World Matchplay - Report and Statistics Fourth Day

VAN GERWEN AND PRICE KO LEWIS PAIR AT BETVICTOR WORLD MATCHPLAY
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN turned on the style with the fourth highest average in BetVictor World Matchplay history as he swept Jamie Lewis aside 13-2 on Tuesday night, as Gerwyn Price stunned Adrian Lewis to join Peter Wright and Ian White in the quarter-finals in Blackpool.

World number one van Gerwen was at his brilliant, ruthless best as he powered past Lewis with a 110.93 average, which has only been bettered by Phil Taylor - on three occasions - in the 22-year history of the event.
Although Lewis shared the first two legs, he had no answer to van Gerwen's brilliant scoring and clinical finishing as the Dutchman reeled off nine successive legs. The run included finishes of 100 - with two double tops - 91, 89 on the bull, 87 and 86 as well as an 11-dart finish, two 12-darters and four 14-dart legs. Lewis landed double 11 to hit back in the 12th leg with a sparkling 13-darter, but van Gerwen landed 180s and another 11-darter in the next two legs to move 12-2 up before adding a 174 score to leave 32 as he sealed victory in style with a 13-dart finish.

"It's a statement to myself and the rest of the players," said van Gerwen. "Jamie was scoring okay but I didn't give him any chances and my finishing went in brilliantly, and I want to keep going like this. You don't do this average every day and it makes it a bit special - but it was only one game. I'm already looking forward to Thursday against Ian White and I want to concentrate on that and make sure I perform really well."

Van Gerwen will now take on Ian White in the quarter-finals, after the number nine seed produced an outstanding comeback to defeat Simon Whitlock 13-9 by reeling off seven successive legs.
A tight contest saw the opening ten legs all won with the throw, as White hit a 113 checkout and Whitlock fired in four 180s, before the Australian took three in a row to claim an 8-5 advantage. White replied with a 13-darter before Whitlock enjoyed six perfect darts for the second time in the game, and though he again missed out on a nine-dart finish the Australia did take the leg for a 9-6 lead. White, though, took out tops to hit back and then landed 180s in the next three legs to put himself ahead for the first time at 10-9. He then finished 104 and traded 180s with Whitlock as he moved 12-9 up before landing double ten to move into the quarter-finals in Blackpool for the first time.

"It feels great and I'm delighted to be in the quarter-finals," said White, who knocked out Stephen Bunting in the first round. "I'm happy with the way things are going at the moment. I thought I was dead and buried at 9-6 and it just wasn't going right for me. but I wanted to take one leg at a time, and when I got back to nine-all I knew I could do it. I wanted to keep pressurising him and he didn't reply. The 180s came back towards the end and I was taking the doubles out in one dart."

World number four Adrian Lewis was sensationally knocked out 13-10 by Welsh newcomer Gerwyn Price, the former rugby ace who will compete in his first major quarter-final on Thursday night.
Price matched the two-time World Champion blow for blow during a thrilling opening, sharing the first four legs before taking three in a row to lead 5-2 with an in-running average of over 111. Lewis hit back with an 11-darter, only to see Price take four of the next five to edge himself into a 9-4 advantage as the pair traded 13-dart legs. Lewis landed scores of 177 and 180 in the next two legs as he pulled back to 9-6, only for Price to land double top to win three of the next four as he moved to the brink of the biggest win of his 18-month career. Two missed match darts in the next allowed Lewis in on double two to keep his hopes alive, before he landed another 180 in a brilliant 12-darter and then hit double ten to pull back to 12-10. Price, though, kicked off the next leg with a 180 - his eighth, to match Lewis' tally - before fittingly landing a third-dart double top to claim a famous win.

"It's unbelievable," said Price, who only joined the PDC circuit in January 2014. "My goal initially was to get through the first round and get my first win on TV, and today I just wanted to play well. I think I out-played Adrian for most of the game, apart from the last couple of legs where he came back, so I'm chuffed to bits. I wasn't nervous but maybe there was a bit of white line fever and he kept putting me under pressure. On Sunday I struggled with my scoring but my finishing got me through but tonight it came together. It hasn't sunk in yet - I can't wait to do it all again on Thursday."

Price now faces Peter Wright, the number five seed who held off the challenge of Andrew Gilding to reach his first World Matchplay quarter-final with a 13-7 win.
Gilding took out 100 for an 11-darter to open the game and also led 2-1 before Wright levelled and then broke with double 12 to move 3-2 up. Gilding took out 121 and 74 to remain locked at four-all, but Wright found an extra gear to claim two big breaks of throw in a four-leg burst to move 8-4 up, hitting legs of 11, 12 and ten darts in the process and twice hitting seven perfect darts, missing treble 19 on both occasions in his bid for a nine-darter. Gilding finished tops to win two of the next three legs to stay in touch at 10-7, but a 68 checkout gave Wright breathing space before he sealed victory with legs of 13 and 14 darts, which both featured 180s, as he moved into the last eight.

"It's fantastic to be through," said Wright. "There were patches of what my game should be all the time, and that's why I'm disappointed with my average but it's a win and I can improve now. I used to practice with Andrew before he turned professional with the PDC and he used to beat me all the time and I know how good he is but I got on top of him at the end."


Statistics
Ave180sDoublesPlayervPlayer Ave180sDoubles
95.501013/36Wright 13:7Gilding90.7917/14
92.4379/23Whitlock 9:13White97.11713/35
110.93513/22 v.Gerwen 13:2J.Lewis98.8622/6
99.20810/25 A.Lewis 10:13Price97.88813/29








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