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Magical Martin reaches the last four for the first time
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 an 86 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 Welshman 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 leg against the throw to reduce the deficit to 4-1 at
the interval.
The match
resumed at 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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