World Matchplay - Match Reports Quarterfinals Evening
TAYLOR SWITCH PAYS OFF AS HE JOINS WADE IN BETFAIR WORLD MATCHPLAY SEMI-FINALS
Phil Taylor enjoyed a successful return to his old style of darts as he booked a Betfair World Matchplay semi-final place on Friday night, and he was joined in the last four by James Wade following the left-hander's win over Michael van Gerwen.Taylor had defeated both Mervyn King and Ian White earlier in the tournament using a new design of dart, but after producing a below-par display against the latter on Thursday night opted to return to his previous style darts.
Despite initially going 2-0 down, Taylor produced his best performance of the event so far this year as he overcame the World Championship finalist, who hit 12 180s but was unable to match the world number one.
Friday night's other winner was 2007 World Matchplay champion James Wade, who held off a spirited comeback from Michael van Gerwen to set up a semi-final against two-time finalist Terry Jenkins.
Wade made the early running as he took five successive legs in moving 6-2 up, and he also led 11-5 before van Gerwen remarkably pulled back to within a leg after winning six legs from seven. However, the world number three won a key 24th leg to deny van Gerwen the chance to break, and he went on to seal his victory with legs of 11, 13 and 14 darts.
Phil Taylor 16:11 Andy Hamilton
Phil Taylor bounced back to top form in the Betfair World Matchplay to win a semi-final place with a superb - win over Stoke rival Andy Hamilton on Friday night - with a change of darts keeping the reigning champion on course for a record-equalling fifth straight Blackpool win.
Despite initially going 2-0 down, Taylor produced his best performance of the event so far this year as he overcame the World Championship finalist, who hit 12 180s but was unable to match the world number one.
Taylor produced key early finishes of 126 and 127 in successive legs, and after taking a 7-6 lead he then won six of the next eight legs in setting up the win, which he sealed with 1 70 finish and earns him a semi-final against Ronnie Baxter on Saturday.
Hamilton began the game in brilliant fashion by opening with a 180 in a 14-darter and then doubling his lead in 12 darts by starting the second leg with a 177 and finishing it with a 110 checkout. He also kicked off leg three with a maximum, but a missed bullseye allowed Taylor in to hit the same bed in completing a 126 finish as he got off the mark. Hamilton hit a 171 to leave 132 in the fourth, but Taylor this time landed the bull for a 127 checkout in levelling, before matching a 180 from the World Championship finalist and htiting tops to lead for the first time at 3-2. Taylor then fired in another 180 and double 16 to lead 4-2, putting any doubt over his switch of darts firmly out of his mind as he hit top gear. Hamilton replied well to win the next two legs and level, posting a 180 and double eight before landing double ten with his third dart, but a key 68 finish from Taylor gave him the ninth as he regained a lead he would never lose.
Taylor hit another 180 in a 12-darter to win the tenth leg, and tops in the next saw him move into a 7-4 advantage. Hamilton replied with maximums in the next two to punish Taylor with a brace of double 16 finishes as he cut the gap to one leg, but a miss at double ten from the number eight seed allowed the reigning champion to hit the same bed and wi his eighth leg. Double eight from Hamilton won him the next, but Taylor hit a 174 and double 16 to lead 9-7 and added a 180 to set up an 84 finish as he moved into double figures. Hamilton posted another maximum and a 124 bullseye finish to pull back to 10-8, and added a 180 and double nine in reducing the gap to one leg. The heavy-scoring ace powered in his tenth 180 of the game in leg 20 as he sought to level, but Taylor crucially landed double 16 to avert the chance to move 11-9 up. Taylor then landed further 180s of his own in superb legs of 14 and 11 darts, and he then punished two misses from Hamilton to land double 16 for a 14-9 cushion as he moved towards the finishing line.
Hamilton hit his 12th maximum of the game and took out 108 - with Taylor on 32 - to win his tenth leg, but missed double 16 as Taylor landed double 12 to move a leg away from the win.
A miss at double 16 from Taylor for the match in the next allowed Hamilton to land the same bed and stay alive, but Taylor sealed the win in magnificent style with a 170 checkout.
"I decided to change back to my old darts this morning - in my living room I was unbeatable but it wasn't working on stage and I had to go back to my old darts," said Taylor. "I needed to do that against Andy because he hit buckets of 180s and his concentration levels are unbelievable. He doesn't know when he's beaten, and I hope he pushes forward now. "I've got nothing but admiration for him and he could be World Champion or world number one in the future - he battled hard and played some great darts there, and I could never shake him off. "I'm glad the 170 went in at the end and I know I'll be in for another battle on Saturday now against Ronnie. The tournament's getting better and better and I'll be doing everything I can to win this title again now."
James Wade 16:13 Michael van Gerwen
James Wade held off a spirited comeback from Michael van Gerwen to set up a semi-final against two-time finalist Terry Jenkins with a 16-13 win over the Dutchman on Friday night.
Wade made the early running as he took five successive legs in moving 6-2 up, and he also led 11-5 before van Gerwen remarkably pulled back to within a leg after winning six legs from seven.
However, the world number three won a key 24th leg to deny van Gerwen the chance to level in moving himself 13-11 up, and he went on to seal his victory by landing his trusted double ten.
"I'm delighted to be in the semis again but I'm really having to work hard in this event!" said Wade. "I was playing well in patches but then I'd have a bad leg and Michael never gave in, no matter what I threw at him. "Maybe I was lucky to get away with it but I've been putting the hard work in and it's showing in patches. "A few years ago I used to really love the bite of the player coming back at me, and I want to get that back. It could happen again on Saturday because I know Terry's playing well and we've had some good games in the past."
Wade made a fine start by hitting double ten to win the opening leg, and he then hit a 180 and took out 116 to break throw and lead 2-0. He also missed two chances to win the third before van Gerwen got off the mark on double five and finished a 14-darter on tops to level. Wade won the fifth, and then broke on 68, finished two 14-darters and broke with a superb 11-dart leg to win five in a row and take charge at 7-2, before a 13-darter from van Gerwen saw him stem the tide. Wade finished 146 and then double ten for a 14-darter as he moved 9-3 up, and after the Dutch youngster took out double eight he landed the bull for a 122 checkout to lead by six legs at 11-5.
Van Gerwen again rallied, winning four successive legs, including a 13-dart break of throw, to cut the gap to two legs only for Wade to hit a 177 in setting up double six to move 12-9 ahead. The Dutchman continued his revival by hitting double 16 and then taking out 88 on the bull to pull back to a leg behind - only to see a dramatic 22nd leg slip from his grasp when he failed to finish 65, landing the bull instead of 25 and then missing double six to allow Wade to finish a key 72 on tops.
After the number three seed landed an 11-dart finish, the pair the traded 13-darters as Wade moved a leg away from the win, and after van Gerwen hit tops to stay alive the left-hander finished 71 on double ten to secure his sixth semi-final appearance in seven years.
"There's a lot of disappointment for me because I can play a lot better, but James played well," said van Gerwen. "He hit some very good finishes and deserved to win. "If I'd made it 12-all then anything could have happened but I hit the bullseye instead of the 25, and he went 13-11 and threw a very good leg after that."
Van Gerwen hit a superb nine-dart finish during his second round win over Steve Beaton, and ended with a tournament average over 100 as he continued his return to form in 2012. "I hope I can do well again in the remaining tournaments this year and I'll work hard on my game. The whole match against Steve Beaton was superb for me, not just the nine-darter, and I played well this week. "I'm back in the top 32 but I know I can still do better and I've not got much money to defend in the rest of the year so I think I can move up the rankings. I'm going to practice hard and try to do well in the TV tournaments, and I hope I can have a good rest of the year."