PHIL TAYLOR is on course for a second successive Blue Square UK Open Regional Final win after being one of the eight players to qualify for Sunday's final stages.
Taylor was victorious in the Southern Regional Final a fortnight ago, and overcame Bob Anderson, Colin Lloyd and Adrian Gray en route to the last eight.
Denis Ovens, John MaGowan and Terry Jenkins also qualified from Bigwigs, with James Wade, Wayne Mardle Colin Osborne and Steve Hine the qualifiers from the Sale Hotel.
Hine knocked out local star Darren Latham, Alan Tabern and Keith Deller before winning his decider 5-3 against Steve Beaton.
Osborne was a convincing winner in his four games, with a 5-1 win over Matt Sheehan followed by 5-2 victories against Alex Roy, Vincent van der Voort and Owen Caffrey.
Caffrey reached the quarter-finals in the equivalent event 12 months ago, but fell one game short of repeating the feat after ending American Roger Carter's hopes in the last 32.
James Wade ensured his place in Sunday's final stages with a 5-2 win against Steve Maish, having also defeated Alan Reynolds, Dennis Smith and Paul Anthony.
Mardle took out finishes of 164 and 156 in his win over Dave Jowett, having also seen off Steve Smith and Chris Mason.
Peter Manley knocked out Michael van Gerwen in the last 64, leaving the Dutch teenager needing a good run in the last Regional Final in the Midlands in a fortnight to secure his place in the Blue Square UK Open finals in Bolton.
John MaGowan, a semi-finalist at the Reebok Stadium last June, defeated Ronnie Baxter 5-4 in their final game to book a place in day two.
Mervyn King took out both Andy Hamilton and Adrian Lewis before losing to Baxter in his board final, while Darren Johnson missed double 12 for a perfect nine-darter before going down to Lloyd 5-4.
Yorkshire's Chris Thompson booked himself a place at the Reebok Stadium with a run to the last 16, before losing 5-4 to Ovens.
Quarter-Final Line-Up
Phil Taylor
Denis Ovens
Terry Jenkins
John MaGowan
Steve Hine
Colin Osborne
James Wade
Wayne Mardle
Blue Square UK Open North-West Regional Final - Results
Bigwigs
Preliminary Round
Steve Cusick 4-0 Nigel Peden
Nick Fulwell 4-0 Graeme Stoddart
Kevin McDine 4-2 Robbie Green
Simon Craven 4-2 Rich Corner
Ken Dobson 4-1 Dave Edwards
Cliff Lazarenko 4-3 Kevin Thomas
Vernon Shepherd 4-2 Kevin Hill
First Round
Simon Whatley 4-1 Darrell Thorpe
Geoff Wylie 4-0 Michael Cummins
Andrew Davies 4-1 Ben Burton
Stuart Dutton 4-1 Steve Cusick
Garry Spedding 4-0 Kieran Lennon
Mick Savvery 4-1 Yves Cottenge
Chris Thompson 4-2 Mitchell Butler
Nick Fulwell 4-0 Gary Noonan
Garrett Gray 4-2 Martin Angel
Mark Robinson 4-1 Robert Watson-Lang
Lyndon Davies 4-3 Carl Myers
Kevin McDine 4-1 Kieran Leal
Peter Green 4-0 Paul Whitworth
Andrew Howarth 4-2 Eddie Lovely
Stephen Leek 4-1 Keith Byrne
Simon Craven 4-1 Dave Honey Jnr
John Quantock 4-2 Mark Pooke
Martyn Turner 4-2 Graham Harrison
Mervyn King 4-2 Steve Coote
Ken Dobson 4-0 Stuart Hopton
Chris Hook 4-1 Darren Moulsley
Lee Palfreyman 4-1 Kevin Fletcher
Eddie Fitzgerald 4-0 Damien Tonge
Paul Hollis 4-3 Cliff Lazarenko
Jelle Klaasen 4-0 Norman Fletcher
Chris Oprey 4-2 Sean Palfrey
Aaron Turner 4-3 Sean Dowling
Vernon Shepherd 4-1 Dave Smith
Paul Knighton 4-2 Andrew Coulter
Tony Eccles 4-2 Mick Rodgers
Steve Brown 4-0 Paul Dillon
Shaun McDonald 4-0 Jimmy O'Regan
Second Round
Simon Whatley 5-2 Wayne Jones
Kevin Dowling 5-3 Geoff Wylie
Wayne Atwood 5-2 Andrew Davies
Denis Ovens 5-2 Stuart Dutton
Mark Holden 5-3 Garry Spedding
Mick Savvery 5-2 Dale Newton
Chris Thompson 5-4 Rico Vonck
Dave Askew 5-4 Nick Fulwell
Garrett Gray 5-1 Andy Jenkins
Mark Lawrence 5-2 Mark Robinson
Lyndon Davies 5-4 Gary Welding
Kevin McDine 5-3 Barrie Bates
Terry Jenkins 5-0 Peter Green
Andrew Howarth Bye (Ian Whillis)
Mick McGowan 5-2 Stephen Leek
Jason Clark 5-0 Simon Craven
Ronnie Baxter 5-4 John Quantock
Martyn Turner 5-2 Lionel Sams
Mervyn King 5-4 Andy Hamilton
Adrian Lewis 5-0 Ken Dobson
Mark Walsh 5-3 Chris Hook
Wes Newton 5-2 Lee Palfreyman
John MaGowan 5-2 Eddie Fitzgerald
Matt Clark 5-2 Paul Hollis
Bob Anderson 5-3 Jelle Klaasen
Phil Taylor 5-1 Chris Oprey
Darren Johnson 5-4 Aaron Turner
Colin Lloyd 5-1 Vernon Shepherd
Adrian Gray 5-4 Paul Knighton
Tony Eccles 5-4 Jimmy Mann
Steve Brown 5-3 Alan Caves
Shaun McDonald 5-3 Paul Williams
Third Round
Kevin Dowling 5-2 Simon Whatley
Denis Ovens 5-4 Wayne Atwood
Mark Holden 5-0 Mick Savvery
Chris Thompson 5-4 Dave Askew
Mark Lawrence 5-3 Garrett Gray
Kevin McDine 5-1 Lyndon Davies
Terry Jenkins 5-1 Andrew Howarth
Mick McGowan 5-2 Jason Clark
Ronnie Baxter 5-3 Martyn Turner
Mervyn King 5-4 Adrian Lewis
Wes Newton 5-4 Mark Walsh
John MaGowan 5-3 Matt Clark
Phil Taylor 5-0 Bob Anderson
Colin Lloyd 5-4 Darren Johnson
Adrian Gray 5-3 Tony Eccles
Steve Brown 5-3 Shaun McDonald
Losers £75
Fourth Round
Denis Ovens 5-4 Kevin Dowling
Chris Thompson 5-1 Mark Holden
Mark Lawrence 5-4 Kevin McDine
Terry Jenkins 5-4 Mick McGowan
Ronnie Baxter 5-2 Mervyn King
John MaGowan 5-3 Wes Newton
Phil Taylor 5-2 Colin Lloyd
Adrian Gray 5-1 Steve Brown
Losers £150
Fifth Round
Denis Ovens 5-4 Chris Thompson
Terry Jenkins 5-2 Mark Lawrence
John MaGowan 5-4 Ronnie Baxter
Phil Taylor 5-3 Adrian Gray
Losers £300
The Sale Hotel
Preliminary Round
Shaun Walshe 4-3 Steve Grubb
Tony Martin 4-2 Mark Stephenson
Brian Whybrow 4-1 Jamie Kelling
Toon Greebe 4-0 David Matthews
Brian Cathcart 4-3 Dean Lawrie
Martin Whatmough 4-2 Chris Sargeant
First Round
Michael Kendrick 4-2 Steve Johnson
Peter Evison Bye (Jason Hollingworth)
Ian Eames 4-1 Dave Pugh
Paul Cooper 4-2 Chris Dalglish
David Pallet 4-2 Jason Crawley
Gary Blades 4-2 David Green
Bob Crawley 4-1 Kirk Shepherd
Steve Evans 4-1 Shaun Walshe
Tony Randell 4-3 Mark Layton
Ian Lever 4-0 Kevin Harris
Scott Mitten 4-1 Matt Chapman
Tony Martin Bye (Gary Robson)
Sean Cain 4-1 Jim Leighton
Kelvin Painter 4-3 Chris Allen
Shane Oxer 4-1 Darren Richardson
Darren Latham 4-1 Brian Whybrown
Owen Caffrey 4-2 Mark Frost
Mark Cox 4-0 Chris Beeston
Roger Carter 4-0 Kevin Reade
Toon Greebe 4-1 Paul Everson
Matt Sheehan 4-0 Gary Weselby
Rikki Williams 4-3 Bob Avenell
Shayne Passey 4-3 Mark Tiller
Vincent van der Voort 4-1 Brian Cathcart
Carl Forrington 4-2 Darren Sutton
Darren Williams 4-2 Ian Gunion
Steve Venn Bye (Robert Thornton)
Brian Jones 4-2 Martin Whatmough
Paul Anthony Bye (Gary Anderson)
Ian Branks 4-1 Jimmy Dunlop
Rick Andrews Bye (Jim Young)
Jonathan Overton 4-2 Jon Archer
Second Round
Wayne Mardle 5-1 Michael Kendrick
Chris Mason 5-1 Peter Evison
Darren Webster 5-3 Ian Eames
Steve Smith 5-2 Paul Cooper
David Pallet 5-2 Dennis Priestley
Dave Jowett 5-2 Gary Blades
Dave Honey 5-3 Bob Crawley
Colin Monk 5-4 Steve Evans
Steve Beaton 5-2 Tony Randell
Roland Scholten 5-2 Ian Lever
Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Scott Mitten
Peter Manley 5-2 Tony Martin
Martin Burchell 5-1 Sean Cain
Keith Deller 5-3 Kelvin Painter
Alan Tabern 5-2 Shane Oxer
Steve Hine 5-3 Darren Latham
Owen Caffrey 5-2 Andy Callaby
Kevin Painter 5-4 Mark Cox
Roger Carter 5-1 Mark Thomson
Toon Greebe 5-1 Michael Barnard
Colin Osborne 5-1 Matt Sheehan
Alex Roy 5-2 Rikki Williams
Dave Ladley 5-2 Shayne Passey
Vincent van der Voort 5-1 Mark Dudbridge
Steve Maish 5-2 Carl Forrington
Alan Warriner-Little 5-2 Darren Williams
David Platt 5-1 Steve Venn
Jamie Harvey 5-4 Brian Jones
James Wade 5-2 Paul Anthony
Dennis Smith 5-3 Ian Branks
Andy Smith 5-0 Rick Andrews
Alan Reynolds 5-2 Jonathan Overton
Third Round
Wayne Mardle 5-3 Chris Mason
Steve Smith 5-4 Darren Webster
Dave Jowett 5-2 David Pallet
Colin Monk 5-1 Dave Honey
Steve Beaton 5-2 Roland Scholten
Peter Manley 5-1 Michael van Gerwen
Keith Deller 5-4 Martin Burchell
Steve Hine 5-4 Alan Tabern
Owen Caffrey 5-4 Kevin Painter
Roger Carter 5-1 Toon Greebe
Colin Osborne 5-2 Alex Roy
Vincent van der Voort 5-2 Dave Ladley
Steve Maish 5-4 Alan Warriner-Little
Jamie Harvey 5-4 David Platt
James Wade 5-3 Dennis Smith
Alan Reynolds 5-0 Andy Smith
Losers £75
Fourth Round
Wayne Mardle 5-4 Steve Smith
Dave Jowett 5-3 Colin Monk
Steve Beaton 5-3 Peter Manley
Steve Hine 5-2 Keith Deller
Owen Caffrey 5-4 Roger Carter
Colin Osborne 5-2 Vincent van der Voort
Steve Maish 5-0 Jamie Harvey
James Wade 5-4 Alan Reynolds
Losers £150
Fifth Round
Wayne Mardle 5-3 Dave Jowett
Steve Hine 5-3 Steve Beaton
Colin Osborne 5-2 Owen Caffrey
James Wade 5-2 Steve Maish
Losers £300