(Photo by Lawrence Lustig/PDC)
Michael van Gerwen vs. Gary Anderson takes place tonight at the World Darts Championship 2015.
The semi-final game takes place at the Alexandra Palace and play tonight is scheduled to start at 19:10 GMT.
Preview:
The world number one and world number four lock horns in a mouth-watering repeat of their Premier League play-off last May and epic tussle in the last 16 on this very stage in 2013.
Having finished top and second on the ProTour order of merit in 2014, Van Gerwen and Anderson have been arguably the two most consistent performers on both floor and stage and get set to contest what could be an all-time classic Semi-Final.
Dutch sensation van Gerwen remains on course to join an elite crop of only two players to have successfully defended the PDC World Championship title since 1994, having navigated his way to a tenth consecutive victory at Alexandra Palace.
Van Gerwen, though, has incredible never defended a major ranking title in his career so far, but will be desperate to quash that statistic on the biggest stage of all.
The world number one, who finished runner-up in 2013, before going a step further with victory over Peter Wright 12 months later, has lost just once on this stage since 2011.
MVG has taken the added weight of expectation in his stride, fending off brave challenges from Joe Cullen, Sascha Stein and Terry Jenkins for the loss of just one set in each game, before overcoming another Scottish star in Robert Thornton 5-2 to seal his Semi-Final spot.
The 25-year-old set the bar with the highest average of the tournament in his Quarter-Final victory – a 105.26 – and will be hoping to use that as a springboard for another blistering display this time around.
Players Championship Finals winner Anderson looks to continue his charge towards a maiden world title on the back of a season which has seen him end his major drought and clinch a further seven non-televised triumphs.
The 2011 finalist saw off America’s Scott Kirchner before edging out Jelle Klaasen in a last-set thriller and coming from behind to dispatch surprise package Cristo Reyes and powering past fellow countryman Peter Wright 5-1 with a 102 average.
No player has hit more 180s in the tournament than the Flying Scotsman – who is certain to add to his impressive tally of 36 so far, and it’s that deadly scoring power which could hold the key to a memorable victory over the green machine.
Anderson insists that it was his defeat to MVG on this stage during the last campaign which gave him the motivation to reignite his career, after he squandered a 3-1 lead to go down 4-3.
He also suffered another agonising loss in their last big stage battle, with the World Champion edging to an 8-7 win at the O2 Arena on Premier League finals night.
This will be the 23rd competitive meeting between the pair, with van Gerwen having prevailed on 15 previous occasions, including four of their last five televised encounters.
Anderson, however, did claim a Premier League victory in May before losing out in the Semi-Finals and will hold no fear heading into this mammoth contest.
Either 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor or reigning Premier League Champion Raymond van Barneveld will await the winner in Sunday’s show-piece final.
