LEICESTER stars James Maddison and Harvey Barnes watched Gerwyn Price achieve darting perfection before being sent packing at Ally Pally.
The Premier League players enjoyed a night of high drama at the World Darts Championship in north London.
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Welshman Price, 36, has not had much luck with punters this year who have jeered and booed his darts and walk-ons.
Yet the world no.1 had them all in raptures with a moment of sheer brilliance in this absorbing quarter-final against Michael Smith.
The perfect leg came in the second leg of the fourth set and for a moment the fans were all on their feet and on Price’s side.
It was the 13th time in 13 years there had been a nine-darter at world level and the record third time this event.
This follows on from William Borland’s match-winning corker and Darius Labanauskas’s losing footnote in a first-round exit.
Smith, 31, applauded the feat and fist pumped the Welshman in a moment of excellent sportsmanship but then he wrapped up the set to level at 2-2.
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And although Price led 4-3 he could not seal a place in the semi-final, with Smith producing a blistering comeback in a win that delighted the crowd.
He joins James Wade, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright in the final four with the semi-final taking place on Sunday night.
Former world snooker champion Judd Trump, who know a thing or two about hitting the pinnacle of a 147 break, said: “The darts tonight is unreal. On fire.”
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