Skybet World Grand Prix Semis

PHIL TAYLOR and Raymond van Barneveld will meet in the final of the Skybet World Grand Prix for a second successive year on Sunday night.

Taylor's challenge for a ninth title in the double-start format continued with a stylish 5-2 semi-final win against Jenkins, where he averaged 99.76 in a strong display.

He took the first two sets in a sensational start, which included legs of ten and 11 darts, before Jenkins found his feet.

But Taylor proved too good to progress to the final, where he meets world number three and long-time rival van Barneveld on Sunday night.

Van Barneveld overcame Andy Hamilton 5-2 in their semi-final, proving the stronger in the second half of the game to reach the decider.

Hamilton took the first set and also came from 2-1 down to win the fourth, before the Dutchman won the fifth and a key sixth set to move 4-2 up, before then closing out victory.

Skybet World Grand Prix
Semi-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 5-2 Andy Hamilton
Phil Taylor 5-2 Terry Jenkins

Final
7.30pm Sunday - please note revised start time
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld
Best of 11 sets

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 5-2 ANDY HAMILTON
(1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-1)
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVLD won through to a second successive Skybet World Grand Prix final with a 5-2 defeat of Andy Hamilton.

The Dutchman produced a resilient display to see off Hamilton, who had battled through to his first televised quarter-final for a year and pushed van Barneveld all the way.

The duo shared a high-quality opening four sets, before van Barneveld took the next three to book his place in the final.

Hamilton took advantage of a slow start from van Barneveld to win the first set 3-1, with the Dutchman posting a 180 and a 90 checkout to win his only leg as his opponent's accuracy on double 16 edged him ahead.

Van Barneveld took the second set in style, with a 14-darter in the opening leg seeming to spark his challenge, as a 118 finish and then double top saw him level the match.

He came from a leg down to lead 2-1 in the third, with Hamilton missing four darts for the leg before van Barneveld took out double 18 to break.

Hamilton hit back to level, but van Barneveld opened the deciding leg with a 152 and took out double 16 for a 109 finish in moving ahead in the game.

Hamilton hit a 180 and double 16 to break throw in the fourth set's opener, with double six moving him 2-0 up before scores of 140 and 180 helped van Barneveld set up a double 16 finish to hit back.

Van Barneveld also opened leg four with a 152 score, but missed four darts to level as double top saw Hamilton take the set and square the match.

The fifth set, though, proved pivotal in the contest, with van Barneveld hitting double four to lead and then escaping on double one in the second, after

Hamilton missed two darts to punish earlier misses from the Dutchman.

Hamilton kicked off the third leg with a 152, and double five pulled him back into the set, but van Barneveld took the next to ensure a 3-2 sets lead.

Hamilton led 2-1 in the sixth set, taking out 92 on the bullseye to hit the front, but double 16 from van Barneveld levelled and he then took the deciding leg to move 4-2 up in the game.

The pair traded double 16 finishes in opening set seven, but a key 180 from van Barneveld pushed him clear to take the third leg with a 72 finish.

He also landed another maximum in leg four, before taking out double five to claim the victory.

"I'm really happy to be in the final but I know I'll have to play better to win this," said van Barneveld.

"I didn't start well and my hands went cold when I got on stage, but the second set was good and that gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the game.

"Andy never seemed to miss double 16 in the whole match but I had some crucial finishes there. Luckily i got most of the last legs in sets which was important.

"I'm not pleased with my performance, but for nine weeks I did nothing. I didn't throw a dart until two weeks before this event and that say a lot about the talent I have.

"It's a second final in a row here for me and I'll look forward to it."

Hamilton admitted: "I'm disappointed to lose but really happy with reaching the semi-finals.

"I didn't play as well in the second half of the game and that was where Raymond got the win, but it was a good match."

Match Stats

Andy Hamilton	2-5	Raymond van Barneveld
37	100+	41
15	140+	14
2	180	6
29.43	Ave1	29.24
88.29	Ave3	87.71
96	High Finish	118,109
5	Legs Against Throw	8

PHIL TAYLOR 5-2 TERRY JENKINS
(3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 0-3, 3-1)
PHIL TAYLOR set up a second successive final against Raymond van Barneveld in the Skybet World Grand Prix with a 5-2 win over Terry Jenkins.

Taylor's challenge for a ninth title in the double-start format continued with a stylish win against Jenkins, where he averaged 99.76 in a strong display.

He took the first two sets in a sensational start, which included legs of ten and 11 darts, before Jenkins found his feet.

But Taylor proved to good to progress to the final, where he meets world number three and long-time rival van Barneveld on Sunday night.

"It was really hard work and I'm relieved to get through that," said Taylor. "Terry was dead and buried after the first two sets but he came back at me and kept on fighting.

"He's a great player but he let me in at the end and I had to finish him off.

"I'm excited to be playing Raymond again and hopefully I can keep the title. Andy Hamilton had Raymond under pressure in their semi-final and I've got to do the same in the final."

Taylor certainly applied the pressure to Jenkins, winning six of the opening seven legs to take control of the contest.

He landed double 16 in the opener before Jenkins levelled on double four, but a double eight finish edged Taylor back in front before he landed a 180 and a 96 finish in taking the set.

Taylor opened the second with a brilliant ten-darter, only the second of the week, by hitting scores of 160, 140 and 177 to leave double 12.

After opening the second leg with a 160 and posting double ten to move 2-0 up, he then hit another maximum in a superb 11-dart finish to take the set without reply.

A 13-dart finish put Taylor in front in set three, and he also posted a 117 finish to lead 2-1 after Jenkins had hit a 180 in taking leg two.

Double 20 saw Jenkins level, before he hit another maximum and then tops to take the set following three missed darts from Taylor for a 3-0 lead.

Jenkins hit double two to lead in the fourth set, but Taylor punished him to level on the bull before taking out double three and then an 11-dart finish - featuring two 180s in only ten scoring darts - to take the set and a 3-1 lead.

The pair traded four maximums in the opening four legs of set five, with each going against the throw as Jenkins hit legs of 12 and 15 darts and Taylor took out legs of 12 and 13 darts.

Taylor, though, landed a killer blow to take the decider by whitewashing Jenkins, who missed nine opening doubles as the defending champion hit a 146 finish for a 12-darter.

Jenkins responded well, winning set six without reply thanks to a 90 finish and two 13-darters to give himself hope of a comeback at 4-2.

He also shared the opening two legs of set seven, only for Taylor to recover from three missed starting doubles to land double ten, and then hit a seventh maximum of the match and double four to secure victory.

Match Stats