandra Palace on December 13.
