Boylesports World Grand Prix 2021 Semi-Final preview and order of play | Final four face off
The final four battle it out at the 2021 Boylesports World Grand Prix on Friday as the Semi-Finals take centre stage in Leicester.
The annual double-start major has thrown up its fair share of drama, quality and flash points and is set for a fascinating climax at the Morningside Arena.
Two of this season’s usual suspects remain on a collision course for an all-Welsh final, but two players looking to reach their first major PDC ranking final will have other ideas.
Gerwyn Price is bidding to become only the third player in the 23-year history of the tournament to successfully retain the title, and now faces Stephen Bunting in a repeat of their World Championship Semi-Final.
Having lost in the opening round in three of his first five Boylesports World Grand Prix appearances, Price has now seemingly mastered the double-start format and is firm favourite to defend the crown.
The world number one, winner of back-to-back European Tour events last month, began by defeating Michael Smith in straight sets with a 100.8 average, before recovering from a set down to beat Mervyn King 3-1 and powering past Dave Chisnall 3-0 on Thursday.
Price overturned a 3-1 deficit to defeat Bunting 6-4 in the Semi-Finals at Ally Pally in January in an epic contest which featured 13 ton-plus finishes, while ‘The Bullet’ gained some revenge by defeating the Welshman 7-5 on his way to winning Players Championship 17 in July.
Bunting, who last made the Semi-Finals on his World Grand Prix debut in 2014, has defeated two former champions in Daryl Gurney and James Wade so far this week.
He recorded a 3-1 victory over Ryan Searle in Thursday’s Quarter-Finals but will be eyeing a marked improvement over the extended format against the sport’s current dominant force.
The opening Semi-Final sees Premier League champion Jonny Clayton take on former Lakeside finalist Danny Noppert.
Clayton had won just one match in three previous Grand Prix appearances but has seemingly gotten to grips with the double-start format with a double-in rate of 50 per cent and a checkout success of 65 per cent.
The Welsh star recorded successive averages of 95 in overcoming Callan Rydz and Grand Slam champion Jose De Sousa, before edging out Krzysztof Ratajski 3-2 in a tense Quarter-Final.
Noppert is appearing in his first PDC major ranking Semi-Final since the Players Championship Finals in 2018, and victory over Clayton would see him break in to the world’s top 16 for the first time.
He dispatched fellow Dutchmen Michael van Gerwen and Vincent van der Voort without dropping a set, before seeing off Ian White 3-1 with a 95.5 average.
The action gets under way from 7pm BST, with Semi-Final matches contested over the best of seven sets.
All Sets are the best of five legs and there will be no tie break in any Set. All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
WATCH THE WORLD GRAND PRIX STREAMED LIVE HERE (18+)
Boylesports World Grand Prix 2021 Day Six Schedule
Friday October 8
Semi-Finals
7.15pm Jonny Clayton v Danny Noppert
8.45pm Gerwyn Price v Stephen Bunting
