Players Championship Quarter-Finals

SCOTT RAND'S incredible weekend at the Cash Converters Players Championship continued as he defeated world number three James Wade 9-5 to win through to the semi-finals at the Doncaster Dome.

The lorry driver from Coventry's dream of winning the £60,000 title and giving up his day job to become a full-time professional continues after he followed up Saturday's defeat of Raymond van Barneveld with another major scalp.

Wade led 3-1 early on, but Rand took charge with a run of five successive legs in mid-game before holding his nerve to reach the last four in only his fourth major tournament.

"It's another great win for me," said Rand. "I love playing on the stage and it's going really well for me so far.

"I've beaten another established player and it would be good to shake it up a bit more. It would be amazing to be able to give up work and do this for a living, and I've got a great chance tonight to make that a reality."

Rand now meets Kevin Painter in the last four, after the 2004 World Championship runner-up defeated Mervyn King 9-7 to win through to his first televised semi-final since the 2009 UK Open.

King had knocked out reigning champion Phil Taylor on Saturday evening, but was unable to repeat the performance as Painter progressed.

The players ranked sixth and seventh in the world, Mark Webster and Wes Newton, will meet in the other semi-final after winning through dramatic games.

Newton secured a 9-5 victory against Mark Walsh by hitting back-to-back 170 checkouts, while Webster edged past Dave Chisnall 9-8 following a tense final-leg thriller.

The semi-finals and final will be played on Sunday evening, with tournament's winner earning £60,000 and a place on the PDC's Roll of Honour, as all four players have yet to take victory in a major PDC event.

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Cash Converters Players Championship
Quarter-Finals
Mark Walsh 5-9 Wes Newton
Scott Rand 9-5 James Wade
Kevin Painter 9-7 Mervyn King
Mark Webster 9-8 Dave Chisnall
Best of 17 legs

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WES NEWTON 9-5 MARK WALSH
WES NEWTON hit back-to-back 170 checkouts to take a 9-5 win over Mark Walsh and win through to the semi-finals of the Cash Converters Players Championship.

The Fleetwood ace created a piece of history by taking the game's final two legs with the maximum finish, as he moved into his second major semi-final of 2011.

Having been defeated in June's UK Open final, the 34-year-old will now bid to claim his maiden major title on Sunday night, with both the semi-finals and final taking place at the Doncaster Dome.

"The 170s were special and it's lovely to win a match like that," admitted Newton. "My finishes are going in and I hit them when I had the chance there, so hopefully I can take that into the semis now.

"I was fighting all the way there and I can score better, but I'm through and that's all that matters.

"I was nervous coming into this game so I'm relieved to be through, but I'll relax now ahead of the semis."

Walsh edged the opening exchanges, hitting a 180 in taking the first leg and 108 to win the third after Newton had hit double ten to level.

The Fleetwood ace, though, finished a showpiece 100 with two double tops in the third and then finished 103 to break and lead 3-2, despite Walsh opening the leg with a maximum.

He then finished double top and double ten to win the next two and take a 5-2 lead, although Walsh hit back well to win the next two, hitting a 180 and double six for a third leg and double four to win his fourth.

Newton kicked off the tenth with a maximum - his second in as many legs - and finished double top to move 6-4 up.

Walsh replied on double 16, but Newton won a seventh leg to regain a two-leg advantage and went on to seal the victory with his brace of show-stopping 170s.

Match Stats

Mark Walsh	5-9	Wes Newton
15	100+	13
11	140+	8
4	180	4
30.41	Ave1	30.39
91.22	Ave3	91.18
108	High Finish	170x2, 103, 100
1	Breaks of Throw	3
5/13 - 38%	Finishing %	9/16 - 56%

SCOTT RAND 9-5 JAMES WADE
SCOTT RAND'S incredible weekend at the Cash Converters Players Championship continued as he defeated world number three James Wade 9-5 to win through to the semi-finals at the Doncaster Dome.

The lorry driver from Coventry's dream of winning the £60,000 title and giving up his day job to become a full-time professional continues after he followed up Saturday's defeat of Raymond van Barneveld with another major scalp.

Wade led 3-1 early on, but Rand took charge with a run of five successive legs in mid-game before holding his nerve to reach the last four in only his fourth major tournament.

"It's another great win for me," said Rand. "I love playing on the stage and it's going really well for me so far.

"I've beaten another established player and it would be good to shake it up a bit more. It would be amazing to be able to give up work and do this for a living, and I've got a great chance tonight to make that a reality."

Wade had taken the game's opening leg against the throw on double top, after Rand missed the bull, and posted double five to double his lead in the second in a strong start.

Rand hit a 180 and punished a miss from the left-hander to post double 16 and get off the mark, although Wade replied in style with a maximum of his own in the fourth, hitting tops to move 3-1 up.

Rand won the fifth with a 13-darter which included another 180, but missed his chance to level in the sixth as double ten saw Wade regain a two-leg lead.

That advantage was cut when Rand took out a 14-darter on double nine and then finished 102 to break Wade's throw and level.

He then landed double eight to lead for the first time and hit the same bed for a 6-4 lead before taking a fifth successive leg, finishing 81 for a 12-darter despite a 180 from Wade.

Wade hit back by checking out 40 with an improvised double five and double 15, but was left waiting on a finish in the next as Rand finished double eight to move a leg away from victory at 8-5.

A fourth 180 of the game saw Rand first to a finish in the next as he left 90 before returning to take out the combination on the bull for another famous win.

Wade admitted: "I didn't play well enough to win and he did a good job to beat me. I'll regroup from this and get ready for the World Championship now."

Match Stats

Scott Rand	9-5	James Wade
20	100+	25
9	140+	11
4	180	2
33.04	Ave1	31.59
99.12	Ave3	94.77
102	High Finish	40
3	Breaks of Throw	1
9/19 - 50%	Finishing %	5/18 - 28%

KEVIN PAINTER 9-7 MERVYN KING
KEVIN PAINTER won through to his first major semi-final since 2009 with a 9-7 win over Mervyn King in the Cash Converters Players Championship on Sunday afternoon.

The former World Championship finalist followed up his second round win over Gary Anderson on Saturday night with another strong performance, hitting over 40 percent of his chances at a double to see off King.

King had knocked out reigning champion and world number one Phil Taylor on Saturday night, but was unable to repeat the performance has he exited the tournament.

King did hold the edge early on, finishing 84 on the bull in the opening leg and also winning the third, with Painter hitting double 18 in leg two but unable to land two darts at the bed in the next as his opponent capitalised on double five.

Painter stepped in following misses from King to level in the fourth, and then finished double eight in three successive legs to move 5-2 up.

Painter's winning run was ended in the next leg when he missed tops and King landed double ten, but was unable to hit the bull for a 124 checkout as Painter finished double four for a 14-darter in regaining his advantage.

King replied in kind with a 180 and hit double six to win a fourth leg, only to then burst his score when needing 70 to allow Painter in to hit double 16, before double ten moved him 8-4 up.

King battled to keep the match alive by winning the next two legs, hitting a pair of maximums and finishes of 69 and double two to pull back to 8-6.

Painter then missed the bull for a 122 checkout as King reduced the gap to one leg by landing the bull himself to finish 86.

Painter, though, hit four ton-plus scores in the next leg and finished double 15 to secure his place in the semis, where he meets Scott Rand.

"To beat Mervyn is a great victory for me because he's a class player," said Painter. "I often moan about having bad luck but I've had some good luck in this event with a couple of top players under-performing against me.

"I'm playing well and I've taken advantage by nicking legs where I can. My scoring's not been as good as I'd like but my finishing has been good."

King admitted: "I couldn't find my doubles in the first eight legs and I didn't score like I can. Kevin took advantage and he was the better player on the day."

Match Stats

Kevin Painter	9-7	Mervyn King
27	100+	17
8	140+	13
2	180	4
30.34	Ave1	29.14
91.02	Ave3	87.42
86	High Finish	86
4	Breaks of Throw	3
9/22 - 41%	Finishing %	7/26 - 27%

MARK WEBSTER 9-8 DAVE CHISNALL
MARK WEBSTER edged a dramatic 17-leg thriller with Dave Chisnall to win through to the semi-finals of the Cash Converters Players Championship in a tight last eight contest.

Chisnall, seeking to reach his first major PDC semi-final, led 3-1 early on but saw the lead slip away as Webster took five successive legs to move into a 7-4 lead.

He also took an 8-5 lead but was unable to close out victory as Chisnall clawed his way back to level, before Webster finally secured the win with his 11th match dart.

"It was scrappy at times but it was an exciting game too and I'm glad to be through," said Webster, who now plays Wes Newton in the semis.

"I'd have kicked myself if I'd lost that after being in that position but I scraped through and I'll prepare for the semis now. I'm getting back on the practice board and will work on my doubles a bit."

Webster hit a 180 in the game's opening leg, but Chisnall replied in kind before landing double 18 to lead.

Webster landed another maximum in the second, levelling on double two, but Chisnall finished 66 and 74 on double top to win the next two and move 3-1 up.

Tops gave Webster a second leg, but Chisnall landed the same double to win the next following four misses from the Welshman and take a 4-2 cushion.

Webster, though, continued the clinical finishing on tops to hit the bed in winnning the next four legs as he turned a two leg deficit into a two leg lead, and he then hit a 180 and a 100 finish in a 12-darter to move 7-4 up.

Chisnall hit back on double 16 and hit a 180 in being first to a finish in the 13th leg - but he crucially missed seven darts at a double before Webster stepped in on tops to move a leg away from victory.

The St Helens ace opened the next with back-to-back 180s, but after seeing a potential nine-darter go begging he suffered further double trouble to give Webster his chance to take the win.

The Welshman, though, was unable to capitalise with one dart at tops and three on the wire of double ten, with Chisnall posting double two to stay alive.

When Webster missed double 12, six and three to take victory in the 16th leg Chisnall again stepped in, this time taking out 68 on tops to force a decider.

However, Chisnall's trebles deserted him in his first four visits to the oche as Webster moved clear.

The St Helens man then posted a 180, but it came in vain as Webster returned from three more missed match darts to hit double five and finally reach the semis.

"I'm disappointed to have lost but it was a great game," said Chisnall. "It took my a while to get going and when I got my scoring going it flowed for me but I was unlucky with a few doubles."

Match Stats