PartyPoker.net PDC US Open Saturday Round-Up
AMERICA
^S Ray Carver will attempt to stop Phil Taylor^s bid for a second successive PartyPoker.net PDC US Open on Sunday.
Carver sensationally knocked world number ten Wayne Mardle from the PDC US Open on Saturday with a 3-1 triumph at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
The Chicago-based left-hander will now take on Taylor in the quarter-finals on Sunday, following the defending champion^s 3-1 win over Colin Osborne in the last 16.
Taylor
averaged 107 in a scintillating display to see off the Derby challenger, who became the first player to take a set from the 13-time World Champion in the event but could not match Taylor^s firepower.
Canadian David Fatum^s best ever run in a major tournament continued with a 3-0 win over American Bill Davis in Saturday^s opening game, with the Arizona-based player dropping just one leg in the win.
He will face Chris Mason in the quarter-finals, after the Englishman came from a set down to Roger Carter^s hopes with a 3-1 win.
Ronnie Baxter also dented home hopes in the tournament, denying Gary Mawson - who had knocked out world number one Raymond van Barneveld on Friday - a dream 45th birthday with a 3-1 victory.
Colin Lloyd set up a tasty last eight contest with Baxter following a 3-0 whitewash of Roland Scholten which included a ten-darter.
The final quarter-final sees two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley take on Mark Dudbridge, after both enjoyed straight sets victories against Adrian Gray and Dave Honey.
PartyPoker.net PDC US Open
Fifth Round Results
Gary Mawson 1-3 Ronnie Baxter
Roland Scholten 0-3 Colin Lloyd
David Fatum 3-0 Bill Davis
Roger Carter 1-3 Chris Mason
Phil Taylor 3-1 Colin Osborne
Ray Carver 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Dave Honey 0-3 Mark Dudbridge
Adrian Gray 0-3 Dennis Priestley
Losers £3,000
Sunday May 18 (2pm start local time)
Quarter-Finals
Ronnie Baxter v Colin Lloyd
David Fatum v Chris Mason
Phil Taylor v Ray Carver
Dennis Priestley v Mark Dudbridge
Losers £4,000
Semi-Finals
v
v
Losers £5,000
Final
v
Winner £12,500
Runner-Up £7,500
DAVID FATUM 3-0 BILL DAVIS
(2-0, 2-1, 2-0)
DAVID FATUM celebrated his televised debut in style with a straight sets win over Bill Davis to reach the PartyPoker.net PDC US Open quarter-finals.
Fatum, born in Canada but now living in Arizona, dropped just one leg in a convincing win over Davis.
A 124 finish on the bullseye in the opening leg settled his nerves, and double ten ensured he won set one without reply.
He led in the second following a 120 checkout, which was bettered by Davis in the next as he took out a superb 164 finish.
But Fatum held the advantage in the decider, and missed five darts at a double before landing double four to seal a two-set cushion.
A second 180 from Davis was not enough in the next leg as double 18 put Fatum close to victory, and he took advantage of three missed doubles from his opponent to seal the win on double 16.
CHRIS MASON 3-1 ROGER CARTER
(1-2, 2-1, 2-1, 2-0)
CHRIS MASON came from a set down to end the challenge of American Roger Carter at the last 16 stage.
Carter defeated World Champion John Part on his way to Saturday^s fifth round, but was edged out by an assured Mason display.
Carter sneaked the first set 2-1, landing double five in the opening leg and punishing a missed bullseye from Mason in the decider to take the advantage.
A 158 finish from Mason at the start of the second showed his class as the Englishman stamped his authority on the contest, defying a leg and a maximum from Carter to take the set on double 18 in the third.
Mason then came from a leg down to take set three 2-1 and lead for the first time in the game.
And he wasted no time in sealing a quarter-final place by taking the fourth set 2-0, with Carter missing the bullseye for a 170 finish for a second time in the game as Mason set up a date with David Fatum on Sunday.
MARK DUDBRIDGE 3-0 DAVE HONEY
(2-0, 2-0, 2-1)
MARK DUDBRIDGE powered past Dave Honey to reach the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.net PDC US Open for a second successive year.
Dudbridge dropped just one leg in booking his last eight berth, showing his class with some clinical finishing.
He opened by winning leg one on double four, and took the set with a two-dart 78 finish.
The duo traded 180s in the second set^s opener before Dudbridge landed double top to take the next two legs and double his lead.
Double five put Dudbridge a leg away from victory, and he landed a 180 in the next before Honey got off the mark on double ten for an 80 finish.
But Dudbridge was swift in sealing the win, taking out double ten to move into the last eight.
"Dave^s a player of the future and he^s better than he showed today but my finishing was great," said Dudbridge.
"Everything^s a bonus from now on - Matt Clark had a dart to take me out in the early rounds and hopefully I can kick on tomorrow."
DENNIS PRIESTLEY 3-0 ADRIAN GRAY
(2-1, 2-0, 2-0)
DENNIS PRIESTLEY showed some vintage form to see off Adrian Gray in straight sets and move into the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.net PDC US Open.
Priestley dropped just on leg in the match - the opening leg - but sealed the win with six in a row to set up a last eight contest with Mark Dudbridge.
Gray opened by taking a scrappy first leg on double 16, but Priestley began the next with a 180 before two double top finishes saw him take the set.
Gray had his chances to lead in the second set, but both players missed a clutch of doubles in the opener before double two put the veteran Yorkshireman ahead.
He landed another maximum on his way to opening a two-set lead, before superb checkouts of 124 on double eight and 122 on the bullseye gave him victory.
PHIL TAYLOR 3-1 COLIN OSBORNE
(2-1, 2-0, 1-2, 2-0)
PHIL TAYLOR held off the challenge of Colin Osborne to remain on course for a second successive PartyPoker.net PDC US Open title with a 3-1 fifth round victory.
Taylor, who failed to drop a set in Friday^s early rounds, looked on course for another comfortable win when he opened up a two-set lead against Osborne.
But the Derby man fought back to take the third, only for Taylor^s consistency to see him pull away for victory with a superb average of 107.
"Colin stuck in there," praised Taylor. "There was a lot of pressure on him but he hung in there and showed a lot of bottle.
"I^m enjoying things and am in confident mood. I^m playing well and someone will have to do go up there and really perform if they want to beat me."
Taylor
opened the match with a break of throw in the first leg, and though Osborne hit back to level landed a 180 in the decider before taking out double 16 for the set.
Taylor
won the second set^s opener on double four, before a 177 score which left 28 pressured Osborne in the next leg, with the Derby man off-target on double 16 for a 107 finish.
Taylor
clinically stepped in on double 14 to open up a two-set lead, which was cut when Osborne took set three.
Osborne took out 97 in the first leg, only for Taylor to level with a 12-darter and move to within a leg of victory, but double ten saw the world number 18 take the set.
However, Taylor stormed to victory with back-to-back 13-darters to move into the quarter-finals.
RONNIE BAXTER 3-1 GARY MAWSON
(2-1, 2-0, 0-2, 2-1)
RONNIE BAXTER ruined Gary Mawson^s 45th birthday by ending the American^s PartyPoker.net PDC US Open hopes with a 3-1 win at the Mohegan Sun Casino.
Mawson was one of five north Americans to reach the last 16, and included world number one Raymond van Barneveld amongst his victims in the early rounds.
However, his run in the event was ended by Baxter, with Mawson giving himself too much to do after conceding an early two-set lead to the Englishman.
Baxter edged a tight first set 2-1 despite an 11-darter from Mawson, before winning back-to-back legs in taking set two without reply.
Mawson took advantage of misses from Baxter to take the third set^s opener, and double 14 for a 14-darter saw him pull back to 2-1 in the contest.
Baxter stepped in to win the opening leg of set four, with Mawson responding to level before double ten gave the Englishman victory.
"The doubles were going in early on but I relaxed and maybe I relaxed too much and my scoring dipped off," said Baxter. "I got myself back together and am pleased to get the win."
RAY CARVER 3-1 WAYNE MARDLE
(2-1, 0-2, 2-1, 2-1)
AMERICA
^S Ray Carver stunned Wayne Mardle with a 3-1 triumph to set up a quarter-final against Phil Taylor in the PartyPoker.net PDC US Open.
Carver ensured that he would be one of two north Americans in the last eight of the tournament, joining David Fatum in Sunday^s quarters after a memorable triumph.
A 120 finish saw him take the opening set in a deciding leg, before Mardle hit back to win the second without reply, following up a two-dart 86 finish with a second successive double 16 to level matters.
The pair shared the first two legs of set three before Carver produced a killer blow in the decider, taking out 131 on double 16 with Mardle waiting on 32.
A 65 finish saw Carver move in front in set four, only for Mardle to keep himself in the game with a 121 checkout to level.
But the English star missed his chance to take the set in the next, and Carver sealed the win on double 16.
"I^ve a lot of respect for Wayne and he^s always a tight player and I had to take any chances he left, which I did," said Carver.
"I^m very proud to be in the quarter-finals with some of the best players in the world and I^ll prepare for Phil now. He^s one of the best players in the world and I^m looking forward to it."
COLIN LLOYD 3-0 ROLAND SCHOLTEN
(2-0, 2-0, 2-0)
COLIN LLOYD stormed into the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.net PDC US Open with a whitewash of Roland Scholten at the Mohegan Sun.
Lloyd produced arguably the most impressive display of round five in failing to drop a single leg with a ruthless performance which included a ten-darter.
Lloyd edged a scrappy first leg on double four, missing three darts before landing double four with Scholten sat on a double.
He took the set with a 13-darter, and then kicked off set two with back-to-back 180s.
Although a potential nine-darter went begging, he left 36 and returned to complete the leg in ten darts - although Scholten himself missed the bullseye for a 161 finish of his own.
Lloyd took out double top in the next to seal set two and even a maximum from Scholten was not enough to prevent him moving one-up in the third.
Three ton-plus scores gave Lloyd the edge in the next, and he landed double eight for a 15-darter to ensure his place in the quarter-finals and send out a message to the rest of the tournament - having only dropped two sets in five matches so far.
"Yesterday was tough and when I knew I had to play Roland I knew I^d have to perform," said Lloyd.
"It^s difficult when you^re playing a close friend like Roland but I had to switch off and be professional.
"It^s nice to be playing well again and I can look forward to the quarter-finals now. I^m enjoying myself and feel relaxed."