Wednesday 29 May 2019 13:11, UK
Michael van Gerwen reached a seventh consecutive Premier League final with victory over Daryl Gurney setting up a showdown with Rob Cross.
The top two advanced to the competition's showpiece at The O2 on Thursday night with very different performances, Cross was a classy 10-5 winner over James Wade, gaining revenge for his defeat against the Machine last week that cost him top spot.
In the other semi-final Gurney was left to rue missed opportunities having failed to take advantage of a below-par Van Gerwen but the defending champion found a way to cross the line and set up a repeat of the pair's semi-final last year which MvG won in style
Despite a 14-point difference in the early averages, Gurney, who beat Van Gerwen twice in the league phase, took out double 16 to level the contest at 2-2 and with MvG maintaining his level Superchin was forced to up his.
And up it he did, a 13-dart leg to hold throw in the sixth leg of the tie ensured Gurney wasn't cut adrift - the doubling keeping Gurney in the contest just as Van Gerwen's let him down.
Having split the first session a match full of tension saw Gurney stay in touch thanks to his finishing and Van Gerwen expressed concern with the board that was changed at the break.
Gurney's trusty double 16 gave him the lead for the first time in the contest in the first leg back after the break - he pinned the target for a fourth time to force the first break of throw only for Van Gerwen to level straight back.
The 14th leg proved pivotal with Gurney missing six darts to level and MvG swooped to take out the leg and follow up with another to move within one of a return to the final. A pair of double eights from Superchin kept Van Gerwen honest but despite being well below par he took out double 16 to reach yet another Premier League final.
With the defending champion awaiting in the final, Cross and Wade duked it out for the right to join him and it was the 2018 world champion that moved into cruise control after an evenly-contested opening that saw both men trade winning runs.
The Machine, champion in 2009 and runner-up in 2008 and 2010, moved into a 3-1 lead, but powered by some impressive finishing Cross went on a three-leg run of his own to move in front.
Voltage took out a brilliant 112 and 103 on his way to assuming total control at 9-4 in front with an average just under 100. Wade was able to stop Cross' nine-leg burst with a brilliant double-double 98 checkout (D19, D20).
But it proved to be a stay of execution as Cross moved in to seal his place in the final with a third three-figure outshot, a brilliant 128 enough to see him go one better than last year when his Premier League debut ended with a 10-6 semi-final defeat to the man he will face in Thursday's final.
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