PDC Darts: Michael van Gerwen sets up final with Peter Wright

Image caption, Michael van Gerwen

Michael van Gerwen crushed Adrian Lewis 6-0 in the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship to set up a final against Peter Wright.

Van Gerwen, 24, breezed past two-time champion Lewis, with the Englishman unable to hit doubles.

The Dutchman, beaten by Phil Taylor in last year's final, will face Scotland's Wright after he beat Australian Simon Whitlock 6-2 in the other semi-final.

The final at the Alexandra Palace will take place on New Year's Day.

Van Gerwen, who is a prolifically quick thrower, raced into the lead as he took the first leg against the darts and then finished the set with a 12-darter.

The second was a tighter affair with both men playing to a high standard as Van Gerwen took his maximum tally to five and Lewis hit a 158 checkout in the fourth leg. But it was the Dutchman who claimed the fifth to move two ahead.

Lewis hit his fifth 180 in the first leg of the third but missed six attempts at double and Van Gerwen punished him to take the set 3-1.

The fourth set was a masterclass from the world number two, who checked out 121 and 154 to take it 3-0 and, despite letting slip the first leg in the next, he took advantage of more missed doubles from Lewis to go 5-0 up.

The world number three showed some spirit as he fought back from two legs down in the sixth but Van Gerwen claimed the decider on double 11 to complete a convincing win.

"In the end the score looked a bit easier than it actually was," Van Gerwen told Sky Sports.

"I won 6-0 but I did it in the right moments. I came to the front at the beginning of the game and that was very important for me to give me confidence.

"Adrian was struggling on his finishes and his doubles and in important moments he didn't do well. I took advantage of that."

The other semi-final was a more low-key affair but Wright showed impressive form as he averaged 100.24 on his way to victory as Whitlock only managed to take two sets off the Scot.

Wright said: "I held myself together well throughout. My finishing was excellent - particularly on double 16 - and I didn't give Simon a sniff at any stage."