Phil Taylor and James Wade remain on course for a showdown in the World Grand Prix Final on Sunday!
The Unicorn pair came through their quarter-finals in Dublin…..Taylor losing only three legs in whitewashing Mark Webster, although James Wade had a tough ride before finally beating Andy Smith 4-2.
Worryingly for Wade, he was feeling his left shoulder towards the end of his match with ‘The Pie Man’ but insisted that everything was fine.
“It was aching a bit that’s all – nothing serious – and I will be okay for the semi-final,” he said.
“It was a very tough match. Andy kept coming back at me. Every time I thought I had him, he found a way and it got frustrating, so I am glad to get that one over with. I know I can play much better and I will have to over the weekend.”
Taylor averaged 101 against Webster, as he breezed through at the City West…..
THE big moment of the match came in the deciding leg of the 2nd set. Taylor had raced through the opening set, but Webster played some great stuff.
He took out 141 and hit two 180s, as that second set went to a deciding leg….the Welshman was favourite to take it, only for Taylor to blast in a 180 and finish it was a brilliant 101 check-out!
It broke Webster’s spirit because he was sat on 44 to level the match….after that, Taylor dominated and after just missing ‘tops’ for a 139 to win the match, he returned in the next leg to nail a fantastic 145 to clinch victory in style.
Taylor summed it up:” Mark actually didn’t do too much wrong, but that 101 to win the second set turned the match my way.”
He also revealed that he is much more relaxed these days.
“I want to win every game, but if that doesn’t happen, then so be it. I will look ahead to the next one. I am enjoying it much more now and I think that is making a difference.”
He will face another Welshman in the semi-finals, after Richie Burnett’s fairytale story goes on! The 1995 World Champion thrashed Mark Hylton 4-1 to earn his spot against ‘The Power’.
Well, Wade was made to struggle, but the defending WGP Champion found a way to win, as he has done so often in the past in big matches.
He started the quarter-final with a 127 finish and also took out 98 on his way to winning that first set against the throw….Wade also led 1-0 in the second set after hitting six perfect darts, but Smith then came up with ten minutes of dazzling darts – including a 141 finish – to level the game!
Fortunes fluctuated one way then the other….Wade won set three without reply, only for ‘The Pie Man’ to hit back once more…..all four sets had been won against the throw.
Wade’s frustration was there for all to see, because time after time, Smith kept finding a winning double with the last dart in his hand…..it looked like the Unicorn man was well on the way to a 3-1 lead and had left 24, only for his opponent to take out 82….and on it went.
In the fifth set, twice Wade got away with 160 to edge in front again…..in set six, he was sat on ‘tops’ for the match but Smith nailed 65! More frustration, but finally Smith missed two doubles in the next leg and after just missing the bull for a 170 finish, Wade hit D10 to take his place in the semi-finals.
He will face Brendan Dolan, who became the first Irishman to reach the last four in the history of the event, thanks to a 4-1 victory over John Henderson.
Friday Quarter-Final results:
Brendan Dolan 4-1 John Henderson
Andy Smith 2-4 James Wade
Phil Taylor 4-0 Mark Webster
Mark Hylton 1-4 Richie Burnett
Saturday Semi-Finals (best of 9 sets):
James Wade v Brendan Dolan
Phil Taylor v Richie Burnett
By STUART PYKE at the City West Convention Centre (twitter @stuartpykesport)
Photos courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC