Wes Newton enjoyed a comfortable path into the last 16 of the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship with a 6-2 victory over Peter Wright.
The Unicorn star hit four maximums and ended the match with an impressive three-dart average bordering 98. Wright held throw at the start of the match by converting an 80 finish before Newton won the second with the aid of a maximum.
"I'm happy with that," said Newton. "I knew I had to perform because Peter has had a brilliant year on the circuit, and I felt I played very well."
Unicorn team-mate Colin Osborne, who won the 2009 Championship League Darts by defeating Phil Taylor back in October, overcame the challenge of Dutchman Co Stompe with a 6-3 triumph and will now take on either Jamie Caven or Michael van Gerwen on Saturday evening.
However, after powering into a a 5-2 lead ,world number three James Wade crashed out to Mervyn King 6-5, despite missing two darts for the match.
Wade said: "At 5-2 it was my game to lose but Mervyn stuck in there well and did the job. I felt good on stage and it was a good game."
totesport.com Players Championship
Friday January 29
Wayne Jones 6-2 Andy Smith
Wes Newton 6-2 Peter Wright
Colin Osborne 6-3 Co Stompe
Mark Walsh 6-4 Steve Hine
Jelle Klaasen 6-1 Gary Anderson
Mervyn King 6-5 James Wade
Ronnie Baxter 6-5 Mark Dudbridge
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jamie Caven
Saturday January 30
Second Round
Afternoon Session - 1pm Start
Steve Beaton v Paul Nicholson
Colin Lloyd v Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh v Wayne Jones
Wes Newton v Ronnie Baxter
Evening Session - 7pm Start
Adrian Lewis v Andy Hamilton
Jelle Klaasen v Mervyn King
Phil Taylor v Terry Jenkins
Colin Osborne v Michael van Gerwen
Best of 15 legs
Photo courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC