PHIL TAYLOR is on course for a second successive Blue Square UK Open Regional Final win after being one of the eight players to qualify for Sunday's final stages. Taylor was victorious in the Southern Regional Final a fortnight ago, and overcame Bob Anderson and Colin Lloyd en route to the last eight.
Taylor was victorious in the Southern Regional Final a fortnight ago, and overcame Bob Anderson, Colin Lloyd and Adrian Gray en route to the last eight.
Denis Ovens, John MaGowan and Terry Jenkins also qualified from Bigwigs, with James Wade, Wayne Mardle Colin Osborne and Steve Hine the qualifiers from the Sale Hotel.
Hine knocked out local star Darren Latham, Alan Tabern and Keith Deller before winning his decider 5-3 against Steve Beaton.
Osborne was a convincing winner in his four games, with a 5-1 win over Matt Sheehan followed by 5-2 victories against Alex Roy, Vincent van der Voort and Owen Caffrey.
Caffrey reached the quarter-finals in the equivalent event 12 months ago, but fell one game short of repeating the feat after ending American Roger Carter's hopes in the last 32.
James Wade ensured his place in Sunday's final stages with a 5-2 win against Steve Maish, having also defeated Alan Reynolds, Dennis Smith and Paul Anthony.
Mardle took out finishes of 164 and 156 in his win over Dave Jowett, having also seen off Steve Smith and Chris Mason.
Peter Manley knocked out Michael van Gerwen in the last 64, leaving the Dutch teenager needing a good run in the last Regional Final in the Midlands in a fortnight to secure his place in the Blue Square UK Open finals in Bolton.
John MaGowan, a semi-finalist at the Reebok Stadium last June, defeated Ronnie Baxter 5-4 in their final game to book a place in day two.
Mervyn King took out both Andy Hamilton and Adrian Lewis before losing to Baxter in his board final, while Darren Johnson missed double 12 for a perfect nine-darter before going down to Lloyd 5-4.
Yorkshire's Chris Thompson booked himself a place at the Reebok Stadium with a run to the last 16, before losing 5-4 to Ovens.
Quarter-Final Line-Up
