Young guns march into the last four
RISING stars Jamie Lewis and Rob Cross endured contrasting experiences as they stormed into tonight’s World Championship semi-finals.
The Welshman was wonderful as he hammered Darren Webster 5-0 but the Englishman had to survive a mini collapse before scrambling beyond Dimitri van den Bergh 5-4 in a deciding set.
Lewis is the story of the tournament. Having had to pre-qualify, the run to the last four has been a stunning effort from the 26-year-old who smashed down The Demolition Man.
The world No.46 said: “I can’t believe it. I was hoping for a good run but the semis is a dream come true.
“I actually think there is more to come and if I keep playing as I’m doing I might have a chance.”
Cross will face Michael van Gerwen in his first Alexandra Palace semi after battling past the Belgian.
Van den Bergh roared back from 4-1 down to level the quarter-final at 4-4 before the Londoner managed one final push to get over the line.
The 27-year-old said: “I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It was the biggest result of my life.
“Dimitri was the better player by the end. I was 4-1 up and then became a spectator. I don’t know why I was so lethargic but it’s my first year and I’m still learning about the pressure.
“Everything is new and this is another lesson learned. I need to be at the best of my ability in the semi-finals.”