Taylor sees off Wade

Taylor sees off Wade

Fifth straight win and a £100,000 jackpot for 'The Power'

Phil Taylor: sealed victory on double 10 to cap a match-winning 13-dart leg (from skysports)

Phil Taylor lifted the Betfair World Matchplay title for a 13th time after clinching an 18-15 victory over James Wade in a high-quality final in Blackpool.

Wade hit back from 15-11 down as the contest looked set to go to the wire at 15-14, but the imperious Taylor won three of the next four legs to claim his fifth straight win and a £100,000 jackpot.

Taylor was unable to pull away from the left-hander over the first half of a tense contest, moving three legs clear for the first time at 10-7 only for Wade to break twice and level.

The 15-time world champion continued to back up heavy scoring with superb accuracy on double 16 as he won the next four legs before Wade stopped the rot.

Taylor restored his four leg advantage, but Wade responded with consecutive checkouts of 112 and 114 before hitting double six to trim the deficit to one.

But he then missed double 10 for a 140 checkout and Taylor held his nerve to hit double 16 to go 16-14 up.

 

Wade took out 76 in the next leg, but Taylor held his throw on double top before sealing victory on double 10 to cap a match-winning 13-dart leg.  

Taylor turns up the heat

Taylor turns up the heat

World number one eases past Ronnie Baxter in Bolton

Phil Taylor: Very impressive against Baxter (pic Lawrence Lustig, from skysports)

Phil Taylor averaged 110 as he overwhelmed Ronnie Baxter 9-4 to move into the quarter-finals of the Speedy Services UK Open.

The four-time champion followed up wins over Roland Scholten and Colin Osborne with his best display of the event so far, hitting seven 180s.

Baxter played his part in an entertaining contest, hitting six maximums and a 156 checkout, and joined Taylor in hitting six perfect darts in one leg only for both players to miss out on a possible nine-darter.

Taylor, who opened the game with a 149 checkout, was pegged back from 2-0 up to two-all before winning six successive legs to lead 8-2, and although Baxter rallied the Stoke great pushed into the quarter-finals.

"Ronnie's back to his best and he pushed me hard," said Taylor. "It was a good battle and the only thing missing was a nine-darter.

 

"It was a better performance from me and I'm improving in each round, and that's good going into Sunday because it's a tough day with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final, so I'll be ready for it now."

Power surges into semis

Power surges into semis

Chisnall, Ovens and Thornton also into the last four

Phil Taylor: Overcame Terry Jenkins 10-5 to seal his place in the last four (from skysports)

Phil Taylor remains on course to win his fifth UK Open title after he eased past Terry Jenkins to book his place in the semi-finals.

The 15-time world champion is looking to reclaim the crown he lost to James wade last year and looks very much like the man to beat as he cruised into the last four with a 10-5 success at the Reebok Arena in Bolton.

He was always in charge against Jenkins and stretched into a 4-1 lead at the first interval.

'The Bull' did take out 78 clinch the next and get back within two, but Taylor again pulled away, producing a stunning 125 check-out that included two bulls to open a 6-3 lead.

Jenkins was still within three at 8-5, but Taylor duly reeled off two legs on the trot to seal victory, finishing with a three-dart average of 106.5.

Ovens next for Taylor

Taylor will now play Denis Ovens in the semis, Ovens beating Jamie Caven 10-6 in the last match of the afternoon.

Like Taylor, Dave Chisnall was also a 10-5 victor as he knocked out five-time world champion Raymond Van Barneveld.

Chisnall started like a house on fire and broke his opponent three times as raced into a 5-0 lead at the interval.

Van Barneveld hit back after the break and, having closed to 5-3, had darts to get back within one, only to miss and allow Chisnall to pull three clear again by hitting double-12.

Having edged 8-5 ahead, Chisnall then took out 54 and 66 to win the final two legs and secure his progress.

In the afternoon's first match, Scotland's Robert Thornton edged a tight encounter as he dumped out world number five, and last year's finalist, Wes Newton 10-8.