Darts: Part sweeps aside Mason to win place in semi-finals

John Part of Canada cruised into the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Chris Mason in Purfleet yesterday.

Part had performed erratically during his hard-fought 5-3 success over Scotland's Jamie Harvey in the previous round, but he was a picture of concentration yesterday and dominated the quarter-final against Mason from the outset.

The 36-year-old scored a maximum 180 in the opening leg before landing his dart in double four to move ahead. Part followed up with a 75 checkout and another successful attempt at double four to clinch the opening set.

Mason's temperament has sometimes been called into question, and during the early stages he looked a shadow of the player who outplayed Colin Lloyd on Thursday to book his place in the last eight. Clearly struggling, the Bristol thrower won just one of the next four legs as Part raced into a two-set lead.

The first four legs of the third set were shared but both players squandered good opportunities before Part finished with a double eight to move 3-0 ahead. Mason, to his credit, never gave in but he was unfortunate with a couple of shots which hit the wire and bounced out and Part cruised to victory by comfortably winning the next two sets.

Kevin Painter also reached the semi-finals yesterday thanks to an impressive 5-2 win over the Welshman, Richie Burnett. Painter turned on the style in the middle of the contest and Burnett was unable to respond.

'The Prince of Wales', a former Embassy champion, endured a frustrating season in 2002 but there were signs during his 5-3 third-round win over Australian Simon Whitlock that he was back on form. He continued where he left off yesterday with a superb 161 checkout to take the opening set.

He also moved ahead in the second but Painter hit double nine and eight to square the match. Burnett then showed his class in the next, reeling off three successive legs to regain the lead.

However, Painter is a formidable player when in the groove and he hit double 16 twice on his way to a 3-0 success in the fourth. On a roll, "The Artist" quickly wrapped up the next set, made it 4-2 despite Burnett putting up more resistance in the sixth and rounded things off with a double six finish to clinch the seventh set 3-2.