Former world champion Keith Deller has insisted that he will not be intimidated by Phil Taylor, when the pair meet in the quarter-finals of the Skol World Championships at Purfleet tomorrow. Deller famously won the world title when he caused one of the biggest shocks in darts history to beat Eric Bristow in the 1983 final. The 40-year-old from Bury St Edmonds is confident that he can use the experience of that match against Taylor. He said: “I will really go for it against Phil. Everyone expects Phil to have it easy but I will go for it. No one could touch Eric in the Eighties and I shouldn't have won but I beat him.”
Deller won an excellent second-round match against `The Prince of Wales' Richie Burnett last night, prevailing in the final set of a high-quality game. Having been relegated from the top eight seedings for this year's tournament, Deller was delighted with his performance. He added: “I'm pleased because this is the first time in three years that I've gone out not being a seed and that disappointed me. I've proved to myself that I've got the game.”
Taylor, the eight times world champion who received an MBE yesterday before beating Les Fitton 3-1, was wary of the threat that Deller posed. He said: “He's full of beans, playing brilliantly and is hitting everything under the sun.” The man known as `The Power' was made to work hard for his victory by Fitton, who won the first set to leave Taylor stunned. But the 40-year-old from the Potteries hit back in style to emerge triumphant although Fitton matched him dart for dart.
It’s that sort of attitude that players have to take against Taylor, according to sixth seed Rod Harrington, who beat Graeme Stoddart 3-0 yesterday to set up a quarter-final clash with Dutchman Roland Scholten. The Essex professional, known as `The Prince of Style' as he always plays dressed in a shirt and tie, said: “Phil had a scare because Les Fitton is one of those players that just plays his own game. That's what you've got to do to Phil Taylor. You've got to play your own game. You don't play the player, you play the board.”
Scholten will certainly provide tough opposition for the Circus Tavern crowd's local favourite as he has reached the last eight without dropping a set. Harrington added: “I've known Roland for about ten or twelve years and I believe he's only beaten me once. I will be really well-prepared and ready and I'm feeling good.”
In tomorrow's other quarter-finals, Scotland's Jamie `Brave Dart' Harvey takes on number eight seed Dave Askew while number two seed Alan Warriner meets seventh-seeded former world champion John Part from Canada.
Filed by Sinéad Gleeson
