Grand Slam of Darts: Raymond van Barneveld to face Phil Taylor
Saturday 14 November 2015 10:27, UK
Raymond van Barneveld and Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor will renew their rivalry in the Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals after winning their last-eight clashes on Friday.
Van Barneveld held off a spirited comeback from Mark Webster to beat him to the finishing line, winning 16-12, before Taylor coasted past an outmatched Robert Thornton to win 16-7.
It seemed for long periods that the scoreline would be far more comfortable in Van Barneveld's quarter-final against Webster.
The brilliant Dutchman had a five-leg lead at 13-8 but Webster wasn't willing to quit and racked up four legs on the trot including a thrilling 107 finish that had the crowd on their feet, believing in his chances of a shock result.
Eventually Van Barneveld stopped the rot with a break of throw to go 15-12 up with a flashy 124 finish and he sealed the deal shortly after.
It could have been so much easier - a run of two breaks either side of holding his own throw had put Barney 9-4 up, and included a mesmeric 161 checkout on the bull that even had Webster nodding with appreciation.
The Welshman, undeterred, hit his own impressive 110 finish but Barney was frequently a step ahead - celebrating with arms aloft after hitting a brilliant 146 checkout against the throw.
Webster's rally back from a five-leg deficit ultimately took him only so far, and Van Barneveld showed his class by remaining composed as the crowd became agitated, sealing his semi-final berth, even if it was harder than it could have been.
Taylor showed him how it should have been done by thrashing Thornton with a performance that delivered a reminder of his ever-lasting quality.
The Stoke legend hit five ton-plus finishes and didn't give up his throw a single time - a 167 checkout on a bullseye was a highlight of the evening.
The game seemed to be up for Thornton as Taylor opened a double-break to go 9-5 up and he never looked back. A further two breaks gave him an insurmountable lead and confirmed another chapter to his rivalry against Van Barneveld in Sunday's semi-final.
Watch the Grand Slam of Darts continue on Saturday, live on Sky Sports 3 HD at 7pm.
