Bates cruises into quarter-finals

Barrie Bates will face either Mervyn King or Dennis Smith in the quarters

Wales' Barrie Bates strolled through to the quarter-finals of the PDC World Championships with a 4-0 win over 2005 runner-up Mark Dudbridge.

Bates next takes on 12th seed Mervyn King at Alexandra Palace, after he beat 2000 semi-finalist Dennis Smith 4-1.

Elsewhere, top seed Phil Taylor lost the first set but recovered to beat Kevin Painter 4-1 and advance.

"Mark just didn't perform, it's just something I've got over him that I've never lost to him," Bates said.

"If you listen to the commentators they had Mark Dudbridge and Mervyn King in the last eight, well I've got no pressure on me, I'm not supposed to win, but I do win.

"At the end of the day I'm up there to win, it's my job."

Bates faces King for a place in the semi-finals on New Year's Day, in a match scheduled to start at 1915 GMT.

Third seed James Wade advanced to the third round by beating Tony Eccles but was less than convincing in a 4-2 win.

Next up for Wade in the last 16 will be quickfire Dutchman Vincent van der Voort after he beat Colin Osborne 4-1, while sixth seed Adrian Lewis was knocked out by World Championship debutant Paul Nicholson in a 4-3 thriller.

Nicholson, born in England but representing Australia, will meet Dennis Priestley in the third round after he defeated 67-year-old John MaGowan 4-1.