PHIL TAYLOR remains on course to retain the Cash Converters Players Championship Finals title after producing a master-class to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 9-2 on Sunday afternoon, as Michael van Gerwen, Andy Hamilton and Justin Pipe joined him in the quarter-finals.
Three-time champion Taylor produced another superb performance as he averaged 111.58 against the Dutch ace, winning six successive legs - after van Barneveld had taken the opener - to take control of the game.
Van Barneveld took out 111 as he won a second leg in pulling back to 6-2, but any hopes of a fightback were short-lived as Taylor won the next two before sealing victory in style with a 121 finish.
Taylor now takes on Pipe in the semi-finals as the tournament heads towards its conclusion on Sunday evening, when the last four contests will be followed by the final at the Butlins Minehead Resort.
Taunton's Pipe reached the semi-finals in Minehead for a second successive year with a 9-7 win over Gary Anderson, the Scottish ace who is also based in Somerset.
Pipe took out 107 as he won the game's first three legs in a superb start, and he also led 4-1 with a 13-darter before Anderson got himself into the game by pulling back to 5-3 behind.
Pipe extended the lead to 7-4, but Anderson took the next three legs - including a 13-darter to break throw - to level the game, only for the world number 11 to finish 61 to regain the lead and tops for a 13-darter which sealed the win.
The other semi-final will see number one seed Michael van Gerwen - a nine-time PDC ProTour winner this year - facing Andy Hamilton, who had been a quarter-final loser 12 months ago but went one better this time with a 9-6 defeat of Ian White.
Hamilton produced his best darts of the weekend as he took the first four legs without reply, before White took out 100 to get off the mark and won three of the next five to pull back to 6-4.
The next two were shared before Hamilton moved 8-5 up with a 12-darter, and though he missed three match darts as White hit back to win a sixth leg, double 14 saw the UK Open finalist win through to the last four.
Van Gerwen was a 9-4 winner against Wes Newton in the other quarter-final, as the pair shared 12 180s only for the Dutchman to average 102.51 in a fine display.
Van Gerwen hit an 11-darter, including back-to-back maximums, in taking a 3-1 lead early on, and though Newton took the fifth leg, the next three went to the Dutchman as he moved 6-2 up.
Newton landed a 180 as he replied, but van Gerwen followed up a 76 finish with a majestic 170 checkout to lead 8-3, and though the Fleetwood ace took a fourth leg, the Dutchman was too strong as he sealed his semi-final place.
Sunday evening sees the event's sixth staging come to a conclusion with the semi-finals and final at the Butlins Minehead Resort, live on ITV4 as the winner of the £60,000 title is decided.
Cash Converters Players Championship Finals
Sunday December 1
Afternoon Session (12.45pm)
Michael van Gerwen 9-4 Wes Newton
Ian White 6-9 Andy Hamilton
Gary Anderson 7-9 Justin Pipe
Raymond van Barneveld 2-9 Phil Taylor
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN stunned Phil Taylor with an amazing comeback from 6-3 down to win the Cash Converters Players Championship Finals title with an 11-7 triumph at the Butlins Minehead Resort on Sunday night.
The Dutch ace had entered the £250,000 event as the number one seed having topped the PDC ProTour Order of Merit with nine victories during 2013, and went on to claim his four major televised title in an incredible final.
He trailed Taylor 6-3 before turning the game on its head in an incredible seven-leg burst which put him into a 10-6 advantage, hitting three 11-dart legs and a 110 finish to leave the World Champion rattled.
Taylor replied to win the 17th leg, but van Gerwen hit a 177 score to leave 24 in the next before hitting double 12 to complete a remarkable fightback.
Van Gerwen had knocked out Jamie Lewis, Adrian Lewis, Wes Newton and Andy Hamilton on his way to the final, and ended six months without a tournament win as he repeated May's Premier League triumph against Taylor.
The final saw the opening four legs shared before Taylor hit double 16 to lead 3-2, broke with an 88 finish in the sixth leg and then landed double 16 again to move 5-2 up.
Van Gerwen hit back in the eighth leg, but missed two darts to break throw in the next as Taylor posted double eight for a 6-3 lead.
The Dutchman began his comeback by winning the tenth leg on double 16, and returned from the break to win the next five legs in a stunning session to put himself ahead, hitting legs of 12, 14 and 11 darts to lead 7-6, before taking out a 110 checkout and another 11-darter.
Taylor opened the 16th leg with a 180, only to see his opponent land four 140s and an 81 finish for another 11-dart finish as he moved 10-6 up, and though the Stoke ace landed another 177 and double 16 to take the next, a 177 from van Gerwen set up double 12 for the title.
Van Gerwen had earlier hit a 170 checkout during his 9-4 quarter-final defeat of Newton, and overcame Hamilton 10-5 in the semis.
Taylor had been at his brilliant best in averaging 111.58 in his 9-2 quarter-final triumph over Raymond van Barneveld, and won six successive legs in the semi-finals against Justin Pipe, turning a four-all scoreline into a 10-4 victory.
Pipe's run had seen him reach the semi-finals of the tournament for a second successive year in Minehead, as he reached that stage for a third time in a major televised event.
Hamilton also picked up £15,000 for reaching the last four as he continued his amazing record in televised tournaments, having won through to at least the quarter-finals in the last ten major ranking events since June 2012.
Cash Converters Players Championship Finals
Sunday December 1
Evening Session
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 10-5 Andy Hamilton
Justin Pipe 4-10 Phil Taylor
Best of 19 legs
Final
Michael van Gerwen 11-7 Phil Taylor
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