Rob Cross powered into the last eight of the Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals as he held off Adrian Lewis on Saturday night, as Michael van Gerwen continued his bid to claim a third successive title.
Shooting star Cross won through to his fourth successive TV quarter-final as he followed up his impressive 6-2 second round win on Saturday afternoon with a fine 10-6 defeat of Lewis.
Having landed four ton-plus checkouts against Lennon, Cross took out 156 and 104 as he moved into a 6-1 lead against two-time World Champion Lewis.
The Stoke ace – twice a Players Championship Finals runner-up – produced a superb 170 finish and also checked out 113 as he hit back to trail 8-6, but missed doubles in the next two legs allowed Cross to close out the win.
Cross now faces a quarter-final on Sunday afternoon against James Wade, whose bid to claim a first TV title for three years continued as he came from 3-0 down to defeat Jamie Caven 6-4 and then overcame a 2-0 deficit against Ian White.
Wade won five legs from six to take a 5-3 lead, and though White cut the gap to one it was the left-hander who pulled clear for a 10-6 victory, landing nine 180s in a heavy-scoring display.
Jonny Clayton secured his place in his first TV quarter-final by overcoming Gerwyn Price 6-2 in their all-Welsh tie before edging out Stephen Bunting 10-8 in round three.
Clayton landed a 140 finish as he took an early 3-1 lead, with Bunting taking out 125 before eventually levelling in leg 12, and he led 8-7 before seeing the Welshman claim the next three to prevail.
Clayton will meet Steve Beaton in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-finals, with the former Lakeside Champion seeing off Dutch duo Jelle Klaasen and Jermaine Wattimena to secure his last eight spot.
Beaton had come from 4-3 down to defeat Klaasen 6-4, before seeing Wattimena defy a 158 checkout to come from 9-5 down to force a decider before the 53-year-old finally closed out the win to reach his first Minehead quarter-final.
Reigning champion Michael van Gerwen continued his bid to claim a fourth title in five years in the event by defeating Steve West and Darren Webster on Saturday.
A superb start saw West lead 2-0 before Van Gerwen reeled off six straight legs in an imperious response, before he saw off Webster 10-5 with a 103 average, extending his current unbeaten run to 25 matches.
Van Gerwen is now set for an all-Dutch quarter-final with Jan Dekker, who defeated Simon Whitlock in a deciding leg before defeating debutant Peter Jacques 10-5 to reach the last eight in a PDC event for the first time.
World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney’s bid to win a second TV title saw him overcome Robbie Green 6-4, from 3-1 down, before ousting youngster Chris Dobey 10-5.
Gurney will come up against two-time Minehead semi-finalist Justin Pipe, who went to a deciding leg in both of his Saturday wins as he firstly came from 4-0 down to win 6-5 against Ron Meulenkamp before battling past William O’Connor with a 10-9 success.
Mr Green Sport Players Championship Finals
Saturday November 25
Afternoon Session
Second Round
Main Stage
William O’Connor 6-3 Dave Chisnall
Stephen Bunting 6-3 Mensur Suljovic
Daryl Gurney 6-4 Robbie Green
Rob Cross 6-2 Steve Lennon
Jermaine Wattimena 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Steve West
Peter Jacques 6-5 Steve Hine
Stage Two
Darren Webster 6-3 Mervyn King
Chris Dobey 6-5 Robert Thornton
Jonny Clayton 6-2 Gerwyn Price
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Richard North
Justin Pipe 6-5 Ron Meulenkamp
Steve Beaton 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
James Wade 6-4 Jamie Caven
Jan Dekker 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Ian White 6-5 John Henderson
Evening Session
Third Round
Main Stage
Rob Cross 10-6 Adrian Lewis
Steve Beaton 10-9 Jermaine Wattimena
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Darren Webster
Jan Dekker 10-5 Peter Jacques
Stage Two
Justin Pipe 10-9 William O’Connor
Jonny Clayton 10-8 Stephen Bunting
James Wade 10-6 Ian White
Daryl Gurney 10-5 Chris Dobey
Sunday November 26
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Quarter-Finals
Rob Cross v James Wade
Jonny Clayton v Steve Beaton
Daryl Gurney v Justin Pipe
Michael van Gerwen v Jan Dekker
Best of 19 legs
Evening Session (7pm)
Semi-Finals
Cross/Wade v Clayton/Beaton
Gurney/Pipe v Van Gerwen/Dekker
Best of 21 legs
PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship Final
Josh Payne v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Best of 11 legs
Mr Green Sport Players Championship Final
v
Best of 21 legs