In a repeat of the 2019 final, Michael van Gerwen will face Michael Smith for World Championship glory! Watch the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship – live on Sky Sports Darts. We’re back on Tuesday night at 7.45pm for the final at Alexandra Palace
By Raz Mirza at Alexandra Palace
Last Updated: 03/01/23 12:00am
Michael van Gerwen and Michael Smith will clash in the World Darts Championship final on Tuesday night at Alexandra Palace
Michael van Gerwen set up a dream World Championship final against Michael Smith as the two best players on planet darts stormed through their respective semi-finals.
Van Gerwen was utterly relentless in his pursuit of a fourth World title and first since 2019 with a 6-0 demolition job on Dimitri Van den Bergh, while Smith surged past surprise-package Gabriel Clemens 6-2.
Monday, January 2 – Results from the semi-finals at Ally Pally
| Gabriel Clemens | 2-6 | Michael Smith |
| Dimitri Van den Bergh | 0-6 | Michael van Gerwen |
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Van Gerwen has his say on his semi-final bust-up with Van den Bergh and looked ahead to his date with Smith in the final
Van den Bergh came out for this match with Van Gerwen looking all-business and he immediately made a mark by reeling in the fifth 170 checkout of the tournament for a 2-1 lead in legs, but the Dutchman levelled before nailing an 11-darter to take the opening set on throw.
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Aggro at the darts! Van den Bergh wasn’t happy with Van Gerwen’s positioning while he was throwing
‘Mighty Mike’ then reeled off three unanswered legs to break for the first time and double his lead with 55 per cent on the doubles before the pair exchanged words at the start of the third set with Van Gerwen appearing to encroach his opponent’s space on the stage.
The three-time world champion stayed focused to crash in his own 170 finish and he soon cleaned up an eighth straight leg on his way to extending the lead to 3-0 with a set record of 128.83 – throwing just 35 darts in the process.
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Both Van Den Bergh and Van Gerwen hit ‘The Big Fish’ in their semi-final
Van den Bergh squandered two at tops in the deciding leg on the fourth set to allow Van Gerwen back for double 5 to go further clear and he moved a step closer to his sixth final by romping through the fifth set thanks to legs of 13, 11 and 11.
It was job done in the next with MVG completing a whitewash of Van den Bergh with a 108.3 average and nine 180s.
Only 74 Darts needed! Michael van Gerwen averaged 121.86 in the last two sets. In the last four sets (14 legs) his average was 112.62.
“It feels phenomenal to have played the game I played tonight,” said Van Gerwen. “I gave it everything and I played out of my skin.
“It cost so much energy but I am able to do it and that is the most important thing. With the crowd behind me again today, it feels phenomenal.
“Games can get tense but you need to focus yourself and that is exactly what I did.”
Smith through to third final in five years
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Smith was in superb form during his semi-final win, hitting five ton-plus checkouts in the match!
Smith is hoping a few episodes of Catchphrase will help him prepare for his third attempt at becoming a world champion after booking his spot in Tuesday’s final with a brilliant victory over ‘The German Giant’ Clemens.
Both players came out slinging some serious arrows but it was ‘Bully Boy’ who edged a blistering first set 3-2 with a 110.7 average, four 180s and a 106 checkout in the deciding leg.
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Smith won the opening set with this spectacular 106 finish
The St Helens thrower was left kicking himself in the next after moving 2-0 up and seemingly in control. Clemens, who has been christened ‘Gaga’ by his German fans, levelled with finishes of 68 and 70 to take it 3-2 despite Smith averaging just shy of 110.
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‘Bully Boy’ piled in this huge 144 in the second set against Clemens
Smith took a 2-1 lead in the third set thanks to a monstrous 144 checkout but once again he was pushed to a deciding leg. Clemens wired tops for a 116 finish, allowing Smith to return for tops to regain the lead.
Smith, last year’s runner-up to Peter Wright, pinned the bull for a gargantuan 161 to raise the Ally Pally roof in set four. However, Clemens held his nerve to clinch it 3-2 and restore parity in what was turning into a real tungsten battle.
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The St Helens thrower struck with this gargantuan 161 checkout on the bullseye in the fourth set
In a pulsating semi-final, the 32-year-old newly-crowned Grand Slam of Darts champion swept through the fifth set in consecutive legs to regain the upper-hand with a stunning 112.73 set average.
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Smith put some daylight between himself and Clemens with a stunning 83 on the bullseye
And Smith struck in the fifth leg of the next with a brilliant 83 on the bullseye to move 4-2 up before claiming the next in another decider to make it make it three sets on the spin to close in on a place in the final.
Michael Smith finished more than one third of his 22 legs in four visits to the oche.
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The Grand Slam of Darts champion revealed his preparations on Tuesday after booking his place in the final…
He completed a handsome win in the end after breaking with a cool 81 for a 12-darter and then ending things with his first match dart on tops.
Smith said: “This is my third World final in five years now and I have just got to keep going. If I do get darts to win the Worlds, if I miss it, I miss it, if I hit it, I am world champion. I will never dwell on it and I will keep coming back fighting every year. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Asked how he will spend Tuesday ahead of the final, he added: “I’ll probably lie in bed tomorrow and watch a few episodes of Catchphrase.”
Watch the PDC World Darts Championship Final – live on Sky Sports Darts – from 7.45pm on Tuesday.
