SINGHA Beer Grand Slam - Thursday

GARY ANDERSON survived a scare against Danny Noppert before booking his place in the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals on Thursday, as Raymond van Barneveld, James Wade and Chris Dobey also progressed to the last eight in Wolverhampton.

Dutch newcomer Noppert had impressed as he won through the group stage on his Grand Slam debut, and a superb display of finishing saw him threaten a huge upset against PDC World Champion Anderson.

Although the Scot held a slender 3-2 lead early on, Noppert levelled with a brilliant ten-dart finish before finishing 164 to move ahead for the first time, and a 13-darter then put him into a 5-3 lead.

He also led 6-4 by continuing his flawless finishing with six doubles from as many attempts, only to see Anderson find another gear to turn the game around by winning five successive legs.

Noppert saved the match with a 107 finish and also took the next two to force a decider, but Anderson's class showed as he fired in a 180 before taking out 100 for the win.

"I should have finished it off when I went 9-6 up - I nearly made a mess of it again in the last leg but I scraped home," said Anderson. "Danny played well but I hung in there.

"I was struggling with the throw as well because my darts were going in straight and I like them to stand up a little bit more. I don't know if it's me compensating for wearing glasses and my throw being slightly different but I'm getting there."

2012 Grand Slam champion van Barneveld ended the hopes of BDO number one Glen Durrant with a 10-7 victory as he continued his bid for a second Wolves Civic triumph.

The pair shared the opening four legs before van Barneveld took three in a row, including the first break, to lead 5-2 - only for Durrant to fight back level.

Another three-leg burst saw van Barneveld pull out to 8-5, and he was able to hold the advantage as he set up a tasty quarter-final against Anderson on Saturday.

"I knew it was going to be tough because Glen played well in the group and he's a class player, so I couldn't underestimate him," said van Barneveld.

"It was a hard game to find my rhythm but at the end I hit a 98 average and 52 percent of my doubles so I'm happy.

"Gary's the World Champion and world number two so it will be a different game on Saturday and I know what I've got to do, but it will be a better rhythm."

2010 Grand Slam of Darts finalist James Wade raced into the quarter-finals with a 10-2 win over Dutchman Benito van de Pas, setting up a tasty meeting with another emerging youngster, Chris Dobey, on Saturday.

Wade was in ruthless mood as he punished van de Pas for missed doubles in the opening three legs before hitting a pair of 14-darters and a 96 checkout as he moved 7-0 up.

The left-hander extended that lead to eight legs with a sensational 160 checkout, and after van de Pas finished tops to get off the mark a 90 checkout moved Wade into a 9-1 cushion.

Van de Pas capitalised on missed match darts in the 11th leg to win his second, but Wade eventually sealed victory in the next to move through to the last eight.

"It was a good performance, crisp and clean and thankfully Benito didn't play as well as he can," said Wade.

"I was so far in front that I believed I was always going to win, but maybe I should have shut it off one or two legs before I did. I tried to be ruthless but I was 9-1 up so I was just happy to win."

Youngster Dobey survived a sudden-death shoot-out against Jamie Hughes to reach his first televised quarter-final, after the local hero hit back from 9-5 down to force a thrilling decider.

BDO number three Hughes shared the opening four legs and also took out 116 as he stayed in touch at 4-3 before Northumberland's Dobey pulled clear, landing a ten-dart finish to move to the brink of victory at 9-5.

Hughes took out 72 and a 13-darter to keep his hopes alive, before punishing six missed match darts from Dobey in the next two legs to pull level and take the game all the way.

Hughes then landed three 140s to be first to a finish - but five misses of his own to claim victory allowed Dobey to follow a 180 with double 12 for the biggest win of his career.

"If I'd lost that after leading 9-6 I would have been devastated," admitted Dobey. "It's a big relief because once I missed match darts and Jamie got back level it was hard, it got the crowd going and I had all the pressure on me.

"Thankfully I kept my composure with the 180 and then the double 12. Jamie pushed me all the way and it was a fantastic game - it's massive to me.

"I'm still just getting used to it, it's only my second year on the tour so once my consistency comes people should be worried. My confidence is sky high and to play more and more games on stage means the world to me."

The quarter-finals begin on Friday night with the two matches from the top half of the draw, as reigning champion Michael van Gerwen takes on Brendan Dolan before six-time winner Phil Taylor meets Peter Wright.

Going into the quarter-finals, van Gerwen is the 4/7 odds-on favourite to claim victory on Sunday night with Sun Bets, the official betting partner of the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts.

Anderson is the 7/2 second favourite, with Taylor 6/1, Wade 10/1, Wright 14/1, van Barneveld 16/1, Dobey 50/1 and Dolan the 150/1 outsider.

Tickets for the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts can be purchased by calling 0870 320 7000 or online at www.theticketfactory.com/PDC .

Watch live on Sky Sports or through the PDC's series of worldwide broadcast partners, as well as online via www.LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers (outside of UK, Ireland and Netherlands).

Follow live scores and dart-by-dart match information at the PDC Live Scores Website .

See latest betting odds with Sun Bets , the official betting partner of the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts.

SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts
Thursday November 17
4x Second Round
Jamie Hughes 9-10 Chris Dobey
Benito van de Pas 2-10 James Wade
Gary Anderson 10-9 Danny Noppert
Raymond van Barneveld 10-7 Glen Durrant

Quarter-Finals
Friday November 18 (7pm)
Michael van Gerwen v Brendan Dolan
Peter Wright v Phil Taylor

Saturday November 19 (8pm)
Chris Dobey v James Wade
Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld

Quarter-Finals - Best of 31 legs

MATCH STATS
Jamie Hughes v Chris Dobey