VAN GERWEN IS IN THE FINAL! 💚 MvG SPRINTS to the finish line in the end, coming from behind to defeat former champion Dimitri Van den Bergh 17-14 in yet another thrilling semi-final! Van Gerwen will take on Gerwyn Price for World Matchplay GLORY! 🤩🔥 #WMDarts | SF
Van Gerwen into first World Matchplay final in six years, set to face Price after late surge to defeat Van den Bergh
PDCSunday, 24 July 2022 at 00:13
Michael van Gerwen has not won the World Matchplay in six years or been in the final for the matter since seeing off Phil Taylor 18-10 at the Winter Gardens back in 2016.
But he will get the chance to re add a missing part of his collection on Sunday evening when he faces Gerwyn Price after a late surge to see off Dimitri van den Bergh who could not make it three finals from three losing 17-14 with a 99 average and nine 180's.
He went 12-9 down to Van den Bergh but led for the first time only late on at 15-14 before surging away in a match dominated by missed opportunities from Van den Bergh that were pounced all over by the Green Machine.
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A 180 and 116 checkout saw Van den Bergh make a superb start and lead 2-1 averaging 108 in the process. A mistake from MVG offered Van den Bergh a break chance which he took with a 76 checkout at 3-1 for a break.
At the interval, he sat at 4-1 up with Van Gerwen showing worrying signs early on in terms of gripping and throwing his darts and he missed two chances to break which allowed the Belgian an early lead.
The break did not help Van den Bergh and Van Gerwen held throw on double 20 to make it 4-2. It went from a bad restart to worse as Van Gerwen pinned a 10-darter for a break and 4-3.
He missed 160 for parity but Van den Bergh couldn’t pin 152 on double 16 and MVG made it 4-4. Van den Bergh missed bull for a 167 but Van Gerwen couldn’t pin 121 and the former went double seven and double nine for 45.
This gave him new impetus and he hit a 180 and had six darts at 104 to break back at 6-4 and reverse a dominant MVG spell.
MVG returned from the interval and missed five darts to break back only for Van den Bergh to spurn a golden opportunity to hold and Van Gerwen hit double two for a break at 6-5 down and was throwing for parity. A 68 checkout saw it squared up at 6-6.
Van den Bergh held with a 64 checkout for 7-6. He left 36 on MVG’s throw but the Dutchman pinned double 20 to make it 7-7. At the interval, Van den Bergh kept his nose in front and had a dart for 10-8 after Van Gerwen busted but allowed the Dutchman back for 9-9. Double 20 last dart saw Van den Bergh go into double figures.
Van Gerwen had a mess on 82 and Van den Bergh finally pounced to break for 11-9 and followed it with a 114 to go 12-9 ahead.
But he messed up on 63 missing two darts at double 12 and a last dart double five allowed MVG off the hook after he had initially missed three darts to hold.
Van den Bergh hit double 10 to continue mounting his lead at 13-10. MVG held throw at 13-11 and hit a 180 after a poor start to the leg from Van den Bergh as the pressure start to mount.
Van den Bergh couldn’t pin 121 and double eight was hit for a break at 13-12. A 134 followed by a maximum hauled MVG to within parity which he took on double 12 at 13-13.
A 114 checkout stopped MVG helping himself to another break as Van den Bergh went 14-13 up. But he couldn’t follow that onto a break with MVG sealing a hold at 14-14.
Van den Bergh handled the pressure with a 180 and 134 to start his throw. But MVG missed a 124 checkout to break again only for the Belgian to again hand him a chance which he took on double 11 to go 15-14 up.
He hit a 159 to leave double 12 and pinned double six to go suddenly one away at 16-14 up. Van Gerwen missed a match dart at 125 but in a theme of the match, it was not pounced upon as MVG sealed it 17-14.
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