Phil Taylor was in typically clinical mood as he trounced Ronnie Baxter 9-1 to sweep into the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts
Taylor, Waites, Beaton and Stompe progress to quarter-finals
Phil Taylor was in typically clinical mood as he trounced Ronnie Baxter 9-1 to sweep into the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts.
The 15-time world champion - who averaged 99.75 - was not at his best, but produced an effortlessly efficient display at the Wolverhampton Civic Centre.
Having rattled through the first three legs, Taylor broke Baxter for a second time with a finish of 104 and then, after Baxter had missed a dart at a double, claimed the next to head to the first interval 5-0 ahead.
The procession continued on the resumption as Taylor took out 75, 88, 36 and 85 to move within one leg of the match at 9-0.
But Baxter made sure he avoided the ignominy of a whitewash as he checked out 66 to finally get on the board ahead of the second interval.
It proved a temporary reprieve for the Rocket who, after missing three darts at a double to put another leg on the board, watched as Taylor took out 54 to seal victory.
Waites moves on
Scott Waites, runner-up in 2009, booked his place in the last eight with a 10-7 triumph over Raymond van Barneveld.
Neither player hit top form during a patchy encounter, but it was Waites who took charge as he won three legs on the trot to pull 6-2 ahead.
The Dutchman responded to get back within one at 6-5 and had the chance to level, but having failed to do so Waites took out 72 with a bull finish to restore a two-leg lead.
Having moved to the brink of victory at 9-6, Waites then missed four darts for the match and had to watch on as van Barneveld checked out 84 to stay alive.
But the 43-year-old from The Hague could not take advantage of that escape and Waites came back to close out the match in the next leg.
Beaton, Stompe on song
Steve Beaton rolled back the years with a classy display to beat Ted Hankey 10-6.
The Count, who was jeered throughout by the crowd and lost his cool on a couple of occasions, stormed into an early 3-0 lead but was soon pegged back.
Indeed, Beaton rolled off the next six legs to take control of the contest and, when Hankey threatened a comeback, moved up another gear to go 8-5 and then 9-6 clear.
The 1996 BDO world champion finished the job in style, producing an 11-darter to end Hankey's hopes.
In the evening's first match, Dutchman Co Stompe proved a class above Colin Lloyd as he scored heavily and finished expertly to record a convincing 10-4 success.
