PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts - Saturday Afternoon Round-Up
Red Dragon Darts SCOTT WAITES produced the performance of his career to win through to the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts, where he will take on Terry Jenkins on Sunday.
Yorkshireman Waites, the 2008 World Masters runner-up, followed up Friday^s thrilling second round defeat of Gary Anderson by seeing off Simon Whitlock 16-13 in the quarter-finals.
Waites came from 5-4 down to lead 9-5 and also landed a 144 checkout in taking a 13-8 cushion.
Australian Whitlock cut the gap to one leg, but Waites hit three 180s in his final three winning legs to book a semi-final berth.
"It was a big struggle all the way through but I^m delighted to have won." said Waites, a joiner who has now earned the biggest paycheck of his darts career with a minimum £25,000 prize money.
He could still take the £100,000 title on Sunday night, although 2008 runner-up Terry Jenkins lays in wait in the semi-finals following his 16-9 defeat of Robert Thornton.
Jenkins made a brilliant start to lead 9-2, and though the Scot cut the gap to 10-7 he could never claw his way back into the game.
"I got a good start and it paid off," said Jenkins. "I^m looking forward to playing Scott in the semis - he^s been brilliant and I^ve been impressed by him this week."
Saturday^s evening session features the remaining two quarter-finals take place, as Raymond van Barneveld takes on Kevin Painter and reigning champion Phil Taylor meets BDO number one Tony O^Shea.
PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts
Quarter-Finals
Afternoon Session
Scott Waites 16-13 Simon Whitlock
Terry Jenkins 16-9 Robert Thornton
Evening Session (7pm Start)
Raymond van Barneveld v Kevin Painter
Phil Taylor v Tony O^Shea
Best of 31 legs
SCOTT WAITES 16-13 SIMON WHITLOCK
SCOTT WAITES produced the performance of his career to reach the semi-finals of the 2009 PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 16-13 victory over Simon Whitlock.
The Yorkshireman, who has now guaranteed himself £25,000, will take take on either Terry Jenkins or Robert Thornton on Sunday afternoon.
Both players held throw at the start of the match before Waites put together consecutive 12-dart finishes for a 3-1 lead.
Whitlock hit back by taking the next two legs to level at 3-3, which included an 11-darter in the sixth leg.
Waites led again by converting an 87 finish for an 11 darter of his own, but missed a dart at double nine for a 5-3 lead and Whitlock landed double five for 4-4.
Whitlock then led for the second time in the opening by hitting double 12 but Waites quickly levelled with a 108 checkout.
Waites hit two maximums in the process of regaining the lead. He then won the next two legs to increase his lead to 8-5 despite the Australian hitting a maximum in each of those legs.
Waites took a 9-5 lead before Whitlock managed to take the 15th leg, only after Waites missed a chance to pull further away.
Whitlock broke his opponent^s throw in the next leg and then landed double top to reduce the deficit to 9-8.
But Waites, who defeated Gary Anderson in a thrilling second round clash on Friday night, put together a run of four winning legs to pull away again.
He broke Whitlock^s throw in the 19th leg by hitting double 15, and then hit a fantastic 144 checkout to lead 13-8.
Waites had two darts at double 16 to continue his winning of legs, but those attempts where off-target and Whitlock converted a two-dart 60 finish.
The Australian, who defeated Waites in the group-stages, earlier in the week, then landed another two-dart 60 finish, followed by a 14-darter to keep himself in the game at 13-11.
Whitlock then won the next leg to reduce the deficit to win, but Waites hit a maximum to lead 14-12 and win his first leg in five.
Whitlock landed a 102 checkout to win the 27th leg, but Waites hit his a eighth maximum of the game in a 14 darter to move to the brink of victory.
Whitlock had three chances to keep the match alive, and Waites stepped in to land double 18 and continue his dream run.
"It was a big struggle all the way through but I^m delighted to have won." said Waites.
"After about the tenth or 11th leg I got a couple of legs against the darts and got the lead, but Simon never gave in and was always on my tail."
Whitlock said: "Scott was just too good in the end, he was brilliant."
"I missed a few doubles that I^d been hitting earlier in the week and Scott took his chances, especially when I feel asleep a bit in the middle. I hung in there and got it close but could never quite get back level with him."
TERRY JENKINS 16-9 ROBERT THORNTON
TERRY JENKINS remains on course for a second successive appearance in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts final following a 16-9 win over Robert Thornton at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Jenkins will now take on Scott Waites in Sunday^s semi-finals following a strong display to end the Scotsman^s challenge.
Jenkins came out of the blocks fast, winning the opening leg in 12 darts. He broke Thornton^s throw to with a 64 finish, and the Herefordshire man hit double 18 in the next for a 3-0 lead.
Thorntongot himself into the game by winning the fourth leg, after Jenkins missed a dart to increase his lead, but the sixth seed restored his three-leg advantage by hitting double six.
Jenkins broke throw for the time in the game to win the sixth leg, and followed that by landing double top in increasing his lead to 6-1.
Jenkins hit his second 180 of the game in the eighth leg, but Thornton won it with a 110 checkout to win just his second leg of the game.
Thornton missed three chances to reduce the gap to 6-3 and Jenkins made the Scotsman pay by hitting double 10.
Jenkins hit double top to win the tenth leg and double top came to his aid again to move Jenkins into a 9-2 lead.
The Scotsman hit his maximum of the match in the process of winning the 12th leg, and then produced a 13-dart finish to reduce the gap to 9-4.
Thornton continued the fightback by converting a 77 finish to continue the fightback, but Jenkins took a 10-5 lead in the next leg, by hitting double 10.
Thornton, who came through a deciding-leg to defeat Darin Young, in the previous round, won the next two legs, to cut the deficit to three legs and give himself a fighting chance.
But Jenkins put together legs of 12, and 15 darts, before winning the next two legs to move 14-7 ahead and within sight of victory.
Thornton stopped the rot by hitting double five with his last dart, but Jenkins hit his seventh maximum of the match in taking the 23rd leg, and move one leg away from victory.
A disappointed Thornton said, "I couldn^t get going at the start and Terry came out firing."
"I had no answer and left myself too much to do, but I am starting to play well again."