Chris Dobey is through to the PDC World Darts Championship semi-final for the first time in his career after beating Gerwyn Price 5-3 in an Ally Pally thriller.
The diehard Newcastle United fan came from two sets down to get the better of the 2021 champion after dazzling at the oche.
Dobey capped off a magical couple of days after his beloved Magpies beat Manchester United 2-0 at Old Trafford on Monday night.
However, the North East star almost blew his chance after he missed a staggering five match darts with the score at 4-2. Price caused a scare when he took the seventh set to make the score 4-3. And danced in joy to rile the fans.
Nonetheless, Dobey held his nerve and eventually clinched the match in front of a delighted crowd. The 34-year-old will now face three-time winner Michael van Gerwen for a place in the 2025 final.
As it stands, the best betting sites in the UK have last year’s runner-up Luke Littler as the 19/20 tournament favourite. Dobey can be backed at a tempting 10/1.
"I've never been so nervous throwing at a winning double than I have today" 😅
Chris Dobey reflects on reaching the World Darts Championship semi-finals 🎉 pic.twitter.com/p32ab9FA1Z
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 1, 2025
Chris Dobey Progresses To The 2025 PDC Darts World Championship Semi-Final
It was third time lucky for Chris Dobey who exited at the quarter-final stage in the last two PDC World Darts Championship tournaments.
In 2023, Michael van Gerwen cruised to a 5-0 win but last year was Dobey’s lowest ebb. The Geordie was leading 4-0 before crumbling and eventually losing 5-4 to Rob Cross.
“This is at the top. Getting over that defeat last year and getting over the line this year means so much. I’ve never been so nervous throwing at a winning double than I have today,” Dobey told Sky Sports.
“I was thinking about last year and kept thinking, ‘Keep going, you will get another chance’. Luckily I found a way over the line. I’m overwhelmed.
“He played brilliant. He didn’t give it as much as I thought he would. That might have helped me. I’m buzzing to get that win. I probably wouldn’t have done it without this crowd.”
