It will be an all Stoke final in the 2013 World Matchplay after both Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis progressed from their semi-finals. Both produced fine performances to lead virtually throughout their matches, leaving Lewis to try and create history if he is to win the tournament. In his previous 13-World Matchplay finals, Taylor has not been beaten.
Lewis managed to see of Michael Van Gerwen in a rematch of the European Championship semi-final, which Lewis won. Lewis got off to a flyer hitting checkouts of 121 and 119, after the pair had initially shared the opening two legs, to go in at the first break 4-1 in front. Van Gerwen managed to pull it back to 4-3 and then 5-4 after Lewis missed a dart to win the ninth leg, but Lewis managed to win the tenth the make it 6-4 at the second interval. Van Gerwen missed three darts to win the 12th leg and allowed Lewis to to make it 8-4. But the Dutchman fought back and a 164-checkout meant he had taken the remaining three legs of the third session to pull it back to 8-7.
Van Gerwen would then make it four consecutive legs as he levelled the match. Lewis managed to stem the tide with a 106-checkout before winning the last two legs of the fourth session to again lead at 11-9. That became 12-9 before Lewis would miss two darts to win leg-23 and Van Gerwen posted a checkout of 84 on the bull before finding a 112-checkout to level the match once again. But Lewis again maintained his lead to make it 13-12 at the fifth break. Van Gerwen would finally take the lead in the match with a stunning 121-checkout to make it 15-14 and then missed two darts to go within a leg of victory, allowing Lewis to level the score. Lewis then took the following two legs to win the match 17-15 and progress through.
Taylor also managed to start like a train against James Wade. A 106-checkout from The Power put him 3-0 in front before he took a 4-1 lead, after he missed two darts to win the fourth leg, in to the first break. Taylor would then extend that advantage to 6-1 and then 7-2 before Wade managed to win the final leg of the second session to go in 7-3 behind. That became 7-4 when Wade found a huge 124-checkout and it was then 7-5 when Taylor missed two darts to win the leg. Taylor also missed two dart to win leg-14 as Wade made it 8-6 before Taylor made it nine with the 15th leg.
Wade returned from the break with a fantastic 146-checkout, only to be cancelled out by a 124-finish from Taylor. But The Machine would reel off the remaining three legs to complete his comeback from 7-2 down to level the match at 10-10. Two double 20's from Wade to perform an 80-checkout levelled the game again in leg-22 before needing to win the 25th leg to make it 13-12 in Taylor's favour. That would be the last leg he would win though as Taylor took the next four legs, with Wade missing four darts to win leg-28, to win the match 17-12 and book his place alongside Lewis.
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