Новости Unicorn

Taylor marched into the quarter-finals of the World Darts Trophy, thanks to a blistering darting display to beat Roland Scholten by 3 sets to 1 in Utrecht.

His end average was a superb 106….and after the first set, Taylor was averaging a staggering 124.5!

To be fair, Scholten didn’t do a lot wrong but he just couldn’t live with the Unicorn star and his miserable record against ‘The Power’ continues…..Scholten has never beaten Taylor in a TV tournament.

Taylor started with an 11-darter, only to see Scholten hit a terrific 160 finish but Taylor closed out the set….in fact he went 2 legs up in the 2nd set but Scholten then reeled off three in a row to maintain his 100 per cent check-out rate…..but that’s as close as ‘The Tripod’ came to causing an upset.

Taylor was finding bull finishes for fun and he wrapped up the victory by winning six out of the next seven legs, including a 136 kill…..now, we wait to see if he can maintain this high standard, as he bids to win the World Darts Trophy for a second successive year.

But Taylor will now face Team Unicorn stablemate Terry Jenkins in the last eight….remember the last time the pair met, Jenkins beat Taylor in the semi-finals of the World Matchplay in Blackpool.

‘The Bull’ wasn’t at his best but didn’t really need to be, as he dispatched Shaun Greatbatch by 3 sets to 1…..Jenkins took the opening set but then was on the end of a 144 finish from Greatbatch in the second…..The Hereforshire man cruised through the next by 3 legs to nil and came from behind in the 4th set to take the match with a 78 check-out.

Jenkins averaged only 93 and he knows he will have to up the ante against ‘The Power’ in Friday’s quarter-final but it should be some game if both players are firing….and of course, it is now a longer format – over the best of nine sets.

There was big disappointment for Adrian Lewis in the battle of the young guns….despite winning the first set, he lost 3-1 against Welshman Mark Webster.

Lewis looked in good touch at the start but went off the boil as the match reached a critical stage….At one set apiece, the game reached that pivotal point. The 3rd set went into a deciding leg…..Lewis missed one dart to take it and his chance was gone, as Webster breezed through the 4th set to move into the quarter-finals. In the end, Lewis’ finishing let him down.

In the other 2nd Round match, Mervyn King edged out Scott Waites in a final set tie-break but watch out for Waites at the Grand Slam of Darts in November….he looks some darting talent.

Wednesday’s 2nd Round results (best of 5 sets):

Mark Webster 3-1 Adrian Lewis
Scott Waites 2-3 Mervyn King
Shaun Greatbatch 1-3 Terry Jenkins
Roland Scholten 1-3 Phil Taylor

Thursday’s Quarter-Final schedule (best of 9 sets):

Gary Anderson v Peter Manley
Martin Adams v Andy Hamilton

Friday’s Quarter-finals:

Mark Webster v Mervyn King
Terry Jenkins v Phil Taylor

BY STUART PYKE