The lethal Luke Humphries has progressed to the World Match Play semi-finals after beating Dimitri van den Berg on Thursday to set up a meeting with James Wade.
The world champion averaged 101.21 points and posted a stunning 164 points in his 16-10 win over the 'Dream Maker'.
He next faces 2007 champion Wade on Saturday. 'The Machine' is coming off a stunning 1-0 win over Ross Smith to reach the semi-finals for the first time in nine years.
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Luke Humphries and Dimitri Van den Bergh did their best to imitate Cole Palmer as the world champion followed the Belgian on stage at the Winter Gardens.
The world number one got off to a fast start, beating van den Berg in the first game and scoring four maximum points to take a 3-0 lead.
Van den Berg, who beat Humphries in the UK Open final in March, got his name on the scoreboard against the darts but fell behind again after going into the first interval 3-2 down.
The Belgian, who was the 2020 World Match Play champion behind closed doors in Milton Keynes, levelled the match after the restart with Humphries scoring 46 points before van den Bergh scored the 46th to take a 4-3 lead for the first time.
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Humphries produced this superb target finish in the win over Van den Bergh.
Humphries stopped his decline for the next throw, and there was little difference between the two, with the world champion leading 8-7 at the intermission.
After checking out on 115, Humphries went ahead 11-8 after a dart from Van den Bergh put him back up to level at 11-8, but the Belgian pulled one back before the next break.
But Humphries then went on to win five straight events with a score of 164, emulating Van den Berg's 'chicken celebration' to win 16-10 and advance to the World Match Play semi-finals for the second year in a row.
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Humphries said he didn't feel like himself while the two engaged in mind games despite beating Van Den Berg.
“After the first five games, I felt discouraged and tired, which is normal in a random game. Tonight I didn't feel like the real Luke Humphries,” Humphries said. Sky Sports.
“But I told myself, 'Just hang in there, work hard, and don't let your mind get the better of you.'
“I worked incredibly hard in the last session to get across the finish line and did a great job in the last few legs.”
Wade's Vintage Display
Former champion James Wade put on a vintage display to beat Ross Smith.
Wade averaged 100.30 and hit 13 180s to reach his ninth World Match Play semi-final.
Wade, who was considered an underdog before entering this tournament, was the leader in most matches and kept 'Smudger' at bay with his signature finishing skills even under pressure.
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Wade said he would show more after beating Smith.
“I felt really good after that,” Wade said. “I enjoyed the game, it was a great game, and I'm glad I did a little better than Ross that night.
“He was really good at first. It felt like I got him into a fight, and then I took control.
“My score was good, but I've been playing much better in practice, so it's not surprising.
“There were times when I thought I could have done better, and I know I can do much better than that.”
Smith was a dominant scorer, averaging 114 points in the first five games to take a 3-2 lead.
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Take a look at some of the best moments from Wade's quarterfinal win…
Wade checked off points of 120 and 121 on his way to a 6-4 lead, then finished with his third ton-plus finish of the match to take an 8-5 lead.
After Wade missed four darts to go ahead 10-5, Smith cut the gap to 9-6 with a clean 107.
Wade then returned home and won three of the next four legs to take a 12-7 lead, with Smith scoring 107 points in the second to keep the match in touch.
Smith continued to struggle with a stunning 161 checkout to stay in contention at 13-10, but that proved to be his final leg and Wade clinched the win with three more legs.
What happens at the World Matchplay on Friday?
Michael van Gerwen returns to action at the Winter Gardens on Friday.
The 2024 Betfred World Matchplay continues at Blackpool's Winter Gardens, with the final two quarter-finals being shown on Sky Sports Action from 8pm on Friday 19 July and Sky Sports Main Event from 9pm. Get instant access to World Matchplay for just £26.
Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen will continue his title challenge against Andrew Gilding in the quarter-finals, as he did in the 2023 UK Open final, while Rob Cross will face Michael Smith in an exciting quarter-final.
This iconic summer tournament sees 32 of the world's biggest stars compete over nine days for the Phil Taylor Trophy and £800,000 in prize money.
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