Michael van Gerwen sets up 2024 World Matchplay final with Luke Humphries after late match spurt past Michael Smith

Michael van Gerwen will face off against Luke Humphries in the final of the 2024 World Matchplay on Sunday night after a 17-13 win against Michael Smith in the semi-finals at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

After a slow start for Smith saw Michael van Gerwen break the throw in the opening leg, 'BullyBoy' came back fighting in leg 2, breaking straight back with a stunning double-double 131 checkout. In the third leg however, 'MVG' went even better with a 161. After the Dutchman then nailed double 3 for a first hold of the match, Smith missed the same target in the final leg of the session with Van Gerwen punishing to head off stage 4-1 clear.

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After Van Gerwen missed a few darts in the opening leg of the second session, Smith broke the throw and after another miss on the outer ring from MVG in the next leg, the Englishman got back to just one behind. Three more misses, this time on double 16 from Van Gerwen then saw Smith back on level terms. After a dart at the bullseye went begging in leg 9 for 'Mighty Mike', Smith took his fourth leg in succession. The three-time World Matchplay did take the final leg of the session however, to restore parity at the break.

With Smith unable to get a crack at a double after 15 darts on his own throw in leg 11, Van Gerwen got himself back in front and surviving some more missed double in the next leg, moved two clear. With Smith's scoring power having completely deserted him, Van Gerwen's repeated messiness on the doubles was starting to go unpunished and he moved 9-5 clear. Smith claimed the last leg before the break though, avoiding a complete whitewash of the session and making it 9-6 as he went off stage.

Although Smith closed the gap further in the opening leg of the next session, the faff very much returned in leg 17. After both players attempted to hand the leg to the other, it was Smith who eventually took the leg to get back to one behind. Despite Van Gerwen's miss tally going over the 30 mark in leg 18, he was able to get to double figures at 10-8 ahead. With the last two legs before the break going with the darts, it was delicately poised at 11-9 to the Dutchman.

As the finish line neared, the pair began to exchange holds of throw. Hitting back to back 180s in leg 24 however, Smith broke the MVG throw on double 10 to level up the contest once again. When Smith missed a dart at tops for the lead in the next leg though, Van Gerwen sparked into life with brilliant 136 checkout to break straight back. Buoyed by those three potentially key darts, Van Gerwen began to really motor, holding throw in leg 26 and then moving three clear and two from victory at 15-12. With a 16-dart hold in leg 28, the Dutchman was one away. Smith kept himself alive and stopped the rot in the next leg, nailing tops last dart in hand, but with a 14-darter, Van Gerwen secured the 17-13 victory.

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