Grand Slam of Darts 2016: Scores, Results, Updated Schedule After Friday
Michael van Gerwen cruised into the semi-final at the 2016 Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton, England, crushing Brendan Dolan 16-3 without shifting out of second gear on Friday night.
Mighty Mike now meets Peter Wright on Sunday after he dumped Phil Taylor out of the competition with a relaxed display of finishing. Snakebite took the match 16-10, as The Power struggled with his consistency and focus.
The 16-time world champion rallied midway through the battle, but Wright maintained control when it appeared he might be caught.
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Here are Friday night's results:
| Michael van Gerwen | 16-3 | Brendan Dolan |
| Peter Wright | 16-10 | Phil Taylor |
Friday Recap
Van Gerwen had an easy night as he romped to a 16-3 victory at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, but the Dutchman missed a host of doubles in a very lacklustre display.
3 Dart Analyst highlighted the differences between the pair before the contest:
Despite a lack of accuracy, Mighty Mike was streets ahead of his opponent, whose threat was limp and inconsistent at best.
MvG took the first five legs before the interval, but he appeared the unhappier of the two as his form betrayed him, missing countless doubles.
The frustration was clearly written across the fan favourite's face, per PDC Darts:
In no time at all, it was 10-1 to Van Gerwen as Dolan folded, but it was far from the former world champion's vintage performances.
Dolan obtained the cheers of the crowd as he won a rare leg to make it 13-2 at the next interval, but the eventual victor was playing well within his capabilities.
The Dutch master wrapped up the 16-3 win, hobbling over the line as his opponent searched for a consolation.
You would expect the Netherlands icon to play much better than this in the last four, but he will have to significantly raise his game if he has trophy aspirations.
The pressure wasn't on MvG, and he was too relaxed to throw his best combinations and checkouts. He averaged 97.33 on the night—well below his usual numbers.
Wright took advantage of Taylor's woeful form, romping out of the blocks to take the first five legs of the contest in their quarter-final.
Taylor lost his throw twice in the opening four legs, and the multiple-time world champion struggled to find his groove as he was consistently outplayed.
Wright was devastating on the doubles, rarely taking more than one visit to wrap up a leg, and Taylor looked on miserably.
The Power relaxed and rallied to make it 6-4 after the interval, and suddenly it was Snakebite who looked concerned and agitated.
3 Dart Analyst highlighted that Taylor knew how to formulate a comeback:
Wright missed a nine-dart finish in the 11th leg to the jeers of the crowd, who wanted to see a special moment, but Taylor appeared much more comfortable as the match developed.
Taylor played to the audience as they sang his name, and he reduced the arrears to 7-5 as he smiled to himself.
The Power was on the warpath as the trebles began to fall, but Wright found an impressive checkout to keep a two-leg advantage at 8-6.
Wright suddenly found a second wind, and Taylor looked tired. Snakebite racked up the legs in very quick succession to make it 13-8, as he found the maximum scores he desired.
The winner posted a three-dart average of 103.37, and hit 10 treble-20 maximums on his way to victory.
Taylor was well beaten by the end of the contest, as Wright blew away the legend with a steady display of finishing.
Snakebite is a valid contender for the title as things stand, and if Mighty Mike reproduces his current level of performance, he will be defeated.
Wright is in world-class form at present, and he can overpower MvG with his consistency and verve in the last four.
All scoring information and match details courtesy of PDC.tv.
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