The 2019 edition of the World Matchplay reaches the last 4 with a guaranteed new pair of finalists and obviously a new champion. It will be a former PDC major winner versus a player without a PDC major in the final, but who will play who?
The first semi-final brings together three major titles from Friday's fantastic quarter-finals as ex-World Champ Rob Cross takes on two-time major winner Daryl Gurney. Voltage has been far more consistent player across the week's play, having failed to average below 98 on any occasion and removed Chris Dobey and Krzysztof Ratajski for the loss of just 8 legs in total. Stephen Bunting however was a different prospect, being able to capitalise on Cross's errors but crucially couldn't get in front when it mattered. Superchin has been worse overall but finally turned up last night; Ricky Evans and Keegan Brown were dispatched by an unfocused Gurney yet the tournament's form man Peter Wright was met by the imperious holding and finishing machine that won the Players Championship Finals in November. This match depends on two things: Daryl winning the throw and reproducing his performance from yesterday.
The second semi-final features a nearly man in Michael Smith and this year's fairytale story in Glen Durrant. Bully Boy has been the king of the fightback, having gone down 1-4 to both Jamie Hughes and Max Hopp but turned it around on both occasions with a high 90s average in the process and finally became a front runner in his win over Mervyn King, who was only in the game when Smith lost his concentration. Duzza on the other hand has had it all his own way, crushing Adrian Lewis before removing Michael van Gerwen in that last 16 epic and then being very fortunate that James Wade couldn't be bothered on Thursday night; incidentally, a win for the man from Middlesbrough would make him the first unseeded player to reach the final since the Machine did it in 2006.
Coverage starts from 7:00pm UK time on Sky Sports Action.
>Tonight’s matches (Best of 33 legs) Rob "BAuLDtism" Cross (2) v Daryl "Sweet C4-line" Gurney (3) Glen "Phantom of the Opera" Durrant v Michael "Snackpot 2.0." Smith (5)
All matches must be won by 2 clear legs, with up to 5 extra legs played to decide a winner. If the match is tied after 5 extra legs, a final sudden death leg will be played.
I wonder how if they'd be willing to ship to Finland. That would look awesome in my one bedroom flat.
Juan Baker
not a sport
Carson Barnes
They really are. I'll miss the high profile BDO switchers, they added something fresh whenever they arrived. First year Barney, Bunt and now Durrant have been fun.
Julian Murphy
inb4 Duzza gets to the World quarters and gets groped by Barney and then his career implodes
Nicholas Long
Daryl v Glennard book it
Juan Garcia
Wait what? Aren't you excited to see how Doggy Dawson absolutely dominates the PDC Pro Tour next year?
I want Smith to stay without major wins I don't like dull Cross I don't want Durrant to be top 10 player I think Gurney is an arrogant moping cunt
Nolan Peterson
BDO will never die. It has actual characteristic players like Wolfie.
Liam Lewis
You haven't been reading the news lately, have you?
Landon Hughes
All news is fake.
William White
Well Michael, you shouldn't have lost to Duzza then.
Anthony Gomez
Even the news that all the BDO Lakeside officials + Little Richard resigned en masse because they couldn't tolerate Jacklin's treatment of them any longer?
Honestly thought this game was all about Gurney. Turns out it's Cross who's bottled it.
Landon Reyes
Absolute state of baldie
Brayden Young
Cross getting spanked just he like he did in the UK Open final.
Owen Cook
Get your shit together Cross, I was expecting two epic semis
Levi Rivera
I don't understand Cross's psychology. Sometimes he's amazing under pressure and sometimes like this
Alexander Foster
My guess is he's not played like this all week so can't cope with it. Gurney on the other hand has played this badly.
Elijah Turner
It might be something to do with being a favourite in matches. He's been the underdog every single time when he's pulled off something magical under pressure.
Anthony Stewart
Stick a fork in the baldie, he's done.
Carson Gonzalez
job cross
Jace Ortiz
DAT BULL 124
Anthony Peterson
THAT BULL
Juan Lopez
B A L D F R A U D
Luke Campbell
Why has Gurney been so undervalued for this? Long format I'd take his consistency over Rob's
Elijah Flores
He was crap leading up to the tournament and in his first two games. Only been his best last night.
Smith has not got the bottle or attention span for this
Colton Smith
At this rate Glen will be gone before the fourth session break. Awful start from him.
Owen Mitchell
Exactly what duzza will want smith to think;)
Daniel Allen
Duzza throwing some vintage BDO so far
Joshua Ortiz
Even his b-game beats this version of Durrant, although hopefully Duzza will get it together
Xavier Johnson
>the phantom of the oche
Ethan Flores
Durrant seems to have finally realised where he is. Genuine shame.
Matthew King
What route did Smith go for that 98? I dont remember it
Kayden Lopez
Smith bottle job will come soon
Asher Cox
Taylor-esque usage of the opponent's double there from Smith.
Charles Howard
Duzza comeback ON
William Baker
OFF
Aiden Thompson
Smith absolutely unplayable at present.
Samuel King
Duzza is about to burst into tears. Give him a few pity legs, Smith
Noah Green
54 4 tops
Isaiah Wright
Not only is Smith scoring as well as usually is but he's also finishing 8/9 on doubles. This is the stuff he was playing at the Ally Pally until the final.
Smith vs Cross is the best final we could've hoped for with MVG and Ando out of the equation. They're the only ones who could ascend to that elite level if things truly clicked for them
Colton Lee
Is the Blubber bobble on?
Hunter Clark
So many British jobbers. Starting to believe the order of merit is only there to prevent Asian players from participating in the majors. They'd wipe the floor with 'Duzza'.
Smith now for the taking. Would be a ridiculous choke here.
Logan Allen
wew
Robert Smith
>11 scored >Blubber
Aaron Evans
>11 scored
Mason Collins
State of this leg. Averages plummeting.
Jeremiah Rogers
>opponent scores 11 >still lose leg
state of it
Oliver Morales
>D >U >Z >Z >A
Aaron Roberts
awful
Luis Jenkins
The only time Glen has been in this game is when Smith completely collapsed.
Brandon Barnes
>Michael Shit vs. Job Cross in the final The absolute worst case scenario for this session
Nathaniel Green
PITY LEG
Justin Phillips
The battle of the September 1990 boys then.
Cross (21/09/90) v Smith (18/09/90)
Christopher Reed
The Smith children will live to eat another meal
Julian Barnes
who /Gurney/ here now?
Matthew Bailey
where will Durrant move up to in the world rankings?
Jonathan Cook
The final could be brilliant... could also be absolute dogshit. They're both so desperate for a trophy that I'm guessing it will be nervy desu
Jaxson Allen
#44, has a good chance of being a seeded player at the Ally Pally.
Ethan Stewart
So the 2019 World Matchplay final is between two English 27 year olds. But their matches couldn't have been any more different as Rob Cross and Michael Smith will contest the final tomorrow night.
Voltage had to electrocute himself to get going against Daryl Gurney in one of the greatest Winter Gardens comebacks as he prevailed from 7-13 to knock out the Northern Irishman 17-15. Cross hit 110, 100 and 104 in succession for a 3-1 lead but missed a pair for 4-1 as Superchin broke back. Three holds followed before the first big moment: two misses at D18 and D9 for the Englishman saw Daryl pin tops for a 5-4 lead. Rob got nothing going from then on, losing 5 legs straight including a 124 on the dot for Chin. Four holds later the Gurney lead was extended to 7 legs with a break and a 13-6 lead. The biggest moment of the match was next as the #3 seed missed 3 at tops for 14-6 and let the #2 close it to 7-13. What followed was a total assault on the two-time PDC major winner, averaging 102 in that spell and dropping just 2 legs for a remarkable victory.
Bully Boy had a ridiculous start to thank for finally ending the fairytale run of Glen Durrant with a 17-10 beating. Duzza had just two outs - a 116 and a 76 - to show for an utter obliteration in the first 11 legs as Smith averaged close to 110 missing just a single dart at double. Unsurprisingly Michael fell off after this as Durrant won 3 of the next 4 legs to close the gap to 5-10, but a sublime 126 on D6 from the youngster made it 11-5. Three breaks were followed by a Glen hold for 8-12, yet a 3 leg spell for the seeded player reopened the gap to 15-8. Four more holds saw the end of the man from Middlesbrough and a harsh lesson from the 101 average and 50% finishing rate of a multiple PDC major finalist.
