PRICE BATTLES BACK! What a topsy-turvy match! Gerwyn Price battles back from the brink in set three to edge out Danny Noppert and begin his bid for a second World Grand Prix crown! 📺 bit.ly/WGP24Live #WGPDarts | R1
Gary Anderson knocks out second seed Michael Smith in last leg thriller as Gerwyn Price survives match darts in Noppert win
PDCTuesday, 08 October 2024 at 23:15
Gary Anderson has ended a run of defeats to Michael Smith and also finally brought his 2024 form into victories in a major as he defeated the second seed in a last leg thriller 2-1 at the World Grand Prix.
Both Anderson and also Gerwyn Price's win featured missed match darts from their opponents and after Luke Littler and Peter Wright have fallen thus far, it is Smith's turn to exit the tournament at the earlier juncture after a thrilling clash in Leicester.
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Anderson handed Smith a chance to break to begin set two before he finally hit double 10 to go 1-0 up. A superb 101 checkout saw him go one away from the second set.
Anderson missed double double for 101 to seal the set and Smith broke back for 2-1 down. Smith started his throw with a superb 151 but bust his score to hand the initiative back to Anderson who took 80 with two double 20's to make it 1-1 in sets.
Smith missed 112 on double 19 to hold but Anderson missed 45 to lead the game for the first time and 'Bully Boy' went over the top on double eight to go 1-0 up. Smith missed three darts to break and Anderson hit double two to make it 1-1.
Smith though went a leg away holding throw for 2-1. He couldn't get a treble for 108 but Anderson had to serve out 85 and he pinned treble 15, double 20 to make it 2-2. One leg to decide it.
Anderson missed bull for 126 for the match and Smith took aim at 54 but missed two match darts. Anderson had a reprieve and took it on double 20.
While Gerwyn Price battled back from the brink to see off Danny Noppert. In a battle of Ice based nicknames, 'The Iceman' narrowly toppled 'The Freeze' to avoid an early exit with the Dutchman missing a match dart en route.
In the first set, Noppert handled his chances on the doubles rather sloppily. After winning the first leg with a 13-darter, Noppert missed chances in both the second and third leg. In leg three, there were even six misses on the Dutchman's doubles. As a result, the set went 3-1 to Price.
Price then seemed to be heading for a straight sets victory as he took a 2-0 lead in set two. However, the Welshman was then three not out in five innings. With a 126 finish and a 17-darter, Noppert came back to 2-2, before Noppert took the set with a fine 84 finish while Price was waiting on double 10.
The momentum was entirely with Noppert, who then managed to lead 2-0 in the deciding set. In the third leg, ‘The Freeze’ got a matchdart, but tops was missed. An expensive miss, as an 86 finish and an 88 check-out brought Price back to 2-2.
Noppert then got to start the last leg, but needed as many as six darts to open the leg. Price, however, was gone with his first arrow and pulled off the victory with a 13-darter.
On Thursday, Price will take on James Wade in the second round of the World Grand Prix. ‘The Machine’ managed to win 2-1 in sets against two-time world champion Peter Wright.
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