Live coverage of the the final session, including England vs Belgium and Wales vs Germany in semi-finals action beginning at 6pm on Sky Sports Arena with the final immediately afterwards to find out who will be crowned World Cup of Darts champions
Sunday 8 November 2020 19:31, UK
Michael van Gerwen was unable to perform at his very best due to a trapped nerve in his lower back as the Netherlands were sent packing by Germany at the World Cup of Darts on Sunday afternoon.
The world No 1 was somehow able to compete on Sunday afternoon after seeking medical advice and despite showing no visible signs of pain on the oche, he was clearly not at his electrifying best as the Netherlands bid for a fifth title was ended by the Germans.
Gabriel Clemens and Max Hopp will now prepare for a semi-final meeting with Wales, while England will take on Belgium.
The four-time champions took on Germany in an eagerly-awaited quarter-final tie in the last match of the afternoon.
German pair Clemens and Hopp moved into the last eight for the loss of only one leg as Clemens went up against Danny Noppert first.
Clemens made a brilliant start as he took out a classy 156 checkout for a 2-0 lead, but after missing D16 to move further ahead, Noppert made him pay before levelling up with a 15-dart leg.
The next two legs went with throw before Clemens fired in a maximum, 140, and finished with D8 to claim a 4-3 win to pile the pressure on a wounded MVG.
But Van Gerwen, who was assessed in hospital just hours earlier, produced the goods to defeat the former world youth champion 4-1 and give us a pairs decider.
Noppert held it together to produce a 104 out for an immediate break of throw before sinking tops to double the advantage for the Dutch. However, Germany struck back to level at 2-2 before the next two legs went with throw to send the tie into a deciding leg.
The Germans had the advantage of the throw but it went down to the wire and after Van Gerwen failed to pin tops for victory, Clemens held his nerve to hit D10 for a famous win.
Pre-tournament favourites Wales took on Australia in a tasty quarter-final showdown and it didn't disappoint.
Gerwyn Price and Simon Whitlock went at it hammer and tongs as they shared the opening four legs before 'The Wizard' produced an 11-dart hold of throw. Price responded with an 11-darter of his own by taking out 96 with a neat two-dart combination to send the contest to a final leg.
Whitlock raced away only to miss three match darts at D10 to allow Price in to steal the opening rubber with D12.
Derbyshire-based Damon Heta looked to turn up the heat on Jonny Clayton in the second singles rubber.
It was even-steven for the first four legs and then Heta nailed D8 to break the throw before holding his throw to seal a 4-2 win and take us all the way.
Wales opened their doubles encounter on the front foot as they stormed into a two-leg lead but Heta nailed D1 to give the Aussies hope of a revival. Price then pinned D10 for a 3-1 advantage before sinking D6 to seal victory.
Top seeds England made it through to a showdown with Belgium after ending the hopes of hosts Austria in a thrilling quarter-final.
Michael Smith faced Mensur Suljovic in the opening rubber and after getting a little bit of luck to hold throw in the opening leg, he ploughed in some big numbers to break his opponent in the next. He then took out 72 to move a leg away from victory.
But Suljovic battled back in stupendous fashion. He held throw before piling in a 177 and 50 finish too before sending the rubber to a deciding leg with a majestic maximum and an 81 checkout. He sealed an amazing victory with a stunning 87 on the bull to record a 4-3 win.
It was left to Rob Cross to save England's bacon against Rowby-John Rodriguez. The 26-year-old was clearly fired up and he opened up with a cracking 160 before nailing a solid ton. Cross broke back in the next but he was undone immediately after Rodriguez took out 92 to move 3-1 ahead.
Cross cleaned up 66 to stay alive and after Rodriguez missed one match dart, the former world champion pinned D4 to send it into a last-leg shoot-out. The tension was getting to both players with more crucial missed doubles. Rodriguez failed with three more match darts before Cross composed himself to land D6.
The first five legs of doubles action went with throw before Suljovic pinned tops to send us into another final-leg decider. Smith snatched at three match darts but Austria were unable to take advantage, leaving Cross to complete the job for England thanks to D10.
Kim Huybrechts and Dimitri Van den Bergh ended the run of Canada as the duo made it through to the last four on the Salzburgarena stage.
Huybrechts, a former finalist in 2013, opened proceedings with a majestic performance to defeat Jeff Smith 4-1.
'The Hurricane' produced a magnificent 108.32 three-dart average in a blistering display of arrows.
Canada, who were playing in their first World Cup of Darts quarter-final since 2016, were in need of a lift and Matt Campbell did just that with an opening 160 salvo before breaking Van den Bergh with a 64 finish.
'The Ginga Ninja' from Hamilton continued his finishing clinic by nailing 120 to make it 3-0. Van den Bergh held throw in leg four but Campbell took the tie to a deciding doubles rubber after pinning D19 in a shock 4-1 win.
In a drama-ridden pairs decider, there were four breaks of throw in opening four legs before Huybrechts pinned D4 and D8 to seal a 4-2 success and make it through to his sixth World Cup semi-final.
Don't miss an arrow being thrown at the World Cup of Darts. The action continues this evening from 6pm on Sky Sports Arena when we have coverage of the remaining two sessions as the new champions are crowned.
