Phil Taylor to meet Gary Anderson in World Matchplay semi-finals

Phil Taylor has remained on course for a 15th World Matchplay title after he eased past Wes Newton in their quarter-final encounter on Friday evening.

The 16-time world champion has triumphed in his last 32 matches on the Winter Gardens stage, and although he fell 4-2 behind in the early stages, he never looked in danger of failing to make it 33 successive victories.

A seven-leg surge saw Taylor move 9-4 ahead, and although Newton stopped the rot, the Stoke-on-Trent thrower stormed through to the last four in the latter stages of the match, eventually running out a 16-6 victor.

Taylor will now face Gary Anderson on Saturday evening after the Scot produced his best performance in Blackpool to run out a 16-8 winner against Adrian Lewis.

Anderson eased into a 3-0 advantage, and from then onwards, never relinquished the advantage as Lewis struggled to display his usual scoring power.

Lewis suggested that a comeback could occur when he reduced the deficit to 10-6, but Anderson finished strongly to reach the semi-finals for the first time at the sixth attempt.