RESULTS and news from Saturday evening's fifth round at the Blue Square UK Open in Bolton.
The tournament continued as the last 16 faced off for places in Sunday's quarter-finals.
First games
JAMES WADE and Chris Thompson won the first two fifth round contests, defeating Ronnie Baxter and Brendan Dolan with 9-2 scorelines.
Wade reached his first UK Open quarter-final with a commanding display, bouncing back from losing the opening leg to sweep to victory.
Five in a row put the world number three 5-1 up before Baxter replied on double ten. But Wade responded like a champion with an 11-darter followed by a 105 finish in taking a 7-2 lead, and a ten-darter sealed the win.
Thompson's victory relied less on the scoring class shown by Wade and owed more to a strong finishing display from the Yorkshireman, who celebrated a year on the PDC circuit with his first major quarter-final.
Dolan led 1-0, but missed doubles in the next three as Thompson eased in front.
A 100 checkout from Thompson put him 4-1 up before Dolan replied on double eight, but the solicitors clerk from York took the next five without reply to earn his last eight spot.
Second games
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD powered to a 9-4 victory over Andy Hamilton to keep alive his hopes of a third successive Bolton win.
The first four legs were shared before a ten-darter put van Barneveld up and he then broke throw in the next with a 14-darter and won leg seven to open up a 5-2 cushion.
A 106 finish saw Hamilton stop the run, but the duo shared the next two and even two 180s from the Englishman in leg 11 could not stop van Barneveld going 7-4 up.
He also hit maximums in the next two, but the Dutchman was too strong and sealed his place in the quarter-finals.
"I had five or six bad months and I was changing my darts but I'm settled again now," he said. "I believe in myself and am happy with how I'm playing.
"Jason Barry was brilliant this afternoon and Andy is one of the top ten players in the world, and he played really well."
Alan Tabern is on course for a second semi-final appearance in three years after edging out Simon Whatley 9-8 in an epic.
The St Helens man took a 4-1 lead before finishes of 102, 121 on the bullseye and 104 saw Whatley level and then move 7-5 up, lifting his average to almost 100.
Tabern took the next three to go 8-7 up, but missed a dart for victory in leg 16 as Whatley landed double ten to send the match into a decider.
Two tons and a 140 sent Tabern clear in the 17th leg, and he took out double nine to seal his place in the last eight.
"I seem to be doing everything the hard way and it all seems to be going to the wire," said Tabern. "But I'm still in and fingers crossed I can do well on Sunday."
Third games
2007 RUNNER-UP Vincent van der Voort took a 9-6 win over close friend Jelle Klaasen in a quick-fire contest.
The Dutch duo rarely paused for breath in an enjoyable contest, with van der Voort eventually proving too strong to repeat his World Championship win over Klaasen.
Klaasen had seven perfect darts in leg two, but van der Voort had the better of the early exchanges to lead 4-1, including a 91 finish for a break of throw.
Klaasen broke throw back in the seventh leg, and a 14-darter saw him level, but three more from van der Voort saw him go 7-4 up.
The next two were shared and Klaasen took advantage of seven missed match darts to stay in the game, but a timely maximum from van der Voort set up double top in the next, and he made no mistake this time.
"It's such a hard game because he's a close friend and it's no fun to beat him," said van der Voort. "I played my own game and though I didn't play my best I'm happy to be through."
Gary Mawson ensured north American representation in the quarter-finals by edging a final-leg thriller against Mark Dudbridge.
Dudbridge took an early 3-1 lead, but allowed Mawson back in with three successive legs to put himself ahead.
The next six legs were shared to leave Mawson 7-6 up before Dudbridge took advantage of five misses from the American to level and then move 8-7 up on the bullseye.
Mawson easily took leg 16 on double top to send the game into a decider, and was the stronger to set up double top - with Dudbridge needing 156.
The Bristolian landed two treble 20s, but missed the double 18 and allowed Mawson to move through on double ten.
Fourth Games
WORLD CHAMPION John Part was dumped from the tournament with a 9-6 loss to Wayne Jones.
The Wolverhampton man made a sensational start, including legs of 13 and 14 darts and a 161 finish in taking a 4-0 lead.
Canadian Part hit back to level by taking five of the next six, including a 14-darter of his own, but paid for three misses in leg 11 as Jones regained the lead.
Part missed two more doubles in the next leg as Jones put daylight between the pair and moved 8-5 up before Part took leg 14.
But Jones took out 80 in two darts in the next to reach the last eight.
Phil Taylor followed up his earlier nine-darter with a scintillating performance to win 9-3 against Wes Newton.
Taylor kicked off with two 11-darters in moving 2-1 up, with Newton landing double 18 in leg two to get off the mark.
But Taylor established a 4-1 cushion with an average of 115, and though Newton won leg six there was little the Lancashire hopeful could do against a barrage from the 13-time World Champion.
Taylor took out 116 and 102 either side of two 13-darters to move 8-2 up, with Newton having to pull out an 11-darter of his own to stay in the game.
But Taylor responded to a Newton 180 in the next with two more maximums of his own to seal the win on double four with an 11-darter and a 114.53 average.
Blue Square UK Open Fifth Round
Fifth Round
Main Stage
James Wade 9-2 Ronnie Baxter
Andy Hamilton 4-9 Raymond van Barneveld
Vincent van der Voort 9-6 Jelle Klaasen
Wayne Jones 9-6 John Part
Wes Newton 3-9 Phil Taylor
Board Two
Chris Thompson 9-2 Brendan Dolan
Simon Whatley 8-9 Alan Tabern
Gary Mawson 9-8 Mark Dudbridge
Best of 17 legs
Quarter-Final Order of Play
Wayne Jones v Gary Mawson
Vincent van der Voort v Chris Thompson
Raymond van Barneveld v Phil Taylor
James Wade v Alan Tabern
1pm Sunday
Best of 19 legs