BoyleSports World Grand Prix – Quarter-Finals Review

Michael van Gerwen, Dave Chisnall, Glen Durrant and Chris Dobey will star in the semi-finals of the 2019 BoyleSports World Grand Prix after coming through their quarter-final ties in Dublin on Thursday.

A thrilling night of darts at the Citywest Convention Centre saw reigning champion van Gerwen continue his bid to retain the title for the first time with a hard-fought 3-1 win against Mervyn King, and he will now face Dobey, who continued his dream debut with a 3-2 triumph over Ian White.

Chisnall overcame Nathan Aspinall 3-1 in a high-quality affair to set up a meeting with Glen Durrant after the World Matchplay semi-finalist edged out Jermaine Wattimena 3-2 to book a spot in Friday’s last four.

The repeat of the 2012 final between van Gerwen and King was the star attraction on Day Five of the double-start event at the Citywest Convention Centre,

with King pushing four-time champion van Gerwen to produce some of his best darts.

van Gerwen took a 1-0 lead after two set darts went begging for King, who then matched the Dutchman’s 170 checkout with the maximum finish himself to level at 1-1 in sets.

The third set went the way of Van Gerwen 3-1, but King’s reply was immediate in the opening leg four as he raised the roof with a 132 checkout.

With King 2-1 up in the fourth, he then missed a dart at double 18 to take the match to a deciding set and van Gerwen took full advantage, pinning double eight to make it 2-2 before outscoring King in the set five decider, sealing victory on double top.

“I think it was a phenomenal game from both of us, but I proved why you should never write off MvG,” said van Gerwen.

“He pushed me through the roof, he never gave up and I think we saw Mervyn at his best tonight. He’s a top class player with an incredible talent.

“Now I will have a good night’s rest and I will be ready for tomorrow. I think the longer format will favour me in my game with Chris.”

van Gerwen’s next test will come from rising star Dobey, who continued his sensational impact in his first World Grand Prix appearance with five ton-plus checkouts in a win over White.

Three-time Lakeside Champion Durrant completed the semi-final line-up with a hard-fought win over Wattimena to continue his dream first year on the PDC circuit.

Another slow start from Durrant saw him whitewashed by Wattimena in set one, with the Dutchman nailing a 154 checkout in leg three.

Despite once again failing to produce his best darts, Durrant stuck to his task and won six of the next eight legs to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

Wattimena, who took the scalps of Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright to reach the last eight, fought back to win the fourth set 3-1 and take the tie to a decider.

Dutch number two Wattimena edged closer to the biggest win of his career by taking the opening leg, but Durrant held firm, winning three legs in succession to book a place in his second televised PDC semi-final.

“It’s crazy that I’m in the semi-finals,” Durrant admitted. “I’ve got that will to win inside me and I somehow managed to find the knockout blow. I’ve got that fight and a will to win.

“I honestly don’t know how I’m winning, I don’t know where my scoring’s gone.

“Hopefully on Friday I can settle, maybe winning the first set will help my performance so I’m not constantly battling to stay in it.”

Durrant and Chisnall will star in Friday’s opening semi-final at the Citywest Convention Centre from 1900 BST, with van Gerwen then taking on Dobey in the second contest of the evening.