Ted survives scrap to win through to last four

Super Ted Hankey edged into the last four after toppling Martin Atkins 5-1 in a scrappy 58-minute quarter final encounter.

Neither player managed to reach the heights of their game, struggling to find the treble 20 bed and missing countless doubles.

But the double world champion and 15th seed from Telford was able to call on his vast experience at Frimley Green to peg back The Assassin who simply lacked the firepower.

The legs went with the throw in the opening set, Hankey missing bull for a blockbusting 170 checkout, finally exiting on double three.

The opening four legs of the second set went with the throw, both players missing to take the advantage. In the deciding fifth leg Hankey reached the double first but missed double two and one with Atkins also missing opportunities before The Count hit appropriately the “mad house” – double one for a 2-0 match lead.

In a scrappy third set Hankey hit a maximum as he annexed three of the four legs, winning the set on 52, finished on double 20 after both players struggled to find consistency on the 60 bed.

Twice The Count led in the next set after stealing the throw in the opening leg with a 90 finish completed with double 10. He fired a 180 and 41 checkout for the 11 dart third leg and followed p with double five after Atkins failed with a bull shot for a set-winning 121.

The Shropshire player blazed into the opening leg of the fifth with a 180, following up with double 10 only to see the gritty Yorkshireman annex the next three as he hit a brace of maximums, driving the stake into The Count to pull a set back.

Hankey stole the opening leg of the sixth against the throw after Atkins missed double tops for 109, The Count hitting a maximum and clinching double 10 for the second leg.

He wrapped up the match with a 64, finished on double eight to sweep into the last four.

Afterwards the double world champ admitted: “I played absolute garbage, terrible and need to go away and learn how to play darts overnight or Christian will destroy me.”