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STEVE Beaton and Mervyn King continued their BetVictor World Matchplay renaissances as they joined Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals in Blackpool with second round victories on Wednesday evening.

World number 26 Beaton won through to his first major quarter-final for over five years - since his run to the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals - as he overcame number seven seed Michael Smith 11-7 with a classy display.

After Beaton took the opening two legs, Smith got off the mark with a brilliant 156 checkout, only to see his opponent then take out 160 to move 3-1 up in style.

Smith then took back-to-back legs to level and finished 129 to move ahead, but another surge from the 52-year-old saw him claim five successive legs to move 8-4 up.

Smith hit back to 8-7, but Beaton landed a 180 as he denied the youngster the chance to level before taking the next two legs to move into the last eight.

"It's a brilliant win," admitted Beaton. "I've not been in the quarter-finals for a long time on TV but I've been consistent in all the other tour events but I love darts and really enjoyed this game.

"The pace suited me as I'm a rhythm player. I go with the flow and it was like my first round match with Jelle - I put myself in a good position and capitalised at the end. Michael came back at me so well from 8-4 and it was a good game.

"I'll keep playing as long as I can keep competing and at the moment I am competing. As long as I can keep doing that I'll be annoying a few of them for a long time to come."

Beaton now meets World Champion Gary Anderson in Friday's quarter-finals, after the Scot overcame Terry Jenkins 11-5 to reach the last eight for only the second time in eight years in Blackpool.

After Jenkins took the opening leg, Anderson levelled with an 11-darter before moving 3-1 up, and though the two-time finalist hit back to trail just 5-4, a five-leg burst moved the Scot into an unassailable lead before he sealed victory with an 11-darter of his own.

"Terry's a class act and he has a good head on his shoulders," said Anderson. "He's been a thorn in my side for years so I'm pleased to get past him.

"The scoring isn't there yet and I'm not hitting enough 180s but my finishing is good and I'm quite happy with that.

"Steve Beaton's no mug and he knows how to handle these stages. It's going to be a good game and a hard game because he's a great lad and we'll get up there and get on with it."

King, meanwhile, won through to his first major quarter-final for almost 18 months, since the 2015 UK Open, by battling past Brendan Dolan 11-8 as he followed up his first round defeat of James Wade with another strong performance.

Rejuvenated Dolan - who knocked out Raymond van Barneveld in his opener - hit back from a 2-0 deficit early on, as King took out double 16 and 110, to move into a 4-2 lead, and he also led 5-4 before seeing the Norfolk ace take three in a row to move two legs up once again.

Dolan levelled at eight-all, but crucially King took out double 16 to regain the edge and punished missed doubles from the Northern Irish ace in the next two to secure the win.

"It wasn't the best I've ever played but that win is a great win," said King. "I put him under pressure, he gave me a chance and I took it, but he never goes away and is really tough to beat.

"It's seven years since I've been in the quarter-finals here so I'm pleased with that but I'll need to improve on that for the quarter-finals."

King will take on 15-time World Matchplay winner Phil Taylor in the last eight, after the Stoke legend brushed aside Mensur Suljovic 11-5.

The Austrian came back from 3-0 down to cut the gap to one leg, but a four-leg burst moved Taylor into a 7-2 lead, and though the Austrian took out 103 and 104 to respond to a 116 checkout from his opponent, the 55-year-old held on to seal the win with a 101 average.

"I'm over the moon," said Taylor. "He's a good player and if his confidence is up then he's very tough to beat. He's an unknown talent and a tough cookie but he tries his socks off.

"I missed a couple of shots and he did a couple of lovely finishes and he put me under pressure.

"I need to improve against Mervyn King and my finishing has to improve. I don't feel I've played well yet or felt comfortable, but Mervyn's a seasoned pro so you've got to play properly on Friday."

The quarter-finals commence on Thursday evening with the two games from the top half of the draw, with reigning champion Michael van Gerwen taking on Dave Chisnall and 2013 finalist Adrian Lewis up against number five seed Peter Wright.

Van Gerwen is the odds-on 5/6 favourite with sponsors BetVictor to retain his title on Sunday, with Anderson's odds cut to 3/1 and Taylor now 4/1 as he chases a 16th World Matchplay title.

Lewis and Wright are locked at 14/1, with Dave Chisnall a 25/1 chance to claim his first major title, with Beaton and King the 66/1 outsiders.

BetVictor World Matchplay.

Wednesday July 20.

Second Round.

Mervyn King 11-8 Brendan Dolan.

Michael Smith 7-11 Steve Beaton.

Phil Taylor 11-5 Mensur Suljovic.

Gary Anderson 11-5 Terry Jenkins.

Quarter-Finals.

Thursday July 21 (7pm-11pm).

Peter Wright v Adrian Lewis.

Michael van Gerwen v Dave Chisnall.

Friday July 22 (7pm-11pm).

Mervyn King v Phil Taylor.

Gary Anderson v Steve Beaton.