Photo courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC. 
Afternoon Session
Phil Taylor created a new world record average in a televised game, whitewashing Kevin Painter to set up a fifth round clash with Simon Whitlock in the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.
Taylor’s record-breaking fortnight continued with a sensational 118.66 average in denying Painter a dart at a double in the nine legs.
Taylor launched a relentless barrage from the opening dart, when he kicked off the match with a 180, and ended the contest with six maximum scores, three 11-darters and a 126 checkout.
“Kevin’s a great player and I knew I had to perform to beat him,” said Taylor, who had hit two nine-darters in winning the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts final a week last Monday.
“It sends a message out to the other players for the next round, and I love the competition of darts at the moment.”
Taylor now faces in-form Australian Simon Whitlock in the last 16 in a repeat of their meeting in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final in January.
Whitlock’s UK Open debut continued in style with a brilliant 9-4 defeat of Robert Thornton, as he reeled off seven successive legs to come from 4-2 down against the Scot.
Australian ace Whitlock hit a ten-darter and averaged 104.55 in sweeping to victory with a 50 percent checkout ratio.
Gary Anderson and Mervyn King will meet in another tasty fifth round game, having overcome Paul Nicholson and Michael Smith respectively in the last 32.
Anderson avenged last year’s loss to Nicholson in Bolton with a 9-7 victory, as he hit back from 7-6 down to take the final three legs without reply, while King pulled clear from five-all to defeat Smith 9-6.
2008 champion James Wade remains on course for another UK Open title after ending the hopes of Irish youngster William O’Connor with a 9-3 win, and he faces Kevin McDine after the Geordie saw off Rileys Amateur Qualifier Paul Warwick 9-8 from being 8-6 down.
Ronnie Baxter and Andy Hamilton set up a fifth round meeting with wins over Tony Eccles and Alex Roy respectively, while Sussex thrower Tony Ayres came from 5-0 down to win 9-7 against former finalist Mark Walsh.
Fleetwood’s Wes Newton bettered Whitlock’s finishing with a superb 60 percent in a 9-1 win over Steve Maish, matching his scoreline in defeating Terry Jenkins in Friday’s third round as he reached the last 16 for a third successive year.
Newton will take on Nigel Heydon, an undertaker from Leamington Spa, in the last 16 after the UK Open debutant defeated Wales’ Wayne Atwood 9-6.
Defeats for Jelle Klaasen and 2004 winner Roland Scholten, against Wayne Jones and Alan Tabern respectively, saw the Dutch challenge in Bolton ended, while last year’s beaten finalist, Colin Osborne, was defeated 9-5 by Adrian Lewis.
Lewis now faces Jones, while Tabern takes on Ayres in the last 16, with the other fifth round game seeing Andy Smith face Denis Ovens.
Smith overcame Jamie Caven 9-5, while Ovens came from 5-3 down to win 9-7 against Dennis Smith.
Evening Session
Mervyn King lit up the Rileys Darts Zones UK Open with a nine-darter in the fifth round on Saturday night – but was dumped from the tournament in a deciding leg by Gary Anderson.
King became only the second player, behind Phil Taylor, to achieve a nine-darter at the Reebok Stadium, hitting successive 180s and a 141 checkout in the 13th leg of his clash with the Scot.
The feat put him 7-6 up, and he also led 8-7 before Anderson forced a deciding leg and then landed double six to seal victory – the first time in the game he was ahead.
“The nine-darter was fanastic but it was only one leg and it didn’t win me the match,” said King, who had hit a nine-dart finish in the Virgin Atlantic South African Masters last September.
“When I hit a nine-darter last year I went on to lose to James Wade and I knew I had to keep my focus this time, which I did. Gary was fantastic, though, and full credit to him for producing a great final leg.”
Anderson admitted: “I couldn’t believe the double six went in and I didn’t really expect to get a chance in the final leg because Mervyn had the throw, but I got the chance and had to hit it.”
Reigning champion Phil Taylor followed up his world record televised average of 118.66 in a whitewash of Kevin Painter in Saturday afternoon’s fourth round with a 9-6 win over Australian Simon Whitlock.
The Australian hit back from 4-0 down but missed chances to level when he trailed 4-3 and 7-6, and Taylor proved too strong to repeat his Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final win over Whitlock to remain on course for a fourth UK Open win.
“Simon was great but I’m delighted to be in the quarter-finals,” said Taylor. “He never lets you relax and you’re always on your guard, but I got through it and I’ll have to pace myself on Sunday now if I’m going to keep the title.”
Taylor will face former protege Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals, with the 25-year-old overcoming Wayne Jones 9-4 to reach the last eight in Bolton for the first time.
Five other players are also appearing in the quarter-finals of the UK Open for the first time, with 2008 champion James Wade the only player other than Taylor with experience of the tournament’s climactic final day, which sees the players compete in three matches on the Reebok Stadium stage.
Wade was a comfortable 9-2 winner against Kevin McDine in the fifth round and now takes on Tony Ayres, the Sussex qualifier who defeated Alan Tabern 9-5 to reach his maiden televised quarter-final.
Denis Ovens brushed aside Andy Smith 9-1 to progress, and now meets Wes Newton, who defeated Leamington Spa-based undertaker Nigel Heydon 9-5.
Andy Hamilton’s reward for a brilliant comeback from 7-5 down to defeat Ronnie Baxter was a draw against Anderson in the last eight.
Rileys Darts Zones UK Open
Fourth Round
Main Stage
Simon Whitlock 9-4 Robert Thornton
William O’Connor 3-9 James Wade
Kevin Painter 0-9 Phil Taylor
Gary Anderson 9-7 Paul Nicholson
Steve Maish 1-9 Wes Newton
Board Two
Kevin McDine 9-8 Paul Warwick
Alex Roy 6-9 Andy Hamilton
Adrian Lewis 9-5 Colin Osborne
Roland Scholten 5-9 Alan Tabern
Board Three
Denis Ovens 9-7 Dennis Smith
Ronnie Baxter 9-4 Tony Eccles
Andy Smith 9-5 Jamie Caven
Board Four
Mark Walsh 7-9 Tony Ayres
Wayne Jones 9-6 Jelle Klaasen
Michael Smith 6-9 Mervyn King
Wayne Atwood 6-9 Nigel Heydon
Fifth Round
Main Stage
Ronnie Baxter 7-9 Andy Hamilton
Kevin McDine 2-9 James Wade
Phil Taylor 9-6 Simon Whitlock
Gary Anderson 9-8 Mervyn King (Nine Dart finish from King in the 13th leg)
Adrian Lewis 9-4 Wayne Jones
Board Two
Andy Smith 1-9 Denis Ovens
Alan Tabern 5-9 Tony Ayres
Nigel Heydon 5-9 Wes Newton
Sunday June 6
1pm-5pm
Quarter-Finals
Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals
Tony Ayres v James Wade
Gary Anderson v Andy Hamilton
Wes Newton v Denis Ovens
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
7pm-11pm
Semi-Finals
Best of 19 legs
Semi-Finals
Ayres/Wade v Anderson/Hamilton
Newton/Ovens v Taylor/Lewis
Followed by
Final
Best of 21 legs
From the end of Round Two onwards on Thursday evening, a free draw will be made for subsequent rounds, with no seeding in operation.
PRIZE FUND
Winner £40,000
Runner-Up £20,000
Semi-Finalists: £10,000
Quarter-Finalists: £6,000
Last 16: £4,000
Last 32: £2,000
Last 64: £1,000
Total: £200,000
In addition, should a player receive a nine-dart finish, they would receive a £5,000 bonus. In the event of more than one player hitting a nine-darter, the bonus would be shared on a pro-rata basis.