PDC World Championship - Report Twelfth Day, Afternoon
NEWTON AND WHITE WIN QUARTER-FINAL SPOTS AS DEVON DANCES PAST PIPE
Wes Newton and comeback kid Ian White won through to the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship quarter-finals on Friday afternoon, as dancing Devon Petersen completed the third round line-up at Alexandra Palace with a 4-1 win over Justin Pipe.Number eight seed Newton won through to his third World Championship quarter-final in fine style with a 4-1 win over Robert Thornton as the £1 million tournament resumed following the Christmas break.
Newton punished three misses from Thornton to win the game's opening set before winning the second without reply to move two sets up. He also led 2-0 in the third before Thornton, aided by a 136 finish, hit back to win a decider on double top to pull back to 2-1 in the match - only for Newton to race through the fourth and then win the fifth set 3-1 to seal his quarter-final spot.
"It was pretty comfortable so I'm happy with that result," said Newton. "The main thing was that I won but I played ok and I'm through to the quarter-finals. I'm really determined this year to prove a point - to myself. I know what I can do and who I can beat, but I've not been setting the world on fire this year and I know there's a lot more to come, and it's my determination that's getting me through. That's a good, solid performance - I'm not hitting top form but there's a lot more to come and hopefully my A-game will come out in the quarter-finals. I'm really determined, I've got a bit of fight in my belly and all I can do is keep winning. I'm not putting too much pressure on myself, I''m just looking at who's in front of me and what I've got to do win the game."
Stoke's White, meanwhile, produced a thrilling comeback from 3-1 down in sets as he defeated Richie Burnett 4-3 - with the 43-year-old having avoided a fightback from Kim Huybrechts in his previous game before this time having to hit back himself.
Burnett, the 1995 Lakeside Champion, had seemed set to soar into the last eight for the first time in a decade as he won the game's first set 3-1 and took the third and fourth to move within touching distance of victory. White, though, hit back to win the next two sets 3-1 to level the contest before soaring through the decider without reply to reach his first World Championship quarter-final.
"I'm absolutely delighted with that but I don't make things easy for myself," said White. "I've had a nine-darter against me by Kyle Anderson, a 4-3 against Kim Huybrechts and another one today, but it feels great right now. It was a tough comeback and at 3-1 down I thought I might be going home, but I kept thinking about Kim Huybrechts against me and how he knuckled down, and I dug in. I took it set by set and got back into the game. I missed a few doubles in the first set and could have been 2-1 or 3-1 up. I wasn't doing anything wrong apart from missing a few doubles - my scoring was good, so hopefully I can put the two together in the next round. This is my second successive TV quarter-final and I'm feeling more relaxed on stage now. I'm just happy to be through and I'm playing good darts."
Earlier in the afternoon session, South Africa's Devon Petersen took a 4-1 win over Justin Pipe in the event's final second round game, earning himself a clash with James Wade on Saturday afternoon.
Petersen had defeated Malaysia's Mohammed Latif Sapup and former World Champion Steve Beaton to win through to the last 32, equalling his previous best Alexandra Palace success. However, he secured a third round spot in style with some superb finishing against the number 11 seed. Petersen came from 2-1 down to win the first set, after Pipe missed four darts at doubles for the lead, and then took the second without reply to double his advantage. Pipe won the third set 3-0, but was left waiting on 36 in the deciding leg of set four as Petersen produced a killer blow by taking out 130 on the bull for a 3-1 cushion, before taking the fifth set to claim his third round spot - which he celebrated with his customary dance to delight the full house at Alexandra Palace.
"To put myself into the last 16 of the World Championship has to be the best performance I've ever had and I'm over the moon," said Petersen. "To beat players like Steve Beaton and Justin on the biggest stage is huge for me. The 130 finish to win the fourth set was a game-changer and it's one of the most important shots I've ever take out. At two-all he would have felt like he had the upper hand, but I just knew the 130 was going to go, and I had him then. The crowd were great and I wanted to give them something to cheer about. It felt like I came here to entertain the crowd - but I want to let my darts do the talking and I'm doing that. Being part of the last 16 is a dream come true for me, fantastic, and I want to move forward from here."