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Stan James World Matchplay
Wednesday Fixtures
Afternoon Session (1pm BST)
Dennis Priestley 13-8 Alex Roy
Wayne Mardle 13-10 Lionel Sams
Kevin Painter 9-13 James Wade
Evening Session (7pm BST)
Andy Jenkins 8-13 Roland Scholten
Steve Maish 7-13 Chris Mason
Ronnie Baxter 13-9 Mark Walsh
DENNIS PRIESTLEY 13-8 ALEX ROY
DENNIS PRIESTLEY set up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Phil Taylor at the Stan James World Matchplay with a gritty 13-8 win over Alex Roy.
Priestley looked set to record a comfortable win when he raced into an 11-4 lead in the game.
But Roy's determined play saw him cut back four legs before the three-time World Matchplay finalist scrambled over the finish line.
"It was a tough game," said Priestley. "Alex is a nice young player and I knew I had to get off to a good start and try to keep the pressure on him.
"If you don't, he's a bubbly sort of character and he builds on it and plays well. That showed at 11-4, when I came out and only got one leg out of five.
"You've got to try and keep on top of him, and the conditions and weather got on top of me.
"I tried to do everything possible. I was wearing cold armbands and changed shirt to a lighter cotton shirt but it's going to affect a 56-year-old more than a 31-year-old."
Priestley initially coped well with the summer heat, coming from behind - after Roy took the opening leg in 14 darts with an 84 finish - to lead 3-2 at the first break.
He changed from his traditional red and black hooped shirt to a light cotton shirt, and won eight of the next ten legs to create a commanding 11-4 lead.
But his finishing, so clinical in helping him create that cushion, deserted him as Roy took four of the next five to cut the deficit.
Priestley kicked off the 21st leg with his sixth maximum, and eventually wrapped up the win on double ten.
He will now face Phil Taylor in Thursday's quarter-finals, in a repeat of their epic meeting in last year's second round which The Power won 15-13.
"Phil keeps putting the performances in whether it's minus ten or hot on stage," said Priestley. "You've got to get on with it, battle the elements and try to play better."
WAYNE MARDLE 13-10 LIONEL SAMS
WAYNE MARDLE pushed into the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 13-10 win over Lionel Sams.
Mardle, the 2003 finalist, has yet to hit top gear in this year's tournament but held his nerve to set up a last eight contest with Andy Hamilton on Thursday.
The world number five battled past Steve Hine in round one, and was forced to hold off a spirited Sams comeback in his second game.
Sams took the game's opening leg and could have led 2-0 and 3-2 had he taken out his early doubles, before Mardle won the fifth leg to go into the break ahead for the first time.
He won the next three legs before Sams responded in the ninth, but a further surge from Mardle pushed him out to 9-3.
Sams stepped in to take out double five and snatch the 13th leg, and also won the next four to cut the lead to 9-8.
He missed his chance to level matters to allow Mardle to calm his nerves, but maximums in three successive legs kept Sams in the game at 11-10.
Mardle, though, finished with a flourish to take out 48 in two darts and move into the last eight for the third time in four Winter Gardens appearances.
"I'm over the moon to be in the last eight," he said. "I can count my lucky stars that I'm through because I didn't play as well as I can.
"Even at 9-3 I still didn't feel comfortable. My fingers were so dry and the only way to get any moisture on them was to rub them through my hair - I had no traction and I don't know why.
"It was a strange thing to go through, where I had no grip at all but I'm not going to think about it going into my next game.
"I'm in the quarter-finals and I've not got a lot to moan about. Andy's playing well but if I play my A game and he plays his A game, I will win.
"I've been scoring really well recently and I just hope that I can hit my doubles. If I do, I'll have a great chance."
JAMES WADE 13-9 KEVIN PAINTER
JAMES WADE reached his first major quarter-final with a high quality 13-9 win over Kevin Painter in the Stan James World Matchplay.
The 23-year-old from Hampshire has risen rapidly up the world rankings in the past two years, but suggested that he is now comfortable on the big stage with an assured display.
He produced some clinical finishing, checking out 13 of 21 attempts at the double to send the former World Championship finalist packing.
Painter never recovered from missing his doubles to lead 3-2 at the first break, and a classy 80 finish of two double tops which put Wade 8-4 up left the world number 11 reeling.
Painter battled on despite a 121 finish from Wade, and reduced the deficit to 11-8 with a fine 116 checkout.
Wade took out double top to move to within one leg of victory, and missed the same bed in the next leg before Painter finally hit double two to stay alive.
But world number 19 Wade hit double ten in the next to book his place in the last eight and keep himself on course for a first major final.
"I've got a lot of respect for Kevin. He's been there and done it, and I'm still trying to do it.
"He didn't turn up for the game. I thought he was going to do a job on me if I'm honest, I've played him a few times and every single time he's done a job on me so I'm really pleased with the result."
Wade will face either Chris Mason or Steve Maish for a place in the semis, and admits that becoming a full-time professional recently is paying off in his performances.
"I've only just started to put the work into it," he said. "Before I was expecting everying out of it without putting anything in, and now I've put something into it and I'm getting something out of it.
"People say the bottom half is easier, but Kevin's been to the World Championship final, Chris Mason is one of the best players in the world and if Steve Maish turns up and wants to play the game there are not many people who will stop him.
"It's not easy like people say it is."
ROLAND SCHOLTEN 13-8 ANDY JENKINS
ROLAND SCHOLTEN reached his first Stan James World Matchplay quarter-final with a 13-8 triumph over Andy Jenkins at the Winter Gardens.
Scholten has failed to get past the second round in six previous visits to Blackpool, but kept himself on course for a second major title by ending Jenkins' hopes.
After falling behind 2-0 early on, Scholten found his range on the doubles and produced some impressive finishing to lead at the first break.
Jenkins levelled matters at 3-3 after Scholten missed the bullseye, before the Dutchman hit back to a Jenkins maximum with a 180 of his own to take the next leg in 14 darts.
Jenkins had back-to-back maximums of his own in the next to match that feat, but three successive legs from Scholten saw him push clear.
Jenkins won the next two to reduce the arrears to 7-6, but paid when he missed double 16 to draw level once more as Scholten took out double six before moving 9-6 up with a superb 140 finish.
The Portsmouth thrower bettered that with a 160 finish - equalling Phil Taylor's effort as the highest so far this week - but another three-leg burst from Scholten put him to the brink of victory.
Jenkins stepped in to keep his hopes alive with double ten after Scholten missed one dart for the game, but the Dutchman made no mistake in the next leg to progress.
"Andy was always there and he kept on performing," said Scholten. "I was trying to get away from him but it was only in the last couple of legs I felt I could capitalise.
"I'm feeling confident and relaxed. My scoring wasn't as good as in the first round against Andy Smith but the doubles were there, so that made up for it.
"I'm happy to be in the third round. People keep pointing that it's my first time in the last eight but I've had some close matches so it doesn't bother me much.
"It's not that I don't like the format, it's just about getting into gear. Some people never give up but I had a couple of good finishes in this game and that got me through."
Jenkins said: "I always felt comfortable but he took two good shots out at crucial times. I felt I should have gone in at 5-5 and 8-7 and those finishes hurt me.
"He's a quality dart player but I'll be back. I hit more 180s than Roland, who is a heavy scorer.
"I'm glad I played well - I'd probably rather play well and lose than play badly and win. I didn't do anything wrong so I'm quite happy with that."
CHRIS MASON 13-7 STEVE MAISH
CHRIS MASON defied illness to surge into the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 13-7 win over Steve Maish.
The former Blackpool semi-finalist revealed after the game that he has been under the weather during this year's tournament, and had a disrupted preparation for the clash.
However, he produced a gutsy display to book a place in the last eight, where he will meet James Wade on Thursday.
"I'm winning games and not playing very well, but I'm more worried about my health," said Mason. "I've not been myself this week, I must have picked up a bug.
"But I'll get checked out and prepare myself to face James on Thursday."
Despite that, Mason bounced back well from allowing Maish to sneak the first leg by winning the next four to open up a three-leg cushion at the first break.
Maish hit back to reduce the arrears to 4-3, and the pair shared the next six legs before Mason took four straight legs to surge 11-6 clear.
The Essex player - who knocked out defending champion Colin Lloyd in round one - battled on to win the 18th leg and stay in the game, but misses in the next allowed his opponent to move to the brink of victory.
Mason then booked his place in the last eight with a two-dart 76 finish for a 14-darter.
RONNIE BAXTER 13-9 MARK WALSH
RONNIE BAXTER overcame a bout of double trouble to move into the last eight of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 13-9 win over Mark Walsh.
Baxter looked set to romp to victory against the former Budweiser UK Open finalist when he opened up a 7-0 lead in the game.
Walsh got off the mark with a 64 checkout and then bettered that with a 128 finish to threaten a comeback.
That looked unlikely when Baxter took five of the next six to go 12-3 up and within one leg of the match.
Amazingly, Walsh then took six legs on the spin, with Baxter missing a host of doubles to seal victory and allow the Hertfordshire battler to claw his way back.
But scores of 180, 140 and 125 in the 22nd leg gave Baxter enough cushion to land double ten and finally book his quarter-final berth.
"I missed too many doubles," said Baxter. "I made it easy for myself early in the game and then, for some reason, you get a little bit nervous and things don't go as planned.
"It just took one good leg and that was it. I was out-scoring him and it was just a matter of time before I got that double.
"It would have been better if the game had been more equal, but I got lethargic and you can't do that. I was that far ahead and I knew I only had to get it right in one leg."
Baxter will meet Holland's Roland Scholten in the quarter-finals on Thursday afternoon, with the game being switched to the second match to allow the world number three added recovery time.
"I've played Roland in the Premier League twice this year and many more times on stage and it will be a good game," said Baxter.
"I've obviously got to do better than that with my doubles though!"