Duzza sees off Dave Chisnall while two of the PDC's top three march into the last eight
Thursday 16 November 2017 08:41, UK
Reigning BDO world champion Glen Durrant continued his run at the Grand Slam of Darts, joining Gary Anderson, Mensur Suljovic and Peter Wright in the last eight.
After a thrilling group stage, the knockout phase got underway on Thursday at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall and the story for Durrant continues. A 10-8 victory over PDC world No 8 Dave Chisnall saw Duzza become the BDO's first quarter-finalist since Scott Waites and Tony O'Shea in 2013.
In 2010, Waites was the last BDO player to win the tournament and Durrant has showcased the kind of form that makes him a contender for the title this week.
Duzza, beaten by Raymond van Barneveld in the last 16 in 2016, went one better this time around by beating Chizzy to set up his first appearance in the competition's quarter-final where he will face Wright, who proved too strong for Stephen Bunting.
Durrant beat Snakebite 5-2 in the group stage but 2011 runner-up Anderson put down an ominous warning with a blistering display to come from 4-1 down to beat protégé Michael Smith 10-6.
Having lost the opening session to an inspired Smith, Anderson produced a trademark burst of brilliance to claim seven legs in succession and race to victory down the stretch.
Anderson will play world No 7 Suljovic who put on a masterclass to beat Dutchman Berry van Peer in the first match of the night.
The Austrian, who won the Champions League earlier this year, averaged more than 105 and hit 10 of his 15 darts at doubles on his way to a 10-2 victory over the Dutchman, who has been battling dartitis at the event.
Durrant took out 161 to consolidate a break that came in the opening leg of the match, but an out-of-sorts Chisnall managed to stay in touch.
Chizzy pinched the fifth leg of the contest after Duzza made a mess of 76, allowing Chisnall to clean up his target of 50 to go into the break with a 3-2 deficit.
A brilliant 13-dart leg extended Durrant's advantage after the interval before the man from Teeside wasted another great opportunity for the double-break; Chisnall finding double one to stay in touch.
Two more missed darts at a double from Durrant gave Chisnall another opportunity which he took, and he soon found himself level at 4-4.
When Chisnall missed a dart at double 11 for a brilliant 142 check-out, Duzza edged in front with a crucial double 10 to break throw only to see Chisnall hang on again.
In the end, Durrant's quality and an average of just under 100 proved to be more than enough, and he got his wish of another match against Wright.
Snakebite edged an opening session against Bunting before a 5-0 whitewash in the second session gave The Bullet too much work to do.
Despite seven perfect darts from Bunting in the closing stages, there was no fightback and Wright closed out the match.
Anderson's contest with Smith was a cracker and it was Smith who began in mesmerising fashion, averaging 114 to take the first session 4-1 against the Flying Scotsman.
The pair traded 12-dart legs to kick off the match in style but a formidable burst for Smith ended with him pinning a brilliant 110 check-out to punish Anderson's agonisingly short dart at bull for a 170.
With Anderson needing to play at his very best just to keep pace, the two-time world champion returned from the break to take out 164 after Smith's missed dart for a three-dart finish of his own.
Anderson followed up with an 11-dart leg to get the break back and then reeled off a third leg on the bounce with a clinical 68 to level matters.
Anderson took out five legs in just under seven minutes to move ahead for the first time and leave Smith reeling at a 6-4 deficit.
With Smith's level dipping only slightly, a relentless Anderson continued his assault to move within two legs of the match until Smith stopped the rot with a 68.
Having hit nine of his 13 darts at double, Anderson wobbled for the first time since the opening stanza, missing six-match darts to allow Smith to win the 15th leg before eventually sealing his quarter-final spot.
In the opening match of the evening, Suljovic ended Van Peer's fairy tale, with a ruthless victory over the Dutchman.
Suljovic roared out of the traps with a brilliant 110 finish in the opening leg and never looked back, racing to a 5-0 lead at the interval.
Van Peer, despite being broken twice in the opening session, showed little signs of the dartitis that had dominated his progression from the group stage, but with Suljovic in blistering form his opportunities were scarce and when they did come he wasted his four darts to get on the scoreboard.
There was no respite from the Austrian, who fired six perfect darts in the seventh leg to come as close as anyone to a nine-dart finish this week, before Van Peer stopped the rot with a clinical 96 check-out.
Suljovic motored through the rest of the match, with Van Peer's memorable 119 in the tenth leg giving him a moment to cherish before Suljovic sealed his place in the last eight.
The Grand Slam of Darts continues on Sky Sports this week with the four remaining Last 16 matches on Sky Sports Action on Thursday from 7pm.
Keep up to date with the news as the tungsten enters its busiest time of year with the PDC World Championships just around the corner get all the latest at sky.mnosports.com/darts and join in the conversation @SkySportsDarts
