World Grand Prix - Report and Statistics Semifinals
TOP TWO SET FOR UNIBET WORLD GRAND PRIX SHOWDOWN
THE world's top two ranked players, Michael van Gerwen and Gary Anderson, will contest the Unibet World Grand Prix final on Saturday evening following superb semi-final triumphs at Dublin's Citywest Hotel.
Two-time World Grand Prix champion van Gerwen continued his bid to win back the title with a 4-2 comeback win over Dave Chisnall in a thrilling last four contest to secure his place in the final, where a 100,000 pound top prize is on offer.
In an explosive opening to a high-quality semi-final, van Gerwen took the first set 3-1 with the aid of checkouts of 106 and 101 as Chisnall landed a ten-dart finish in reply. The 2013 finalist then took the next two sets by a 3-1 scoreline to move ahead in the contest, only to see van Gerwen fire in a ten-dart finish of his own in the fourth set's decider to draw level. Van Gerwen then took the fifth set without reply to resume command, and came from 2-0 down in the sixth to claim his spot in a fourth Dublin final in five years.
"Dave's a fantastic guy and it was a pleasure to play in an amazing game like this," said van Gerwen, who averaged an impressive 99 in the double-start format.
"Dave played a fantastic game and I had to fight. He made it really difficult - you feel the pressure if someone plays like that against you, but I played a good game and I'm really happy. My average is fantastic for a double-start format but I can still improve. I did the right things at the right time and that gives you a lot of confidence. Everyone is playing so well against me that I'm having to put on my A-game."
Van Gerwen was the champion in 2012 and 2014 before being defeated by Robert Thornton in last year's decider, and the world number one said: "I'm really glad I'm in the final and if I play like this I win the tournament. It's easy to say that, if they keep putting pressure on me like this then it's really hard, but I still know how to fight under that pressure and I'm doing great."
Friday's other semi-final saw World Champion Anderson overcome two-time Dublin finalist Raymond van Barneveld 4-1 to win through to the final in the double-start format for the first time.
After the Scot took out a sublime 148 finish to seal the first set with a 3-1 scoreline, van Barneveld came from a leg down to win the second in a deciding leg. Anderson hit back from two legs down to win the third by following a 13-darter with a 104 checkout, and then took the fourth 3-1 to pull clear before sealing victory in the deciding leg of set five. The Scot ended with a near-99 average with his best performance of the week, and is in buoyant mood moving into Saturday's eagerly-awaited final.
"I thought Raymond played well tonight," said Anderson. "He was missing a few doubles to start there at the end but he scored well when he did get in and he hit a lot of 180s. "It was a hard game but my starting was great tonight and so was my finishing. I thought it was a good match. I'm looking forward to the final against Michael - he's a quick player so it will be my kind of speed and it will be a good game. It was this tournament that started his career off [in 2012] but now he's the man to be beaten, as Sky say."
Saturday's final will be preceded by the final of the Tom Kirby Memorial Irish Matchplay championship between reigning champion Mick McGowan and Cork-based Radek Szaganski.
Statistics
| Ave | 180s | Doubles In | Doubles Out | Player | v | Player | Ave | 180s | Doubles In | Doubles Out |
| 99.37 | 6 | 25/58 | 14/28 | v.Gerwen | 4:2 | Chisnall | 95.05 | 9 | 25/50 | 11/27 |
| 98.89 | 5 | 23/36 | 14/32 | Anderson | 4:1 | v.Barneveld | 91.55 | 8 | 23/55 | 9/32 |
