DUTCH ’N GO FOR MVG
Barney puts up real battle
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN just about made it over the line after a gruelling all-Dutch battle with Raymond van Barneveld at the William Hill World Darts Championship last night.
Van Gerwen won 5-4 in a real Ally Pally roller coaster to set up a clash with England’s Rob Cross in tonight’s semi-final. MVG, 28, led 3-1 but Barney (left), 50, came back to level. He did the same to make it 4-4 before the defending champion eventually sealed his place in the last four. “At the beginning I was struggling and Raymond was playing well, but everyone could only dream of a quarterfinal like this,” said Van Gerwen. “He played really well and normally he does not keep up his motivation. “We both come from Holland and we both just want to beat each other. “I did the right things at the right moment and at the end it saved the game for me.” Van Gerwen hit 12 180s against Barney’s six but it was the finishing where, in the end, the game was decided.
MVG missed 21 of his 41 chances but Barney failed to land 28 of his 47.
The match quickly moved to 1-1 before a bullseye finish on a checkout of 84 put the world No.1 2-1 in front in the third set, suddenly taking his average to 109 in the set from the 90s in the opening sets, but then Barney levelled the set on 91.
Epic
Gradually the drama was growing. Barney missed double 18 for the set and MVG stepped in to nail double eight to go 2-1 up in the match and with a finish of double seven, he took the fourth set for 3-1.
Barney, a five-time world champion, hit a brilliant 101 finish to bring the score back to 3-2 and then he drew the match level on double eight.
Van Gerwen had enough though to take the seventh set 3-1 on double 12 but Barney pulled it back to 4-4 with a finish of 84 after MVG missed double 12 for victory.
Van Barneveld went 1-0 up in the ninth set, the first time he had been in front all night, but it was not to be as MVG won an epic encounter on double five, setting up his last-four clash with rising star Cross.