Michael van Gerwen has taken another step towards the successful defence of his PDC World Championships crown with victory over Robert Thornton in the quarter-finals this evening.
The Dutchman made a brilliant start to the match and hit 180s in all five legs of the opening set before a 10-darter put him in the lead.
His place in the semi-finals looked to be a formality as he won the next two sets to race into a 3-0 lead, but Thornton fought back to make a game of it.
The 2012 UK Open champion won the next two sets to reduce the lead to one, while he missed a good chance to level things up at 3-3.
Van Gerwen took full advantage of that let-off, winning the next two sets and sealing the 5-2 victory with a 170 checkout.
Van Gerwen will be joined in the last four by Gary Anderson after the Scot beat fellow countryman Peter Wright in the second match of the night.
Anderson won the first two sets to take control of the match before Wright pulled one back to make it 2-1.
That was to be his only set of the tie, however, as Anderson won the next three to cruise into the semi-finals.
Barney Corkhill
