2001 PDC World Darts Championship Rod Harrington also went through, the home man winning 3–0 against Graeme Stoddart. Jamie Harvey continued his run at the Circus, defeating former champion John Lowe by 3–0. After a day off for New Year's Eve, The World Darts Championships started 2001 at the quarter-final stage. Matches now had been extended to the best of 7 sets (first to 4) for the quarter-finals and this is where the potential champions begin to show their proper darts. Phil Taylor continued his march to his 9th crown with a 4–0 whitewash of 1983 world champion Keith Deller, who played well short of
News of the World Darts Championship also the first year that separate competitions were held for men and women. The lack of televised darts coverage left some players frustrated by the lack of opportunity to make a living from darts, and in January 1992 they formed their own organisation to start up their own tournaments "(see main article: Professional Darts Corporation, and Split in darts)". The News of the World Championship made a one-year reappearance in the 1996/97 season, when Sky Sports and the News of the World resurrected the competition. In his autobiography, Phil Taylor says that his mentor, Eric Bristow always mocked him for