Michael Smith seals second weekly title of 2023 Premier League in Leeds
Michael Smith secured his second weekly title of the 2023 Premier League courtesy of a 6-4 victory over league leader Gerwyn Price in the final in Leeds.
Smith had dropped out of the play-off places for the first time since Night Two following his Quarter-Final defeat to Price in Rotterdam last Thursday, but bounced back in style on Night 13 at the First Direct Arena.
The reigning World Champion stormed through to his fifth weekly final of the campaign, dropping just three legs in defeating Chris Dobey and Peter Wright.
Smith averaged 105 in a 6-1 demolition of Dobey, landing five 180s and threatening a nine-darter in the process.
The 2018 Premier League runner-up then punished a below-par display to see off Wright 6-2 in the Semi-Finals, firing in another five 180s and sealing his progression with a spectacular 164 checkout.
This set up a show-down against in-form Price, but Smith avoided a third straight defeat against the Welshman by producing a stellar display to scoop the £10,000 winner’s bonus.
The world number one registered legs of 13 and 11 darts to establish a 2-0 lead, and while Price halved the deficit with a 12-dart hold in leg three, Smith maintained his two-leg advantage with successive holds.
Price conjured up an effortless 148 finish on tops to reduce the deficit to 4-3, but the St Helens star was undeterred, rounding off 13 and 14-dart legs in the latter stages to secure a crucial five points.
“This was a big night for me,” reflected Smith, who averaged 104 to topple Price and move four points clear of fifth-placed Jonny Clayton.
“If I had lost against Chris tonight, I think my top four chances would have been a bit bleak, so to come to Leeds and get five points, it feels massive.
“I just hope I can play like this every week. I only seem to do it when I need to. This is a learning curve for me.
“Three or four years ago I wouldn’t have done that tonight. Now I’m able to fight and battle which you have to do when you’re playing the best players in the world, like Gezzy.
“I showed what I can do. I had to fight for everything and luckily that got me over the line.”
Price, meanwhile, extended his lead at the top following wins over Clayton and Nathan Aspinall, reaching a seventh weekly final of the season to move four points clear of rival Michael van Gerwen in second spot.
The 38-year-old was imperious in his Quarter-inal against Clayton, averaging almost 111 to storm to a 6-2 success, which saw 2021 champion Clayton slip outside of the top four places.
Price continued his charge by avenging his defeat to Aspinall in last Thursday’s Rotterdam final, capitalising on the Stockport star’s doubling woes to emerge victorious in a scrappy affair.
Semi-finalists Wright and Aspinall departed Leeds with two points apiece, courtesy of quarter-final victories against Van Gerwen and Dimitri Van den Bergh respectively.
Wright produced arguably his performance of the season to defeat Van Gerwen 6-3 in his last eight tussle, reeling off three straight legs to end his four-match losing run against the Dutchman.
Elsewhere, Night 12 winner Aspinall overcame Van den Bergh for the second straight week, crashing in four maximums and converting a brace of ton-plus finishes to run out a 6-4 winner.
Premier League Darts 2023 Night 13 Results
Thursday April 27
Quarter-Finals
Michael Smith 6-1 Chris Dobey
Peter Wright 6-3 Michael van Gerwen
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Jonny Clayton
Nathan Aspinall 6-4 Dimitri Van den Bergh
Semi-Finals
Michael Smith 6-2 Peter Wright
Gerwyn Price 6-3 Nathan Aspinall
Final
Michael Smith 6-4 Gerwyn Price
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