Daryl Gurney beats Gary Anderson at World Grand Prix to set up Michael van Gerwen semi-final
Peter Wright & Mensur Suljovic also through to last four
Friday 5 October 2018 10:08, UK
Daryl Gurney remains on course to defend his World Grand Prix title after stunning Gary Anderson to set up a semi-final showdown with Michael van Gerwen.
Anderson has already won the UK Open, the World Matchplay and the Champions League this season but he will have to wait for a maiden Grand Prix as Gurney comprehensively outplayed the fourth seed.
No one has retained the title since Phil Taylor in 2009 but 'SuperChin' stretched his winning run at the tournament to eight matches by sweeping aside Anderson with a sensational 3-0 victory in a match that ended with words shared between the players with the Scot accusing Gurney of speaking behind him.
Up next for Gurney is the world No 1 after Van Gerwen swept past Dave Chisnall in a thrilling performance from both men but it was the three-time champion whose sustained brilliance from 2-0 down in the first set saw him register the first three-dart average of this year's tournament.
The other semi-final will feature Mensur Suljovic and Peter Wright but only after both were pushed all the way and dropped sets for the first time this week at the Citywest Hotel.
Suljovic fought back to beat a dogged Gerwyn Price and reach his third Grand Prix semi-final in four years, while Snakebite reached the last four in Dublin for the first time by seeing off a fightback from James Wilson.
World Grand Prix quarter-finals - as it happened
Daryl Gurney 3-0 Gary Anderson
Brilliant Gurney dazzles angry Anderson
A set-to at the end of the match threatened to overshadow a superb performance from 'SuperChin', who lost just three legs to end Anderson's impressive run in the TV tournaments.
The pair exchanged words at the end of the match but it was Gurney's darts that did the damage right from the off as six darts from 290 completed a brilliant opener for the defending champion, only for Anderson to hit back with a spectacular big finish of his own, taking out the bullseye for a brilliant 121 kill.
Having began the contest by cleaning up 110 in the first leg, Gurney took it out again in the fourth to wrap up a hugely impressive opening stanza that saw him averaging 95 to Anderson's 69.
Anderson's starting doubles continued to miss their target allowing his opponent to plough on - there remained a 20-point difference in the averages, Gurney's composed cleaning up of 76 sealing the set and a 2-0 lead.
Gurney cruised into a 2-0 lead in the third before Anderson stopped the rot but it just delayed the inevitable as the defending champion marched on and the Flying Scotsman headed out with words for his conquerer - much to the surprise of 'SuperChin'.
WORLD GRAND PRIX - RESULTS & SCHEDULE
Michael van Gerwen 3-1 Dave Chisnall
MVG remains on course for fourth Grand Prix
Van Gerwen eventually prevailed in a high-quality final match of the night - both men kept their averages around the 100 mark but it was MVG who prevailed
A trademark burst of brilliance from Van Gerwen turned the first set on its head as he produced 37 darts of outstanding quality to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 success that featured 11, 12 and 14-dart legs and a sensational 104 finish.
Chizzy, who last beat Van Gerwen in the last eight in Dublin in 2013 on his way to the final, refused to budge and took the second set thanks to his own high standard and clinical finishing.
With Chisnall upping his level it only sent Van Gerwen's through the roof, a 107 average for the set gave him a 2-1 lead and he managed to keep the man from St Helens at bay with another superb set.
Chisnall took the opener but MVG took out the next three legs featuring 74 and 89 finishes to register the 10th highest average in the tournament's history.
Mensur Suljovic 3-2 Gerwyn Price
Battling Suljovic sees off Iceman
Suljovic pinned his favourite double 14 for a 14-dart break to kick off the match and rattled through the next two legs with the minimum of fuss, a pair of 180s and a clinical display on the doubles enough to secure the opener.
Price has only once reached the last four of a major TV tournament and missed two darts for the first leg of the second set allowing Suljovic to clean up 73 for a fourth leg on the bounce but a markedly improved Iceman took out 118 to get on the board.
The back and forth continued with the set going the distance and after Suljovic, the sixth seed, missed a dart at bullseye for the set, Price pinned double top to level the contest.
Price piled in a third 180 of the match to the pressure on Suljovic, who missed a dart for a 2-0 lead and the Welshman mopped up 61 with two darts to draw level and then take out a brilliant 116 for a 2-1 lead in legs.
He turned that into a 2-1 lead in sets, finding double top at the third time of asking. Having got his nose in front, Price lost his way a little as missed doubles to start allowed Suljovic to ease through the fourth set - a 54 combination taking the game to a decider.
A magnificent 130, Price's third 100+ finish of the match gave him the lead in the final set but four darts for the second leg went begging and Suljovic took the first that came his way via double 16 before closing out the match.
Peter Wright 3-2 James Wilson
Snakebit survives battling Biscuit rally
Wilson edged into a 2-0 lead in the opener as Wright struggled to find his way, a clinical 72 from Lethal Biscuit the highlight before he allowed Snakebite to fight back.
A pair of commanding legs saw Wright back onto level terms before the first classy moment of the contest allowed him to steal the opener in the deciding leg. Wilson failed to take out 65 and Wright took out a brilliant 97 via the double 19 and double top to somehow secure the first set.
By his own admission, Wilson was playing in the most high-profile match of his career, and he held throw for the opener in the second before Wright moved through the gears - taking out 111 and 91 on his way to the second set.
Wilson rallied to force the match to go the distance but only after Wright had put himself within a couple of darts of the semi-final and an early finish.
At 2-2 in the third, Wilson held his nerve to get on the board and become the first man to take a set off Wright and when Snakebite's starting doubles deserted him, Wilson was in place to keep his cool and claim the fourth despite Wright's classy 109 check-out.
In the end, Wright's experience proved the difference, reeling off the final three legs with the minimum of fuss to see himself into the last four.
Join us for the semi-finals from the Citywest Hotel on Friday, coverage gets underway on Sky Sports Action from 7pm
Live Darts
You can follow the unique double-in double-out format right through to the final on Saturday, October 6 - join in the conversation and go behind the scenes with us @SkySportsDarts.
