2004 PDC World Darts Championship - Day 6 - New Years Day

New Years Day

Following the traditional evening off for New Year's Eve, the World Championships started 2004 at the fourth round stage. In the last 16 matches were still best of 7 sets and all eight last 16 matches would be played today. Following the surprising results in the third round, just nine of the 16 seeds were remaining following the last 32 matches.

In the opening match of the day, Simon Whatley continued his run with a 4-1 win over Lionel Sams. Sams had taken the first set 3-2 but Whatley replied in kind, and then took 9 of the next 12 legs to book his place in Friday's quarter-final matches. Also heading through was Peter Manley, the highest remaining seed from the bottom half of the draw knocked out 1983 champion Keith Deller 4-2 however he had been made to work for his victory. Another 7 set thriller would be served up as Warriner moved through against Alex Roy. Warriner took the first six legs to go 2 sets up, Roy followed by taking 6 of the next 8 legs to level the match at 2-2. The tit-for-tat game continued as Warriner and Roy both took their next sets comfortably, the seventh set going to Alan by 3 legs to 0.

The 7th seed Ronnie Baxter was heading home, he lost 4-2 to Kevin Painter who hoped to reach the Semi-Finals for the second successive year. Painter, took 9 of the first 14 legs as he went 3-0 up; Baxter pinched the next two sets by 3 legs to 2 to close the gap to 1 set. However, this took a good deal out of Baxter and Painter strolled the sixth set to go through with a 91.38 average. Bob Anderson would also be going through to the quarter-finals, he was unstoppable in the early stages against Dennis Smith, taking a 3-1 lead over the number 6 seed. However Smith responded, taking the next two sets with the loss of three legs to level the match at 3 sets all. Like Baxter, Smith seemed jaded and Anderson took the decider 3-0 to go through to a match with Peter Manley.

In the Home player's duel Wayne Mardle and Colin Lloyd produced the match of the round, taking a 3-1 lead, Lloyd seemed to be cruising towards the quarter-finals, his best run in a major since the 2002 world championship. However from 3-1 down, Mardle found a second wind, winning 9 of the last 11 legs to take him through to the quarter-finals, his first World Championship quarter-final in the PDC. In the battle of the old (and current) Masters, the top seed Taylor was given a stern test by Dennis Priestley. In a match played in a friendly spirit, Taylor bossed the first two sets before Priestley took the third. Taylor would edge the last two sets by 3 legs to 2 to win 4-1, however a 12-8 leg count doesn't do justice to the scoreline. - In the final match Part's conqueror Mark Dudbridge would go through a 4-1 winner over Steve Beaton.