IAN WHITE produced one of the finest displays of his career to knock Gary Anderson out of the partypoker.com World Grand Prix on Wednesday, as Mensur Suljovic, Robert Thornton and Vincent van der Voort enjoyed whitewash victories as they reached the quarter-finals in Dublin.
Stoke star White defied an amazing 11 180s from Anderson in their four-set second round with eight maximums, but more importantly he out-doubled the Scot in both starting and finishing to claim the 3-1 win.
White won the game's opening set 3-1 before Anderson took the second 3-2 in a high-quality set which featured seven 180s and two 160 starts from the number two seed.
The third set, despite five more maximums from Anderson, went to White 3-2 as the Stoke thrower followed up a 105 finish in leg three by taking the decider on tops to move 2-1 up in the contest.
Anderson battled to force a deciding set by sharing the opening four legs of set four, but crucially missed two darts at tops to allow White to hit the same bed and seal his win.
"I'm delighted," said White. "Gary's the World Champion and a top player, but I knew that if I hung in there and got my chances that I could take them.
"I've been playing well all year and my starting was really good - I didn't miss with my first three darts for a starting double throughout the whole game and that was important.
"It's going to be really tough again when I play Robert Thornton in the quarter-finals. We're both in the top eight now and full of confidence, and hopefully I can carry on playing like I did tonight."
Thornton won through to the last eight in the double-start event for the second time with a fine 3-0 win over Justin Pipe in Wednesday's opening fixture, as he followed up a straight sets first round win over Daryl Gurney with another memorable win.
After the Scot edged a tight opening set 3-2, finishing 97 in the decider, he raced clear by winning the second without reply, taking out 127 and 120 in successive legs to double his lead.
Pipe shared the opening two legs of the third, but the 2013 semi-finalist saw his chances ended as Thornton took the next two legs to seal his last eight spot.
"I'm feeling pretty comfortable up there and I'm happy with my game," said Thornton. "It was a bit sketchy today so I'm glad to be through to the quarter-finals.
"Justin wasn't hitting doubles with his first couple of darts, and I thought that if I hit him hard and early I might get the win.
"Some of my finishing was alright, but that wasn't Justin at his best and I took advantage when he missed doubles."
Van der Voort followed up his victory over Phil Taylor in the first round with another straight sets triumph, as he overcame Terry Jenkins 3-0.
The Dutch ace capitalised on six missed doubles from Jenkins to win the opening set without reply, taking out a 121 finish of his own in the process, before edging a tight second with a brilliant 149 checkout.
He then opened the third with another huge finish by taking out 141, before double eight moved him to the brink of victory, and though Jenkins took out 101 as he hit back to level the set, a 96 finish sealed van der Voort's place in the last eight.
"I was struggling and I didn't play particularly well, but Terry was in more trouble than me and I took full advantage of his mistakes," said van der Voort, who now takes on Mensur Suljovic.
"In the first set he was nowhere me so I knew he was struggling, and if you finish the second set you're 2-0 ahead and the pressure is on him, so the 149 was a really good finish.
"Mensur has beaten two top players so I have to be at the top of my game and play better tomorrow to beat him. As long as my game's good, we'll see what happens."
Suljovic produced doubling of the highest order as he won through to his third major TV quarter-final of the year - following his earlier runs to the last eight in the UK Open and World Matchplay - with a straight sets defeat of Simon Whitlock
The Austrian ace hit 75 percent of his opening doubles and 64 percent of his finishing opportunities in as he followed up his impressive first round win over James Wade with another clinical display.
He took the opening set 3-1, sealing the lead with a 98 finish in leg four, before coming from 2-1 down in the second - following a superb 126 checkout from Whitlock - by taking out double 16 in successive legs to edge 2-0 up in a decider.
A 112 checkout, with Whitlock waiting on 40, proved a killer blow to open set three before Suljovic then finished 82 and double 14 to win the set without reply and seal the victory.
"I'm so happy," said Suljovic. "It's a big moment for me and the first time I've ever beaten Simon.
"He's a superb player and a nice guy so it means a lot to win this game. I made the quarter-finals in the UK Open and Blackpool and this has been my year - I've played some nice darts but now I'd like to go further."
Thursday's quarter-finals also feature reigning partypoker.com World Grand Prix champion Michael van Gerwen up against Jamie Lewis and the battle between former Lakeside Champions Mark Webster and Jelle Klaasen.
The partypoker.com World Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports and worldwide through the PDC's series of international broadcast partners, and through www.LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers.
Tickets for the partypoker.com World Grand Prix are available from the Citywest Hotel by email via darts15@citywesthotel.com or by calling 01 401 0505 (Outside Ireland 00353 1 401 0505 ).
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partypoker.com World Grand Prix
Wednesday October 7
Robert Thornton 3-0 Justin Pipe
Mensur Suljovic 3-0 Simon Whitlock
Vincent van der Voort 3-0 Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson 1-3 Ian White
Thursday October 8 (7pm)
Quarter-Finals
Ian White v Robert Thornton
Mensur Suljovic v Vincent van der Voort
Mark Webster v Jelle Klaasen
Michael van Gerwen v Jamie Lewis
Format
Quarter-Finals - Best of five sets
* All Sets are the best of five legs. There will be no tie-break in any set.
* All legs must begin and end with a double, meaning that a player must hit a double before he can begin scoring in each leg.
MATCH INFORMATION
Robert Thornton v Justin Pipe
First Set
0-1 - Thornton misses five darts to claim the leg, allowing Pipe in on double 16 to draw first blood.
1-1 - Thornton lands a 180 before taking out 65 on tops to level, after Pipe wires the bull for a 170 finish.
2-1 - Pipe misses the bull once again, with Thornton taking out double ten.
2-2 - Pipe finishes 84 to square the set.
3-2 - A 97 checkout from Thornton gives him the first set.
Second Set
1-0 - Thornton opens with a 160 score before finishing 48 on double ten to lead.
2-0 - A 127 checkout sees the Scot double his advantage in the set.
3-0 - Pipe kicks off with a 152 score, but Thornton's opening 160 is followed by a 120 checkout as he seals the set without reply.
Third Set
1-0 - Pipe misses two darts to steal the leg as Thornton is handed a let-off by returning on double one.
1-1 - Double 16 sees Pipe level the set.
2-1 - Thornton moves a leg away from the win by hitting double eight.
3-1 - Thornton fires in a maximum before punishing a missed bull from Pipe by taking out tops to seal his quarter-final spot.
Match Stats
| Robert Thornton | 3-0 | Justin Pipe |
| 16 | 100+ | 13 |
| 8 | 140+ | 8 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 2 | 180 | 0 |
| 83.96 | Average | 80.10 |
| 127 | High Finish | 84 |
| 4 | Breaks of Throw | 1 |
| 12/28 - 43% | Starting % | 12/33 - 36% |
| 9/21 - 43% | Finishing % | 3/11 - 27% |
Mensur Suljovic v Simon Whitlock
First Set
1-0 - Suljovic takes out 48 to win the game's opening leg.
1-1 - Whitlock lands a 180 before taking out double four to level.
2-1 - Double eight edges Suljovic back ahead.
3-1 - Whitlock posts another maximum, but Suljovic takes out 98 to claim the set.
Second Set
0-1 - Both players fire in 180s, but Suljovic misses two darts at tops to allow the Australian in on double four.
1-1 - Suljovic finishes double 18 to level the set.
1-2 - Whitlock takes out 126 on double six to move back ahead.
2-2 - Suljovic finishes 52 on double 16 to level the set.
3-2 - Suljovic fires in a key 180 to leave 32 as he snatches the set from behind.
Third Set
1-0 - Whitlock leaves 40, but Suljovic takes out 112 to move ahead.
2-0 - The Austrian takes out 82 on tops to move to the brink of victory.
3-0 - Double 14 sees Suljovic move into his third major quarter-final of the year, as he matches his achievements in the UK Open and World Matchplay.
Match Stats
| Mensur Suljovic | 3-0 | Simon Whitlock |
| 20 | 100+ | 13 |
| 6 | 140+ | 10 |
| 1 | 170+ | 0 |
| 2 | 180 | 3 |
| 91.34 | Average | 88.19 |
| 112 | High Finish | 126 |
| 3 | Breaks of Throw | 0 |
| 12/16 - 75% | Starting % | 12/31 - 39% |
| 9/14 - 64% | Finishing % | 3/7 - 43% |
Vincent van der Voort v Terry Jenkins
First Set
1-0 - Jenkins lands the game's first 180, but misses three doubles to allow van der Voort in on tops.
2-0 - The Dutchman takes out 121 on double 16 to move two legs up.
3-0 - Three further misses from Jenkins hands van der Voort a let-off, as he returns on double four to claim the set.
Second Set
1-0 - Double five gives the Dutch star a fourth straight leg.
1-1 - Jenkins takes out 57 to claim his first leg of the game.
2-1 - Jenkins misses 12 starting doubles as van der Voort edges back ahead.
2-2 - Double five sees Jenkins take the set into a decider.
3-2 - Jenkins battles to claim the set, but is left stunned as van der Voort powers home a 149 checkout to move two sets up.
Third Set
1-0 - van der Voort kicks off the leg with a 160 score before finishing 141 on double 12 for a 12-darter to continue his charge towards the quarter-finals.
2-0 - van der Voort recovers from three missed starting doubles with a 160 score before finishing double eight to move a leg away from the win.
2-1 - The Dutchman lands a 180, but Jenkins saves the game.
2-2 - van der Voort misses one dart for the match, for a 126 finish, and Jenkins finishes a superb 101 to keep his hopes alive.
3-2 - Jenkins misses two darts to win the set, and van der Voort finishes 96 on double 18 to complete the victory and move into the quarter-finals.
Match Stats
| Vincent van der Voort | 3-0 | Terry Jenkins |
| 26 | 100+ | 15 |
| 6 | 140+ | 10 |
| 0 | 170+ | 0 |
| 1 | 180 | 1 |
| 86.23 | Average | 76.19 |
| 149 | High Finish | 101 |
| 4 | Breaks of Throw | 1 |
| 13/33 - 39% | Starting % | 13/43 - 30% |
| 9/22 - 41% | Finishing % | 4/15 - 27% |
Gary Anderson v Ian White
First Set
0-1 - Double one gives White the game's opening leg.
0-2 - White lands a 180 before taking out 75, after Anderson misses the bull for a 161 checkout.
1-2 - Anderson replies with a 180 before taking out 40 to get off the mark, punishing two misses at double 16 from White.
1-3 - White seals the set by finishing 65 on double four.
Second Set
0-1 - The pair trade 180s before White punishes three missed doubles from Anderson by finishing double ten to move ahead.
1-1 - Anderson kicks off with a 160 score and adds a 140, with a maximum from White not enough in reply as Anderson finishes 96 with a showpiece single 20, double 18, double top combination.
2-1 - The duo both land maximums once again, but double three edges Anderson in front.
2-2 - For a third time in the set, an Anderson 180 is followed by a maximum from White before two missed doubles from the Scot allow his opponent in on double two to save the set.
3-2 - Anderson opens again with a 160 score before finishing 41 on tops to level the contest.
Third Set
0-1 - Anderson lands a 180, but White edges in front.
1-1 - The maximums continue to flow as the World Champion lands two 180s before finishing tops to level.
1-2 - White replies with a 180 before finishing 105.
2-2 - The duo trade 180s once more - taking the total for the game to 15 - before Anderson takes out 76 on tops.
2-3 - Another maximum from Anderson, his ninth, comes in vain as White takes out 58 on tops to claim the set and a 2-1 lead.
Fourth Set
1-0 - Tops gives Anderson the set's opening leg.
1-1 - Anderson opens with a 160, but White replies with a 177 score as he levels the set.
2-1 - The World Champion posts another 180 before tops moves him a leg away from his second set.
2-2 - White takes out 76 on tops to move to the brink of victory.
2-3 - Both players fire in maximums - Anderson this time following White's 180 with his 11th of the game - only for the Scot to miss two darts at tops to allow White in to hit the bed and seal a high-quality victory.
Match Stats
| Gary Anderson | 1-3 | Ian White |
| 19 | 100+ | 20 |
| 11 | 140+ | 12 |
| 1 | 170+ | 1 |
| 11 | 180 | 8 |
| 97.20 | Average | 97.96 |
| 96 | High Finish | 105 |
| 2 | Breaks of Throw | 4 |
| 19/40 - 48% | Starting % | 19/34 - 56% |
| 8/21 - 38% | Finishing % | 11/26 - 42% |