UK Open - Second Day, Afternoon

TAYLOR SEES OFF PALLETT AS CORAL UK OPEN CONTINUES
PHIL TAYLOR stormed past youngster David Pallett to reach the fifth round of the Coral UK Open on Saturday afternoon, as former champion James Wade and world number one Michael van Gerwen were amongst the other fourth round winners in Minehead.

Taylor landed seven 180s and twice enjoyed six perfect darts as he booked his last 16 spot and remained on course for a sixth UK Open triumph.
He opened the game with back-to-back 12-darters and led 3-0 before Pallett took out double 14 to hit back before Taylor hit legs of 13 and 14 darts to move 5-1 up. Pallett hit back on double eight before Taylor followed up a 13-darter with an 11-dart leg which he opened with 177 and 180, before moving 8-2 up by taking his in-running average to 109. Pallett hit back with a 14-darter, but Taylor kicked off leg 12 with two 180s, and though he missed out on a possible nine-darter for the second time in the game he returned to seal the win.

"David's a good up-and-coming player and he's one to keep an eye on," said Taylor. "He's got a lot of bottle and he's a massive finisher under a lot of pressure, and a really good player so I'm glad to get through that. I can relax now and prepare for the next round."
Taylor now plays 2007 UK Open runner-up Vincent van der Voort in the last 16, after the Dutchman saw off another former finalist, Wes Newton, as to move into the last 16 once again with a 9-4 victory.

Two-time UK Open champion James Wade continued his bid to complete a hat-trick in the event with a fine 9-4 win over Nathan Aspinall, the accountant from Stockport who has reached the last 32 and earned a televised debut.
Aspinall shared the game's opening eight legs, but paid for missing a dart at double seven to break Wade's throw in the next as the left-hander edged 5-4 up on tops before hitting the same bed to break and lead 6-4. He also won the next before taking out legs of 11 and 13 darts to seal his place in the last 16, where he has drawn Andrew Gilding.

"Andrew's been playing brilliantly but I need to worry about my performance," said Wade. "I felt really confident and comfortable going into the game against Nathan but I missed a lot of shots and got away with a lot of poor darts, but I got the win. Everyone who's left has a great chance of winning this - I believe I can win this but so do 15 other players and that's the great thing with the UK Open."

Suffolk's Gilding followed up his third round whitewash of Kevin Painter with another impressive display as he averaged 100, hit three 13-darters and a trio of 14-dart legs in a 9-5 defeat of Jelle Klaasen.

Michael van Gerwen ended the hopes of Rileys qualifier Paul Hogan with a 9-4 win over the Hampshire ace in a high-quality contest.
The world number one kicked off the game with a 129 finish for a 12-darter and clinically moved into a 4-0 lead before Hogan cut the gap to one leg - but he missed doubles to level in a key eighth leg. Van Gerwen stepped in to take out 80 and then produced a party-piece 115 checkout of bull, single 15 and bull to move 6-3 up before going on to seal the win.

Van Gerwen had played through the pain of a pulled muscle in his arm during his third round win on Friday night, and admitted: "I still feel it but I can still play my game and I needed to. Paul Hogan probably played one of his best TV performances ever. It was a great game and it's good to get through it. I've known him for a long time and it's nice to see him on the circuit - if he keeps going like this he could do well."

Van Gerwen was later drawn against Kim Huybrechts in the fifth round, after the Belgian made a brilliant comeback from 3-1, 6-3 and 8-6 down to defeat Andy Hamilton 9-8 in a thriller.

Peter Wright brushed aside two-time UK Open champion Raymond van Barneveld 9-1 with a clinical display as he averaged 100 in claiming his first-ever televised win over the Dutchman.
Wright kicked off the game with a 12-darter as he took out 96 and he also won the second before van Barneveld got off the mark in leg three - but that was as good as it got for the reigning Premier League champion. Wright took out 130 on the bull in a key fourth, with van Barneveld having hit a 180 to leave 74, before breaking throw twice with 13-darters as he moved 6-1 up before reeling off the next three for seven in a row as he progressed.

"Raymond can play so much better than that but I had to focus on my own game," said Wright. "I'm playing some steady darts at the moment and I'm quite happy about that. I've never beaten Barney on TV before but you can't think about that, I had to just focus on this match."
Wright now plays John Henderson in the fifth round, after the Scot held off a stirring fightback from Daryl Gurney before he edged a 9-8 victory over the Northern Irish ace.

Henderson led 5-1 and 7-3 before an inspired run from Gurney saw him win five successive legs in between 13-15 darts as he moved 8-7 up. Henderson, though, levelled the game before taking the decider in 15 darts as he booked a place in the last 16 for a second time in three years.

Stephen Bunting held off Dave Chisnall's fightback from 7-0 down before he progressed to the fifth round with a 9-6 win over another St Helens rival, having also defeated Michael Smith on Friday night.
Bunting punished 15 missed doubles from Chisnall to win the first five legs before also winning the next two for a seven-leg cushion. Double 16 in leg eight got Chisnall off the mark, with Bunting winning the next to move a leg away from the win only for his opponent to retain his belated accuracy on doubles as he also landed a string of 180s to cut the gap to two legs, before double two sealed Bunting's last 16 spot.

Bunting now meets Irish ace William O'Connor, who won through with a 9-6 defeat of Ian White.
The pair shared the opening eight legs before O'Connor landed a 180 as he broke to lead 5-4, and he added a 14-darter to break as he moved 8-5 up. White finished a superb ten-dart leg to hit back, but another 14-dart finish from O'Connor sealed his win and a spot in the last 16 for the first time

St Helens newcomer Eddie Dootson knocked out 2012 UK Open winner Robert Thornton on Stage Two 9-8 as the left-hander reached the last 16 in his debut TV event.
Thornton opened the game with a 14-darter, but that would be the only time the Scot led as Dootson moved from two-all to lead 5-2, landing a 14-darter and a 151 finish in the process. Thornton pulled back to 6-5 with a 144 checkout and also took out 136 as he levelled at seven-all before firing in an 11-darter to force a deciding leg at 8-8, but Dootson was first to a double as he sealed the win on double ten.

Dootson now plays Devon Petersen, after the South African ace won through to the last 16 in the UK Open for a first time as he saw off Jamie Caven 9-6.
The game's first four legs were shared before Petersen took out 120 and broke with a 13-darter, only for Caven to reply in kind, but two more legs for the South African put him into a 6-3 advantage. He also led 7-5 before Petersen added another 13-darter to move to the brink of victory before securing his fifth round spot.

Australian ace Kyle Anderson booked his spot in the last 16 of a televised ranking event for the first time with a 9-7 defeat of James Wilson. Wilson hit back from 3-0 down to trail 3-2 before Anderson, aided by a 152 checkout, pulled out to 6-2. Anderson also led 8-4 before Wilson landed a 103 checkout as he cut the gap to one leg, but the Australian landed two 140s in the next as he secured his fifth round place against Mervyn King, who produced some brilliant late finishing as he edged out Norfolk's emerging Nathan Derry 9-8.
The Gorleston thrower had leg 8-5 before King hit back to 8-7 with a 12-darter, levelled with a 158 checkout and took out a 101 finish in the deciding leg.
Mensur Suljovic reached the last 16 for the second successive year with an impressive 9-4 defeat of Josh Payne, the Kent youngster who came from 5-1 down to 5-3 with the aid of a 120 checkout before the ever-consistent Australian pulled away.
He now faces Jan Dekker, who became the third Dutchman into this year's fifth round with a 9-4 win over Ronnie Baxter, which saw him take out 113, 108 and 122 in successive legs to seal victory."






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