PDC World Darts Championship: Van Gerwen marches into semi-finals with Wright, Aspinall and Price

Van Gerwen claimed a 5-2 triumph after a match which was briefly interrupted when his opponent sustained an unusual finger injury early in the third set of the match

Michael van Gerwen in action against Darius Labanauskas (Getty)

Michael Van Gerwen stayed on track for a fourth PDC World Darts title after beating Lithuania’s Denis Labanauskas in a hard-fought quarter-final at Alexandra Palace.

Van Gerwen claimed a 5-2 triumph after a match which was briefly interrupted when his opponent sustained an unusual finger injury early in the third set of the match. Labanauskas, who had taken the opener to threaten a surprise, drew blood after accidentally stabbing himself with a dart, but showed no ill effects after the brief interruption.

Van Gerwen looked set to pull away from his opponent when he took the next two sets to go 3-1 in front, but gutsy Labanauskas pulled one back to haul himself back the match. In a high-quality battle in which both men hit six perfect darts at the start of a leg to hint at an elusive nine-darter, Van Gerwen finally showed his class to pull away again and take his place in the last four.

Peter Wright shrugged off a recent bout of illness to defeat Luke Humphries 5-3 and keep his own hopes of a first world title alive.

Former runner-up Wright produced a spectacular start, averaging just under 106 and hitting a maximum 170 check-out as he charged into a 4-1 lead. Humphries recovered well to reduce the deficit then whitewash Wright in the seventh set before the 2014 runner-up settled his nerves by closing out the match.

Michael van Gerwen during the walk-on at Alexandra Palace (PA)

Wright said: “I wanted to go out and stay on top of him and I did that. I played well but I need to be much more consistent to go all the way but I feel really good and when I feel this good I can win anything.”

Nathan Aspinall returned to the semi-finals for the second successive year with a 5-3 win over Dimitri Van Den Bergh.

Aspinall also established a 4-1 lead before beginning to waver, and he admitted afterwards: “I don’t know why I felt so nervous. It is something I need to address. The occasion got to me and I didn’t play very well so I’m happy to get through.”

Third-seeded Welshman Gerwyn Price completed the semi-final line-up after cruising to a 5-1 win over BDO champion Glen Durrant. Price credited a much improved performance from his tempestuous quarter-final win over Simon Whitlock, after which he had blasted his opponent for his perceived slow play.

Price told Sky Sports: “I hung in there and took the doubles when I needed to. I’m happy but 5-1 is probably a bit flattering.”

Price, who averaged just shy of three figures, will next face Wright, and had a message for his last four opponent who had predicted beforehand that Durrant would emerge victorious.

“Peter thought I was going to lose 5-2, and now I’m going to smash him 6-0,” laughed Price. “Me and Peter get on brilliantly [but] I think he was trying to get into my head.”