Stan James World Matchplay - Quarter-Final Evening Session Reports

REPORTS from the evening session quarter-finals at the Stan James World Matchplay - including Adrian Lewis' sensational win over Raymond van Barneveld.

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Stan James World Matchplay
Quarter-Finals
Afternoon Session
Terry Jenkins 16-13 Ronnie Baxter
James Wade 16-11 Mervyn King
Evening Session
Adrian Lewis 16-14 Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor 16-1 Roland Scholten

ADRIAN LEWIS 16-14 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD

WORLD CHAMPION Raymond van Barneveld was dumped out of the 2007 Stan James World Matchplay by Adrian Lewis in the shock of the tournament in Blackpool.

Lewis, 22, produced the display of his career to end van Barneveld's bid for a third successive major TV title and progress to the semi-finals.

He will meet another young sensation, 2006 finalist James Wade, on Friday in the last four.

Van Barneveld was even forced to turn to a pair of earplugs in a bid to drown out the cheering for Lewis from the Winter Gardens crowd, but Lewis won five of the final seven legs to take victory.

"It's very disappointing for me but it was a fantastic game of darts," said van Barneveld.

"Adrian beat me on Saturday in the Bobby Bourn Memorial so I knew he was playing some fantastic darts and his cover shots were superb, but I struggled to hit 180s tonight.

"I've been training with the earplugs so I tried it for a while because the noise can affect your focus, but it wasn't working for me and after three or four legs I took them out."

The sensational contest saw the pair trade blows throughout as the pair battled for supremacy, with the first eight legs going with the throw before Lewis took out a superb 129 to break and move 5-4 up.

Van Barneveld responded like a champion, winning the next four legs to push himself three legs clear at 8-5.

Lewis then battled back to take five of the next six legs and move 10-9 up, only to waste six darts for a two-leg cushion as the Dutchman levelled.

He then inserted earplugs in a bid to escape the cauldron of support for Lewis - taking a 12-11 lead before three in a row for the Englishman edged him back in front and leg to van Barneveld removing the noise reducers.

Maximums in back-to-back legs showed that his new policy worked, as he pulled back to 14-all, but a missed double 16 allowed Lewis in to break his throw, before he suffered more double trouble in the next before Lewis took out double top for the win.

"By far, that's the best win of my career," said Lewis. "Barney was on for a Grand Slam of Sky ranking events and he has been untouchable for the past few months - even Phil Taylor hasn't been beating him.

"They are the two best players in the world, so if one of us outsiders is going to win the tournament then we have to beat both of them.

"It was a tough game. We both missed a lot of doubles but I had a lot of shots first and that frustrated me - maybe I could have won it 16-11.

"Barney kept plodding on and I thought it was going to go to a tie-break, but then he missed a double in the last leg and I had my chance.

"He's actually taught me he breathing techniques and I'd been trying it during the game, but the only time I didn't do that and went straight for the double I hit it!

"The game took a lot out of me, so I'll have an early night and be ready for the semi-final.

"James is a good friend but I'll treat him the same way I did Andy Hamilton in round two. You can't be friends on the board and I'll go up there to give it my all."

PHIL TAYLOR 16-1 ROLAND SCHOLTEN

PHIL TAYLOR produced one of his most comprehensive displays on the Winter Gardens stage to see off Roland Scholten 16-1 in the Stan James World Matchplay quarter-final.

The eight-time Blackpool champion was in a dominant and clinical mood to end Dutch hopes in the tournament - after fellow Stoke star Adrian Lewis' earlier win over Raymond van Barneveld.

Scholten was never in the hunt in a disappointing performance, with Taylor marching into an 8-0 lead before the former UK Open champion got off the mark.

Taylor included a 127 finish in winning the next eight legs without reply to set up a semi-final with in-form Terry Jenkins.

Taylor was clinical on double top to win the first two legs, and then punished misses from Scholten in the next two to double his lead.

A 66 finish was followed by three more legs as Taylor took an incredible 8-0 lead and effectively end the game as a contest only half-way to his target.

Scholten landed double eight to get his first leg, and opening the next with a 180 suggested that he could mount a comeback.

Those hopes were quickly dashed as Taylor rallied to go 9-1 up, then took out double top before a party-piece 127 finish on the bullseye took him further ahead.

He clinically landed the final five legs at ease to wrap up his most comprehensive quarter-final victory in the 14-year history of the tournament.

"I've never known Roland play like that in all the years he's been around," admitted Taylor. "I knew I had to be consistent and maybe the first two legs hurt him.

"It's a lonely place when it's like that and he was trying everything - he didn't hide and kept trying.

"It was a weird game but I'm just happy to be there in the semi-finals. Terry has played really well all this year and it will be a tough test for me.

"He's a grinder and he's worked very hard to get where he is."

Scholten admitted: "I don't know what happened - if I knew what went wrong I could have changed it but I tried everything.

"I tried to be angry, relaxed, I stepped from the left to the right of the oche and I couldn't get close to the 60.

"It was a bad day at the office, the worst game of my life. I've had close games with him and been in front of Phil before but I didn't show up.

"I'll put it behind me. It's happened now, I'll have a holiday now, forget about it and come back in September better for it."