RONNIE Baxter, who has few fond memories of the Lakeside stage down the years, has fallen in love with the place this week after recording a second successive whitewash in the Embassy World Darts Championship last night.

Number two seed Baxter roared into a mouthwatering quarter-final showdown with Roland Scholten after sweeping past Kevin Painter 3-0.

And coming hot on the heels of a drubbing of former champion Richie Burnett by the same scoreline in the first round, it is no wonder that the arrows ace from Church is finally enjoying Frimley Green.

Five times in seven trips to the home of darts, Baxter has failed to get past the second round but having reached the last eight for only the second time he is now confident of going all the way to Sunday's final.

"I have beaten two very good players so I must be doing something right," said the modest 37-year-old. "But then I will beat anyone if it's my week. Perhaps this is my week."

Baxter, forced to work hard in the first two sets against Essex star Painter before nicking the deciding legs, raced away with the third set and finished with an average of 32.88 per dart, his highest-ever at the Embassy.

But despite making it look so easy, Baxter admitted: "I actually felt quite tense. It was hot up there and even though the scoreline looks good I felt I had worked hard for the win."

Baxter now meets Ducthman Scholten tomorrow night in the last eight. Seventh seed Scholten came through 3-2 after a gruelling encounter with compatriot Co Stompe.

"I am looking forward to it. Let's face it, I can't say I'm not used to the stage anymore, can I? "It is now nine sets in the quarter-finals instead of five and that gives me plenty of time to relax my way into the match.

"Roland will be tough. He has been to the semi-finals here and is one of the world's top players. But so am I and my ambition is to win this competition and I don't think there is anyone who can stand in my way."

It was a bad night for Lancashire's other representative when Paul Williams dreams of collecting a cheque for £42,000 and the title were crushed by giant Londoner Andy Fordham.

Many people watching Raymond Barneveld believe that the 31-year-old Dutchman with just a little improvement, could be even better than the Stoke maestro, Phil Taylor.

Barneveld won the Embassy title for the first time last year and gave up his postman's job to concentrate solely on darts and the move is paying dividends.

Tonight he will play Australian Steve Duke in the last eight and it will be a major shock if the burly Dutchman is beaten.

Barneveld came close to defeat when he only beat the 1997 Embassy champion Les Wallace 3-2 in their second round clash on Tuesday after surviving five match darts.

Yet in the same contest the Dutchman hit 10 maximum 180s to set a new Embassy record for a best of five sets match and averaged 32.85 per dart.

Barneveld invariably scores high and his record in slotting doubles is improving all the time.

Martin Adams, the England captain who lives near Peterborough, and Chris Mason of Bristol play in the second quarter-final tonight. Adams starts favourite, having set the highest average of the week, 33.54 per cent per dart, in beating Australian Graham Hunt 3-1 in the second round. The remaining quarter-finals sees big Andy Fordham of Woolwich play Colin Monk of Hampshire.

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