Phil Taylor has remained on course to successfully defend his Grand Slam of Darts title with a 16-7 victory against Robert Thornton.

The six-time winner had entered their last-eight clash on the back of a below-par performance against Terry Jenkins on Wednesday night, but he was back to his best against the World Grand Prix champion.

Thornton remained competitive during the early stages, but Taylor eventually powered to the win, hitting eight maximums on the way to an average of 104.18.

Taylor will face Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals after the 2012 champion held his nerve to beat Mark Webster.

After 14 legs, Van Barneveld held a 10-4 advantage, only to see Webster rally to reduce the deficit to one leg at 13-12 and look on course for an unlikely triumph.

However, the Dutchman regained his composure to take the next three legs to seal a 16-12 success and move through to another showdown with Taylor.