PDC World Championship - Report Fourteenth Day
Semifinals

SUPERB WRIGHT AND RUTHLESS VAN GERWEN SET UP LADBROKES WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen will contest the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship final on Wednesday, after they enjoyed brilliant semi-final victories over Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis at Alexandra Palace.

Wright's incredible run in the 1 million pound tournament continued as he swept aside 2010 finalist Whitlock 6-2 with a brilliant performance in Monday's semi-finals. The number 16 seed, rated 66/1 with Ladbrokes ahead of the tournament, won through to his first televised final in clinical fashion as he took out 60 percent of his chances at a double against the Australian.
He took the game's first set 3-1 before claiming the second in a deciding leg with a 61 finish, after Whitlock had hit back from 2-0 down to level. The Scot then took the third set 3-1 to move further ahead before Whitlock landed a 130 in the process of winning set four to hit back. Wright, though, took out 110 as he won set five 3-1 before landing back-to-back 13-darters in the sixth, which he took without reply to move 5-1 up in the game. Whitlock fought back from a leg down to edge the seventh set in a deciding leg, but missed darts at doubles in the opening two legs of the next as Wright closed in on victory before taking the set, and the match, on double eight.

"I'm over the moon but it's not sunk in properly yet," said Wright, who ended the game with a 100.24 average. "I went up there and played a game of darts; I pretended it was a new tournament and the first round. I held myself together well throughout. My finishing was excellent - particularly on double 16 - and I didn't give Simon a sniff. I needed to keep Simon under pressure because I know what he can do. He can come back like a train, but I'm getting used to it on the stage and I played my own game. I'll be treating the final the same, as if it's a first round game. I'll try and block out the occasion and take each leg at a time."

Van Gerwen, meanwhile, produced his best display of the tournament as he ended Lewis' hopes of winning a third World Championship title with a six-set whitewash in a contest which lasted just 40 minutes.
Lewis opened the game with a 180, but missed three doubles to win the opening leg in a start which set the tone for the match, as van Gerwen capitalised to take the set 3-1. Lewis led in the second and took out 158 as he forced a deciding leg, in which the pair traded 180s before van Gerwen finished 85 to double his lead. Van Gerwen then won the third set 3-1 before taking out finishes of 121 and 154 in claiming the fourth without reply in moving towards the winning line. Lewis took out 112 to lead in set five, but was punished for further missed doubles as van Gerwen won the next three legs to take a 5-0 cushion, and though the Stoke ace fought back from two legs down in the sixth set, the Dutchman was first to a finish in the decider as double 11 sealed his place in the final.
The win takes van Gerwen back into the World Championship final, having lost 7-4 to Phil Taylor 12 months ago only to give himself the prospect of overhauling the reigning champion as world number one if he takes home the £250,000 first prize on Wednesday.

"It's an amazing night," said van Gerwen. "For me the score was not 6-0 but I did everything at the right moments and I knew that was important. Adrian missed a lot of doubles at the beginning of the game and I took advantage of that. You're not allowed to miss doubles at this stage of the tournament and I kept it going tonight, I didn't fall asleep like in the quarter-finals against Mark Webster. Peter's a great player who has improved himself in the last year, and also in this tournament with some great averages, but I'm playing better game by game. My game's good, my confidence is there and I've got everything in me to be World Champion. This is another dream to be in the final - but this time I hope I can win!"

Lewis conceded: "I take my hat off to Michael because he finished really well and I didn't take my chances. The scoring part of the game was pretty equal but it was just my doubles that let me down. The first leg set the tone really, and it was just a bad day at the office. I'll take it on the chin and move on. I'll have a week off and then get back on the practice board and knuckle down, because on another night it could have gone a different way."

Despite his defeat, Whitlock will move above Lewis to third in the PDC Order of Merit - but he was left devastated following his second semi-final exit in three years.
"I tried my hardest and I just wasn't good enough," said Whitlock. "Peter was the better player on the day; he took out finishes, his scoring was pretty good and he was the best player today. Peter hit the big shots at the right time better than I did tonight. It's gut-wrenching because I wanted to be in the final again. Peter's been one of the form players this year and I've got a lot of respect for the man. The guy's class and fair play to him. I've had a pretty good year again this year and I'm close to being satisfied. I feel as though I had a great chance this year and I just blew it."







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