In his first televised tournament since having laser eye surgery, Nicholson had earlier staged a comeback of his own as he knocked out the newly crowned Premier League Champion Gary Anderson, in another last leg shootout. With a quarter final meeting with James Wade, should The Asset go on to win the title, nobody could argue about the quality of his opposition en-route.

James Wade seemingly enjoying his darts for a change, edged out the Prince of Wales, Richie Burnett 9-7. Burnett the 1995 Embassy World Champion seems to have found some form of late and hopefully we will be seeing a lot more of him as he continues his resurgence. Wes Newton demolished Raymond van Barneveld 9-1, in a confident performance that those in the know have always been convinced he is capable of. A 100 average for the man from Fleetwood on the big stage facilitates a quarter final clash with Dave Chisnall.

Chisnall’s journey to the quarter finals saw him meet John Bowles, the former rugby league playing Kenny Daglish lookalike Rileys qualifier. After taking out the big names of Manley and Beaton, Bowles couldn’t tackle Chisnall eventually losing out 9-4 to the Chizzy Rascal.

Robert Thornton overcame The Wizard Colin Osborne by a 9 legs to 7 scoreline to setup a quarter final meeting with Mark Webster who knocked out the other Rileys qualifier Andy Boulton with some impressive ton plus finishes including 164, 147 and 146 in a comfortable 9-4 win.

Denis Ovens heated up the pie (man) Andy Smith and emerged a 9-6 victor making him the eldest competitor remaining. Many are speculating a sea change in 2011 where the old guard are toppled by an ever improving wave of youth. However 53 year old veteran Ovens will be keen to bring his solid floor game to the main stage and book a semi final place, his opponent though Mark Hylton will have other ideas after seeing off Lowestoft’s Peter Wright 9 legs to 6.

TAYLOR’S REEBOK REIGN ENDED BY NICHOLSON AS NEWTON SOARS PAST BARNEY

PAUL NICHOLSON sensationally knocked reigning champion Phil Taylor out of the Speedy Hire UK Open on Saturday night with a 9-8 triumph at Bolton’s Reebok Stadium, as Wes Newton sent two-time winner Raymond van Barneveld packing.

Nicholson followed up his deciding-leg win over Gary Anderson in Saturday afternoon’s Fourth Round with another thrilling performance, edging out the 15-time World Champion to reach Sunday’s final stages.

The Newcastle-born ace opened up leads of 5-2 and 7-3 before Taylor hit back to within a leg, but a 100 finish saw him move to the brink of victory at 8-6.

A missed bullseye for the match in the next saw Taylor hit back before the defending champion levelled on double 12 – but crucially he was unable to reach a double in the decider as Nicholson posted a 180 and finished double eight for an amazing triumph.

Nicholson had defeated Taylor on his way to winning last year’s Players Championship Finals in Purfleet, and he must now face James Wade in the first of three games he will need to play on Sunday if he is to win a second major title.

“I’m so tired after those two matches and I’ve put everything into them, but I’m thrilled with my mental attitude,” said Nicholson.

“I’ll be going straight to bed after this because I’ve got a job to do on Sunday – beating Phil won’t mean anything if I don’t win the tournament tomorrow.”

He added: “Phil Taylor is such an icon and a wonderful dart player but I’ve looked a lot at how John Part plays against him with no fear.

“When it went to eight-all there was no doubt in my mind because I’ve been there before against Phil. I just wanted a chance, and I took it.”

Wade, the 2008 UK Open, continued his challenge in the event with a fine 9-7 win over resurgent Richie Burnett, who pushed the left-hander all the way but was punished for missing three darts at double top to force a deciding leg.

Fleetwood’s ever-improving Wes Newton continued his run of form with a brilliant 9-1 win over two-time winner Raymond van Barneveld, averaging 100 as he swept into the quarter-finals.

“This weekend is now different to how I’ve been playing on the PDC ProTour events and I wanted to take that form into this tournament,” said Newton, who has moved up to eighth in the PDC Order of Merit this year.

“I’ve put in more effort over the last two years and I’ve got more belief in myself, and it’s paying off because if I can take my floor game onto the stage I’m a danger to anyone.

“I’m in the quarter-finals and I’m due to become a father in a fortnight. Everything’s going well in my life and I’m happy, and I can look forward to the quarter-finals.”

Newton will take on St Helens’ Dave Chisnall in the last eight, after the PDC newcomer continued an impressive Bolton debut with wins over Ronnie Baxter and Widnes amateur John Bowles on Saturday.

Bowles had won four matches to reach the last 16, including wins over Peter Manley and Steve Beaton, but lost out 9-4 to Chisnall.

Mark Webster knocked out the other remaining Rileys Amateur Qualifier, Andy Boulton, in with a fine 9-4 victory which included checkouts of 164, 147 and 146 in a superb display, and now takes on stable-mate Robert Thornton.

The Scot’s return to top form continued in Bolton as he defeated 2009 runner-up Colin Osborne 9-7 to reach the quarter-finals.

The other last eight clash sees Denis Ovens, a semi-finalist last year, take on Mark Hylton, the left-hander from Rugeley who bettered his last 16 finish in the World Championship by defeating colourful Peter Wright 9-7 to reach the quarter-finals of a major for the first time.

Stevenage veteran Ovens won his place in the quarters with a 9-6 defeat of Andy Smith in the night’s other Fifth Round clash, leaving him as the elder statesman in the last eight aged 53, with five of the players aged 33 or under.

Sunday’s decisive final day in the £200,000 event will see the afternoon’s Quarter-Finals followed by the Semi-Finals and Final in the evening session at the Reebok Stadium, with the winner pocketing £40,000 prize money.

A limited number of tickets remain on sale for each of Sunday’s session, and can be purchased in person from the Reebok Stadium.

Speedy Hire UK Open
Saturday June 4
Fifth Round
James Wade 9-7 Richie Burnett
Robert Thornton 9-7 Colin Osborne
Paul Nicholson 9-8 Phil Taylor
Wes Newton 9-1 Raymond van Barneveld
Mark Hylton 9-7 Peter Wright
Mark Webster 9-4 Andy Boulton
Denis Ovens 9-6 Andy Smith
Dave Chisnall 9-4 John Bowles

Sunday June 5 (1pm)
Quarter-Finals
Denis Ovens v Mark Hylton
Robert Thornton v Mark Webster
Dave Chisnall v Wes Newton
James Wade v Paul Nicholson
Best of 19 legs

7pm Start
Semi-Finals – Best of 19 legs
Final – Best of 21 legs

Source – PDC

Some of this eroded advantage will inevitably be recouped when the Power’s victory in the recent Players Championship Finals is factored into next month’s UWDR, but his dismal performance in the Premier League (which does not reward UWDR points) confirms that all is not well with the game’s greatest ever player, and Taylor might be facing a very uncomfortable 2011, with, potentially, his no.1 ranking in jeopardy!

Meanwhile, Martin Adams, the oldest flinger in town, retains the no.2 slot following his third BDO World Championship triumph at the grand old age of 54.  Remarkably, Adams is almost a year older than Eric Bristow, who captured his first world title in 1980 when Adams was, essentially, a pub league player.

Thereafter, slowly, but surely, Adams climbed the professional ladder, but when Jelle Klaasen, nearly thirty years his junior, won the 2006 BDO World Championship it seemed as though a new generation of darts players had arrived, sweeping the likes of Adams aside.  Wolfie finally achieved his ambition 12 months later, however, and, like Marco Materazzi, the persistent Adams is an inspiration to any sportsman, or sportswoman, who might not enjoy much success early in their career.

Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson, two other players who seemed to wait an eternity in the wings, are now ranked 3 and 4 respectively, enjoying a climb of 7 and 3 places in turn, following their spectacular performances in the PDC World Championship.  The scoring power of these two men now, almost certainly, poses the biggest threat to Taylor’s supremacy.

Positions 5-9 are filled out by a quintet of ‘usual suspects’ – James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld, Simon Whitlock, Terry Jenkins and Scott Waites – whilst the top 10 is rounded off by a man who could barely have imagined being in such exalted company 12 months ago.  At this point Dean Winstanley was merely a BDO journeyman, barely inside the UWDR top 150.  Remarkably consistent floor results throughout 2010, however, culminating in a spectacular run to the final on the Lakeside stage have elevated Over the Top close to the top.

But, realistically, how much further can he go?  As the UWDR awards bonus points for very high averages Winstanley will have to up his scoring power significantly, in addition to producing top performances in the BDO World Championship and World Masters and the Grand Slam of Darts, if he is going to overtake any more of the game’s elite.

Two Welshman, and world semi-finalists both, Martin Phillips and Mark Webster, are now nos. 14 and 15 respectively.  Whilst Phillips, who climbs 4 places this month, may be one place ahead of his compatriot for the time being, Webster, who is up 14 spots, is the coming man.  The 2008 BDO World Champion defeated Taylor en route to a second successive PDC World Championship semi-final, earning a Premier League wildcard, and his averages are now up with the very best.  It would be some surprise if Webby was not in the UWDR top 10 by the year’s end.

Conversely, Tony O’Shea, no.2 as recently as September, is now down to no.20!  The UWDR places a huge emphasis on recent form, to identify the hottest players in darts, and Silverback’s desperately disappointing performances in the BDO World Masters, and especially in the World Championship, have taken their toll.

Vincent van der Voort, the Fastest Player in the World, accelerates from no.32 to no.23 after reaching the last 8 of the PDC World Championship.

Anderson’s former partner in crime Gary Robson is up 15 places to no.37 following yet another quarter-final defeat at the Lakeside, whilst another beaten quarter-finalist, Ross Smith, is up 7 places to no.54.

Stephen Bunting picks up valuable UWDR bonus points after some impressive scoring in the first two rounds of the BDO World Championship, before running out of steam against Winstanley.  The Bullet fires into the top 50 at no.50, up 9 places.

Perhaps the most romantic story in either of this year’s world championships was the journey of 20 year-old Dutch qualifier Jan Dekker to the Lakeside semi-finals, a performance which guarantees him at least two trips to the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, to contest the Grand Slam of Darts.  In the meantime, the business and economics student enjoys a profitable market fluctuation, as his UWDR ranking soars from no.103 to no.51!  Garry Thompson, who missed nine doubles to defeat Dekker in the quarter-finals, can at least console himself that his ranking is up to no.44, from no.51.

The colourful Peter Wright climbs to no.60, up 28 places, following his run to the last 16 of the PDC World Championship, whilst Mark Hylton, who reached the same stage of the tournament, is up from no.138 to no.83.  Both Snake Bite and Mile High demonstrated some useful scoring at the ‘Ally Pally’, and it seems more than likely that these two players will continue to head northwards over the course of 2011.

Also reaching the last 16 of this tournament, defeating James Wade in the process, the Serbian-born Austrian Mensur Suljovic reaches no.101 in the UWDR, up 83 places.

In contrast, Wayne Mardle, a Premier League player just two years ago, continues his miserable decline, down (albeit just 1 place) to no.113 this month.  Mardle’s downturn emphasizes not only the fluidity of the UWDR, but the fickle nature of darts, and the fine margins of form and confidence.  As in football, no-one is ‘too big to go down’ in this game.  Mardle did reach a Pro Tour semi-final last November (losing only 6-5 to Mark Walsh), to provide a ray of hope, however.  Needless to say, darts would benefit enormously if Hawaii 501 could rediscover his game.

Stay tuned to DartsMad for the only accurate assessment of both PDC and BDO players: the Unified World Darts Ranking.

DartsMad Gareth

It’s Dave Chisnall who makes way for Whitlock, dropping a couple of places.

Mark Walsh is also up 3 spots to 15th, proving what a force he is these days. Could this be the year for Walshy to win a big one? His consistency is reflected in his UWDR ranking and his CV is just missing a major title.

There are lots of new faces in the UWDR this month as well. For varying reasons the following roll call are new on the list…

Dean Winstanley was this months highest climber, rising 106 places to 53rd on the back of winning the German Open.

Here’s the latest Top 20…