Match Reports Quarterfinals
Afternoon
Terry Jenkins 5:4 Wes Newton
(3:0, 0:3, 1:3, 3:2, 3:2, 0:3, 2:3, 3:1, 3:1)
Terry Jenkins came from 4:3 down to defeat Wes Newton a nine-set thriller in the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Newton was left to regret missed doubles in the heart of the game, as he saw a 2-1 lead turned around with wasted chances to take the next two sets.
He hit back to lead 4:3, but Jenkins hit a 170 finish in taking six of the next eight legs to reach his first ever World Championship semi-final, where he will face either Raymond van Barneveld or Gary Anderson on Sunday.
"I knew it was going to be a hard match against Wes," said Jenkins. "He hit a 110 average against me a recent tournament in Germany, but I did manage to win that day too. "When I was 4-3 down I needed a kick and that 170 finish in the eighth set gave me confidence and I pushed on from then."
Newton wasted a chance for an early break of throw in the first leg as he missed two darts at double top and Jenkins managed to hold by hitting double 16. The sixth seed, who defeated Mark Walsh in the third round, then won the second by landing double top but missed four darts in the next leg to win the set. However, Newton was unable to land one of his three attempts at doubles and Jenkins made no mistake by hitting double two to grab an early advantage.
Newton got off the mark at the start of the second set in a leg which included the first maximum of the match, before taking the second with a clinical two-dart 86 finish. The 15th seed, playing in his first World Championship quarter-final, continued the run by winning the third leg, hitting double 16 at the first time of asking to take the set and level the game.
The start of the third set followed a similar pattern as the Fleetwood man won the first leg against the darts by hitting double ten and then landed double 16 to win the second. Jenkins managed to win his first leg in six with a superb 158 checkout but Newton won the fourth with an excellent 124 finish to seal the set.
Newton won the opening leg of the fourth set with a 77 finish before Jenkins levelled by hitting double nine, and the third leg fell the way of the Fleetwood ace as he led for the second time in the set by taking out 68. Jenkins, still looking for his first major title, took the fourth leg by recording a 129 finish and then kicked off the deciding leg with a 180. However, Newton's scoring was the more consistent and he was first to a finish - only to miss nine opportunities to the win set, and after five missed attempts of his own Jenkins hit double five to end a dramatic decider.
Buoyed by taking a tight fourth set, Jenkins hit back-to-back maximums in the opening leg of the fifth. That left the chance of a nine-dart finish, and although the seventh attempt at a treble 20 fell short of the target he won the leg in 11 darts to grab an early lead. The next three legs were shared, sending the set into a deciding leg which proved to be a mirror of the image of the fourth set as both players missed opportunities to take the initiative. Jenkins missed eight darts at doubles, but Newton missed six chances of his own before his opponent hit double ten with his final dart to edge another set and take a 3-2 lead.
Newton bounced back from those disappointments to win the sixth set without reply and to leave the game finely balanced. He hit an 88 finish to win the first leg before breaking Jenkins' throw in the next by hitting double top, and the third leg was taken by landing double 16. Jenkins won the opening leg of the seventh set with a 110 checkout, before Newton managed to take out 70 in two darts to reply. Jenkins hit his fifth 180 of the match with a 12-dart finish to take the third, but Newton replied to win the fourth with an excellent 95. Jenkins had the advantage of throw in the deciding leg, and was first to a finish, only to miss three darts at doubles as Newton managed to keep his nerve to land double ten to lead for the first time since the third set.
The eighth set began with Jenkins breaking throw with a 70 finish before recording a fabulous 170 checkout to take the second leg. Newton hit double ten to win the third leg and hit his second 180 in the fourth, but Jenkins took the set with a two-dart 67 finish to send the match into a deciding set.
Jenkins won the opening leg by hitting double top and then broke throw in the second, with the aid of his sixth maximum of the game, to the brink of victory. The third leg saw Jenkins miss a dart at double top to take the match, and Newton managed to hit the same bed to keep his hopes alive. However, Newton failed with four attempts at doubles to win the fourth leg and Jenkins stepped up to hit double top with his third dart to seal victory.
"That was a good battle and it will set me up for the semi-final," added Jenkins. "I kept battling and battling. The darts didn't seem to be going as well as they did in practice but I hit some good scores and good finishes at the right time to keep the pressure on Wes. He missed some doubles at crucial times and so did I, but that was because of the pressure we put on each other and the game reflected the way we're both playing at present. When Wes went 4-3 up, I felt if I could get one leg against the darts in the eighth set then I had the darts in the last set and knew my luck would change in the end."
Newton admitted: "I'm devastated with that. I think I was the best player but if you don't hit your doubles you don't deserve to win the game. I was 2-1 up in sets and had darts to win the next two, and I was 3-2 down when I should have been 4-1 up, and then I missed darts in the last set to take it to a deciding leg. I was out-scoring Terry but missed too many doubles. It's hard to take losing when you know you should have won, and you've only got yourself to blame. I've not been this far in a World Championship before and I felt good, and maybe on a different day I would have won it. The future's bright and I know there's more to come from me. I'll take it on the chin, learn from it, and come back another day and try again."
Adrian Lewis 5:2 Vincent van der Voort
(3:1, 3:1, 2:3, 3:0, 3:1, 2:3, 3:0)
Adrian Lewis won through to his first Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship semi-final with a 5-2 triumph over Vincent van der Voort at Alexandra
Palace.
Van der Voort could not produce the kind of display that saw him defeat last year's runner-up Simon Whitlock in the third round, as 13 maximums from Lewis saw him secure the win. He now face either Phil Taylor or Mark Webster in the semis on Sunday, as he bids to claim his maiden major title.
"I felt really comfortable up there," said Lewis, who led 2-0 and 4-1 during the game. "I did let things slip slightly but I got back on track and got the job done. I thought I was only performing in about second gear and know that there is far more to come from me."
Lewis broke throw in the opening leg of the match by hitting double five before van der Voort hit two 180s in the second leg - only to miss eight darts at a double as the 25-year-old stepped in on double five. Van der Voort won the third by landing double top, but Lewis hit his third maximum in the fourth leg and took out double 18 to win the set and open up an early lead.
Both players produced an excellent standard at the start of the second set as van der Voort won the first leg with a 121 checkout, before Lewis took the second in 11 darts. Lewis won the third by landing double one after van der Voort was guilty of missing six darts at doubles, and the Stoke star then won the set in the next leg by taking out 66.
Van der Voort, who overcame Simon Whitlock in the third round, hit two maximums in the opening leg of the third set and went to win it with an 11-dart finish. The Dutchman then took the second leg by hitting double four after his opponent missed two darts at doubles, but Lewis won the third by completing an 85 finish on the bullseye. Lewis then won the fourth leg with an impressive 13-darter, but van der Voort kept his nerve to win the deciding leg with an 80 finish to win the set.
Lewis made an impressive start to the fourth set by hitting double 20 to win the first leg and then took the second with a 108 checkout, before opening the third with back-to-back 180s to leave the possibility of a nine-dart finish. Lewis' attempt at a seventh successive treble 20 was off-target, but the leg was won with his second 11-darter of the match as he led 3-1.
Lewis hit his tenth maximum in the first leg of the fifth set, but van der Voort won the leg courtesy of a 71 finish. Lewis levelled by landing double 16 and then won the third with an 87 finish, in a leg that included another maximum from the 25-year-old. That secured a break of throw for Lewis and he then won the fourth leg by hitting double top at the first time of asking to move three sets clear.
Lewis held throw to win the first leg of the fifth set before van der Voort managed to take the second by hitting double ten with his third dart. The next two legs were shared to see Lewis go one leg away from victory but van der Voort managed to produce a 14-darter at a vital time to win set and keep his hopes alive.
The opening leg of the seventh set saw Lewis secure a break of throw and he then won the second with a 14-dart finish, before sealing victory in the next on double eight.
"Vincent has just beaten Simon Whitlock and his confidence was going to be high, but I just went up there to play the same game and I'm happy with that - but I've still got three or four gears in me yet," said Lewis. "Vincent was probably lucky to get a couple of sets because I seemed to go to sleep at times because I wasn't being pressed. When I had to pull it out I did, and it was strange."
Lewis defeated Taylor on television for the first time in the semi-finals of the World Grand Prix in October.
"I'm more experienced and I got up there believing I can win," added Lewis. "I believe in my ability now instead of questioning myself. I had a couple of legs against Vincent where I started to miss doubles and six to eight months ago I would have been thinking about it for a few legs. This time, I got straight on with it and started finishing again. It's all experience."
Evening
Gary Anderson 5:1 Raymond van Barneveld
(1:3, 3:1 3:0, 3:1, 3:2, 3:1)
Gary Anderson produced one the finest performances of his career to crush Raymond van Barneveld in the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes.com World
Darts Championship.
From a set down, the Scotsman dropped just five legs to the five-time World Champion and ended the game with a three-dart average of 102.75, his fourth successive ton-plus average of the event.
Anderson will now take on Terry Jenkins on Sunday for a place in the final, as both players bid to claim a maiden World Championship title.
"I was a bit worried after losing the first set as my darts were dropping quite low," admitted Anderson. "After taking the second set it gave me confidence and I played well from then. "When Raymond won the first set he gave a big celebration and it fired me up. If he had just hit his double and walked off the stage, he probably would have battered me 6-0, and that pushed me on a little bit. It's the first time in the tournament that I've been behind but it proves to a lot of people that I can fight back. I stuck in and pulled it back."
Van Barneveld, who came from behind to defeat Colin Osborne in round three, started of the match impressively with a 13-dart finish to win the first leg against the darts. The Dutchman won the second leg by hitting double five, although only after missing ten previous attempts at doubles. Anderson won the next leg by hitting double 16 and then hit the first 180 of the game in the fourth leg, but van Barneveld stepped to the oche and hit a 110 finish to win the set and open an early lead.
Anderson started the second set in incredible fashion with back-to-back maximums to leave himself with the opportunity of hitting the first nine-dart finish of this year's competition. Any thoughts of achieving the feat were ended when Anderson's seventh attempt at a treble 20 fell into the single one, although the leg was still won in ten darts to give the Scotsman confidence. Anderson won the second leg by hitting double five but missed one dart at double ten for a 140 checkout in the next, which van Barneveld took with a 68 finish. With the fourth leg in the balance, Anderson hit a superb 174 to leave double 18, and duly hit the double at the second attempt to win the set and level the match.
Anderson, who took out Andy Smith in the third round, hit double to win the first leg of the third set after van Barneveld was off-target with an attempt at the bullseye. Anderson won the second leg in 14 darts and then hit back-to-back 180s to leave the chance of a nine-darter for the second time in the match. Again, the Scotsman's seventh dart fell into the single one, but he recovered to win the leg in 11 darts to wrap up a second successive set.
Anderson hit a maximum in the process of making a winning start to the fourth set, and then hit double top to win the next leg - his sixth in a row. Van Barneveld briefly stopped the rot by taking the third leg with a 12-dart finish, but Anderson won the next by hitting double top at the first time of asking to increase his lead to 3-1.
The five-time World Champion made a positive start to set five by breaking throw with a 94 finish after Anderson was guilty of missing three darts at double ten. Anderson replied with a 102 checkout to win the second leg, and recorded a 13-dart finish in the next for a 2-1 lead. Van Barneveld held throw to win the fourth leg by taking out 64, but Anderson won the decider with a 73 finish to seal the set and move three clear of his opponent.
Anderson rocketed towards the finishing line by hitting 66 to first leg of set six, and a 13-darter put the Scotsman one leg away from victory. Van Barneveld continued to fight and showed true champion qualities to win the third leg with a ten-darter, but Anderson confirmed victory in the next with a clinical two-dart 84 finish to end a fabulous performance and set up Sunday's date with Jenkins.
"The last time I played Terry was in the Grand Slam and he beat me on that occasion, but it was a great game," said Anderson. "Terry's a real battler and he's always at you, and he showed that against Wes Newton. I'm expecting a really good game from him but I'm looking forward to the semis."
Mark Webster 5:2 Phil Taylor
(3:2, 2:3, 3:0, 3:1, 1:3, 3:1, 3:2)
Mark Webster produced the greatest performance of his career to end the hopes of reigning champion Phil Taylor 5:2 in the quarter-finals of the
2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Webster's win avenged a 6:0 thrashing to Taylor in last year's semi-finals and he will now take on Adrian Lewis on Sunday night for a place in the final.
Defeat for Taylor ended a 16-match unbeaten run at Alexandra Palace which had given him the past two World Championship titles, as former Lakeside Champion Webster held his nerve for the biggest win of his career.
"This is obviously the most memorable performance of my career, said Webster. "Phil missed doubles to let me in which is unlike him. The first set was pretty crucial for me. I was very nervous coming out, and I managed to nick that set which important in the final outcome. I got involved in a scrap and came out on top, and I enjoyed it. I took my chances and I'm over the moon but I've got to go and beat Adrian now otherwise this was a waste of a win."
Taylor won the opening leg of the contest against the darts courtesy of a 64 finish, but Webster immediately broke back by hitting double top to level. Webster managed to win the third leg after Taylor uncharacteristically missed six darts at doubles, but the world number won the fourth with an impressive 103 finish. The deciding leg saw Webster hold advantage of throw and he managed to hit double 16 for an 86 checkout, with Taylor waiting on a two-dart finish, to take an early lead.
The start of the second set saw Taylor miss four darts at doubles, but Webster could not capitalise on the chance and missed two darts of his own, allowing the Stoke great to return to hit double four. Both players hit maximums in the second leg but Webster won it with a 13-dart finish and then took the third after Taylor was off-target with five darts at double 12. Taylor managed to win the fourth leg against the darts with a 14-darter and then claimed the decider by hitting a pressure double three with his third dart to take the set and level the match.
Webster, who defeated Mark Hylton in the last 16, held throw at the start of the third set and then won the second leg with a superb 13-dart finish. The Welshman was then clinical in the third leg with a 101 checkout to take the set and establish a 2-1 lead.
Webster kept up the momentum at the start of the fourth set as won the first leg against the darts with a 14-dart finish and the second with a 72 checkout before Taylor managed to take the third on double 20. The fourth leg began with Webster hitting a maximum and he followed that with a 174 to leave the chance of a nine-darter, although like many other players so far in the tournament he missed the treble 20 with his seventh dart. He did go on to land double top for a 15-dart finish which secured the set and gave the Welshman a 3-1 advantage.
Webster won the opening leg of the fifth set in the same manner, but Taylor replied to win the second with a 13-dart leg. Taylor hit his fifth 180 of the game in the third leg and punished three missed doubles from Webster by stepping in to hit double eight. Taylor, who defeated Peter Wright to reach this stage of the competition, then recorded a 68 finish, completed on double four with his third dart, to win the set and reduce the deficit.
Webster hit an excellent 121 checkout, completed on the bullseye, to win the opening leg of the set six, and then landed double five to take the second after Taylor just missed the bullseye. The defending champion won the third leg with a superb 11-darter after his opponent had kicked off the leg with a maximum. Taylor hit a maximum of his own in the next, but was off-target with a dart at the bullseye and Webster clinically took out 72 in two darts to leave the world number one needing to win the final three sets to avoid defeat.
Taylor began the seventh set impressively with a 126 checkout to take the first leg and then won the second with a 15-darter. Webster defied a maximum from Taylor to win the third leg by hitting double ten with his third dart, and then took the fourth with an impressive 14-dart finish. Taylor battled to stay in the game with his ninth maximum of the match, but a missed dart at double 11 proved costly as Webster completed a 61 finish on double top to confirm a fabulous win.
"Mark was the better player, without a shadow of doubt, and his bottle was brilliant," said Taylor. "His finishing was very good and he has to take that into the semi-finals now. "He's got better and better throughout the year. He's comfortable in the World Championship and he's got the bit between his teeth." Taylor added: "In practice I felt good but I was just pushing the darts the wrong side of the wire. "My preparation wasn't the best but I've got a lovely grandson now and came second in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and I'll be back next year. It's about going back and preparing properly now because other players are making the most of my form. I can put my head down for the next 12 months and it's a challenge for me, but I'll be back."