PDC World Matchplay 2018 preview: Semi-finals

The PDC World Matchplay heads into a thrilling penultimate day of action.

Only three matches are left to be played at the Winter Gardens this year. Two of them will take place on Saturday night, where the 2018 World Matchplay finalists will be decided. From there, we'll discover the winner of the third PDC major of the year. One of the candidates has made a final before. One has made a previous semi-final, one a quarter-final. The fourth hasn't even appeared at the Matchplay before. Yet every one of them has a genuine shot at glory. The evening's second tie is between two men at totally different stages in their career. Gary Anderson has won almost everything there is to win. The World Matchplay remains on his 'to do' list. He now has a on the Winter Gardens stage. But he perhaps has a fly's sense of timing to thank for making the semi-finals. After a in a classic, following on from a similarly tense battle against Raymond van Barneveld, the Flying Scotsman has done hard yards so far. Jeffrey de Zwaan certainly won't make things easy for him. The young Dutchman's list of scalps is already thoroughly impressive. Michael van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis and Dave Chisnall all fell to a man with one PDC title under his belt. The quality to hold off Chisnall when he was averaging 111 and then power clear to victory was the mark of someone who can win majors. It may be too soon now. Yet it might not - after all, he's just two more repeat performances from glory. Anderson is the only member of the final quartet to have won a recognised major already. Given Peter Wright and Mensur Suljovic's enduring quality, it's surely only a matter of time before one or both enters that elite group. For Wright, now appears to be the best time. He has looked indomitable since an off-key first round win over Jelle Klaasen. Winning 27 of the next 37 legs, with a ton-plus average in that time, makes him the statistical favourite. There's no doubting his confidence. Yet finishing line fever could still strike. Suljovic has become more of a winner in recent times. The Champions League, plus World Series and European Tour titles, shows that he can take that final step. So too did his over Darren Webster, where the Gentle demonstrated a ruthless streak. It might be a good omen that his last two tournament wins featured victory over Snakebite. If he can do the same again at the Winter Gardens, he's just one step from World Matchplay glory.

Saturday July 28 (7pm)
Semi-Finals

19:10 Peter Wright v Mensur Suljovic 20:45 Jeffrey de Zwaan v Gary Anderson

Photo: Pieter Verbeek/PV-Darts

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