Новости Unicorn

Wade brushed aside Mervyn King 16-11, while Jenkins saw off a Ronnie Baxter fightback to win 16-13.

For Jenkins, it’s either Phil Taylor or Roland Scholten in the last four. Wade will meet either Raymond Van Barneveld or Adrian Lewis

It has been an unbelievable 12 months and what a tournament it’s turning out to be in his first event as a Team Unicorn player and Jenkins is now guaranteed to be No.3 in the world rankings at the end of the World Matchplay.

After making a slow start, when Baxter broke the throw in the first leg, Jenkins soon clicked into gear. He won four consecutive legs and then came a spate of 180s. Even though Baxter broke again to trail 4-5, Jenkins produced another golden spell – again reeling off four legs on the spin and from 9-4 in front.

He was cruising and produced a dominant darting display…..at 15-8, it looked to be only a matter of time but staring defeat in the face, Baxter started to relax and started to play his natural game.

He won five consecutive legs and Jenkins started to feel the pressure. He missed six darts to win and just for a moment, he was certainly feeling the heat. ‘The Bull’ though held his concentration and finally hit double top to clinch his semi-final spot.

It was a relieved Jenkins afterwards: “I was so glad when that last dart went in. I didn’t think it was going to happen. When Ronnie started to come back, all the pressure was on me but I am pretty good at handling it and made sure I stayed focused. I just have to be more clinical getting over that final hurdle.”

He added: “I would love to meet Phil in the semi-finals. I have never beaten him, so what better place to start!”

We expected a much closer quarter-final between Wade and King but it never materialised. King was strangely out-of-sorts but Wade came up with the goods – a highly professional display in all departments.

The young Unicorn Maestro was never behind….two breaks of the King throw gave him a 7-3 lead. In fact the legs King won, he did so with finishes of 126, 88 and 114.

King broke in the 19th leg to briefly threaten but Wade hit back with a 133 check-out and the confidence visibly drained out of King.

Six 180s, an average of 90, a 36 per cent check-out rate…..it was a job well done…and both Wade and Jenkins are now guaranteed at least £10,000 for reaching the semi-finals.

“It was an ok display,” said Wade. “I know I am going to have to play a lot better if I want to get to the final again – but it is certainly something to build on.”

Thursday Quarter-Final results:

Terry Jenkins 16-13 Ronnie Baxter
James Wade 16-11 Mervyn King

Thursday evening order of play:

Raymond Van Barneveld v Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor v Roland Scholten

BY STUART PYKE

Photo courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC