World Matchplay: Dimitri van den Bergh avenges last year's final to knock out Peter Wright
- Sean Fisher
- 22 July 2022
After losing to 'Snakebite' in last year's Matchplay final, Van Den Bergh didn't allow for a repeat, with the Belgian sending the world No.1 crashing out in the quarter-finals.
The 2020 World Matchplay champion Dimitri van den Bergh was in fine form on Thursday as he knocked out last year's champion Peter Wright.
The duo, who are very good friends away from the sport, were pitted against each other in the quarter-finals at Blackpool, and despite Wright taking an early lead, Van Den Bergh rallied to prevail 16-14 on the night.
Van Den Bergh stayed at Wright's family home in Suffolk when darts went into hibernation in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But there was little friendship on the oche with 'Snakebite' sprinting into a 5-1 lead after the Belgian had hit the first of 11 180s in a winning opening leg.
Van Den Bergh turned the tide in incredible fashion by winning 10 consecutive legs against the reigning world champion.
DELIGHT FOR DIMITRI! 🇧🇪
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 21, 2022
Dimitri Van den Bergh's love affair with the World Matchplay continues!
The Belgian perfectly times his sprint to the finish line to defeat Peter Wright in a Winter Gardens epic!#WMDarts | QF
📺 https://t.co/eJJXK4DqqY pic.twitter.com/8QUVK8WnpB
Wright, sporting a green Mohican haircut, refused to give in however and reduced the deficit to 12-7.
The Scot then won six legs on the bounce to recapture the lead, but Van Den Bergh regained his composure to reach his third-straight World Matchplay semi-final.
"I didn't know what to do," Van Den Bergh told Sky Sports after falling to his knees in victory.
"I was 5-1 down and I thought it was going to be a repeat of the final last year.
"But all of a sudden I got back in the game… and now I'm in the semi-final."
A special night at the Winter Gardens saw us treated to 60 legs of brilliance, grit and drama.
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 21, 2022
Dimitri Van den Bergh and Michael van Gerwen march on to the semi-finals!#WMDarts pic.twitter.com/CbzDaiyzmi
Michael van Gerwen will meet Van Den Bergh in the last four after a 16-14 victory over Nathan Aspinall.
In the early stages the contest was a far more sedate affair than the fireworks which had preceded it as two-time champion Van Gerwen produced some ruthless finishing.
Games went with throw until Van Gerwen, World Matchplay winner in 2015 and 2016, broke in the eighth leg for a 5-3 advantage.
Fourth seed Van Gerwen stretched his lead to 11-4 before Stockport thrower Aspinall staged a ferocious comeback.
Aspinall produced a brilliant 164 checkout and won another leg with a bullseye finish as the gap was cut to just one.
But Van Gerwen, who had missed three match darts in the previous leg while facing boos all around the Winter Gardens, held his nerve to clinch victory with a magnificent 146 finish.
