Thursday 21 May 2015 22:40, UK
Michael van Gerwen ended Raymond van Barneveld's hopes of retaining his Premier League title with a 10-8 victory to set up a showdown against Gary Anderson.
Barney wired double 12 for a nine-darter and he then failed to take advantage of a 7-4 lead to allow the world No 1 to come storming back and reach Thursday night's finale against Scotsman Anderson.
"We played a good game. He missed a nine-darter, so I knew I had to do something special," Van Gerwen, who finished with a 106.44 three-dart average, told Sky Sports 1.
"Every time I'm behind I know I can do something special and I did it again."
Van Barneveld narrowly missed a 158 outshot at 4-3 and that allowed van Gerwen to nail double 18 although he missed an opportunity to move clear in the next by missing double 16.
The 10th leg was the most dramatic of the match as the five-time world champion came within a millimetre from hitting double 12 for a nine-dart finish in front of 12,000 at the O2.
Van Gerwen then pulled his dart as he looked to hold throw with a 161 outshot, but Van Barneveld returned to take out 24 for a 6-4 lead.
With MvG on a finish in the next leg, Barney held throw under pressure with a magnificent 110 to move three clear.
The 2013 Premier League champion Van Gerwen managed to get one of the breaks back by taking out 46 and he restored parity by holding the next.
Van Gerwen made it four in a row thanks to a superb 11-dart leg to move 8-7 ahead and after both players held their throw, an under pressure Van Gerwen ended his compatriot's hopes by nailing double four with his third match dart.
Looking ahead to the final against world champion Anderson, the Dutchman said: "If he wants to play me, fair enough. I want to play him too."
Downbeat
Meanwhile, van Barneveld was downbeat following his loss and could not explain his loss to his Dutch compatriot.
"I don't think I deserve congratulations," he said. "You don't deserve anything if you finish joint third of anything. It's all about winning. If you win this competition like Michael or Gary you deserve congratulations.
"Last year was my year, I was really happy with the Premier League title. Tonight, I knew up front, Michael No 1 in the world, top player in the Premier League. I knew I had to play really well.
"Until the break 6-4, then 7-4 still leading, I don't know wat happened after that, I don't think I played that bad after that."
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