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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Sport
Eamon Doggett

Darts fans think it will be Michael Smith's year as he makes world final

Darts fans think Michael Smith is destined to be new world champion after a 6-1 win over James Wade in the semi-finals.

The 31-year-old was the runner-up to Michael van Gerwen in the 2019 decider and is yet to win a PDC major title.

But the St Helens man has been sensational throughout this year's world championship at Alexander Palace.

The ninth seed took out world number one and defending champion Gerwyn Price in the quarter-finals, and Smith kept up the momentum in the last four clash with Wade.

Racing into an early 2-0 set lead, Smith looked to have taken control of the match against Wade, but his experienced opponent is famously dogged when his back is against the wall.

With Smith on the brink of the final, Wade rallied in the seventh set to pull it back to 5-2. The pressure seemed to be telling on Smith then as Wade began to find his rhythm.

The eighth set went to the final leg and Wade showed great nerves to get the job done and bring it back to 5-3.

In the ninth set, Smith missed a throw at double 20 to go 2-0 up and one away from the final, giving Wade the chance to level it up at 1-1 in legs.

But Smith held it together to hold his throw in the next before breaking Wade's throw to wrap up a 6-3 victory and set up a clash with either Peter Wright or Gary Anderson - and darts fans think 2022 could be Smith's year:

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