World Matchplay - Match Reports 7. Day, Afternoon

Andy Hamilton 17:15 Simon Whitlock
Andy Hamilton produced the most remarkable comeback in the history of the Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay, winning nine successive legs in coming from the brink of defeat to Simon Whitlock to win 17-15 in their classic quarter-final.
Hamilton, who only earned his spot in the event as the last of 16 Players Championship qualifiers a month ago, seemed set to see his Winter Gardens challenge end when Whitlock took a 15-8 lead.
However, the Australian's accuracy on the doubles evaded him as he missed five match darts across three separate legs as Hamilton clawed his way back level and snatched the most dramatic of victories.

Whitlock made the stronger start, hitting a 174 and double eight to win the opening leg and recovering from allowing Hamilton in to level on tops in the second with some clinical finishing to win three successive legs. The first came courtesy of a 116 checkout, the second saw him hit tops for an 80 finish and the third, for a 14-darter saw Whitlock follow a 180 with double 16. Hamilton hit his first 180 of the match in the sixth leg, and swiftly added a second in posting a superb 11-dart leg to halt the run.
The next two were shared courtesy of double 16 finishes, before Whitlock took the ninth in spectacular fashion by following a 180 with a 105 checkout. Hamilton landed another 11-darter to pull back to 6-4, but Whitlock again hit top gear, winning six out of the next seven legs to pull clear at 12-5, with only a third 11-dart finish of the game from the Englishman coming in reply. Hamilton hit his fifth 180 of the game and double top to slow Whitlock's progress, although the Australian replied with a 106 checkout and also shared the next four legs as he edged towards victory by moving 15-8 up.
Double 16 from Hamilton saw him begin the fightback, and when he broke throw for the first time in the match in the 24th leg with a 12-darter which featured two 180s, the gap was reduced to 15-10. Whitlock was first to a finish in the next, but when he missed three match darts just above double top, Hamilton stepped in with an 86 finish to stay alive. Another missed double top in the next, this time for a 120 finish, allowed Hamilton to finish double 16, and when he hit a pressure double five to reduce the gap to 15-13, the comeback was truly underway.
Whitlock posted a 180 in the next, and when Hamilton missed double 16 for a 142 finish he was handed another chance to take the win - but again was off-target on double top, and his opponent returned to pull to within a leg. Hamilton then finished 68 to level the match, and landed his ninth 180 and a 68 finish to incredible lead for the first time at 16-15 after Whitlock missed five darts to regain his advantage. Whitlock replied with a maximum in the next as he battled to keep the game alive, but Hamilton secured the victory in style, finishing 94 on the bullseye with a superb dart to complete the most remarkable of fightbacks.

"I can't believe it," said Hamilton. "At 15-8 I had nothing to lose and I started clawing it back, and that's the greatest comeback of my career. Simon kept missing and he gave me a glimmer, and I pounced on him. I got back in the game and at 15-13 I was on a roll. I was probably trying too hard early on and missed too many doubles, but I relaxed as the game went on and it paid off."
Hamilton's win followed up defeats of number four seed Gary Anderson and a second Scot, John Henderson, and ensures that he will return to the world's top 16.
"I'm growing in confidence and I've nothing to lose in the semi-finals," said Hamilton. "Because I beat Gary it's given me more self-belief and I've nothing to lose. I'm the underdog but I could go all the way, and I'm shutting the doubters up about my game. People said I was gone and that I'd never come back but this will shut them up."



Adrian Lewis 16:12 Mark Webster
Adrian Lewis overcame a slow start before defeating Mark Webster 16-12 to reach the Sky Bet Mobile World Matchplay semi-finals at the Winter Gardens on Friday.
The World Champion trailed 4-1 and 6-2 as Webster made a swift start in his bid to reach the semis in a second successive major, following his run in the Speedy Hire UK Open last month.
However, Lewis won seven out of eight legs in mid-game to edge into a 9-7 lead, and he eventually proved too strong as he booked his place in Saturday's semi-finals.

Webster made an ideal opening to the game, taking the first leg and then breaking to win the second after Lewis suffered some early double trouble. A makeshift finish of double 11, double three from Webster saw him move into a 3-0 lead, and although Lewis got off the mark by hitting a 180 and tops in the fourth a 13-darter from Webster saw him take a 4-1 advantage at the first break.
A 70 finish from Lewis saw him win the sixth, but Webster edged the next two to take a 6-2 advantage, only to miss two chances in the next as Lewis posted double five to break. He followed that with a 14-dart leg and checkouts of 110 and 118 for four successive legs in levelling the contest, before Webster took out 72 on double 12 to 7-6 up. A two-dart 85 finish from Lewis saw him level once more, and he took the lead for the first time with a 13-dart leg, which was followed by double top as he moved clear at 9-7. Webster finished 104 to win the 17th leg, but Lewis moved three legs ahead with a brace of double tops as he edged towards the winning line.
Webster replied with two double ten checkouts to pull back to 11-10, and hit a 180 in the next only to see Lewis finish 72 on double 18 to five himself breathing space. After the Welshman took the next, Lewis held his cool to hit a 180 and a 90 finish to lead 13-11 and then moved two legs away from the semis by winning the 25th leg. Webster produced a brilliant ten-darter to keep his hopes alive at 14-12, but Lewis replied with back-to-back 180s in winning the next before sealing victory on double 11.

Having stared defeat in the face against Kevin Painter in the first round, as his opponent missed six darts to knock him out, Lewis now sits two victories away from claiming his second major title in the space of seven months following defeats of Vincent van der Voort and Webster.

"In the first match Kevin played well and I was lucky to get through, but you have to take your chances and I've shown a lot of bottle," said Lewis. "That's part of why I'm World Champion and I think I can go on to win this tournament now. When I was 4-1 down at the first break against Mark I knew I had three or four more gears and I knew what I had to do. He kept giving me chances and I didn't take them early on, but I never felt under pressure. I'll have to improve, though, and I will probably have to average 103 or 104 to win the semi-finals, but I've got the game to do it."







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