Players Championship Semi-Finals

MARK WEBSTER and Kevin Painter won through to the Cash Converters Players Championship final on Sunday evening with defeats of Wes Newton and Scott Rand.

Webster - a former Lakeside Champion and a runner-up in the PDC World Cup of Darts 12 months ago with Barrie Bates - saw off Newton 10-7 to reach his first major PDC singles final.

He is joined in the decider by 2004 World Championship finalist Kevin Painter, who produced an incredible comeback from 9-6 down to defeat Scott Rand 10-9.

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Cash Converters Players Championship
Semi-Finals
Mark Webster 10-7 Wes Newton
Kevin Painter 10-9 Scott Rand
Best of 19 legs

MARK WEBSTER 10-7 WES NEWTON
MARK WEBSTER remains on course to win his first PDC major title after defeating Wes Newton 10-7 in the Cash Converters Players Championship semi-finals.

The Welsh left-hander, who won the 2008 Lakeside Championship, booked his place in the final at the Doncaster Dome with another assured display as he chases the £60,000 first prize.

He hit 180s in winning the first two legs before posting double ten in the third to leave Newton reeling at 3-0 down.

The Fleetwood ace hit tops to get off the mark in the fourth, and hit scores of 177 and 180 in the next to set up a potential nine-darter.

Although he was unable to achieve a perfect leg, he took out 86 for a 12-dart finish to pull back to 3-2.

Webster, though, hit a 168 to set up double ten in winning the sixth, and added tops to lead 5-2 before Newton posted two 180s and double 16 to reply.

The pair traded 180s in the ninth, with Webster's maximum leaving 67 but only able to watch as Newton produced a 138 checkout on double nine to pull back to 5-4.

He was crucially unable to level, though, with Webster hitting double ten to edge away and 180 in setting up double nine to lead 7-4.

Newton hit double ten to win two of the next three legs, but a miss at tops for a 110 finish allowed Webster to move a leg away from victory at 9-6.

Webster would miss tops in the next, for a 106 finish, as Newton posted double eight to stay in the contest, but even a 180 from the UK Open runner-up was not enough to continue the fightback as the Welshman sealed victory on double ten.

"My finishing was pretty sharp and I'm delighted to be through," said Webster. "I had a little bit of luck but I've not beaten Wes for a while so it's nice to end that run.

"Hopefully I can go on to win the final now."

Newton admitted: "It's disappointing for me and I felt that the little things didn't go my way and I wasn't able to gain any momentum. I came back into it after the start, but Mark did well and never let me get on level terms."

Match Stats

Mark Webster	10-7	Wes Newton
24	100+	23
12	140+	6
3	180	6
31.19	Ave1	31.85
93.58	Ave3	95.54
66	High Finish	138
3	Breaks of Throw	2
10/20 - 50%	Finishing %	7/19 - 37%

KEVIN PAINTER 10-9 SCOTT RAND
KEVIN PAINTER produced a miracle comeback to battle from 9-6 down to end Scott Rand's Cash Converters Players Championship dream with a dramatic deciding-leg victory.

Rand, who has knocked out Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade in his run to a first major semi-final, continued his impressive emergence by leading 7-4 and 9-6.

However, his superb finishing faltered for the first time in the tournament has he missed two match darts for a 10-7 win as Painter took three successive legs to force a decider before snatching a sensational win on double eight.

"That's one of the most incredible games I've ever been involved in," admitted Painter, the 2004 World Championship runner-up.

"I thought I played well even though I was behind for most of the match. My scoring was good but I was sat on a finish a lot of times when Scott won legs and he never seemed to miss until that leg at the death.

"I put him under some pressure there at the end but I expected him to hit the double 16 for the match. He didn't and I took my chance."

Rand, nicknamed Cool Hand, showed few nerves in his first major semi-final by hitting 180s in winning each of the first two legs, landing double 16 and double eight.

Painter finished 96 on double 18 to get off the mark and then took out 130 on the bull to level, and shared the next two legs before Rand hit a 13-darter to take the seventh and punished misses from his opponent by taking out double 16 and 112 to lead 6-3.

Painter hit a 180 and finished 63 to win a fourth leg, before Rand took out 85 on tops to remain three legs clear at 7-4.

The pair traded double 16 checkouts before Painter pulled back to 8-6 by hitting a 180 and a second 96 finish of the game.

Rand, though, took out 76 to move a leg away from victory at 9-6 as he moved to within touching distance of a first major final after under two years as a professional.

Painter matched that 76 finish to begin his fightback, and when Rand saw two match darts at double 16 land outside the wire he finished tops to pull back to 9-8.

Double ten from Painter forced a decider, in which he was the stronger against the throw to mean that a 180 from Rand was in vain as he took out double eight to joyfully celebrate a remarkable comeback.

"It's the first time this week that I've wobbled on the doubles when I was on the double 16," admitted Rand. "My hand was shaking but I'm sure I'll have many more nights like this.

"Kevin's experience paid off and I can see how important that experience is now. It's been a very enjoyable weekend and I'm excited about the World Championship now.

"I'll be back driving lorries on Monday morning but one day I'd love to give that up and be a full-time professional. If I'd won the final I could have done that straight away, but it wasn't to be."

Match Stats