Grand Slam Double For van Gerwen

SINGHA BEER GRAND SLAM OF DARTS DOUBLE FOR VAN GERWEN

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN retained the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts title with a superb 16-8 win over James Wade in Sunday night's final at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, claiming an untouchable 24th tournament win of 2016.

The Dutchman's incredible year continued with yet another televised triumph as he pocketed £102,500 for his imperious nine days in Wolverhampton, where he has won seven matches in total.

Van Gerwen had won through to the final with a sensational display as he outlasted Peter Wright 16-10 in a high-quality semi-final, averaging 111.17 and hitting a huge 17 maximums in the process, his most ever in a Grand Slam match.

He then overcame a slow start in the final - as Wade opened up an early 3-1 lead with the aid of a 112 finish to break throw - by storming to victory by winning ten of the final 13 legs.

A 104 finish helped the Dutchman to level as he claimed five straight legs to move 6-3 up, with Wade punishing missed doubles from his rival to cut the gap to one before van Gerwen took another five without reply.

That run featured key finishes of 94, 70 and 127 as he moved 11-5 up, with Wade taking out 76, double ten and a 14-darter to hit back only to be stopped in his tracks by a 136 checkout as van Gerwen moved 12-8 up.

Finishes of 94, double five and double eight edged him to the brink of victory, and a sixth 180 of the contest helped to set up double 16 to complete another memorable victory.

"This is the best feeling you can have, to win a tournament," said van Gerwen. "It was a difficult final and I had to work hard, so it's fantastic.

"James is a fantastic player and he made it difficult but I'm really glad I won this trophy. I think I proved that I can still win when I'm not 100 percent, but it's not how you win a trophy, just that you win it.

"I think I was the best player and I did the right things at the right moments. In the groups I wasn't really tested, but after that I played better and better.

"I've won most of the tournaments this year and I love winning. I feel confident and I feel good, and I just want to compete and play as well as possible in any tournament I play."

Wade, who defeated Gary Anderson 16-14 in a tight semi-final earlier in the day, pocketed £50,000 as the runner-up as he reached the final in Wolverhampton for a second time, only to see history repeated as he was defeated in the decider.

"Michael is the best player in the world at the moment and I didn't give him a game," said Wade. "I was very poor in the final."

Losing semi-finalist Wright had claimed five victories during the week and knocked out six-time champion Phil Taylor in a superb quarter-final on Friday, but was left frustrated after losing out to van Gerwen in a 16th successive match.

"I couldn't find my throw today and I couldn't find the pitch or the happy medium pace, and it felt totally different to the game against Phil where I was so comfortable," said Wright.

"If you want to win this tournament you have to be averaging 111 like Michael. I don't think I played well all week either apart from the match against Simon Whitlock.

"The next step for me is to stick with these darts and keep working hard with these darts. Six months down the line they will be like gloves for me and people will have to watch out.

"I'll pick myself up and get ready for next week now in Minehead and hopefully it will be a different story."

Next weekend sees the Cash Converters Players Championship Finals take place at the Butlins Minehead Resort in Somerset, as 64 players compete for £400,000 in prize money live on ITV4.

Michael van Gerwen Video Interview

"It's a long time ago that I won that one..." All eyes on the World Championship from @MvG180 as he retains his Grand Slam title. pic.twitter.com/1j38g7dcIl

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) November 20, 2016

SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 20
Afternoon Session
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 16-10 Peter Wright
Gary Anderson 14-16 James Wade
Best of 31 legs

Evening Session
Final
Michael van Gerwen 16-8 James Wade
Best of 31 legs

MATCH STATS
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen v Peter Wright

Gary Anderson v James Wade

Final

SEMI-FINALS ROUND-UP
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN produced a performance of the highest quality to secure his place in the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts final with a 16-10 win over Peter Wright.

The Dutchman's 111.17 average was the sixth highest in Grand Slam history as he landed a stunning 17 maximums as well as three ton-plus checkouts, while he also hit two ten-dart finishes after twice teeing up a possible nine-darter.

Wright paid his part in a classic as he continued his strong week in Wolverhampton, but the number five seed crucially never led as van Gerwen three times denied his rival after the Scot drew level.

Van Gerwen set the tone for the match with a 126 bull finish in the opening leg, and he also took out 125 in moving 3-1 up, only for Wright to hit back to level by winning the next two.

A pair of 11-darters edged the world number five 5-3 up, with Wright then landing an 11-dart finish as he levelled before van Gerwen fired in another double of 11 and 13 darts to edge 7-5 ahead.

He also held an 8-6 cushion before Wright levelled for a second time as he followed a 14-darter with an 81 bull finish for a 12-darter in leg 16.

Wright also had a chance to move ahead in the next leg, but agonisingly wired the bullseye to finish 121 before van Gerwen stepped in to take out a superb 139 combination.

Tops moved the Dutchman 10-8 up, and after Wright responded to win his ninth leg the reigning Grand Slam champion produced his first ten-dart leg of the game to move 11-9 up, hitting two 180s before responding to missing out on a possible nine-darter to land double 16.

Van Gerwen then took out 90 and 68 to lead 13-9, with Wright taking out 71 to reply only to see van Gerwen edge leg 24 before hitting seven perfect darts in another ten-darter to lead 15-10, before firing in his 17th 180 as he sealed a brilliant win.

"The most important thing was to win the game, but Peter pushed me to play this well," said van Gerwen. "I tried to do anything that's in my possibility - I messed about at the beginning but after that I played phenomenal.

"I kept scoring really well and I very rarely made a mistake. It gives me great confidence, but that was only the semi-final and I have to show it again in the final."

Wright had claimed five victories during the week and knocked out six-time champion Phil Taylor in a superb quarter-final on Friday, but was left frustrated after losing out to van Gerwen in a 16th successive match.

"I couldn't find my throw today and I couldn't find the pitch or the happy medium pace, and it felt totally different to the game against Phil where I was so comfortable," said Wright.

"If you want to win this tournament you have to be averaging 111 like Michael. I don't think I played well all week either apart from the match against Simon Whitlock.

"The next step for me is to stick with these darts and keep working hard with these darts. Six months down the line they will be like gloves for me and people will have to watch out.

"I'll pick myself up and get ready for next week now in Minehead and hopefully it will be a different story."

Wade, meanwhile, won through to his second Grand Slam of Darts final after ending World Champion Gary Anderson's hopes with a narrow 16-14 triumph in the second semi-final.

A 13-darter gave Wade the opening leg as he took advantages of 2-0 and 3-1 before Anderson fired his challenge with a 137 checkout.

Wade later took out 147 to deny the Scot a chance to level in leg eight, and also led 7-5 before Anderson finished 76 to complete a 12-darter for the second time in three legs befiore finishing 122 on the bull to break throw for the first time and level at seven-all.

Wade finished 96 to break back and regian the lead, but Anderson followed up double ten to square the match by finishing a superb 126 on the bull to move ahead for the first time.

An 11-darter consolidated that advantage as he moved 10-8 up, before Wade took out 70 and 81 to square the contest at ten-all.

Double eight moved Anderson in front for a second time, but Wade crucially took the next three to swing the game back in his favour at 13-11, and after the World Champion hit back with an 84 finish it was the number six seed who took out 116 to deny his rival the chance to level.

Another 11-darter from Anderson - as he opened with two 180s - saw him pull back to 14-13, but Wade edged clear with a 69 finish before holding off his rival's rally by taking out 68 to finally secure a spot in the decider.

"I'm so excited to be in the final and it's great for me," admitted Wade. "Gary wasn't at his best and I made the most of it.

"It was probably the worst I've scored for the whole tournament, but I finished well. Every time Gary gave me an opportunity I took it.

"It's been a while since I've played half decent darts, but my wife said to me a few weeks ago that I needed to start practising more, that I was losing to people I should lose to and playing like an idiot. I've been practising more and it's made a difference.

"I believe I'm good enough to beat anyone in the world, and Michael will be conscious of me going into the final. I'll respect Michael, he's the best player in the world, but I won't worry about who I'm playing."

Van Gerwen is the 1/12 odds-on favourite going into the final with Sun Bets, the official betting partner of the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts, with Wade the 6/1 outsider.