PHIL TAYLOR created a new world record average in a televised game, whitewashing Kevin Painter to set up a fifth round clash with Simon Whitlock in the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.
Taylor's record-breaking fortnight continued with a sensational 118.66 average in denying Painter a dart at a double in the nine legs.
Taylor launched a relentless barrage from the opening dart, when he kicked off the match with a 180, and ended the contest with six maximum scores, three 11-darters and a 126 checkout.
"Kevin's a great player and I knew I had to perform to beat him," said Taylor, who had hit two nine-darters in winning the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts final a week last Monday.
"It sends a message out to the other players for the next round, and I love the competition of darts at the moment."
Taylor now faces in-form Australian Simon Whitlock in the last 16 in a repeat of their meeting in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final in January.
Whitlock's UK Open debut continued in style with a brilliant 9-4 defeat of Robert Thornton, as he reeled off seven successive legs to come from 4-2 down against the Scot.
Australian ace Whitlock hit a ten-darter and averaged 104.55 in sweeping to victory with a 50 percent checkout ratio.
Gary Anderson and Mervyn King will meet in another tasty fifth round game, having overcome Paul Nicholson and Michael Smith respectively in the last 32.
Anderson avenged last year's loss to Nicholson in Bolton with a 9-7 victory, as he hit back from 7-6 down to take the final three legs without reply, while King pulled clear from five-all to defeat Smith 9-6.
2008 champion James Wade remains on course for another UK Open title after ending the hopes of Irish youngster William O'Connor with a 9-3 win, and he faces Kevin McDine after the Geordie saw off Rileys Amateur Qualifier Paul Warwick 9-8 from being 8-6 down.
Ronnie Baxter and Andy Hamilton set up a fifth round meeting with wins over Tony Eccles and Alex Roy respectively, while Sussex thrower Tony Ayres came from 5-0 down to win 9-7 against former finalist Mark Walsh.
Fleetwood's Wes Newton bettered Whitlock's finishing with a superb 60 percent in a 9-1 win over Steve Maish, matching his scoreline in defeating Terry Jenkins in Friday's third round as he reached the last 16 for a third successive year.
Newton will take on Nigel Heydon, an undertaker from Leamington Spa, in the last 16 after the UK Open debutant defeated Wales' Wayne Atwood 9-6.
Defeats for Jelle Klaasen and 2004 winner Roland Scholten, against Wayne Jones and Alan Tabern respectively, saw the Dutch challenge in Bolton ended, while last year's beaten finalist, Colin Osborne, was defeated 9-5 by Adrian Lewis.
Lewis now faces Jones, while Tabern takes on Ayres in the last 16, with the other fifth round game seeing Andy Smith face Denis Ovens.
Smith overcame Jamie Caven 9-5, while Ovens came from 5-3 down to win 9-7 against Dennis Smith.
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Rileys Darts Zones UK Open
Fourth Round
Main Stage
Simon Whitlock 9-4 Robert Thornton
William O'Connor 3-9 James Wade
Kevin Painter 0-9 Phil Taylor
Gary Anderson 9-7 Paul Nicholson
Steve Maish 1-9 Wes Newton
Board Two
Kevin McDine 9-8 Paul Warwick
Alex Roy 6-9 Andy Hamilton
Adrian Lewis 9-5 Colin Osborne
Roland Scholten 5-9 Alan Tabern
Board Three
Denis Ovens 9-7 Dennis Smith
Ronnie Baxter 9-4 Tony Eccles
Andy Smith 9-5 Jamie Caven
Board Four
Mark Walsh 7-9 Tony Ayres
Wayne Jones 9-6 Jelle Klaasen
Michael Smith 6-9 Mervyn King
Wayne Atwood 6-9 Nigel Heydon
Fifth Round Draw
Main Stage
Ronnie Baxter v Andy Hamilton
Kevin McDine v James Wade
Phil Taylor v Simon Whitlock
Gary Anderson v Mervyn King
Board Two
Andy Smith v Denis Ovens
Alan Tabern v Tony Ayres
Nigel Heydon v Wes Newton
Adrian Lewis v Wayne Jones
First Set of Matches
Simon Whitlock produced a sensational display to defeat Robert Thornton 9-4. Thornton made a fine start, breaking throw in the opening leg and taking out finishes of 101 and 96 in moving 4-2 up. Whitlock, though, reeled off seven successive legs to win the game - hitting legs of ten, 11 and 12 darts in ending the match with an average of 105, a 50 percent checkout ratio and hitting six 180s.
Kevin McDine edged past Rileys Amateur Qualifier Paul Warwick in a thriller, which went all the way to a deciding leg. The pair shared the opening four legs but Warwick pulled clear at 6-3 only for McDine to level. Two more legs for the Milton Keynes qualifier took him to the brink of victory, but he failed to close out the win and McDine snatched the decider.
Denis Ovens reached the last 16 for the first time since 2006 with his 9-7 win over Dennis Smith. Smith led 2-0 but Ovens drew level and took a key 5-3 lead, with his opponent never able to bridge the gap as the Hertfordshire man held on to progress.
Tony Ayres made a brilliant comeback from 5-0 down to defeat Mark Walsh 9-7. Walsh, the 2005 runner-up, looked set to cruise to victory when he won the opening five legs without reply. Ayres hit back to level but Walsh won the 11th to lead again - only for his opponent to take four of the next five and reach the last 16.
Second Set of Matches
2008 champion James Wade ended the challenge of brave Irish debutant William O'Connor with a 9-3 victory. O'Connor shared the opening two legs but was punished for missed doubles as Wade won the next three to lead 4-1. The next four were split evenly, but three misses from O'Connor in the tenth were punished by another clinical double top from Wade, who then took the next two legs to move through.
Wayne Jones moved into the fifth round with a 9-6 win over Jelle Klaasen, remaining on course for a third Bolton quarter-final. Klaasen edged the early stages to lead 2-1 and 3-2, but Jones fought back to level and moved 7-5 up. Klaasen took the next, but successive legs from the Wolverhampton man gave him victory.
Andy Hamilton reached the last 16 for the second time in the UK Open, squeezing out Alex Roy 9-6. The pair were inseparable for the opening eight legs, before Hamilton won the ninth and took a crucial break in the tenth to lead 6-4 - the first time either player pulled clear - and maintained the advantage to progress.
Ronnie Baxter, a semi-finalist last year, defeated Tony Eccles 9-4 to move into the fifth round. Baxter secured an early break to lead 2-0 before Eccles hit back to reduce the gap at 4-3. Three successive legs for Baxter pulled him clear, and after Eccles took a fourth leg the Blackpool man fired in a brace of legs to wrap up the win.
Third Set of Matches
Phil Taylor created a new world record average in a televised game, whitewashing Kevin Painter with a sensational 118.66 average in denying his opponent a dart at a double in the nine legs. Taylor launched a relentless barrage from the opening dart, when he kicked off the match with a 180. He hit a 174 in the second leg, an 11-darter in the third and a 126 finish to take the fourth. Finishes of double eight and double four to lead 6-0, hit a 177 and an 89 checkout to win the seventh, two 180s in an 11-darter to win the next before posting scores of 100, 177, 140 and 84 for another 11-dart leg in wrapping up a whitewash.
Mervyn King battled past Michael Smith to move into the last 16 with a 9- win. Smith led 2-0 before King won four of the next five to edge ahead 4-3. Smith hit back to level at five-all before King put his foot to the floor, taking the next three legs to move to the brink of victory. St Helens youngster Smith kept his hopes alive by taking the 14th leg, but King swiftly sealed the win.
Adrian Lewis defeated Colin Osborne 9-6 to win his fifth round place. Osborne fell 2-0 down but hit back to lead 4-2, only for Lewis to take four successive legs in regaining the lead. Osborne won another leg, but Lewis held his advantage and took out 99 with two double tops in the 14th leg to seal victory.
Andy Smith moved into the last 16 for the second successive year, following up Friday night's defeat of Colin Lloyd with a 9-5 win over Jamie Caven. Caven took the opening leg but Smith won three in a row to take command of the match. Caven won the fourth, but Smith took a 6-2 cushion and also led 7-3 before holding his nerve to progress.
Fourth Set of Matches
Gary Anderson avenged last year's loss to Paul Nicholson in the UK Open with a 9-7 victory in the last 32. Nicholson took an early break of throw to lead 3-1 before Anderson levelled, but January's Players Championship winner held his throw to maintain the edge at 7-6. Anderson, though, kicked off the next with a 177 before levelling, matched that and took out 81 to break and lead for the first time at 8-7 before landing double ten for the win.
Nigel Heydon's UK Open debut continued in style with a fine 9-6 win over Wayne Atwood. Heydon, an undertaker from Leamington Spa, lead 3-1 and 6-4 before the Welshman hit back to level - only for the PDC newcomer to take the next three without reply in reaching the last 16.
Alan Tabern's return to form continued as he progressed to round five with a 9-5 defeat of Roland Scholten. Scholten, the 2004 UK Open champion, shared the opening four legs but Tabern took a crucial break to lead 6-4, and two further legs gave him an 8-4 cushion. The Dutchman won the next, but left-hander Tabern was too strong to secure his spot in Saturday's evening session.
Wes Newton reached the last 16 of the UK Open for a third successive year, seeing off Steve Maish 9-1 to stylishly progress. Newton had dropped only one leg in seeing off Terry Jenkins on Friday night, and repeated the scoreline with a clinical display, hitting 60 percent of his attempts at a finish - including checkouts of 116 and 108 - to see off the Essex man.