Taylor-made clash for Van Gerwen

Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen will clash in the BetVictor World Matchplay quarter-finals after progressing through Wednesday's second round alongside Adrian Lewis and Alan Norris in Blackpool.
Phil Taylor meets Michael Van Gerwen in the quarter-finals     Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDCPhil Taylor meets Michael Van Gerwen in the quarter-finals     Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Phil Taylor meets Michael Van Gerwen in the quarter-finals Picture: Lawrence Lustig/PDC

Taylor, the 15-time World Matchplay champion, punished missed doubles from great rival Raymond van Barneveld to claim a comfortable 11-3 victory from their eagerly-awaited clash on the Winter Gardens stage.

“It was a lot easier than I expected,” admitted Taylor. “Probably 11-9 would have been been a more reflective score, but Ray was unlucky and his doubles cost him.

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“Raymond never gives in and his scoring was lovely, but a couple of his doubles let him down tonight and he’s a better player than that.”

Reigning champion Van Gerwen, meanwhile, continued his bid for a third straight Blackpool title by cruising to an 11-3 win over Australian Simon Whitlock, who was punished for 12 missed doubles.

Lewis and Norris, meanwhile, set up a tasty quarter-final tie as they defeated Rob Cross and Dave Chisnall respectively.

Lewis was an 11-8 winner in a tight battle with shooting star Cross, who averaged 104 and hit eight doubles from 14 attempts.

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However, it was Lewis who finished the stronger as he backed up nine 180s by claiming the final three legs without reply to secure his quarter-final spot.

Lewis landed three of those maximums in the opening two legs and also fired in a 177 score as he moved 4-2 up, before a brilliant 144 checkout retained his two-leg cushion at 5-3.

Cross responded brilliantly with a 10-darter in leg nine and levelled with a 14-dart finish, but crucially was unable to break Lewis’ throw to move ahead as the Stoke ace landed a 121 finish at a key moment before pulling clear from 8-8 for the win.

Norris, meanwhile, defied 11 maximums from Chisnall by following nine 180s of his own with five ton-plus checkouts as he secured a 14-12 tie-break triumph.

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Chisnall had made a stunning start with a pair of maximums in the first two legs.

Trailing 12-11, Norris took the 24th leg on double five, fired home a 109 checkout to break and then finished 100 to secure his first quarter-final at the World Matchplay.

“I’m so pleased to have won that because I always seem to lose to Dave by the odd leg, so I’m very happy to come through a battle like that,” said Norris.

“In the tie-break maybe I had some extra reserves and I got the job done.”