PHIL TAYLOR battled past Paul Nicholson to remain on course for an 11th partypoker.com World Grand Prix title on Wednesday night, as he was joined in the quarter-finals by Gary Anderson, James Wade and Simon Whitlock in Dublin.
World Champion Taylor endured a frustrating night on his finishing at the Citywest Hotel, hitting 11 doubles from 41 attempts as he overcame Nicholson 3-1 in sets to progress.
Taylor looked set to cruise into the last eight when he took the game's first set without reply, only for Nicholson to hit back from 2-1 down in the second to win the set in a deciding leg to level, after the Stoke legend missed ten darts at doubles to move 2-0 up.
Nicholson then took the third set's opening leg to lead in the game, but Taylor levelled and then took out 70 and 130 to win the set 3-1 and regain control.
A tricky double eight, after his first two darts landed just outside the wire to block the bed, gave Taylor the fourth set's opener, but Nicholson took out 158 to level and shared the next two to send the set into a deciding leg.
Nicholson hit a 180 and had a chance to level the contest again when Taylor missed two match darts at double eight, but the Australian World Cup star missed two darts of his own at double 16 and the world number one made him pay, hitting another tricky third-dart double eight as he progressed.
Taylor will now play 2011 Premier League Darts champion Gary Anderson in the last eight, after the Scot won through to his first major quarter-final of the year with a narrow 3-2 win over Wes Newton.
Newton edged the opening set in a deciding leg before Anderson took the next two 3-1 to put himself in command, and he then moved 2-1 up in set four only to see the number eight seed produce a brilliant 101 finish and a ten-darter to keep his hopes alive by taking the set.
However, Anderson killed off the game superbly by sweeping through the final set without reply with legs of 14, 14 and 15 darts as he sealed his last eight place.
Two-time World Grand Prix champion Wade was another five-set winner, as he came from behind to to defeat Ireland's Connie Finnan 3-2 as he continued his bid to win an eighth major title.
Limerick's Finnan, who overcame Terry Jenkins on his World Grand Prix debut on Monday, had returned to the Citywest Hotel for his game following a four-hour morning shift working in a factory in Shannon making plastic bag closures earlier on Wednesday - but took the game's first set in a decider.
Wade hit back to win the second set 3-1, but Finnan then finished 115 and 102 as he won the third set without reply to move 2-1 up in the game.
Wade, though, took out 116 as he won the fourth set 3-1 before proving the more clinical in the decider, which he took by the same scoreline as a 91 finish sealed his last four spot.
Australian ace Whitlock won through to the quarter-finals for the first time in Dublin with a straight sets win over Ronnie Baxter, punishing the Blackpool star for hitting just three finishing doubles from 15 attempts.
The pair traded 180s in the game's opening leg as Whitlock drew first blood, and though Baxter levelled, the Australian took the next two legs to win the first set 3-1.
Baxter moved 2-1 up in the second, but Whitlock levelled with the aid of a 180 and posted another maximum in the deciding leg, before stepping in to punish three missed doubles from his opponent by taking out 94 on double 11.
The Australian punished more Baxter misses as he took the third set's opening two legs, and when the former World Grand Prix semi-finalist missed two darts at tops in the third, another double 11 checkout - this time to finish 102 - sealed Whitlock's last eight spot.
The second round concludes on Thursday night with the remaining four matches, which include the all-Dutch encounter between reigning champion Michael van Gerwen and two-time finalist Raymond van Barneveld.
European Champion Adrian Lewis plays Justin Pipe, Dave Chisnall faces Wayne Jones and Andy Hamilton takes on Kevin Painter in the night's other contest, as they bid to win places in Friday's quarter-finals at the Citywest Hotel.
partypoker.com World Grand Prix
Wednesday October 9
Second Round
James Wade 3-2 Connie Finnan
Wes Newton 2-3 Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor 3-1 Paul Nicholson
Simon Whitlock 3-0 Ronnie Baxter
Thursday October 10 (7pm)
Second Round
Adrian Lewis v Justin Pipe
Dave Chisnall v Wayne Jones
Michael van Gerwen v Raymond van Barneveld
Andy Hamilton v Kevin Painter
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