PartyPoker.com WGP Quarter-Finals

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN edged out Andy Hamilton in a five-set thriller to reach the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix semi-finals on Friday night, and is joined in the last four by Brendan Dolan, Wes Newton and Mervyn King at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

Dutch star van Gerwen reached his first televised PDC ranking semi-final with a nervy 3-2 win over Hamilton - having looked at one stage as if he had thrown away the win.

Van Gerwen won two of the game's first three sets to lead 2-1 and moved to the brink of victory in set four, only to miss four match darts before Hamilton hit a stunning 160 checkout to take the set and stay alive.

The 23-year-old then came from a leg down to lead 2-1 in the decider but missed four further match darts as Hamilton sent the contest into a final-leg shoot-out, but van Gerwen posted a 180 to pull away before finishing double two for a remarkable win.

Van Gerwen, who won the 2006 World Masters before joining the PDC circuit the following year, will now take on Wes Newton in Saturday's semi-finals as he bids to claim the £100,000 first prize on Sunday night.

"I nearly threw the game away but I'm so glad that I won," said van Gerwen. "Andy's a difficult player to play and we always have great matches - his 160 was brilliant after I had missed some match darts and it hurt.

"But mentally I still believe in myself and the last set was great, I played very well.

"It's one of the hardest games I've ever had and the best against Andy, and it's a special moment for me.

"It feels great to be in the semi-finals and it gives me so much energy and confidence. It will be a cracking game against Wes and I'm very excited about it."

Hamilton's run to the quarter-finals means he has reached the last eight in the World Championship, World Matchplay and European Championship this year, but he was denied a second World Grand Prix semi-final with the defeat.

"After losing the first set against the throw I was always chasing the game, and I couldn't break Michael's throw enough," said Hamilton. "I struggled on my starting doubles and wasn't sure which one to go for, and it just didn't happen for me tonight.

"I gave myself a chance with the 160 to force the deciding set but I didn't take it. Michael threw well tonight and the better man won.

"I'm not disconsolate though because I've got to another major quarter-final and showed why I'm in the world's top eight. I'll move on from here now and I'm looking forward to the tournaments we've got coming up."

Newton also progressed to the last four in dramatic fashion, coming from two sets down to defeat Paul Nicholson 3-2 in their quarter-final.

Nicholson came from 2-1 down in the first set to win five straight legs in taking command of the game.

Newton, though, edged the third 3-2 and finished 113 to seal the fourth set before completing the fightback by winning the decider 3-1.

The Fleetwood ace, last month's European Championship runner-up, had also battled from behind in his first round win over Ronnie Baxter, and admitted: "I'm not making it easy for myself.

"Before the game I felt really good, but Paul took his chances and deserved a two-set lead.

"Even at 2-0, I felt inside me that it was going to come good eventually and I just kept believing - and after the game against Ronnie it was in the back of my mind that I could come back, and I turned it around.

"I got a bit of momentum towards the end of the game and got the win, so I'm happy.

"I'm feeling good and I'm practising well, and I'll keep trying to improve in every game. I feel I can put a really good game together at the minute and hopefully it will click on Saturday."

The other semi-final will feature Mervyn King and Brendan Dolan, the Northern Irish favourite who is on course to reach the World Grand Prix final for a second successive year following his 3-1 defeat of Justin Pipe.

Dolan took out finishes of 107 and 101 as he won the game's opening set without reply, and although Pipe took the second to level - landing a 147 checkout in the process - the crowd favourite's fine finishing saw him win the next two sets to claim a semi-final spot.

"It's fantastic to be back in the semi-finals again," said Dolan. "Doing this shows that I'm not just a one-hit wonder after last year, but there's still work to be done.

"All though the tournament, my finishing has been pretty excellent. It used to be the worst part of my game but at the moment it's the best - I feel there's a lot more in me, though, so I've got to get that right for the semi-finals.

"To win the first set was great and really settled me down. It's a very hard tournament mentally because of the double start, but the crowds are pulling me through when it gets tough.

"I've got so much support here and it's brilliant for me. They play a major part in my success here and it's such an adrenaline rush when I go up on stage."

King, meanwhile, needed only 31 minutes to defeat Robert Thornton in straight sets, dropping only four legs as the Scot failed to repeat the performance which had seen him defeat Phil Taylor on Wednesday.

Thornton actually won the game's first two legs, but King hit back strongly to take the set 3-2 before winning the next two 3-1 as he reached his first major semi-final for over 18 months.

"I'm delighted to be in the semis now," said King. "Nobody had given me a chance of getting past Terry Jenkins in the first round, and to be honest I don't blame them because for the last two years I've not been close to my best.

"In the last three or four months I've put a lot of hard work in and a lot of hours on the board and made a few changes in my darts, and it has made a big difference."

King admitted that he felt sympathy for Thornton, having also defeated Taylor previously only to falter in his next match in a major, at both the 2009 Premier League and 2011 Players Championship Finals.

"It's a pressure you don't think you're carrying until you play, and then you feel it," said King.

"You can feel every eye in the audience drilling into the back of your head waiting for you to produce what you did to take Phil Taylor out, and when you're not doing it, it gets worse and worse.

"I can understand the pressure he was under, and to be honest I didn't think he was going to falter under it.

"He doesn't succumb to pressure very often, but tonight he did and I'm grateful he did because otherwise he would have been a very hard nut to crack because I wasn't on top form there and I didn't play as well as I did in the first two games.

"I wasn't at the races in the first couple of legs and Robert took full advantage, but I gave myself a chance in that first set and took it."

Saturday's semi-finals will commence at 7pm and will be played over the best of nine sets at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.

Click here for Quarter-Final Photo Gallery

PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix
Friday October 12
Quarter-Finals
Justin Pipe 1-3 Brendan Dolan
Wes Newton 3-2 Paul Nicholson
Michael van Gerwen 3-2 Andy Hamilton
Robert Thornton 0-3 Mervyn King
Best of five sets, best of five legs per set

Saturday October 13 (7pm)
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen v Wes Newton
Mervyn King v Brendan Dolan
Best of nine sets, all sets the best of five legs.
All legs must begin and end with a double.

Match Information
Justin Pipe v Brendan Dolan
0-0 - Brendan Dolan wins the bull and will throw first
First Set
0-1 - Pipe misses double 18 to finish 90 and break, and Dolan checks out 107 to win the opener, delighting the capacity crowd at the Citywest Hotel.
0-2 - Dolan checks out 101 to double his lead.
0-3 - Dolan wins the set without reply, landing double ten to move ahead.
Second Set
1-0 - Pipe kick-starts his challenge by finishing a superb 147 checkout.
2-0 - Pipe adds a 180 as he breaks throw to double his lead.
2-1 - Dolan finishes 48 to hit back and win the third.
3-1 - Pipe finishes double eight to win the set and level the contest.
Third Set
0-1 - Double two from Dolan edges him ahead.
0-2 - Pipe misses double 16 to finish 112 and Dolan takes out 81 to move two legs up.
1-2 - Pipe lands back-to-back 180s as he wins the third to hit back.
1-3 - Dolan finishes 82 on tops to win the set and move one away from the quarter-finals.
Fourth Set
1-0 - Pipe cleans up 70 in two darts on double eight to hold throw in the fourth set's opener.
1-1 - Dolan finishes 64 in two darts to level.
1-2 - Dolan misses three starting doubles before opening with a 160, while Pipe lands a 180 only to miss two darts at double 16 and allow the 2011 finalist back in to land double three and move a leg away from the win.
2-2 - Pipe kicks off with a 152 score and although Dolan lands a 180 he posts double 16 for a 72 finish to keep his hopes alive.
2-3 - Dolan takes out 68 to move into the semi-finals and bring the Citywest Hotel crowd to their feet.

Match Stats

Wes Newton v Paul Nicholson
0-0 - Paul Nicholson wins the bull and will throw first
First Set
0-1 - Nicholson gets away with double 16 at the first time of asking, and finishes 90 on tops to win the opener, despite a 180 from Newton.
1-1 - Newton adds another maximum before pinning tops to level.
2-1 - Newton confidently finishes 78 in two darts to break throw.
2-2 - Newton struggles with his starting doubles and Nicholson lands double 16.
2-3 - Nicholson posts double four to take the set.
Second Set
0-1 - Nicholson breaks to win the second set's opener.
0-2 - The Australian World Cup star takes out 110 to double his advantage.
0-3 - Double 16 gives Nicholson a two-set lead.
Third Set
1-0 - Newton fires in a 180 and double 16 to win his first leg in six.
1-1 - Nicholson takes out double ten.
1-2 - Newton hits a 180 but can only watch on as Nicholson finishes 117 to move a leg away from the win.
2-2 - Double ten from Newton keeps the game alive.
3-2 - Newton adds a fifth 180 of the game, and double four sees him keep the match alive after Nicholson was unable to take out 106
Fourth Set
1-0 - Nicholson misses the bull for a 170 finish, and Newton takes out 70 on double 16 to lead.
1-1 - Nicholson lands a 180 and finishes 70 on double 16 to level.
2-1 - Newton lands double six for a 69 finish to edge ahead.
3-1 - Newton claims the set to level the match with a fine 113 checkout.
Fifth Set
1-0 - Nicholson misses four darts for the set, and Newton capitalises on double 16 to lead for the first time since the opening set.
2-0 - Nicholson misses tops once again, this time for a 114 finish, as Newton finishes 68 to move a leg away from the win.
2-1 - Newton is unable to start with 12 opening doubles, and Nicholson produces a brilliant leg to hit a 180, 140 and double 16 for a 13-darter to complete the week's second whitewash.
3-1 - Nicholson misses double top and two darts at double ten to force a decider - but Newton wires tops for the match on a 108 finish. The drama continues as both players miss two darts at double ten and one at double five - but Nicholson's three further misses at double five allow Newton to hit the bed and reach the semis.

Match Stats

Michael van Gerwen v Andy Hamilton
0-0 - Andy Hamilton wins the bull and will throw first
First Set
1-0 - van Gerwen takes out 76 on tops to win the opener against the throw.
1-1 - Hamilton breaks back by finishing tops after his opponent misses three darts at the bed.
1-2 - Hamilton finishes 86 to edge ahead.
2-2 - van Gerwen hits the game's first 180, and lands double 16 to level and send the set into a decider.
3-2 - Hamilton sees a chance to take the set agonisingly slip away when needing 59, initially missing the single 19 before then missing a dart at double 16, and van Gerwen steps in to take out 88 and move ahead.
Second Set
0-1 - Hamilton misses two darts to take the leg, but van Gerwen makes a mess of taking out 60 - missing the board with his first dart before then missing one dart at tops - to allow his opponent to finish double four.
0-2 - Hamilton doubles his lead by finishing 40.
1-2 - Double eight sees van Gerwen keep the set alive.
2-2 - van Gerwen opens with a 160 score, and when Hamilton misses double 14 to take out 148 the youngster levels the set on double ten.
2-3 - van Gerwen lands a 180 to leave 120 in a dramatic decider, with Hamilton missing the bull for a 170 finish but returning to take out double four to level the match.
Third Set
1-0 - Hamilton misses five darts at double 12 and six to win the leg, and van Gerwen posts double ten to lead.
2-0 - van Gerwen opens with a 160 and lands tops to double his advantage in the set.
2-1 - Hamilton lands his first 180 of the game, and tops sees him pull back a leg.
3-1 - van Gerwen wins the set by finishing double top.
Fourth Set
0-1 - Hamilton breaks throw by finishing 71 to take the opeing leg.
1-1 - van Gerwen lands his third 180 of the game and takes out 71 to level.
2-1 - The Dutchman moves a leg away from victory, hitting a 160 to start the leg and returning after missing double 12 for a 141 finish to post double six.
2-2 - Hamilton pins double top to square the set.
2-3 - van Gerwen pulls away but misses four match darts at double top and ten, and Hamilton amazingly snatches the set and keeps the game alive with a sensational 160 checkout.
Fifth Set
0-1 - Hamilton wins the deciding set's opener to assume command.
1-1 - Hamilton leaves 32, but van Gerwen takes out 66 to level the set - ensuring the match becomes a best-of-three leg shoot-out.
2-1 - Hamilton misses double 16 to finish 102, and van Gerwen takes out 115 on double 18 to move a leg away from the win.
2-2 - van Gerwen gets away with his first dart, and leaves 64 after 12 darts, but dramatically misses four darts at tops for the match to allow Hamilton to post double eight to send the game into a decider.
3-2 - van Gerwen hits his fourth 180 of the game and then scores 162, leaving 23, before hitting double two to complete a brilliant win and reach his first televised PDC ranking semi-final.

Match Stats

Robert Thornton v Mervyn King
0-0 - Mervyn King wins the bull and throws first.
First Set
1-0 - Double 18 gives Thornton the opener.
2-0 - The pair trade 180s as Thornton moves two legs up
2-1 - King misses double 12 and six, but Thornton misses double 12 for the set and his opponent returns to land double six to take the set.
2-2 - King levels the set by posting tops after Thornton had left himself 40.
2-3 - Both players land 180s, but King finishes 88 to complete a fine comeback and win the set.
Second Set
0-1 - Thornton hits a 180 but King finishes 102 on double 16 to lead.
0-2 - King fires in a 180 and takes out double 16 again to win a fifth successive leg.
1-2 - Thornton finishes 61 on tops to hit back.
1-3 - King, almost inevitably, lands double 16 to win the second set and put a foot into the semi-finals.
Third Set
0-1 - Both players hit 180s, with King missing the bull only to see Thornton wire double five for a 130 checkout to allow him back in on double eight.
1-1 - Thornton posts a 180 and double five to level.
1-2 - King fires in double 16 to move a leg away from the win.
1-3 - King lands a 177 to leave 54, and when Thornton misses tops for a 115 finish he accepts his second chance to take the win on double ten.

Match Stats

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