Van Gerwen relishes Dobey duel at Alexandra Palace

Michael van Gerwen continues his bid for a fourth Sid Waddell Trophy when he takes on Chris Dobey in the semi-final of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship on Thursday.

Van Gerwen is the only former champion still standing at Alexandra Palace, having beaten James Hurrell, Brendan Dolan, Jeffrey de Graaf and Callan Rydz to reach the last four.

The Dutch superstar won in an epic quarter-final clash against Rydz on New Year’s Day, and he now aims to end the hopes of another North East star when he takes on Dobey.

“I think I have a lot of confidence and a lot of experience” » declared Van Gerwen, who will play his ninth World Championship semi-final this evening.

“I think I’m in a good position otherwise I wouldn’t be able to produce what I did against Callan, so I have to make sure I continue to stay focused.

“I believe I can still do more, but as long as I continue to perform like this, I definitely have a chance.”

Van Gerwen notched back-to-back averages of over a ton in wins over De Graaf and Rydz, defying the latter’s average of 103 and 17 maximums to book his place in the semi-finals.

Rydz also achieved the two highest averages of the tournament against Romeo Grbavac and Dimitri Van den Bergh respectively, and Van Gerwen paid tribute to his opponent after the match.

“Callan put a lot of pressure on me. It was probably one of the hardest times of my year. » conceded the three-time world champion.

“I think Callan was a credit to this tournament, so to produce those moments where I had to, it gives me a lot of energy.

“This match gave me goosebumps. That’s why you want to play darts!

Dobey, meanwhile, advanced to his first World Championship semi-final with a 5-3 win over Gerwyn Price, defying a slow start to sink the Welshman.

Dobey had lost to Van Gerwen and Rob Cross in his previous quarter-final appearances at Alexandra Palace, surrendering a 4-0 lead to Cross in an extraordinary match 12 months ago.

Nonetheless, the 34-year-old avenged that heartbreak with a spirited display against Price, which saw him break new ground on the sport’s biggest stage.

“It meant a lot. This is a major achievement in my career. » insisted Dobey, who then climbed into the world top ten for the first time.

“Overcoming this winning line; Honestly, it’s hard work. That was the most nervous pitch I’ve ever felt trying to win a game.

2021 world champion Price raced through the first two sets with an average of 107, as he looked to advance to the semi-finals for the first time since winning the coveted title.

However, Dobey fought his way back into the match and won four sets on the rotation to move closer to a historic victory.

Price wasted in doubles, but he regained momentum after surviving five match darts to win the seventh set and reduce the arrears to 4-3.

Despite this, Dobey remained calm to get the job done, closing proceedings with a superb double-double 92 to cross the winning line.

“It was a bit up and down, but I’m delighted to be sitting here and looking forward to the semi-final,” continued the former Masters champion.

“I think I’m a better player now. I just need to keep performing like I am. I really believe I can go all the way.

Thursday’s second semi-final will see teenage superstar Luke Littler take on Masters champion Stephen Bunting for a place in Friday’s showpiece.

Littler is eyeing a place in back-to-back World Championship finals, having accounted for Ryan Meikle, Ian White, Ryan Joyce and Nathan Aspinall to maintain his remarkable record at Ally Pally.

Bunting is also in his second semi-final in the capital, beating two-time world champion Peter Wright 5-2 in the quarter-finals to move up to a career-high fifth in the world.

The tournament is broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, via the PDC’s global broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding subscribers based in the UK, Ireland, Germany, in Austria and Switzerland).