REPORTS and reaction from the quarter-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay.
Stan James World Matchplay
Quarter-Finals
Thursday 27 July
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Chris Mason 4-16 James Wade
Roland Scholten 16-13 Ronnie Baxter
Evening Session (7pm)
Wayne Mardle 9-16 Andy Hamilton
Phil Taylor 16-13 Dennis Priestley
JAMES WADE 16-4 CHRIS MASON
JAMES WADE thundered into the semi-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay with a 16-4 destruction of Chris Mason at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
Wade, 23, has been hugely impressive in victories over Denis Ovens and Kevin Painter this week, but put in arguably the best display of his brief career to leave Mason shaking his head in admiration.
He took out three ton-plus finishes, landed eight maximums and averaged 97.24, but it was his superb finishing that once again caught the eye.
Mason was forced to take out two big finishes - 138 and 146 - inside the first ten legs just to keep pace with the former mechanic from Aldershot.
Three 12-darters from Wade and checkouts of 116 and 101 helped him to create a 7-3 lead, and a run of five successive legs put him 11-3 up before Mason could hit back.
Mason took out an 84 finish to win the 15th leg, but Wade responded with another maximum to open the next and restore an eight-leg cushion.
Mason missed doubles in the next two legs as Wade cleaned up for a 14-4 cushion, and he landed two further 180s in wrapping up a comprehensive triumph.
"I'm exhausted but over the moon after that game," he said.
"It's consistency that wins the game - I didn't feel I did that well but everyone is telling me I did, including Eric Bristow which is nice.
"I threw like I normally do (on the PDC circuit) but I've never done it on TV before.
"I'm just pleased I'm in the semi-finals, you can't wish for much more than that. I'm just taking each game as it comes and we'll see how it goes.
"I don't know how the next game is going to go, but I hope I play better."
Mason admitted: "It's easy to find an excuse but sometimes you've got to hold your hands up and say he was better.
"James is the future of the game.
"When I play well I always seem to walk into someone who plays better. I blew a lot of chances but there's very little you can do against that."
ROLAND SCHOLTEN 16-13 RONNIE BAXTER
FLYING DUTCHMAN Roland Scholten booked his place in the semi-finals of the Stan James World Matchplay by defeating Ronnie Baxter 16-13 at the Winter Gardens.
Scholten had never even reached the quarter-finals at the Winter Gardens before this week, but continued his challenge for a second major title with a high-quality win.
Baxter gave as good as he got throughout the game, but a 138 finish which put Scholten 13-12 up proved a telling blow.
He took the next two legs to move to the brink of victory and, though Baxter took the 28th leg to stay in the game, the Dutchman wrapped up victory with double four.
"I'm feeling comfortable with the way I'm playing, and practising," said Scholten.
"I know what I can do and what I'm capable of and that's the worrying thing for most of my opponents.
"Even if im not hitting my doubles straight away I know I will be back in the next leg with the way I've been scoring."
The lead changed times four times during the match, with Baxter defying a string of Scholten maximums to hold the early cushions at 2-1 and 6-5 with finishes of 130 and 126.
Four successive legs, including finishes of 119 and 106, put Scholten 9-6 up, and a superb 131 checkout for a 12-darter helped him maintain a lead at 12-10.
Baxter punished his opponent's misses in the next two legs to level the contest once more, but Scholten produced his final flourish to move into the last four.
ANDY HAMILTON 16-9 WAYNE MARDLE
ANDY HAMILTON reached his first major semi-final with a superb 16-9 win over Wayne Mardle in the Stan James World Matchplay.
Hamilton reached the last eight on his World Championship debut 18 months ago, but continued his impressive rise to fame with a fine win over the 2003 Blackpool finalist.
The Stoke landlord reeled off seven straight legs to win the match after the pair were left locked at nine-all following a high-quality first 18 legs.
Amazingly, eight of the first ten legs in the game went against the throw, including superb finishes of 130 and 116 from Hamilton and a rousing 13-darter from Mardle.
The scores were tied at 5-5 at that stage, and the pair continued to trade blows like prize boxers over the next eight legs as the tension inside the Winter Gardens reached boiling point.
Hamilton edged himself back in front with a brilliant 12-darter before breaking Mardle in the 20th leg to create a two-leg cushion for the first time in the game at 11-9.
He hit further maximums in the next two legs to pull clear and a 121 finish put him to the brink of the win.
Mardle battled on in the next leg and a 125 score left him with 36 to put the pressure on Hamilton, but the Stoke thrower held his nerve to land double top for the biggest win of his career.
"I knew if I played my own game and won my own legs I had the ability to break him," said Hamilton.
"He's a good front player and there was no way I wanted him to get in front of me. I knew Wayne had a weak spell in his previous round and I wanted to capitalise on that.
"He had one this time, I got more confidence and I took advantage. When my doubles went in my confidence went up even more, especially with the 130, the 121 and 116 finishes."
PHIL TAYLOR 16-13 DENNIS PRIESTLEY
PHIL TAYLOR set up an all-Stoke semi-final at the Stan James World Matchplay with a 16-13 win over Dennis Priestley in a thriller on Thursday night.
Taylor and Priestley have enjoyed some glorious battles during the years, and this tussle will rank among the best after 29 high quality, drama-filled legs.
Seven-time World Matchplay champion Taylor came from behind three times in the game, once after Priestley came from 8-6 down to lead 10-8.
The game started with three ton-plus checkouts in the first three legs, with Priestley taking out 141 and 116 and Taylor finishing on 120.
Taylor won five of the next six to edge 6-3 up before two 15-dart-legs and a 32 finish saw Priestley level matters.
Taylor won the next two in 14 and 13 darts to put himself clear again before Priestley took four on the spin, including a 118 checkout.
However, Taylor raised his game once more to wrestle back the lead with four successive legs of his own before a vital 116 finish pulled the Yorkshireman back to 12-11.
Taylor won the 24th leg on double ten, but scores of 180 and 140 helped Priestley to take the next in 14 darts.
A two-dart 50 finish sent Taylor 14-12 up, but back-to-back maximums from Priestley saw him again pull back to just one leg behind.
Typically, though, Taylor found an extra gear and took the next two legs to move into yet another semi-final.
"That was one of the toughest matches I've played in, it was a battle," he said. "That was the old Dennis Priestley coming back.
"He's a brilliant player but he isn't as good yet as he can be. He is so consistent and his finishing was better than I have seen for 15 years."