SINGHA Beer Grand Slam Semi-Finals

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and Phil Taylor will clash in the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts final on Sunday evening after they overcame Michael Smith and Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals in Wolverhampton.

World number one van Gerwen won through to the final for the second time in four years with a 16-6 win over Michael Smith.

The Dutch star's quest to complete a full set of PDC major title wins continued with another impressive display, as he landed four ton-plus checkouts and finished 62 percent of his darts at a double.

Van Gerwen did much of the damage in the early stages, leading 2-0 before Smith hit the bull to get off the mark and then landing an 11-darter to move 4-1 up.

He extended that advantage to 8-2 with the aid of a 14-dart finish, a 12-darter and a 111 checkout, with Smith finishing tops and 119 to respond only for van Gerwen to power home a 147 finish in moving into an 11-4 advantage.

After Smith hit back on tops, van Gerwen took out 104 for a 12-dart leg and moved nine legs clear at 14-5, with the St Helens ace briefly rallying but seeing his hopes ended as the world number one took out the maximum 170 checkout to seal victory in style.

"I'm playing well and I did what I had to do, which was win the game," said van Gerwen. "Michael was a bit nervous and was struggling a bit and I took advantage of that.

"It doesn't matter how you get in the final as long as you win. That wasn't my best performance but I did what I had to do at the right moments and the 170 to end the game was incredible.

"Michael's a talented player and I hope het gets his confidence back because he deserves more than this. I'll prepare for the final now and it will be a tough game.

"I don't want to make any mistakes today. I'm really proud of myself for being in the final but I'm not finished yet - I've never won this tournament before and I'm desperate to win it."

Taylor, meanwhile, overcame long-standing rival van Barneveld 16-12 in an enthralling contest as he remained on course to retain the title and claim his seventh triumph at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

He hit back from 2-0 down - as van Barneveld landed 180s in both of the opening two legs - to level and recovered from missed darts to break in legs five and seven by taking out 66 to move ahead for the first time at 5-4.

That came in a run of five straight legs as Taylor moved into an 8-4 lead, and it became an advantage he would retain throughout the remainder of a high-quality contest.

Van Barneveld took out 111, double ten and 73 as he pulled back to 8-7, but he was crucially never able to level as Taylor hit a 13-darter to regain his cushion and landed two 180s in a 12-darter to edge away at 10-7.

A 97 checkout and a 13-darter helped Taylor to lead 12-8, and he also finished 106 and double 16 to continue his charge at 14-10.

Van Barneveld continued to fight as two tops finishes halved the gap, but the Dutchman missed double 16 in the 27th leg as Taylor took out a third-dart double seven to move 15-12 up before sealing his win with a 12-dart leg.

"It was a battle," said Taylor. "It was a strange game at the start and I went 2-0 down again, and I think all the hype put us both under pressure but towards the end we relaxed and started playing.

"Barney's such a good player and he's phenomenal under pressure. I've not seen him like this for a while - he's in the gym and he's doing everything right - and he's focused, and he's back to where he belongs in my opinion.

"It's going to be a cracker of a final and I'm looking forward to playing Michael. It will be a good game."

Smith's run this week had see him reach his first major televised semi-final, and the 25-year-old said: "It took the best player in the world to knock me out of the tournament, so I'm pretty happy but disappointed with how I played today.

"I was too inconsistent and missed quite a few doubles, but it's a learning curve. I didn't punish Michael when I had chances but I didn't give up.

"It's my first major semi-final and I want to push on from here now and get into big finals and hopefully win major titles."

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SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 15
Afternoon Session
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 16-6 Michael Smith
Raymond van Barneveld 12-16 Phil Taylor
Best of 31 legs

Evening Session (7pm)
Final
Michael van Gerwen v Phil Taylor
Best of 31 legs

MATCH INFORMATION
Michael van Gerwen v Michael Smith
1-0 - van Gerwen takes out 68 on tops to claim the opening leg.
2-0 - Both players hit 180s before van Gerwen punishes two missed doubles from Smith to break throw.
2-1 - Smith breaks back, taking out 80 on the bull.
3-1 - van Gerwen opens with a 180 before finishing 66 on double 18 to break throw once more and regain a two-leg lead.
4-1 - van Gerwen lands a maximum before finishing double 16 for an 11-darter.
4-2 - Smith hits a 180 before taking out 24 to claim his secnod leg.
5-2 - van Gerwen hits a 180 and double two to restore his cushion.
6-2 - Smith lands a 180 but misses three doubles across two visits, allowing van Gerwen in to take out 65 on tops.
7-2 - Double eight moves van Gerwen five legs clear.
8-2 - van Gerwen lands a 174 score before punishing Smith's miss at tops by taking out 111.
8-3 - Smith hits back by finishing tops to break, after van Gerwen missed the bull.
8-4 - A 119 finish sees Smith claim back-to-back legs for the first time in the game.
9-4 - Both players hit 180s, and when Smith misses double seven to take out 88, van Gerwen hits double 18.
10-4 - van Gerwen lands his highest checkout of the event so far this year by finishing 147 on double 18.
11-4 - van Gerwen's seventh 180 of the game is followed by a 75 finish on double six.
11-5 - Smith hits a maximum and tops to claim his fifth leg.
12-5 - Smith opens with a 180, but van Gerwen hits a 177 before finishing 104 on double 12.
13-5 - Smith is unable to capitalise on van Gerwen's missed doubles, as the Dutchman returns on double six.
14-5 - van Gerwen hits his eighth 180 and finishes double eight to move two legs away from the final.
14-6 - Smith lands double ten to continue his challenge.
15-6 - Smith misses double top to break throw, and van Gerwen lands double eight to move a leg away from victory.
16-6 - van Gerwen seals victory in incredible style, taking out 170 to reach the final for the second time in Wolverhampton.

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
1-0 - van Barneveld hits a 180 ad tops to take the opening leg.
2-0 - The 2012 champion hits another maximum before punishing a miss at tops from Taylor by hitting the same bed.
2-1 - Taylor breaks back by finishing 60 on tops.
2-2 - van Barneveld misses the bull to finish 126, and Taylor lands double six to level.
3-2 - Taylor misses three darts at double 16 and eight, allowing van Barneveld back in to hit double eight and avert a possible break of throw.
3-3 - van Barneveld's miss at tops allows Taylor to hit the same bed as he squares the game.
4-3 - Taylor misses four darts to win the leg, at double 14 and seven, allowing van Barneveld back in on double five to hold throw.
4-4 - Taylor levels again, finishing double two.
4-5 - Taylor finishes 66 on double eight to break throw and move ahead for the first time.
4-6 - Double 16 sees Taylor open up a two-leg lead.
4-7 - Taylor finishes double 15 with his third dart as he moves three legs up.
4-8 - Taylor opens with a 180 and finishes 44 for a 12-darter to claim a fifth straight leg.
5-8 - van Barneveld wins his first leg in six by taking out 111 on tops.
6-8 - Three misses from Taylor, at doubles 16 and eight allow van Barneveld back in on double ten to break.
7-8 - The Dutch star cuts the gap to one leg by finishing 73 on tops.
7-9 - Taylor gains breathing space with a 13-darter, hitting a 180 and tops.
7-10 - Taylor lands back-to-back 180s before finishing double four for a 12-darter to break throw.
8-10 - Both players hit 180s before van Barneveld breaks back on double 16.
8-11 - van Barneveld lands a 180 but misses three darts at double 12 to allow Taylor in for a potentially key 97 checkout, which he finishes in two darts.
8-12 - van Barneveld hits his sixth maximum, but Taylor finishes double 12 for a 13-darter to move four legs away from the final.
9-12 - Both players open with 180s before van Barneveld lands double three to hit back.
9-13 - Taylor opens with a 180 and finishes 106 as he regains his four-leg lead.
10-13 - Double eight sees van Barneveld respond once more.
10-14 - van Barneveld opens with a 180, but Taylor hits double 16 to deny his rival the chance to break throw.
11-14 - Taylor fires in his ninth 180 of the game, but misses two darts at double 12, and van Barneveld steps in to finish 80 on tops.
12-14 - Taylor hits another 180, but misses at doubles 16 and eight allow van Barneveld in for a key break of throw on tops.
12-15 - Taylor's 177 leaves 28, and when van Barneveld misses double 16, the reigning champion takes out double seven with his third dart to move a leg away from the win.
12-16 - Taylor seals victory in style, opening with his 11th maximum of the game before finishing double 12 for a 12-darter to set up a final against Michael van Gerwen.

Match Stats