Gary Anderson battles into UK Open final with win over David Pallett

Gary Anderson is the first player into the 2018 UK Open final.

None of the world's top 64, bar Anderson, made it to the Sunday evening session in Minehead. But the Flying Scotsman dodged the banana skins, culminating in a 11-7 victory over David Pallett, to reach the final. It was the underdog who flew out of the traps, winning three of the first four legs. That included two breaks of the Anderson throw, as the Scot struggled to get going. A 180 and a 171 in the fifth leg kept him in the game, but a dogged Pallett edged into a 5-3 lead. Two-time world champion Anderson then won the next three legs to take the lead for the first time in the match. Then began a period of holds of throw, until the 16th leg. It was then that Anderson turned on the style, checking out 105 to take a 9-7 lead. Pallett wilted after the break, and the Shropshire ace struggled to convert chances to punish his opponent. The world number four rounded off the game with double ten to reach his second UK Open final. Anderson lost in the 2010 final against Phil Taylor, but he will be hoping to go a step further against Corey Cadby or Robert Owen. He was full of praise for Pallett, who took the scalps of James Wade and Kim Huybrechts on the way to the last four. "He's the future of the game" said the 47-year-old after the match. for the 2018 UK Open Prize Fund breakdown.

Photo: Chris Dean/PDC