Former PDC world champion Gerwyn Price won the World Cup of Darts alongside Jonny Clayton in 2020 and 2023 Wales and Northern Ireland are through to the semi-finals of the World Cup of Darts following quarter-final victories in Sunday's opening session in Frankfurt. The Welsh pair of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, aiming to win the competition for a third time, posted a three-dart average of 99.66 in their 8-4 win against Hong Kong. "We were consistent all the way through, they put us under some decent pressure at stages," Price told Sky Sports after securing a place in the last four, where Wales will meet the Netherlands later on Sunday. "We weren't at our ultimate best there but we improved from the last game. Every game we go through, we'll improve again and whatever anyone throws at us, we'll throw a little bit more back." Clayton, currently fifth in the PDC's Order of Merit, and Price, who is 11th, are the two highest-ranked players remaining in the field. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney defeated the Republic of Ireland, represented by Keane Barry and Willie O'Connor, in their last-eight tie. Barry and O'Connor were 5-4 up before Rock and Gurney reeled off four consecutive legs to secure an 8-5 victory. "It was a fantastic game and a great advert for Irish darts," said former World Grand Prix winner Gurney. "Big credit to Keane and Willie - it takes four to make a great game." Northern Ireland's semi-final opponents will be Germany, who followed their shock last-16 victory over pre-tournament favourites England by beating 2022 champions Australia in a deciding leg. Australia's Damon Heta missed a match dart at double top in the penultimate leg, with Martin Schindler confirming the host nation's place in the last four with his first attempt at double 12 in the decider. While Northern Ireland and Germany will bid to reach a World Cup of Darts final for the first time, the other semi-final will be contested by two nations who have won the event six times between them. The Netherlands' four titles came in the first eight editions of the tournament, but they have not won it since Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld triumphed in 2018. Danny Noppert and Gian van Veen had not lost a leg in their first three matches in Frankfurt, including an 8-0 thrashing of Scotland in the last 16. A streak of 16 consecutive legs won was ended when Czech pair Karel Sedlacek and Petr Krivka broke throw in the opening leg of the quarter-final, but the Dutch duo won eight of the next nine legs to complete another convincing victory. Should the Netherlands progress past Wales and go on to win the event, it would draw them level with England (five titles) as the most successful nation in the tournament's history. Josh Rock, alongside partner Daryl Gurney, will hope to take Northern Ireland into a first World Cup of Darts final Quarter-final results Northern Ireland 8-5 Republic of Ireland Germany 8-7 Australia Wales 8-4 Hong Kong Netherlands 8-2 Czech Republic Semi-finals (18:00 BST, best of 15 legs) Germany v Northern Ireland Wales v Netherlands Final (to follow semi-finals, best of 19 legs) Germany/Northern Ireland v Wales/Netherlands
Wales and Northern Ireland into World Cup semis
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"Wales and Northern Ireland Advance to World Cup of Darts Semi-Finals"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Wales and Northern Ireland have advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup of Darts, following impressive quarter-final victories in Frankfurt. The Welsh duo of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton, who previously won the tournament in 2020 and 2023, secured their place in the last four with an 8-4 win against Hong Kong. Price, reflecting on their performance, noted that while they faced some pressure during the match, their consistency helped them secure the victory. He emphasized their goal of improving with each game and expressed confidence in their ability to respond to challenges. Price and Clayton, ranked fifth and eleventh respectively in the PDC's Order of Merit, are the highest-ranked players left in the competition, setting the stage for a competitive semi-final against the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland's team of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney overcame the Republic of Ireland in a closely contested match, winning 8-5 after trailing 5-4. Gurney praised the quality of the match, commending their opponents for contributing to an exciting game. Northern Ireland will face Germany in the semi-finals, who secured their spot by defeating Australia in a nail-biting encounter that saw them win with a decisive double in the final leg. This tournament marks a significant moment for both Northern Ireland and Germany, as they seek to reach the World Cup final for the first time. In the other semi-final, Wales will compete against the Netherlands, a team with a storied history in the tournament, having previously won four titles but not since 2018. As the competition heats up, fans can expect thrilling matchups in the semi-finals and potentially in the final, where the stakes are high for all teams involved.
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