Fri, Jan 8th, 2010 8:14:00 pm
Veteran Welsh skipper Martin Phillips charged into the last four for the first time, sweeping aside second seed Scott Waites of Yorkshire 5-4 in a 76 minute gripper.
The 49-year-old left-hander was is devastating form, blasting in 10 180s, a 12 darter and six 80 plus finishes including a 121.
Phillips, the 125/1 outsider at the start of the week was in blistering form, charging through the first set to blitz Yorkshireman Waites 3-0, including an86 finish (bull, double 16). Maximums in the opening two legs saw Phillips move 2-0 ahead, Waites clinching the third after firing out a maximum but the left-hander sweeping back to clinch the set on 102, finished on his favourite double 16.
The veteran Welsh skipper took the opening leg against the throw and then hit back-to-back 180s prompting the possibility of a nine darter but his seventh dart drifted wide into the single five but the Llanelli player took the leg.
Waites took the third leg and then blasted in a 113 finish with double 18 checkout level, missing double 18 for the set as Phillips drove home double 16 for a 3-0 lead after 24 minutes play.
The Welsh skipper exited on 80 in the fourth set, Waites replying with a 96 finish and motored ahead after hitting his third 180 but then missed five finishing attempts, cool Phillips pouncing to notch 87, finished on double nine.
Waites broke the throw to annex the opening leg of the fifth but Phillips charged back with a 12-dart finish (180, 140, 99, 82 checkout), completed on double 16. Unusually the Welshman missed four doubles, Waite producing a pressure checkout of 116, finished on his favourite double 18.
But once again, the man from the Principality, hit back, notching his sixth 180 to level the set on 100 with double 10. Waites then took the deciding fifth set against the throw to reduce the deficit to 4-1 at the interval.
The match resumed as a lower tempo as the opening legs went with the throw, Waites then snatching the fourth against the throw, despite a maximum from Phillips to further reduce the Welsh players match lead.
Despite two 180s from Phillips who had the throwing advantage, it was Waites who moved into a threatening 2-1 lead but the determined Welshman taking the fourth against the throw to level the set. Phillips missed one throw at double tops, Waites leaping in to finish with double 16 to take the score to 4-3 behind.
Phillips missed two double tops at the start of the eighth set before the second set charged back to level the match with a 3-0 success.
A 76 finish against the throw saw Phillips annex the first leg of the deciding fifth and after Waites missed two attempts for double 16, the Welsh veteran nipped in for a 99 checkout completed on double 16. Phillips maintained the momentum in the next as he produced a match-winning 86 finish, completed on double 16.
Afterwards delighted Phillip declared: " I started well but I knew he was a heavy scorer and big finisher so I had to hit him hard and quickly. When we got to the break I thought it was going to be another Ted Hankey match. He kept coming back at me.
"During the break I had six darts, a drink of water, went to the toilet and had a sit down. I knew I just had to grind it out in the second half, just keep plodding on. The 99 finish was the killer," said Phillips.
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