mpionships
to step in, and I got the job done.”
“It wasn’t too pretty and I’ve got a couple more gears left in me, but I
hit the right shots at the right time and put him under pressure.”
Photo: PDC/Lawrence Lustig
“My finishing was better against Mervyn King in the third round and my
scoring was better tonight, but I’ve got to put them together against
Michael. I think I’ll be a lot more consistent against him than I was
tonight.”
“He’s trying to win his first World Championship title but I’ve been
there and done that, and I think it will be a cracker.”
“He knows I’m going to come out firing, and for some reason when it
comes to the big occasions I’m always there or thereabouts, which I’m
very proud of.”
Semi-Finals
Peter Wright swept aside Simon Whitlock 6-2 to book his place in a first
ever major final. The Scotsman, who now lives in Lowestoft, took the
opening set of the match 3-1, before adding the second in a deciding
leg.
“It’s an amazing
night”
Michael van Gerwen
He then went on to extend his lead by taking the third set, before
Whitlock hit back in the fourth. The Australian’s comeback was short
lived however as Wright took both the fifth and sixth sets to move into
a 5-1 as he closed in on the final.
Whitlock delayed the inevitable after fighting back from a leg down to
take the seventh set, 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.”
ence Lustig
“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”
Peter Wright