Gary Anderson, Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price and Dave Chisnall will contest this year's William Hill World Darts Championship semi-finals on Saturday, after the quarter-finals on Friday.
Bunting will face Price, while Chisnall and Anderson will go head to head in Alexandra Palace in London for the second last day of the PDC World Darts Championships on Saturday.
Bunting defeated Krzysztof Ratajski 5-3 in his semi-final in the afternoon session on Friday, while Anderson romped home to a 5-1 victory over Dirk van Duijvenbode, taking him to his sixth William Hill World Darts Championship semi-finals.
Price battled hard for his 5-4 victory over Daryl Gurney, taking him to a deciding set and taking it with a double 20. In the final match of the day, Chisnall overcame a 27-game winless streak against Michael van Gerwen, whitewashing the Dutchman 5-0.
Anderson looking for his best
🗣 "𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨..."
Gary Anderson gives his assessment of his dominant 5-1 win over Dirk van Duijvenbode to reach the semi-finals! pic.twitter.com/NgfixtQCOD— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 1, 2021
The 'Flying Scotsman' suggested that he mat have found his best form in the last two years after he won 14 of the last 17 legs against the Dutchman.
"[That was my best performance] probably over the last two years to be honest," Anderson told PDC Darts. "I lost the first set, and then I thought I actually played well.
"It was just take a set and hope for the best. The 180s still aren't quite there, there were some silly scores in between, but my 140s were coming in thick and fast."
While he acknowledged that his form on Friday had the look of a third world title, he also suggested that he still needs good performances over the next two days, and that nothing is guaranteed.
"Tomorrow is a different day," Anderson said. "I wish it was quite as easy as that, but I am through now. I'll have a good rest, back to bed, watch some rubbish on telly and have a few coffees.
"I did have a chance to win three back to back," Anderson added. "I have said it and said it and said it, I just want to play darts.
"So I have got to thank the boys for riling me up. You know how I have always said they have to rile me up? I think they have riled me up now."
While the Scot would like to add to his two previous world titles, he mentioned that the only other player he would like to see win instead of him was Chisnall, who won in the last match of the day, and the man he will face in the semis.
"If there was going to be a player that wasn't myself to win it, you know, I would love to see Chissy win something," Anderson said.
"I think he is a fantastic player; he has been for a long, long time. I have a lot of time for Dave, and he is playing well."
Pressure getting to Price?
🗣 "𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙩, 𝙄'𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚."
Hear from Gerwyn Price after his hard-fought deciding leg victory over Daryl Gurney to reach the semi-finals... pic.twitter.com/3HSGmiIb6Z— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 1, 2021
In the closest match of the day, Price was frustrated with his inability to put Gurnley away.
"I let Daryl [Gurnley] in a few times," Price told PDC Darts. "Three darts in my hand and I can't hit the double, but 143 out and a couple of other shots out.
"I don't know how my wife is feeling but it is frustrating for me and it is even worse for them I think."
He felt that he was in the wrong mental space heading into the deciding set, and that one mistake early on could have sunk him.
"I think if I didn't win that first leg [of the deciding set] I was probably gone," Price said. "I was up against it, I was thinking negative rather than thinking positive like I was most of the game.
"I thought, yeah just one more set, get over the winning line and go back and chill out and look forward to tomorrow. What a fool I was.
"I am inexperienced, I think, compared to all the other players. I have only been playing this game a short period of time, six or seven years.
"You learn from your mistakes, and I certainly learnt a big lesson tonight. I shouldn't be too complacent when I am in front.
"When I am 4-2 up, surely he should be under more pressure than what I am, and it just felt like I was under more pressure than he was."
While he knows that he has not played his best darts in this tournament, Price is content knowing that his B or C game is good enough to get him to a semi-final, and hopes that he can find his A game in time to make it to the final.
"I am in the semi finals, so my C or B game is getting me through," Price said. "As soon as I start playing like I can play, and be a little bit more confident, getting my A game going, then maybe I can win this tournament."
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