Dennis Priestley 4-1 Wayne Mardle (3-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-1)
Sky Bet World Grand Prix Quarter-Finals
DENNIS PRIESTLEY continued his brilliant return to form at the Sky Bet World Grand Prix with a 4-1 victory over Wayne Mardle.
The 55-year-old former World Champion has already dumped number four seed Roland Scholten out of the tournament this week, and added another top name to his list with an accomplished display.
Priestley, a double World Champion, won the opening set 3-1 and showed his experience to withstand a Mardle fightback before powering to victory.
After Mardle had levelled the game by taking the second set, Priestley fell behind 2-1 in the next before winning seven of the next eight legs.
That gave him a 3-1 cushion, and the Mexborough star wasted little time by wrapping up the fifth set to set up a semi-final with defending champion Colin Lloyd.
"I felt I played really well and I bullied him," said Priestley. "I'm not usually a bully, but I've decided that's how I want to be.
"I can be the nice Dennis Priestley off the oche but I want to be The Menace when I'm on it.
"It's going to be a tough game against Colin but I can beat him. I can beat anybody if I play to my potential, but I've not played to my potential for a while."
Mardle admitted that he allowed Priestley's deliberate style to affect his own, usually flamboyant, game.
"There were certain times when he wasn't just throwing, there was more than that but he knew what he was doing and he's twice a World Champion," said Mardle.
"He knew exactly what was going on, but I never got going anyway. He deserved to win and was the better player.
"That's the worst I've ever played and I'm so disappointed. I just didn't play. I was feeble and the bottom line is that I wasn't good enough tonight."