Adrian Lewis’ bid to win back-to-back titles at Butlins Minehead is still on after he swept past Andy Smith 10-3 in the second round of the Cash Converters Players Championship, as Jamie Caven, Wes Newton and Dean Winstanley also progressed to the quarter-finals.
Lewis, March’s UK Open champion on his last visit to the Somerset resort, followed up Friday’s superb opening win over Dave Chisnall by powering past Smith with another heavy-scoring performance.
After sharing the game’s opening two legs, the world number three claimed six successive legs – all in 15 darts or less – as he pulled clear to lead 7-1, with the run including a 121 finish for a 12-darter and three 180s.
Smith hit back by taking out tops for a 13-darter and 100 for a 14-dart finish as he pulled back to 7-3, but missed doubles in the next allowed Lewis to edge away before he finished double three and double ten to move into the last eight.
Lewis now takes on Caven in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-finals, and said: “I showed a bit of class today but I feel like I’ve got a couple of extra gears to go yet so that’s fantastic for me.
“I thought it was a professional performance, and every time Andy hit back I responded with something, and as long as I keep doing that then I’ve got a chance.
“It’s going to be a tough game against Jamie Caven in the quarter-finals because he’s been playing some fantastic darts, but I’ll be ready.”
Caven booked his place in the last eight by the narrowest of margins as he edged out Robert Thornton 10-9 in a thriller which saw the Scot miss double 12 for a nine-dart finish before coming from 9-4 down to force a deciding leg.
After Derby’s Caven won the opening leg, Thornton hit back in style by opening the second leg with two 180s to set up a possible nine-darter.
Needing 141, he hit another treble 20 and treble 19 only to wire the double 12 – seeing a £5,000 bonus slip away by the narrowest of margins.
Although Thornton took the leg in 12 darts, Caven won the next three to take charge at 4-1 before the Ayrshire ace hit back with two more 12-dart finishes as he won three of the next five to pull back to 6-4, taking out 140 and 121 in the process.
Caven finished 64, 102 and double ten to move to the brink of victory at 9-4, only to see battling Thornton keep his hopes alive with a 13-darter.
He then finished 78, 81 and 70 to continue the fightback as Caven missed three match darts, and Thornton sent the game into the deciding 19th leg by landing double ten.
Thornton’s doubling, though, deserted him at the crucial point when he saw his dart for the match at tops to complete a 120 finish land in the single one, allowing Caven to step in and finish 81 on the bull to edge through.
Caven had seen Simon Whitlock come from 9-3 down to in 10-9 in the 2013 European Championship, and admitted that he was prepared for lightning to strike twice as Thornton mounted his charge.
“I was starting to feel the pressure so it’s a massive relief to win the match,” said Caven. “That game against Simon probably helped me, because if I hadn’t have experienced it before I’d have lost this match.
“Robert was superb when he came back and his finishing was great, and it was deja vu for me because I thought I’d lost it at the end. When Robert missed the tops I had my chance and luckily enough for me the bull went in.”
Thornton admitted: “It would have been nice to have completed the comeback but it wasn’t to be. I left myself too much work to do, but hats off to Jamie because he was superb.
“I’ve not done a nine-darter the conventional way on TV yet – the World Grand Prix was a double-start – and I’d like to do one, but the double 12 was on the wrong side of the wire this time.”
Dean Winstanley won through to his first televised ranking quarter-final on the PDC circuit as he followed a victory over Simon Whitlock on Friday with a 10-5 defeat of Jelle Klaasen.
Klaasen had been in inspired form to defeat James Wade with a 108 average in their opener, but paid the price for 22 missed doubles as Winstanley progressed to the last eight.
Klaasen had held an early 2-1 lead, but Winstanley levelled with a 104 finish as he began a run which saw him claim seven of the next eight legs to move into an 8-3 advantage.
Klaasen won two of the next three to pull back to 9-5, but Winstanley followed up a 100 checkout in leg 13 by landing his fifth 180 of the game before sealing victory on double four.
“It feels fantastic to be in the quarter-finals,” said Winstanley. “It’s my debut in this tournament and I’m very proud to have got through two rounds.
“I believe that I can match it with the best and I’m going to give it my best shot on Sunday, and I’ve got a good feeling at the moment. If I can get a little bit more consistency in my game I’ll be alright.”
Wes Newton joined that trio in winning through from Saturday’s afternoon session in Minehead, as he continued his return to form with a 10-5 defeat of Brendan Dolan.
The game’s opening half proved even as Dolan – aided by two 13-darters – held a slender 4-3 advantage before Newton embarked on a run of six successive legs to push clear, landing a pair of 13-dart legs of his own in moving 9-4 up.
Dolan finished 67 to hit back, but that was bettered by a 68 checkout as Newton moved through to the last eight of the Players Championship Finals for a second successive year.
“I’ve had two good games against players who are very hard to beat so I’m really happy,” said Newton. “It’s always a hard game against Brendan and, like Justin Pipe yesterday, he’s a slower player but you’ve got to deal with it.
“I’ve struggled with the pace in the past because I prefer to play a quick player, but I had to get my head down and get the job done and I’ve done that again today.
“Brendan didn’t play as well as he can do, but I ground the win out and I’m happy to be in the quarter-finals.
“I’ve had a really tough year, I struggled after the Premier League and I’ve had a bad three or four months but I’ve made a few changes and hopefully things are coming right for me at the right time.”