SINGHA Beer Grand Slam - Friday

NINE-DART HERO HUYBRECHTS STUNS VAN GERWEN AS CHISNALL ENDS BROWN'S CHALLENGE
 

KIM HUYBRECHTS hit a stunning nine-darter as he stormed past Michael van Gerwen to reach the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals, after Dave Chisnall completed a remarkable fightback against Keegan Brown in Friday's other quarter-final.

Belgian star Huybrechts was already on course for victory against van Gerwen when a brilliant display against the World Champion put him 12-3 and 13-7 up.

He then kicked off the 21st leg with two 180s, before finishing 141 with treble 20, treble 19 and double 12 to complete his first televised nine-dart leg, and only the second in the eight-year history of the Grand Slam.

Huybrechts went on to complete a brilliant victory, ending with 12 maximums, five ton-plus checkouts and a 104.83 with the performance of his career as he won through to the semi-finals at the Wolves Civic.

"I'm absolutely buzzing - it's the best game of my life," said Huybrechts. "It has to be my best performance ever; a nine-darter and a win against the World Champion and world number one.

"Michael didn't take his chances and you never expect to be 12-3 up, and though he came back I managed to get there in the end. I was so nervous and I'd have settled for any win in the end.

"It's my birthday on Sunday and it would be brilliant to celebrate by winning the title, but I have to focus on the semi-finals first."

Van Gerwen had held throw to claim two of the opening three legs, but back-to-back 14-darters moved Huybrechts into a lead he would never relinquish.

The Belgian alo finished 126 in a run of five successive legs to move 6-2 up, and though van Gerwen hit back with a 122 checkout it was Huybrechts who pushed clear with six successive legs to lead 12-3.

The run included checkouts of 142 and 120 as he pushed his average above 110 at one stage, before van Gerwen won four successive legs to hit back to 12-7.

Huybrechts, though, halted the World Champion in his stride with a 108 checkout and his nine-darter, before landing another 180 on his way to a 15-7 advantage.

Van Gerwen won the next three, including a 114 finish as Huybrechts stuttered at the winning line, but the Belgian regained his composure to fire in a 12th 180 before double top sealed a memorable display.

Van Gerwen said: "It was Kim's night and he hit everything. Sometimes you walk into things like this and can't do anything against it - credit to Kim, he played well.

"I didn't play badly, but when I was 9-3 down I'd missed doubles in three or four legs and the scoreline could have been different. I tried my best and I was better than in the last couple of games, but it wasn't enough tonight."

Huybrechts will now take on Dave Chisnall on Sunday afternoon as the final day of the tournament kicks off, with the St Helens man producing the greatest fightback of his career in a 16-14 win over Keegan Brown.

Chisnall looked set to follow the lead of Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld in being stunned by the 22-year-old from the Isle of Wight when Brown took leads of 8-2 and 12-6.

Chisnall, though hit back to win seven legs in the next eight as he reduced the gap to 13-12, and levelled at 14-all before going on to claim a thrilling narrow victory.

The St Helens man landed 11 maximums in the contest and also took out a 170 finish as he moved through to Sunday afternoon's semi-finals.

"I don't know how I won that game," admitted Chisnall afterwards. "Keegan's such a good young player and he deserved to be as far ahead as he was.

"I really struggled with my scoring in the first part of the game, but I managed to start finding the treble 20 again and I got on a roll. My confidence is high at the moment and I'm feeling really good about my game, especially my finishing."

After Brown won the game's opening leg, Chisnall replied with a sensational 170 finish - but he was punished for missed doubles in three of the next four as Brown moved into a 5-1 lead.

The Isle of Wight youngster, who had earlier taken out a key 77 on the bull, then finished 130 to move five legs clear of a shell-shocked Chisnall.

The former World Grand Prix finalist stemmed the tide by taking out 68, and after Brown won the next two to lead 8-2 Chisnall took out 94 and 79 in a run of three legs in four to pull back to 9-5.

Brown, though, won three of the next four - despite a trio of maximums from Chisnall - as he moved into a 12-6 advantage and just four legs away from the semi-finals.

As Chisnall increased the pressure, Brown moved 13-8 up only to see Chisnall take out 102 and then land 180s in the next three legs to cut the gap to 13-12.

Three missed doubles to level the game, though, looked set to cost Chisnall as Brown edged into a 14-122 lead, but the World Youth Champion was left waiting on a double as Chisnall hit tops in the next.

Three misses from the youngster then allowed Chisnall to post double nine to level before tops put the world number eight ahead for the first time in the game.

Brown replied with a 180 as he looked to force a deciding 31st leg, but a missed bullseye gave Chisnall his chance as he stepped up to finish 100 to complete a remarkable fightback.

"I'm proud of what I've achieved this week and to be honest I'm more than happy to have reached the last eight," said Brown, who still works full-time as a medical laboratory assistant on the Isle of Wight.

"When I lost to Dave last weekend I didn't think I'd even get out of the group stage, let alone be in the quarter-finals, but Chizzy deserved the win in the end."

The quarter-finals conclude on Saturday night with the remaining two matches, as Stephen Bunting takes on Mervyn King and Phil Taylor plays Michael Smith.

On The Wire - PDC Exclusive YouTube Show
Featuring Kim Huybrechts' nine-darter, Kim Huybrechts playing cricket, Dave Chisnall and Sammi & Daniella's PDC Merchandise Catwalk




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SINGHA BEER GRAND SLAM OF DARTS
Friday November 14
Quarter-Finals
Dave Chisnall 16-14 Keegan Brown
Michael van Gerwen 10-16 Kim Huybrechts
Best of 31 legs

MATCH INFORMATION
Dave Chisnall v Keegan Brown
0-1 - Both players land 180s in the opening leg, before Brown lands double ten to claim first blood.
1-1 - Brown is first to a finish again, but misses double 18 and nine to take out 96 to allow Chisnall to finish a superb 170 checkout to level.
1-2 - Chisnall opens with a 180 and scores 140 and 135, but misses darts at double 16 and eight as Brown steps in on double eight.
1-3 - Chisnall misses the bull for a 90 finish, and Brown capitalises with a 72 finish to break throw.
1-4 - Brown opens with a 177 and takes out 77 on the bull to move three legs clear of his opponent.
1-5 - Chisnall misses double eight and four, and Brown steps in once more, hitting double top to break throw again.
1-6 - Brown finishes a superb 130 on double eight to win his fifth successive leg.
2-6 - Brown lands a 180, but Chisnall takes out 65 on tops to claim his first leg in six.
2-7 - Brown takes out 76 on double eight to restore his five-leg lead.
2-8 - Brown fires in a 177 to leave 24, and lands double six as he moves half-way towards the semi-finals.
3-8 - Chisnall finishes 94 on double six to hit back again, breaking throw for the first time in the game.
4-8 - Chisnall lands a 171 before finishing double six to hit back.
4-9 - Chisnall fires in another 171, but misses two darts at double 16 as Brown finishes 91 on double 12 to regain his edge.
5-9 - Chisnall takes out 79 on double 11 to respond once more.
5-10 - Chisnall fires in a 180 - his third of the game - but sees Brown take out double ten for a 14-darter to move five legs clear once more.
6-10 - Chisnall posts his fourth 180 before taking out 64 on double eight to hit back.
6-11 - Brown finishes 74 on tops to regain his cushion.
6-12 - Chisnall misses the bull and double four, allowing Brown to take out double 18 for a break of throw.
7-12 - Chisnall breaks back as he lands a sixth 180 of the game and takes out 68 on double four.
8-12 - Chisnall finishes double ten with his third dart as he reduces the gap to only four legs.
8-13 - Brown lands a 180 before finishing tops for a 13-darter to move three legs away from the semi-finals.
9-13 - Brown misses double top to finish 160, and Chisnall finishes 102 on double 18 to respond.
10-13 - Chisnall's seventh 180 sees him first to a finish before he takes out 87 on double 18 to break throw and pull back to three legs behind the youngster.
11-13 - Chisnall fires in another maximum before double four sees him win his fifth leg in six.
12-13 - The momentum for Chisnall continues as he hits a maximum for a third successive leg before finishing 85 on double eight to break throw and pull back to one leg behind his rival.
12-14 - The game takes a dramatic turn in a tense 26th leg, with Brown's 162 score followed by a 180 from Chisnall - who then misses three darts at double ten to let the youngster back in from his two earlier misses to land double four, breaking to regain breathing space.
13-14 - Chisnall's 165 leaves tops before Brown fires in a 171 to leave 16 - but tops sees Chisnall break once again.
14-14 - Chisnall hits an 11th 180 of the game only to miss four darts at doubles, but Brown misses three darts at double 16 and eight to step in as his opponent levels on double nine.
15-14 - Chisnall lands tops to move ahead for the first time in the game.
16-14 - Brown lands a 180 to leave 81, but wires the bull to send the game into a deciding leg, and Chisnall finishes 100 to seal his place in Sunday's semi-finals.

Match Stats

Michael van Gerwen v Kim Huybrechts
1-0 - van Gerwen takes out 16 to claim the opening leg.
1-1 - Huybrechts fires in a 180 before landing double 16 for a 13-darter to level.
2-1 - van Gerwen scores 180 and 174 to be first to a finish, and takes out tops for a 12-darter.
2-2 - Huybrechts levels with a 14-dart leg.
2-3 - The Belgian breaks for the first time, taking out double 18 for another 14-darter.
2-4 - Huybrechts wins a third successive leg to move clear.
2-5 - The Belgian ace finishes 126 on the bull to break throw in style.
2-6 - van Gerwen lands a 180, but Huybrechts returns from missing the bull to take out 129 by finishing double eight to move four legs clear of the PDC World Champion.
3-6 - The pair trade 180s before van Gerwen takes out 122 to reply.
3-7 - van Gerwen opens with a maximum as he hits a 180 for a third successive leg, but Huybrechts finishes 74 on double 16 to restore his lead.
3-8 - Huybrechts' average moves to almost 111 as he posts double 18.
3-9 - van Gerwen lands a 180, but misses the bull for a 161 finish and two further darts at tops, allowing Huybrechts back in on double nine.
3-10 - Huybrechts opens with back-to-back 180s, and though he misses out on a possible nine-darter, van Gerwen misses double 14 for a 148 finish to allow him back on double 18.
3-11 - van Gerwen lands a sixth 180, but Huybrechts finishes 142 on double 11 to move eight legs clear.
3-12 - Huybrechts wins his sixth successive leg as he takes out 120 to edge closer to victory.
4-12 - van Gerwen finishes tops with his third dart as he hits back with his first leg in seven.
5-12 - Huybrechts lands a 180, but van Gerwen finishes 75 on double 12 to win back-to-back legs.
6-12 - van Gerwen continues his revival by capitalising on a miss at double four from Huybrechts to hit the bed.
7-12 - The PDC World Champion's revival continues as he fires in a 180 and tops to reduce the gap to five legs.
7-13 - Huybrechts finishes 108 on double 16 to halt van Gerwen's charge.
7-14 - KIM HUYBRECHTS HITS NINE-DART FINISH! Huybrechts opens with a 180, and responds to a 174 from van Gerwen with another maximum before taking out 141 on double 12 to complete an amazing nine-dart leg!
7-15 - Huybrechts opens with another maximum before finishing double 12 as he moves to the brink of an incredible victory.
8-15 - van Gerwen fires in a 174 before landing a third-dart double top to respond.
9-15 - Huybrechts lands his 11th 180 but misses a match dart at tops as van Gerwen finishes 114 to keep the game alive.
10-15 - van Gerwen posts a tenth maximum before double eight continues his fightback.
10-16 - The Belgian opens with five perfect darts of a 180 and 140, and though van Gerwen replies with another 180, tops sees Huybrechts win through to the last four.

Match Stats