World Darts Championship: Michael Smith battles past Stephen Bunting | Dimitri Van den Bergh makes history | Darts news

The extraordinary Michael Smith continued his hunt for a first world title with a 5-3 win over Stephen Bunting; Dimitri Van den Bergh became the first Belgian player to reach the semi-finals after defeating Jonny Clayton 5-3.

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Best action from the afternoon session of the World Darts Championship quarter-finals.

The extraordinary Michael Smith stayed on course for a second consecutive World Darts Championship final after seeing off a determined challenge from Stephen Bunting in Sunday’s quarter-finals.

Smith, a beaten finalist in last year’s tournament, eventually defeated the 21st seed 5-3 to secure his place in the last four. He joined history-maker Dimitri Van den Bergh after opening the day’s event at Alexandra Palace with victory. same result against Jonny Clayton.

Smith will now face either 2021 world champion Gerwyn Price or Gabriel Clemens in the semis, while Van den Bergh will face three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen or Chris Dobey, with the remaining quarter-finals played live tonight. Sky Sports.

Smith fights past Bunting

Smith’s struggles were highlighted by the fact that he averaged a relatively paltry 91.63 compared to Bunting’s 97.16, but his opponent was made to pay for missing 44 double attempts with just a 21 per cent checkout, with Smith landing 16 of 34 double attempts.

The opening sets showed that Smith was below the standard he has achieved at times this tournament, but did enough to go 3-2 up and take an early lead. However, Bunting took some punishment to level the match by winning the second and sealing a 3-0 win with a generous 160 checkout.

The 2014 Lakeside world champion was up four at the start of the third round, but Smith punished him in parts two and three for some missed doubles and finished with a 61 for a 2-1 lead.

The 32-year-old’s finishing proved decisive in the fourth set as well, although he did not hit the heights in scoring, creating a two-set lead. Smith then reeled off three straight runs in the fifth set to put himself one away from a return to the semifinals.

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Michael Smith defeated Stephen Bunting to secure his place in the semi-finals

Smith’s streak of winning six bounces came to an end early in the sixth when Bunting took advantage of Smith’s low-point visits, then won another when the Grand Slam titleholder fouled out in need of 20.

Bunting then made a 44 to put the second set on the board and made it four legs in a row at the start of the seventh. Smith hit back in the next leg but his fellow St Helens Darter dominated the third and fourth to seal a 3-1 victory and claw their way back to 4-3.

However, there was no memorable comeback from Bunting despite his best efforts as Smith eventually claimed victory in a nervy leg where both players threatened to share the goals before the No. 4 seed grabbed the double ten.

“I just pitched so bad today, but I managed to pull it off,” Smith said Sky Sports. “Don’t get me wrong, Stephen missed a lot of doubles, but this is a World Cup quarter-final.

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Michael Smith feels Stephen Bunting let him loose in the quarter-finals

“I just had to tell myself ‘Keep going, keep going, you’re in the semis.’ I’m going to go on to that World Cup because that’s what I want, but I put too much pressure on myself then and it almost cost me. all.

“I didn’t deserve that game … but you take chances when they’re given to you and now I’m in the semis.”

Van den Bergh made history by beating Clayton

In the first quarter-final of the day, Van den Bergh made history by becoming the first Belgian to reach the last four of the PDC World Darts Championship when he saw off Clayton.

Former World Grand Prix winner and Premier League winner Clayton made short if unspectacular work of the first set as he beat Van den Bergh 3-0, making it only the second set the Antwerp man had lost in this year’s tournament.

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Dimitri Van den Bergh beat Jonny Clayton and became the first Belgian to reach the World Series semi-finals.

Van den Bergh answered right at the start of the second set with 12 darts and won the next two to level the match in a set where Clayton couldn’t even get a shot at double.

It was even in the early part of the third before Clayton took the lead and retook the lead in a few layups. He took 25 to make it 3-1 when Van den Bergh was stuck in the madhouse and needed a double after he missed. double 130 to the cashier, which would have forced the decider.

Nevertheless, the 2020 World Matchplay champion was able to level the match again with a sweep in four sets, but Clayton got back in front with a fifth-set decider, having also nailed a 108 to the cashier earlier in the set.

However, once again nothing proved to separate the pair in the sixth set and Van den Bergh ensured he stayed level with the Welshman by holding his serve in the crucial second leg to take a 3-1 lead for the first time. victory in the seventh.

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Dimitri Van den Bergh took the microphone to address the crowd after hitting 13 180s in a 5-3 quarter-final win over Jonny Clayton.

The 28-year-old also went for eight, but back-to-back departures at the top of the double allowed Clayton to capture two legs. However, Van den Bergh held his nerve to force a decider and seal his place in the last four.

“I don’t know how I feel, but everyone here is part of history,” Van den Bergh said in his impassioned post-match speech. – For the first time a Belgian darts thrower is in the semi-finals – I’m really proud.

“I’m a young guy, I’m keeping my feet on the ground and I’ve got a lot of support…so on to the next round. From now on I’m preparing for the semi-finals and it doesn’t matter who it is [against]. I’m a dreamer and I have a dream.”

Watch Gerwyn Price vs Gabriel Clemens and Michael van Gerwen vs Chris Dobey for the remaining semi-final spots live Sky Sports Darts and The main event from 7:30 p.m.