World Darts Championship: Michael van Gerwen beats Chris Dobey to reach final

Michael van Gerwen beat Chris Dobey in a one-sided clash at Alexandra Palace on Thursday to book his place in the final of the World Darts Championship.

It marks the seventh time he has reached the final of the sport’s marquee tournament, and the first since his defeat in the 2023 final.

The first set was barely a contest, wrapped up by the Dutchman in six minutes with his opening 180 a sign of what was to come in the first-to-six match.

Dobey performed better in the second, breaking Van Gerwen’s throw in the opening leg only to see that advantage diminish immediately in the next salvo. The set went to a deciding fifth leg and the Brit was left to rue his accuracy on doubles, missing three darts at a finish before his three-time world champion opponent made no such mistake to take a firm grip on the contest.

Van Gerwen began to look human in the third set. A blunder saw him go bust in the first leg while having three darts to break Dobey, before the chance went begging. A 170 finish from Dobey in the next leg shifted momentum in his favour as he went on to sweep the set and get on the board. That seemed only to irk Van Gerwen, who flirted with a nine-darter on his way to to re-establishing a two-set advantage before a break in play.

That pause did little to stop Van Gerwen as he picked up the fifth with an average of 104 before showing off his finishing prowess in the next, checking out 158 on his way to a 5-1 lead.

Dobey was visibly deflated as the game entered the seventh set, but battled dutifully to defy “The Green Machine’s” six perfect darts and hold throw. That proved to be just a delay of the inevitable, however, as MVG locked in to send Dobey crashing out of the tournament with the final result 6-1.

Van Gerwen will face the winner of Luke Littler’s duel with Stephen Bunting later on Thursday. He is seeking his first WDC title since 2019.

“I can be happy with the performance. Of course I wasn’t playing as explosive as I was in the last game, but I was efficient,” he said. “When I had to do things, I did it at the right moment and that’s what you have to do if you want to win games.

“We’re not even close yet, we’re still so far away. Tomorrow will be another day and the title is still so far away. That’s what you have to keep telling yourself because I don’t want to make mistakes. I want to keep battling with everything I’ve got in my body.

“I love what I do, I love performing on this stage. It’s my passion, it’s my life — after my family. I really enjoyed it.”

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