PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts Quarter-Finals

REPORTS and results from Friday's quarter-finals at the 2008 PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

The last eight players face off at the Wolverhampton Civic as the battle for the £100,000 winner's prize intensifies.

DartsTV
Highlights from all sessions will be available on a 24-hour delay in DartsTV.
Live audio commentary is available for DartsTV subscribers, along with a free live scorecentre - click here.

PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts
Quarter-Finals
Mervyn King 10-8 Mark Webster
Gary Anderson 10-6 Darryl Fitton
Terry Jenkins 10-9 Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor 10-7 Simon Whitlock

Semi-Finals (7pm Saturday)
Terry Jenkins v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v Mervyn King
(Best of 31 legs)

Photo Gallery
Click here for a PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts Photo Gallery

MERVYN KING 10-8 MARK WEBSTER
MERVYN KING won a semi-final place at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts with a narrow 10-8 victory over Mark Webster.

King finished the stronger in a fine contest to edge out the BDO World Champion, averaging 100 for the match and hitting three key 180s in the final two legs.

Webster had come from 8-6 down to level with a key break of throw, but King immediately hit back before taking the win.

King had the better of the early legs with some strong scoring from the off, but found himself 3-2 down at the first break.

He had broken throw in the opening leg only for Webster to check out 120 to hit back and then land a 177 score and double top to lead 2-1.

King took out 161 superbly to take leg four and a 121 to level at three-all before a 105 finish edged Webster in front as the pair traded double top checkouts in four successive legs.

The duo were also locked at six-all before King took a break of throw in leg 13 with a two-dart 72 finish and the next in 13 darts to lead 8-6.

King hit a 180 in the next to pull clear, but three missed doubles allowed Webster back in on double top before the Welshman hit successive 180s to start the 16th leg.

He missed the seventh dart of a possible nine-darter, but still won the leg in 11 darts to square the match against the throw.

But King replied with a maximum and then punished a missed double 15 from Webster to take out 68 on double 16 for a 9-8 lead.

The former World Masters winner then hit seven perfect darts to open the next, missing treble 15 in his own bid for a nine-darter before taking out double ten for victory.

"I've not been firing on all cylinders but I'm getting there and that game was an improvement from me," said King.

"I probably should have been 3-2 up at the first break but I wasn't clinical enough. The longer the game went on, we both got better but Mark was struggling to hold his throw at the back end of the game.

"It will be a massive semi-final and I'll be up for it on Saturday."

Webster said: "I felt I was chasing throughout the game, with Mervyn winning his legs comfortably and I struggled.

"At eight-all I knew if I held my throw I'd have been a leg away from the game but it wasn't to me and Mervyn finished well.

"A 10-8 scoreline probably flattered me and I didn't play well, but I'll be back next year and hopefully can do better."

Match Stats

Mervyn King	10-8	Mark Webster
20	100+	26
20	140+	8
5	180	2
33.66	Ave1	31.43
100.98	Ave3	94.28
161,121	High Finish	120,105

GARY ANDERSON 10-6 DARRYL FITTON
GARY ANDERSON won a place in the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts for a second successive year with a 10-6 comeback win over Darryl Fitton.

Anderson trailed the World Masters runner-up 5-2 early in the contest, but gradually lifted his game to finish with an end average of almost 100 after taking eight from nine legs.

Fitton powered into a 3-0 lead, including a 14-darter to break throw in the second leg, before Anderson hit 180s in taking the next two.

Fitton broke again on double ten in the sixth, and a missed double top from Anderson proved costly in the next as the Stockport man hit the same bed to move 5-2 up.

Anderson hit double ten to kick-start his comeback before hitting a 180 in a 12-darter against the throw and then double top to level.

A 180 pushed him clear in leg 11 as he moved ahead for the first time in the game, and a 118 checkout put the Scotsman 7-5 up.

A missed bullseye and two misses at double ten allowed Fitton in to take leg 13.

But Anderson edged 8-6 up on double 16, produced a stunning 150 checkout to move to the brink of victory and then landed a fifth maximum of the game to set up a double four finish for the win.

"For the first five legs, Darryl was great but then he started slipping below the treble 20 and that made him start to think," said Anderson.

"I threw a couple of legs away with missed doubles but some of my scoring was good. I know I can get a lot better and will need to hit my top game at the right time."

Fitton admitted: "I was playing fantastic at first and felt good, but the darts started slipping in my hand and I couldn't keep it up. I'm gutted but you can't give Gary a chance."

Match Stats

Gary Anderson	10-6	Darryl Fitton
21	100+	19
15	140+	11
5	180	1
32.82	Ave1	29.60
98.45	Ave3	88.80
150,118	High Finish	96

TERRY JENKINS 10-9 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
TERRY JENKINS edged a final-leg thriller against Raymond van Barneveld to book a semi-final place at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

Jenkins defeated the Dutchman for a second successive year in sensational style, with both players missing darts for the match in a deciding leg before the Ledbury man hit double five for victory.

He will now meet Gary Anderson in Saturday's semi-finals in his bid to reach a sixth televised final of his career.

Jenkins made the brighter start to win the opening leg on double eight and then take out 95 on double 16 for the second.

A missed bull allowed the Dutchman to break back in the third and he levelled before another double-burst from Jenkins put him 4-2 up.

Van Barneveld hit double ten and double 16 to square the game once more before a 121 finish for a 12-darter edged Jenkins ahead.

The Dutchman took two of the next three to level at six-all, before a two-dart 86 finish put him in front for the first time at 7-6.

He then moved two legs clear with a brilliant 13-darter, only for Jenkins to reply in 11 darts.

A 103 finish put van Barneveld 9-7 up, and he was waiting on double top for the match in the next before a key 71 finish from Jenkins kept him in the contest.

Jenkins then hit a 180 and a two-dart 62 finish to send the game into a decider, but three ton-plus scores sent van Barneveld to a finish first.

However, he missed three darts at double 16 and double eight for the win, letting off Jenkins misses as the Englishman hit double five for victory.

"I made hard work of it and missed a lot of doubles in the early legs," said Jenkins. "I should have made it easier for myself and let him back in.

"But I'm delighted to have reached the semi-finals and it will be a great game against Gary Anderson."

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld	9-10	Terry Jenkins
27	100+	31
9	140+	12
7	180	5
32.39	Ave1	32.16
97.18	Ave3	96.48
103	High Finish	121

PHIL TAYLOR 10-7 SIMON WHITLOCK
PHIL TAYLOR produced a brilliant fightback to come from 5-1 down against Simon Whitlock and win a place in the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

Taylor was punished for a poor start by the Australian, who led 2-0 and 5-1 before the 13-time World Champion hit top gear.

Taylor won six successive legs to hit the front, before holding off Whitlock's fightback to set up a semi-final with Mervyn King.

Whitlock opened the game with successive 13-darters before Taylor got off the mark by taking the third in 14 darts, hitting a 171 to set up a double 16 finish.

However, he missed doubles in the next two as Whitlock landed double four and then a 108 checkout to pull out to 4-1 before the Australian edged clear on double 16.

Taylor kicked off leg six with a 177 score, and fired in a 13-darter to begin his fightback.

Whitlock was punished for a missed double four as Taylor took the next, and successive double top finishes put Taylor level.

He edged in front on double 16 and another 15-darter against the throw gave the Stoke legend a 7-5 cushion.

Whitlock hit double four to reduce the gap, only for Taylor to edge away after a 177 score left double 14.

Whitlock kicked off the next with a maximum, and landed double 15 with Taylor waiting on 32 to pull back to 8-7.

Taylor punished three missed doubles from the Australian to move a leg away from the win, and another trio of wasted chances cost Whitlock dear as the defending champion sealed victory on double five.

"Simon's very good under pressure and I couldn't do anything right in the first half of the game," said Taylor.

"I was dead and buried at 5-1 and if he'd carried that on he'd have beaten me 10-1.

"When you're behind you have to dig in and I did that. He missed a few doubles and as soon as I saw a weakness I had to pounce.

"I knew I had to be perfect in the second half of the game and I'm very pleased with how I played."

Whitlock said: "I never gave up but I missed a couple of doubles in the pressure of the moment that cost me.

"I enjoyed every minute of the game and it's always a pleasure to play Phil. I've got so much respect for him and he's the man to beat."

Match Stats