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TERRY JENKINS held off the challenge of Denis Ovens to secure a narrow 14-12 stanjames.com World Matchplay victory on Thursday afternoon.

The world number six and 2007 World Matchplay runner-up looked set to power into the last eight when he led 5-1 and 10-5 against Ovens.

But the Stevenage player battled back with four successive legs and levelled at 12-all to send the match into a tie break, before Jenkins hit 180s in the next two legs in claiming victory.

“To be honest, at 10-5 I thought I had the game in the bag but I went to sleep and couldn’t hit a treble,” said Jenkins.

“I made it hard work instead of turning a 10-5 lead into an easy win and it was a struggle.”

Jenkins will face either Raymond van Barneveld or Mark Walsh in Friday’s quarter-finals, while wins for Mervyn King and Vincent van der Voort earlier on Thursday mean they will clash at the last eight stage.

King produced a classy display to defeat Steve Beaton 13-8, while van der Voort was a strong 13-6 winner against Wayne Mardle.

Mardle hit back from 4-1 down to trail 6-4, but a run of four 180s in five successive winning legs helped the Dutchman into the last eight.

“I didn’t score well at the start of the game but Wayne gave me more chances than I expected, and I took them,” said van der Voort.

“I’ve not shown an extra gear in matches to win games, so this is a major step forward for me.”

stanjames.com World Matchplay
Thursday July 23
Afternoon Session (1pm start)
Mervyn King 13-8 Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort 13-6 Wayne Mardle
Terry Jenkins 14-12 Denis Ovens

Evening Session (7pm start)
Ronnie Baxter v Alan Tabern
Raymond van Barneveld v Mark Walsh
James Wade v Gary Anderson

MERVYN KING 13-8 STEVE BEATON

MERVYN KING moved into the quarter-finals of the stanjames.com World Matchplay with an impressive 13-8 win over Steve Beaton.

King ensured his place in Friday’s last eight with a classy performance, averaging over 100 for much of the contest.

A superb start did much of the damage, with King – who had struggled with the pain of an abscess in his tooth in a first round win over Mark Dudbridge – leading 5-1 and 9-3 before holding off Beaton to claim the win.

The game’s first two legs were shared before King powered in an 11-darter and a 111 checkout to secure the first break of throw.

Double 12 moved him 4-1 up before a missed double 16 from Beaton allowed King to secure another break.

King landed a third maximum of the game in leg seven, but double four from Beaton saw him break back.

The pair traded maximums in the next, with Beaton hitting 140, 180 and 170 to lead 11 after nine darts only to then miss five darts at a double to allow King to hit double eight for a 6-2 lead.

King lifted his average above 106 in the next, with a 171 score setting up double 18, while Beaton hit the same bed in leg ten.

Double eight put King 8-3 up, and a 177 score left double 12 as he extended the gap to six legs.

Beaton took the next two, and hit back after a King double top to win leg 16 with a 110 checkout in pulling back to 10-6.

King replied with a 110 checkout of his own to win an 11th leg, before the pair traded double eight finishes.

Double top, though, edged King to the brink of victory before a clinical 72 finish on double 12 ensured his semi-final place.

“I felt comfortable and felt good – a lot better than Sunday,” said King. “The tooth is fine now and I’ve finished the course of antibiotics so hopefully I will get through the rest of the tournament with no problems.

“There is a bit more to come from my game too. I was probably about 80 percent, but you never really know what you’re capable of doing except to look at what you’ve done previously.

“I can beat anybody when I’m on song but I’m not the most consistent player in the world. I’m too up and down but if I’m on top of my game my opponent has problems.”

VINCENT VAN DER VOORT 13-6 WAYNE MARDLE

VINCENT VAN DER VOORT reached the quarter-finals of the stanjames.com World Matchplay for the first time with a 13-6 win over Wayne Mardle.

The Dutchman produced one of his most clinical displays on the big stage to set up a tasty last eight fixture with Mervyn King on Friday.

He led 4-0 before Mardle hit back, but crucially found an extra gear to hit four 180s in five legs to pull clear for victory.

Van der Voort took the opening leg on double ten, and then secured an immediate break of throw on tops in the second.

Mardle landed a timely 174 score to leave 134 in the third, but a missed double top was punished by van der Voort on double 16, and he repeated the trick in the next to lead 4-0.

A 101 checkout got Mardle off the mark, and he took the next on double 16 before hitting two maximums in a 13-darter in pulling back to 4-3.

Van der Voort broke Mardle’s throw on double 12 to regain breathing space, and double five put him 6-3 up before two missed doubles allowed the 2003 runner-up to hit double eight and hit back.

Van der Voort, though, returned from the break to produce a superb spell, taking five successive legs to leave Mardle trailing at 11-4.

He hit 180s to leave a finish in the first three, landed double eight in the fourth and hit another maximum on his way to the fifth,

He also missed two darts to extend the winning run, with double 18 giving Mardle a fifth leg.

Van der Voort posted another maximum on his way to a 12-5 lead, and the pair traded 180s before double top gave Mardle hope of a comeback.

But any chances of a fightback were ended by a sensational 121 checkout as he moved into the quarter-finals

“I feel very comfortable on stage and am delighted to win again,” said van der Voort.

“I didn’t score well at the start of the game but Wayne gave me more chances than I expected, and I took them.

“My scoring power is high and it came through in the second half of the game. I’ve not shown an extra gear in matches to win games, so this is a major step forward for me.”

TERRY JENKINS 14-12 DENIS OVENS

TERRY JENKINS held off battling Denis Ovens to edge into the quarter-finals of the stanjames.com World Matchplay with a 14-12 victory.

The 2007 World Matchplay runner-up seemed on course to coast into the last eight when he led 5-1 and 10-5, only for Ovens to produce a superb comeback to level and send the game into a tie break.

However, Jenkins made the decisive move with 180s in successive legs to earn the required two-leg lead for victory.

After sharing the opening two legs, which went against the throw, Jenkins took the third on double top, took out double 18 for a 3-1 cushion and secured another break after four missed doubles from Ovens.

Double top put Jenkins into a 5-1 advantage, before Ovens won the next two to halve the deficit.

But he was left waiting on a finish in the next two as Jenkins restored a four-leg cushion before taking out a two-dart 70 finish to pull back to 7-4.

Jenkins posted a 180 in taking the 12th leg, but another maximum was bettered by Ovens in the next as he landed a 13-darter.

He missed doubles in leg 14 as double five helped Jenkins capitalise, and double four earned him a 10-5 cushion.

But misses in the next gave Ovens a chance to kick-start his comeback, and he then landed 180s in three successive legs, which the Stevenage man took out in 14, 15 and 15 darts to reduce the arrears to just one leg.

Double top from Jenkins ended the run, but Ovens then landed double 18 to pull back to 11-10 and levelled with a 120 checkout.

The next two were shared as tensions rose, sending the match beyond the scheduled 25-leg distance.

Jenkins landed a maximum in the next and took out double top to regain the lead, and another 180 to open leg 26 helped to set up a 12-darter for victory, which was sealed with a 76 finish.

“I’m happy to get the win because people don’t realise how tough a player Denis is to play against,” said Jenkins.

“To be honest, at 10-5 I thought I had the game in the bag but I went to sleep and couldn’t hit a treble.

“Denis saw that I was struggling and it gave him a little bit of confidence, and he started hitting the big scores.

“I made it hard work instead of turning a 10-5 lead into an easy win and it was a struggle.

“But I had two good legs at the end and hit some big scores, so I scraped over the finishing line.

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