Anderson and Taylor Set for Final
- By Jaymes Monte on February 6, 2011 11:07 GMT
Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor are on collision course for a meeting in the final of the Players Championship Finals this Sunday evening.
Anderson and Taylor have been the two most impressive players in the tournament so far coming through their respective opening round matches with relative ease. The Scotsman maintaining his run of 100+ three-dart averages.
Anderson faces Andy Smith in the quarter-finals this afternoon and he should provide his sternest test so far this tournament. Smith has been playing well himself this week beating Ronnie Baxter then Jamie Caven in the first and second rounds.
The bookmakers are quoting odds of just 4/11 on an Anderson victory with Smith available to back at the reciprocal.
Taylor is up against another of the game’s in-form players Wes Newton. Newton beat Mark Webster 8-7 in the last round having been in control of the match throughout. However, he did miss a few darts to win the match 8-6 and the uncertainty he showed in getting over the line will have been a major concern.
Again the bookmakers make the world number one the 1/5 favourite to go through to the semi-final with Newton available to back at 5/1.
The winner of that match will go on to face the winner of the Mervyn King versus Terry Jenkins quarter-final. King has twice come back from the brink of defeat already this tournament to show his battling qualities and is made the 8/11 favourite by the bookmakers.
The line-up of quarter-final matches is completed by Steve Farmer against Colin Lloyd. Farmer proving to be one of the surprise packages of the tournament having already taken out Mark Walsh and Colin Osbourne.
Lloyd has the experience though and although he has yet to be pushed in the event his throw has been solid enough throughout. Which is why the bookmakers make him 1/2 to go through to the next round.
If Taylor and Anderson do meet in the final we will get the best indicator yet as to whether there remains a gulf in class between these two players. And it may just offer an insight as to what the future of darts has in store.
