Darts: Adams blazes a trail into the last four

(Getty Images)

Defending champion Martin Adams reached the semi-finals of the BDO World Darts Championship at Frimley Green with a 5-1 win over Ross Smith.

The top seed needed only 59 minutes to storm through, the highlights being checkouts of 161 and 121 on his way to a 3-0 success in the fifth set and a closing 116 finished on his preferred double 16. Martin Phillips came from behind to beat Gary Robson 5-4 and book his semi-final place. Robson led 2-0 in the first set but Phillips was within a dart of stealing it, missing double top and double 10 to allow Robson to take the set 3-2 with his sixth dart at a double.

He went on to open up a 3-1 lead before Phillips found his stride and levelled at 4-4. The deciding set went to two legs all and, with a two-leg margin needed to take the match, Phillips hit a 164 checkout and then took out double 12 at the third attempt in the next leg to complete a 5-4 win.

England's Trina Gulliver stretched her ever-present record in the women's final into a 10th year after overcoming Irina Armstrong, of Russia, two sets to nil. She will face Rhian Edwards, who upset Deta Hedman 2-0.