Day three in Dublin and we now know that there will be a new champion come Sunday as Phil Taylor departs after an epic battle against the UK Open Champion, Robert Thornton. Irish eyes continue to smile as Brendan Dolan also makes his passage into the last eight along with Kevin Painter and Mervyn King. Here's the round-up:
Brendan Dolan 3-1 Vincent Van Der Voort: The Northern Irishman dominates the Dutchman to again put himself into the quarter finals. Dolan took the first set without conceding, also making a 106-checkout in the second leg. Van Der Voort still hadn't hit form in the second set but did manage to win his first leg at the fifth time of asking. Dolan responded with an 81-checkout on the bull to take a 2-1 lead and would then complete the set a leg later. The Dutchman did manage some sort of fight in the third set; he lead 2-0 before Dolan came back to force a deciding leg which Van Der Voort managed to win to take the set. But any hope of forcing a deciding set were diminished when Dolan roared back from the break to reel the three legs off and book his place in the quarter finals.
Justin Pipe 3-2 Kevin Painter: Pipe was never behind, in sets, throughout this tight contest against the Players Champion. Painter did take the lead with a 120-checkout in the opening leg. Pipe missed two darts to take the third set in the fourth leg but it didn't matter as he would win the set 3-2. Painter battled back and was the better player in the second set, taking it 3-1 after the pair were level and secured the set with a 68-checkout on the bull. Pipe returned the compliment in the third set by taking it without conceding to retake the lead at 2-1. But Painter wasn't finished and quickly took a 2-0 lead in the fourth set before winning it 3-1 to set up a tense final set. After losing the first leg of the deciding set, Pipe managed to reel off the next three legs to book his place into the final eight.
Phil Taylor 2-3 Robert Thornton: In a rematch from the UK Open final, Thornton manages to beat Taylor on TV for the second consecutive match. It went down to the deserved final leg as it was just a brilliant match. After being level, Taylor comfortably took the opening set 3-1. It was the same pattern in the second set but it was Thornton who would win it 3-1 to level the match. A 104-checkout from Thornton was the highlight of the third set but it took a fifth leg decider for the Scot to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Taylor wasn't anywhere near finished and began the fourth set with a classy 120-checkout before taking the set 3-0 to force a deciding set. The pair still couldn't be separated and Taylor would miss five darts at the double to win the set 3-2, allowing Thornton to pull off another victory over the reigning Grand Prix champion.
Mervyn King 3-1 Dave Chisnall: Chisnall still fails to bring his tour form to TV as King comfortably makes it into the quarter finals. King led the first set 2-0 before taking it 3-1. The second set was dominated by the 2011 Premier League star, securing a 104-checkout in the second leg before following it up with a 110-finish to win the second set without conceding. Chisnall did show some fight in the third and brought a glimpse of his best with a 130-checkout in the opening leg and a 116-finish in the third leg before taking the set 3-2. Chisnall then 2-1 ahead in the fourth set to threaten a possible deciding set, but King fought back to take it 3-2 and progress into the last eight.
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