Darts: Taylor battles through to Warriner showdown

Phil Taylor will face Alan Warriner in a mouth-watering semi-final showdown at the PDC World Championship in Purfleet today.

Warriner defeated Roland Scholten 5-2 last night and then insisted it would be "like a boxing match" against Taylor in the next game if the Stoke sensation overcame the eighth seed, Dennis Smith. The 10-time champion was tested by Smith at the Circus Tavern, but he held his nerve to secure a 5-3 win.

Taylor, who was forced to dig deep in his third-round win over Wayne Mardle, made a bright start against Smith and won the opening set by three legs to one. But he has looked unusually vulnerable at times this year and Smith capitalised in the second set, finishing with double 19 to square the match.

The first four legs of the third were shared before Taylor won the deciding leg with a successful attempt at double 20. However, the "Breezer Geezer" won six of the next seven legs to take the lead and put the pressure on Taylor. But like a true champion, Taylor responded by nailing double 16 to level the match before reeling off the next three legs to close in on victory. Smith forced a deciding leg in the eighth set. However, Taylor scored heavily before nailing double top with his first attempt to win the match.

John Part cruised into the semi-finals with a 5-0 victory over Chris Mason. Erratic in the previous round, the Canadian was a picture of concentration yesterday. He scored a maximum 180 in the opening leg before hitting double four to move ahead. A 75 checkout and another double four to clinched the opening set.

Mason 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 and cruised to victory by comfortably winning the next two sets.

Kevin Painter also reached the semi-finals 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 even though in good form.

Burnett had a 161 checkout to take the opening set and moved ahead in the second but Painter hit double nine and eight to square the match. Burnett then reeled off three successive legs to regain the lead. However, Painter hit double 16 twice on his way to a 3-0 success in the fourth and rolled on to victory.