England’s Adrian Lewis will face Scot Gary Anderson in the PDC World Championship final after beating Mark Webster 6-4 in the second semi-final.
Welshman Webster conquered 15-time world champion Phil Taylor in the quarter-finals but a stubborn Lewis ground him down in a tight contest.
The fifth seed was never behind in sets but Webster closed the gap from 4-2 to 4-4 before Lewis sealed a fine finish.
Earlier, Anderson swept past England’s Terry Jenkins 6-2 in the first semi.
That contest was far more clear-cut than the later duel, with Lewis – a protege of Taylor – staying just ahead for much of the match in front of a watching Prince Harry to reach his first World Championship final.
“We were trading big scores throughout and it was a really tough match against Mark,” said Lewis.
“I was 4-2 up and felt good up there and wanted to get the job done but Mark fought back well. The hard stuff is still to be done though, and I need to get myself prepared for the final against Gary now.”
606: DEBATE
Anderson can be champion
wiseman from the east
For the majority of the encounter Webster hit more 180s and 140s than his opponent, but Lewis consistently hit 100s and every time the 25th seed came back, the Stoke-based Englishman showed strong fortitude to open up another lead.
It was not until the ninth set that Webster was ahead at any stage, going a leg up with the score at 4-4, but just as he did, Lewis hit back, roared on by the crowd at Alexandra Palace.
As the 25-year-old closed in on a place in the final his form improved, and he sealed it with his ninth maximum in the deciding leg, finishing with an 82 to reach Monday’s finale where the winner will earn a cheque of £200,000.
Webster, who also lost at the semi-final stage last year, said: “I am disappointed but I thought Adrian was the better player. I missed a couple of doubles at vital times at the end and that was really costly for me.”
In the first semi-final Jenkins made a blistering start taking the first set without missing a double.
But Anderson struck back, and after close third and fourth sets, rarely faltered despite a wobble in the seventh set where he could not finish.
“I thought I might have been in trouble after the first set but I pulled it back and maybe I should have won 6-1 really,” said Anderson.
Gary Anderson
Anderson was consistently excellent in the first semi-final
The win for the 11th seed was the perfect follow-up to his destruction of Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals on Saturday.
And Anderson’s form showed no sign of abating as he maintained a 101 three-dart average and chalked up 12 180s in front of a enthusiastic crowd.
To begin with, seventh seed Jenkins showed little sign of what was to come as he and Anderson chalked up nine maximums between them in the first 11 legs.
But Anderson won five sets on the trot to take a 5-1 lead, including consecutive 180s in the fourth set.
Just as a 6-1 demolition looked on the cards, the Scot began to miss his doubles letting Jenkins double his tally at 5-2, but Anderson rediscovered his focus in the decider to win it 3-1 with a double top.
