TAB Auckland Darts Masters Quarter-Finals Ⅰ

The five-time World Champion overcame his Dutch rival for the second successive weekend, following up last week's convincing triumph in Sydney with a battling comeback to thrill the 5,000 crowd at the Trusts Arena.

Van Gerwen had powered into leads of 3-0 and 4-1 before van Barneveld turned the tables to move 5-4 up, and though the world number one edged back ahead he was made to pay for two missed match darts as his rival claimed a dramatic win.

After double 18 helped van Gerwen win the opening leg in 14 darts, he took out 101 to break and then double five to win a third leg, and though double 12 got van Barneveld off the mark, an 88 checkout saw the 26-year-old move 4-1 up with a 12-darter.

Van Gerwen, though, missed the bull for a 170 finish and two further darts to win the next, with double ten seeing van Barneveld hit back before he took out 96, double eight and double 16 to amazingly move 5-4 up.

Double five saw van Gerwen hit back before he produced a sublime 167 checkout to regain the lead at 6-5, and after his opponent leveled on double one another 14-dart finish put the world number one a leg away from victory.

He opened the 14th leg with a fourth maximum of the game, but two misses at double eight to claim victory allowed van Barneveld to take out 64 on double 16 to force a decider before the five-time World Champion took out 84 on the bull to snatch a dramatic win.

Van Barneveld now takes on James Wade, produced a master-class in double top hitting as he overcame Peter Wright 8-5 to win through to the semi-finals.

"There's always a lot of pressure playing Michael because we're so close and he was determined to win after I beat him last week, and you could see his focus early on in the game," said van Barneveld.

"I came back but in the last leg you expect Michael to hit a 180 or an 11 or 12-darter, but he gave me a chance and it was a huge relief when that last dart went in the bulls-eye.

"So many times in the last few years I've lost games in the last leg, so finally the coin flipped my way today.

"It would be fantastic to reach the final and hopefully if I can beat James Wade in the semis then I can win the final, but James is a top class player and you know what you're going to get."

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