Coral UK Open Quarter-Finals

BRILLIANT WRIGHT KO'S TAYLOR IN CORAL UK OPEN AS GILDING'S DREAM RUN CONTINUES

EMOTIONAL Peter Wright produced one of the finest displays of his career as he knocked Phil Taylor out of the Coral UK Open on Sunday afternoon, as Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and Andrew Gilding joined him in the semi-finals in Minehead.

World number five claimed only his third career win over the 16-time World Champion with a superb and clinical display, averaging 102.99 in reply to a 108.57 average and eight 180s from Taylor.

Wright, though, turned a superb game on its head when he won five straight legs to turn a 5-4 deficit into a 9-5 lead before closing out the win - emotionally taking in his victory over the sport's greatest ever player.

"To beat Phil, the greatest man to ever play darts is amazing and I'm really happy," said Wright, who broke down in tears during a televised interview. "I've worked very hard for this.

"I've beaten him in the Premier League before but this is completely different in a knockout event. You've got concentrate so much, on every dart, and I've finally done it.

"I'll have a little rest and then get back on the practice board. Stephen's a great guy amd it should be a cracking game for everyone watching, and hopefully I can go all the way tonight."

A game of immense quality, Taylor opened with an 11-dart leg and added a 14-darter in the third, but Wright's legs of 13 and 14 darts were followed in leg five as he took out 98 to break throw for a 3-2 lead.

Wright defied a maximum from Taylor to finish 122 on the bull as he moved two legs clear, only for the Stoke great to land 180s in the next three legs as he took the lead, levelling with a 13-darter and taking out 82 for a 12-darter before moving ahead on double 16.

Wright, though, replied with a 180 and double ten to level before breaking to move back ahead with a 96 checkout, and he then finished double top and a pair of double tens to extend his winning run to five successive legs for a 9-5 lead.

Taylor finished 87 to hit back to 9-6, but Wright landed another 180 to pull clear in the next leg before finishing double eight to seal his semi-final spot in the UK Open for the second time in three years.

Wright was later drawn to face Stephen Bunting in Sunday evening's semi-finals, after the St Helens ace's earlier 10-6 defeat of Mervyn King put him into the last four.

A tight game saw the opening ten legs shared, with King's opening 14-dart leg replied to with a 121 checkout from Bunting in the fourth leg, while the Norfolk ace landed 180s as he took the fifth and seventh legs.

Finishes of 69 and 64 helped King into a 6-5 advantage before Bunting made the game's major impact by levelling on double five in leg 12 and taking advantage of four missed doubles from his opponent to break throw on tops for a 7-6 lead.

That advantage was consolidated with double 16 in the next - after King missed double 16 to break back - and he then added a 180 in moving out to 9-6 before finishing double eight to claim the win with a fifth straight leg.

"I felt that the game would be the toss of a coin, and I'm just glad to get over that hurdle," said Bunting. "I've played Mervyn a few times now and he's always had the upper hand, so I'm glad to get that monkey off my back.

"I'm feeling confident now and there's no reason why I can't win this title. I believe that I can and my game's there so it's just about doing it on that stage tonight."

King admitted: "I missed a couple of doubles and let him in, and he was away so it's my own fault. I kept him in check until then but away he went, and that's what he does."

Michael van Gerwen powered into the semis with a 10-5 win over Devon Petersen, as the world number one followed up Saturday's incredible win over Kim Huybrechts with another big display.

The Dutchman averaged 106.65, took out a 160 checkout amongst 50 percent on his duobles and landed seven 180s, although the game turned on one dart - in the ninth leg - as South African ace Petersen produced a strong display in his first major quarter-final.

Petersen could have led 2-0 but paid for four missed doubles in the opening two legs, twice missing the bull for a 121 checkout as van Gerwen followed up a 177 in the first leg and a 180 in the second with double top and double six.

Petersen hit back on double 19 and then took out double 16 and double eight to move ahead 3-2, only for van Gerwen to level on tops, following a third 180, and break throw by trading maximums with his opponent before landing tops in the seventh.

Petersen broke back to level at four-all with a 14-darter, but the game turned in the ninth as the South African, needing 121, missed a single 11 to leave the bullseye to allow van Gerwen back in to take out 81 on double 13.

The Dutchman then reeled off double eight, a 124 checkout on the bull and double two, following another 177, as he moved 8-4 up in the blink of an eye.

Double 16 from Petersen gave him his first leg in five, but van Gerwen powered in a 160 checkout to lead 9-5 before he posted his seventh 180 and took out 81 on the bull to seal his place in the semis.

"It was a great game and I'm really happy," said van Gerwen. "Devon played really well, especially at the start, and he put me under a lot of pressure but a couple of times, at important moments, he missed the big numbers and let me in.

"I'll focus now on the semi-finals but I know that my form's there and I just want to keep this going tonight now. I've never won this event before so it would be wonderful to do that."

Petersen, the first South African player to reach a major televised semi-final, admitted: "This is the first time I've played him on stage and he's shown that he's an amazing ambassador for the sport.

"When I was 3-2 up at the first break it could have been 5-0, but I missed some doubles and when you're playing the world number one you can't afford to do that.

"He played really well and that's why he's the world number one because those one darts that you miss here and there are crucial. He's phenomenal in his finishing and scoring, and his crucial points were setting up his finishes."

Andrew Gilding held off Mensur Suljovic's brave fightback from 8-4 down to level their quarter-final as he took a 10-8 win to move into his maiden major semi-final against van Gerwen.

The Suffolk ace had opened his challenge this weekend in Minehead with a 9-0 whitewash of Kevin Painter and also defeated Jelle Klaasen and James Wade to reach the last eight before fending off plucky Austrian Suljovic.

Suljovic, appearing in the UK Open quarter-finals for a second successive year, shared the opening two legs before Gilding took command by winning five of the next six to open up a 6-2 advantage.

Suljovic hit back to win two of the next three before a fine 133 checkout moved Gilding 8-4 up - but the Austrian replied strongly by finishing 56, tops and 101 to pull back to just one leg behind his opponent.

The Austrian then punished a miss at double 19 from Gilding with a stunning 164 checkout to level, only to miss double top in the next to lead for the first time.

Gilding stepped in to finish 124 on the bull with a key checkout before returning on double 12 in the next - after Suljovic missed the bull to force a deciding leg - as he sealed progression into the last four.

"It wasn't easy and I don't think I'll have many more tense games than this was at the end but I'm delighted," said Gilding.

"When I was 8-4 up it started slipping away quietly without me realising what was going on, and then he took out the 164 to level - but the bull finish has got to be the biggest shot of my life.

"I've never heard a roar like that before in my life from the crowd and it was great. The only advantage the other players have over me is experience and I'm rapidly gaining that."

The £300,000 Coral UK Open concludes on Sunday night, with the semi-finals followed by the final at the Butlins Minehead Resort in Somerset.

CORAL ODDS
Outright Tournament Odds
2/5 Michael van Gerwen
9/2 Peter Wright
5/1 Stephen Bunting
16/1 Andrew Gilding

Semi-Final Match Odds
11/10 Stephen Bunting v Peter Wright 8/11
1/8 Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding 5/1

WATCH LIVE

Live coverage of the Coral UK Open will be broadcast in the following territories:

ITV4 - UK & Ireland
RTL7 - Netherlands
Sport1 - Germany
Fox Sports - Australia
Sky - New Zealand
OSN - Middle East & North Africa]
www.LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers

LIVE SCORES
Live Scores will be available throughout the event at the PDC Live Scores website, http://live.dartsdata.com .

Full Results will also be available at the PDC website throughout the weekend - stay logged on for all the latest news.

GET INVOLVED
Join the conversation on social media throughout the event, using the #UKOpen hashtag.
www.twitter.com/OfficialPDC
www.facebook.com/OfficialPDC
Instagram - OfficialPDC
Snapchat - OfficialPDC
Vine - OfficialPDC
Google+

Coral UK Open
Sunday March 8

Afternoon Session (12.45pm-5pm)
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 10-6 Mervyn King
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Devon Petersen
Andrew Gilding 10-8 Mensur Suljovic
Peter Wright 10-6 Phil Taylor

Quarter-Finals - best of 19 legs
The semi-final draw will be made following the quarter-finals.

Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting v Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen v Andrew Gilding
Best of 19 legs

Final
Bunting/Wright v van Gerwen/Gilding
Best of 21 legs

Match Stats