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Price beats Smith to reach Matchplay semi-finals
Gerwyn Price beat Ross Smith 16-12 in the World Matchplay quarter-finals to reach the semi-finals, where he will face Gian van Veen. Price regained control after Smith recovered from 12-8 down to level the match, winning the final four legs to keep alive his bid for a first Matchplay final.
Price averaged 102.78 and is ranked seventh in the world, while third seed Van Veen overcame James Wade 16-13 after Wade had levelled their match at 11-11. Van Veen’s 118 checkout helped him move 14-12 ahead, and the other semi-final will feature defending champion Luke Littler against Dirk van Duijvenbode on Saturday.
In short
- Price beat Smith 16-12 after a late surge.
- Van Veen overcame Wade to face Price.
- Littler meets Van Duijvenbode in the other semi-final.
Explained simply
The World Matchplay is one of professional darts' most prestigious tournaments, where the sport's elite players compete in knockout matches. Players must win a certain number of legs, or individual games, to progress through each round, with losers eliminated and winners advancing. The semi-finals are the stage immediately before the final match that decides the champion.
Gerwyn Price is among the world's top-ranked professional darts players and is competing in the semi-finals, seeking to reach his first Matchplay final. He will face Gian van Veen, one of the tournament's top seeds. Defending champion Luke Littler is also competing in the semi-finals, so whoever wins will face an established contender in the final.
The Matchplay final is one of darts' most significant titles and represents a major career milestone for any player. Victory brings substantial prize money alongside the prestige of claiming one of professional darts' premier accolades, making it fiercely contested each year.