PDC World Championship - Match Reports Day 11, Afternoon

WHITLOCK EDGES OUT CHISNALL AS WADE & NEWTON PROGRESS TO LAST EIGHT
SIMON WHITLOCK edged into the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship with a seven-set win over Dave Chisnall on Thursday afternoon, as Wes Newton and James Wade joined the Australian in the last eight.
Whitlock, the 2010 runner-up and a semi-finalist 12 months ago, produced a key 152 finish to save the game in his third round clash with Chisnall, when the St Helens ace took a 3-2 lead in the deciding set and left himself a chance to take victory. The Australian then won the next two legs to edge the victory, setting up a quarter-final against Raymond van Barneveld.

World number three James Wade clinically punished Holland's Vincent van der Voort for missed doubles as he took a straight sets victory from their clash. Wade will now meet Wes Newton, who was a 4-1 winner against Mark Walsh earlier in the afternoon.

Newton, meanwhile, overcame Mark Walsh 4-1 in their last 16 contest, although after taking a three-set lead the number six seed was made to sweat by a fightback from the former UK Open finalist. Walsh took the fourth set and then led 2-0 in the fifth, but Newton took out a key 121 finish as he won the next three legs to claim victory.



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Wes Newton 4-1 Mark Walsh
(3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2)
WES NEWTON reached the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship for the second time in the three years with a 4-1 victory over Mark Walsh at Alexandra Palace.
Newton, who had impressed in his second round win over Scott Rand before the Christmas break, edged the opening set before taking six legs in a row in the process of moving 3-0 up. Walsh staged a mini-revival as he won the fourth set and had three chances to extend the contest in the fifth, but Newton came from 2-0 down to win the set and confirm his last eight place.

"I'm delighted to be through," said Newton. "I know I've got much more to give in this tournament and I'll need to do that if I'm going to progress. "I never really performed during this game, but Mark didn't turn up either, and we probably dragged each other down. I'd played really well in the second round but I think I lost some momentum over the Christmas break. It's the first game where I've dropped a set in three matches and I'm still in there fighting. James is a world-class player and he's won six or seven majors, so I've got to go away, put some more practice in and come out firing on all cylinders in the quarter-finals."

Walsh, who secured an impressive victory over Justin Pipe in the second round, hit a 180 in the first leg before converting 61 in two darts to take an immediate break of throw. Newton took out 72, on double three, to win the second leg and then won the third thanks to an accurate attempt at double five. Walsh hit double five to win the fourth leg, but missed his chance to land double top in the fifth as Newton stepped into hit double eight and edge a tight opening set.
Both players held throw in the opening two legs of the second set before Newton landed double eight, to complete a 14-darter, in the third as he broke his opponent's throw. Newton, who reached the quarter-finals at Alexandra Palace two years ago, then claimed the fourth leg thanks to an accurate third dart at double one, to increase his lead to two sets.
Walsh's double trouble continued at the start of the third set, as four chances at double top went begging, and Newton hit double eight to take the opener. Newton hit the same double to break throw in the second leg, and an accurate attempt at double top sealed the set without reply, leaving Walsh with a mountain to climb at 3-0 down.
Walsh made a winning start to the fourth set as he hit double five to win his first leg in seven, before Newton levelled thanks to a confident 13-dart finish. Walsh won the third leg on double top before the Fleetwood ace landed double five to move a leg away from the last eight. The deciding leg initially saw Walsh miss the bullseye to take the set, but Newton was unable to finish 130 and the Hertforshire thrower posted double eight to take the set and hit back.
Walsh won the first leg of the fifth set against the darts by landing double ten, and then took the second, after Newton was guilty of missing two darts at doubles. The third leg,though, saw Walsh miss two darts at double top to win his second set, and Newton edged double 12 to respond. Walsh then left 82 after 12 darts thrown in the fourth, but Newton converted a superb 121 finish to break throw with a 12-darter to level the set and, more importantly, put himself back on the brink of victory. Walsh began the fifth leg with a maximum, but a missed dart at double top gave Newton a chance to win the match, and he landed double five to end the contest.



Simon Whitlock 4-3 Dave Chisnall
(3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 5-3)
SIMON WHITLOCK edged out Dave Chisnall with a thrilling 4-3 triumph to reach the quarter-finals of the 2013 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship for the third time in four years at Alexandra Palace.
The Australian, the 2010 runner-up, led the match three times before Chisnall hit back to force himself ahead in the deciding set, putting himself 3-2 up and within touching distance of victory. Whitlock, though, finished a crucial 152 checkout to level the final set before winning the next two legs to book his quarter-final spot against Gary Anderson or Raymond van Barneveld.

"When I fell 3-2 down in the final set I was well aware that I had to produce something special, and I did that with the 152 finish," said Whitlock, a semi-finalist 12 months ago. "Dave's an excellent player and we've had a few tough battles in recent months, and today's match was no different. I led the match three times but could never shake Dave off and I had to dig very deep."

Whitlock won the opening leg on the match with a 15-darter, before Chisnall took the second with a fabulous 157 checkout. Chisnall then hit a 180 in the next, but a 162 from Whitlock left 16, and the 2010 runner-up hit double four to lead for a second time. The St Helens ace won the fourth leg with the aid of a 180, but Whitlock forged ahead in the fifth thanks to a 171 score, and an accurate dart at double ten wrapped up the opening set.
Whitlock, who failed to drop a set in his opening two matches, made a positive start to the second set as he broke throw on double ten to win the first leg. Chisnall hit back by landing double eight to win the second leg, and took the third on tops, after Whitlock was guilty of wasting three chances at double 16. Chisnall, who defeated Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney in a high-scoring second round encounter, hit a 180 in the fourth leg, but let three darts at doubles to win the set go begging. However, Whitlock was off-target with three attempts of his own, and Chisnall accepted the reprieve by hitting double five to level the match.
Whitlock, who won the European Championship in September, took out 74 to win the first leg of set three, and then hit a confident 13-dart finish to take the second. That gave the Australian command of the set, which was duly won in the third leg with a two-dart 78 finish as he edged back ahead.
Chisnall hit a 180 in the process of taking the first leg of the fourth set before winning the second with a 14-darter, after Whitlock missed one dart at double 19. Chisnall then won the next as hit double top for the second time in three legs to take the set without reply and leave the game finely balanced at two sets apiece.
Whitlock hit a 120 checkout to win the first leg of the fifth set and secured the second against the darts on double two, which included a 180. Both players fired in maximums in the third leg before Whitlock missed four darts at doubles to win the set, but Chisnall failed with two attempts at double top and the Australian returned to hit double ten and edge ahead for the third time.
Chisnall hit back at the start of the sixth set as he landed the bullseye to convert a 76 finish, before an accurate attempt at double ten gave the number 12 seed the second. Whitlock, who was edged out by Andy Hamilton in dramatic semi-final 12 months ago, managed to edge the third leg on tops after Chisnall wasted three chances to wrap up the set. The Australian hit a fabulous 126 finish, completed on the bullseye, to take the fourth to move a leg away from the victory, but Chisnall held his nerve to force a deciding set.
Whitlock converted a 100 finish to take the first leg of set seven, and converted a 130 checkout on the bullseye to move 2-0 up, making Chisnall pay for two missed darts at doubles. Chisnall kicked off the third leg with consecutive 180s, igniting hopes of a second nine-darter in this tournament, and although he missed a seventh treble 20, he won the leg in 14 darts to secure a vital break of throw. The St Helens ace then hit double 16 with a pressure third darts to win the fourth leg, before taking the fifth on double four, after Whitlock missed the bullseye, to lead 3-2 - moving ahead for the first time in the game. The sixth leg saw Chisnall leave 90 after 12 darts to put himself to the brink of victory, but Whitlock produced a spectacular 152 finish to keep the game alive. Whitlock hit a 180 in the process of taking the seventh leg, and an accurate attempt at double top in the next secured a quarter-final place.

Chisnall admitted: "The 152 from Simon was a real killer. Simon's a great player but I was disappointed with my scoring today and I had too many slack darts, but it was a great game."



James Wade 4-0 Vincent van der Voort
(3-0, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1)
JAMES WADE reached his fifth Ladbrokes World Darts Championship quarter-final thanks to a straight-sets victory over Dutchman Vincent van der Voort at Alexandra Palace.
Wade's progression through the tournament continued as he set up a quarter-final against Wes Newton by punishing a string of missed doubles from van der Voort. The Dutchman out-scored the world number three, but was punished for missing chances to win the second and third sets as Wade progressed.

"I never reached top gear and Vincent made my job much easier for me by missing so many darts at doubles," admitted Wade. "It's frustrating not to play my best in this tournament so far, but I've only dropped two sets in the three matches I've played, so I must be doing something right. "I'm feeling really relaxed at the moment but I believe that if I'm pushed that I'll do something special. I'll have to play well in the next game."

Wade hit a 180 in the opening leg of the match, which he won on double ten, before punishing a miss at tops from the Dutchman to win the second - for a 160 finish - on double 12. Wade the posted double five in leg three to win the first set in comfortable fashion before taking the opening leg of the second set against the darts by pinning double 16.
Van der Voort hit two 180s in the process of taking his first leg of the match, with an 11-darter, before hitting double 16 to take the third leg. Wade missed three darts at double five to take the fourth leg, but van der Voort let three chances to win the set go begging, and Wade returned to hit double two to level. The number three seed, who saw off Steve Beaton in the round two, then landed double top in the deciding leg to give himself a two-set lead.
Van der Voort put the disappointment of the previous set behind him as he began the third with a 108 finish, before taking the second leg in 13 darts, which included a 180. Wade hit double 18 to win the third leg, and an accurate third dart at double five gave the Aldershot ace the fourth before he punished two misses from van der Voort to take the set by landing tops to pull clear.
Both players held their throw at the start of the fourth set before Wade secured a break of throw on double 19, after van der Voort missed six further darts at doubles. Van der Voort hit a 180 - his fourth of the game - in the next leg to forge ahead, only for Wade to hit a 159 to leave 24, and when the Dutchman missed three more doubles he stepped in to hit double 12 to secure a last eight place.



Pictures with kind permission from Lawrence Lustig, PDC





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