Monthly Archives: December 2018

Michael Smith is in darting dreamland.

The Unicorn star is in the World Championship Final after winning an absorbing clash with Nathan Aspinall.

But it won’t be an all-Unicorn final after Gary Anderson failed to fire and lost to Michael van Gerwen on Sunday night.

Smith though was simply sensational. The performance of his life in the match of his life. He hit 17 x 180s which is an individual record for a World Championship semi-final. A brilliant 105.22 average, 51% on the doubles and an incredible five ton-plus finishes, including the match-winning 121.

“I am speechless!” he joked. “To do that on that stage makes me very proud. Nathan played superbly to come back at me, but I’ve probably never played as well as that.”

Aspinall

Michael Smith has proved once again that he has the game to be World Champion.

The Unicorn ace demolished Luke Humphries 5-1 to set up a World Championship semi-final against Nathan Aspinall.

And of course the dream of an all Unicorn World Championship Final is still very much alive. Gary Anderson’s brilliant 5-2 victory over Dave Chisnall on Saturday afternoon sets up that semi-final showdown with Michael van Gerwen.

Smith defied his own double trouble to win in an hour with Humphries unable to match the St Helens star.

Smith was harsh on himself: “All those missed doubles were a nightmare and I will have to cut that out. But I channelled my anger in a positive way by coming back from those blow outs to play some good stuff.”

Smith’s performance

Gary Anderson came up with the goods when it really mattered with a blistering display at the Alexandra Palace.

Without doubt his best performance of this World Championship as he took out Dave Chisnall 5-2 in a high quality quarter-final on Saturday.

After squeezing past Jermaine Wattimena and Chris Dobey, the Unicorn star stamped his class on a thrilling encounter despite his ongoing back problems.

“It is a relief for sure,” he admitted. “I’m glad it’s over. I would really have struggled if it had gone to eight or nine sets. The back is still sore and I’ve had the chiropractor up treating it. I will have more treatment before the semi-final and it will probably take a few months to get right.”

Anderson’s majestic start was vital as he raced into a three-set lead.

Michael Smith is a big step closer achieving his dream.

The Unicorn star took just 50 minutes to brush past Ryan Searle by four sets to one.

He should have won 4-0 but missed match darts. In the end Smith got the job done and this victory takes him back up to No.8 in the world.

“I am pretty pleased with that,” he said. “I started slowly but got into my stride and managed to keep it together despite the missed match darts.”

“I truly believe I can win this and will get better. I will have to.” Smith added.

He hit ‘tops’ three times out of four to win the opening set, then brilliantly came from two legs down to double his lead as he won a deciding leg against the throw thanks to a third 180 and a fantastic 130 finish.

Darts legend John Lowe has been awarded an MBE in the New Year's Honours list for services to darts and to charity.

One of the elite group of darts players to become a three-time World Champion, Lowe's achievements came across three decades with victories in 1979, 1987 and 1993.

The Team Unicorn star, now 73, was also the World Masters champion twice and News of the World Championship winner, but is arguably best-known for his achievement in recording the first televised nine-darter at the 1984 MFI World Matchplay.

The famous footage of Lowe's perfect leg against Keith Deller, commentated upon by Dave Lanning, continues to enjoy worldwide airplay as a landmark moment for the sport.

He retired from competing on the PDC circuit at the end of 2007, having been a semi-finalist in the World Championship, World Matchplay

The dream is over for James Wade and Devon Petersen.

Wade missed FIVE match darts to beat Ryan Joyce and there was heartache for Devon Petersen who was edged out 4-3 in a tie-break by Nathan Aspinall.

The Unicorn duo will both feel they blew golden opportunities to reach the World Championship quarter-finals.

Wade led three sets to two against Joyce. He had hit a superb 81 on the bull to avoid going two sets down before hitting the front.

He will be hugely disappointed. In the sixth set he should have won the match comfortably. Wade missed two at ‘tops’ to win four sets to two. Joyce then blew three of his own for the set.

Back came Wade and incredibly he missed three more match darts, this time at D10 and D5. His opponent won the leg and sent the match

Chris Dobey produced the performance of his life but just fell short as mentor Gary Anderson battled his way into the World Championship quarter-finals.

In a dramatic all Unicorn last 16 showdown, Anderson edged a thriller 4-3 in a tie-break, despite Dobey equalling the record for 180s hit in a last 16 World Championship match. He banged in an incredible 15 maximums!

There were 28 x 180s in 33 legs of darts. It was an incredible hour-and-a-half at the Ally Pally on Thursday night. Anderson was superb as he battled his way back time and time again. A lot of his 13 x 180s were timed to perfection.

Dobey led 2-0, 3-2 and twice he was in front in the final set but he was denied by the brilliance of Team Unicorn’s two-time World Champion.

“He was brilliant wasn’t he?!” Gary said. “I have

It was the perfect post-Christmas performance from the Team Unicorn duo of Michael Smith and Devon Petersen.

Both won their 3rd Round matches 4-2. Smith beat John Henderson and will now face Ryan Searle for a quarter-final spot, while Petersen overcame Steve West and will next take on Nathan Aspinall.

But Dimitri van den Bergh is out after he was stunned 4-1 by Luke Humphries.

Smith was made to work by an inspired Henderson who kept pace for four sets with a host of 180s and three ton plus finishes.

But class told in the end as the Unicorn star won 9 legs out of 10 to secure victory with a 100 average.

“That was a tough test for me,” admitted Smith. “I had to be patient for my opportunity but when it came I took it and I feel confident that there is

Hats off to James Wade!

He produced a fabulous fight back to take out Keegan Brown 4-3 in yet another dramatic all-Unicorn World Championship clash on Sunday.

And there was also joy for Unicorn youngster Chris Dobey, who reached the last 16 for the very first time at the Alexandra Palace with a superb 4-3 win over Vincent van der Voort,

Dobey will now face friend and mentor Gary Anderson in an all-Unicorn battle for a quarter-final place at the World Championship.

But Wade was 0-2 and 1-3 down and also battling against the crowd on Sunday afternoon.

Brown of course beat Wade at the Ally Pally 12 months ago and looked in control at 3-1 up. He won the fourth set without reply and was playing confidently. But Wade showed immense character to hit back and keep his dream

It was the match of the tournament and Unicorn star Gary Anderson has won through to the last 16 at the World Championship after an Alexandra Palace epic.

He beat Jermaine Wattimena in a nail-biting last set tie-break after missing five darts to win the match 4-2.

It was what the World Championship is all about. It was a happy 48th birthday in the end for Anderson.

Pure drama, pure theatre, pure entertainment.....

“I can’t believe that I won that,” Gary admitted. “He was brilliant and he kept pushing and pushing. I made it very difficult for myself but I hung on in there. I knew I could hit back in that last set. It is a relief for sure. I’m getting too old for this!”

The Dutchman played the match of his life and set his stall out