Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 2
Posted on July 3rd, 2009
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD and James Wade began their PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic campaigns with victories on Thursday, while Adrian Lewis edged an epic against Vincent van der Voort.
Van Barneveld, the 2007 Desert Classic champion, produced an assured display to see off American Bill Davis 6-2 at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
He will now take on Co Stompe in an all-Dutch second round clash on Friday, while Wade meets Andy Hamilton.
World number two Wade, the reigning Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion, opened his title challenge with a nervy 6-3 win over New Zealander Phillip Hazel.
Wade led 2-0 before the rookie levelled, but the left-hander pulled clear from three-all to take victory.
The game of the day saw Adrian Lewis defeat Vincent van der Voort 6-5 in a thriller, with the young Stoke ace taking out 164 in the deciding leg to snatch victory.
Lewis faces Peter Manley for a third successive year in Las Vegas on Friday, after the 2003 champion overcame in-form Mark Walsh 6-4.
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Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 1
Posted on July 2nd, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR began the defence of his PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title with a 6-3 victory over Jamie Caven at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
Taylor headed to Las Vegas struggling with a back problem, but showed few ill-effects to dispose of the qualifier from Derby.
Taylor took a key 3-1 lead and held off Caven’s challenge to set up a second round clash with long-term rival Dennis Priestley on Friday.
“Jamie put me under a lot of pressure but my finishing got me through,” said Taylor. “He played very well, he’s one to watch for the future and he’s getting better every week.”
He added: “The back will be okay but it is affecting me. Now I get stiff towards the end of the day so I was glad to get through that.”
Priestley booked his spot in the last 16 with a fine 6-1 win over Colin Monk in the opening game of the tournament, while Terry Jenkins repeated that scoreline in seeing off Australian Simon Whitlock.
Jenkins now meets Colin Lloyd in round two, with the Chelmsford star defeating Lowestoft-based qualifier Peter Wright 6-3 to end a run of three successive first round losses in the Desert Classic.
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Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Preview
Posted on July 1st, 2009
The PDC circus hits Las Vegas on Wednesday with the Desert Classic held at the Mandalay Resort and Casino, more famous for its Shark Reef Aquarium than arrowsmiths. Screened live on Sky from 7pm UK time it kicks off early morning local time and is a far cry from the raucous Premier League experience. A much flatter show, think Budweiser which has been lying too long in a hot beer garden. As for the crowd, try to envisage the Rocky Horror show add in some Vegas eccentricity and you will be close.
This is the last year the tournament will run on Sky, not too much of a surprise as many view it as the least enticing proposition on the Sky darting calendar. Overseas costs have played a part as many leading global companies tighten their belts. As I write, around 190 players have just battled it out for 12 qualifying places to join the PDC’s top 16 in the Order of Merit and 4 North American Order of Merit qualifiers. Look for players fighting to stay in the top 16 or attempting to get into the lucrative top 16 as in past years it has been known for one or two players not to be 100% motivated at the tournament, some spending more time on the casino tables than on the practice board. Never a winning strategy with an 11am start.
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Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Draw
Posted on July 1st, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR will begin the defence of his PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title against Jamie Caven on Wednesday.
Number one seed Taylor, who picked up the Desert Classic trophy for a fourth time in 2008, drew in-form Derby star Caven for his first round clash at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
Two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley will kick off the tournament when he takes on Colin Monk, who was one of the 12 qualifiers to come through two days of heats on Sunday and Monday.
Tuesday’s Las Vegas Players Championship winner Ronnie Baxter, who defeated Taylor 6-2 in the final, will meet Dutch ace Jelle Klaasen, while Colin Lloyd drew Lowestoft-based qualifier Peter Wright – a player with dyed pink hair nicknamed “Snakebite”.
John Part, the 2006 Desert Classic winner, will take on California’s Scott Burnett in an all-north American battle, while two-time semi-finalist Wes Newton drew Alan Tabern.
Australia’s Simon Whitlock takes on number five seed Terry Jenkins, while Wayne Mardle drew Scottish qualifier Gary Anderson.
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Desert Classic Monday Qualifiers
Posted on June 30th, 2009
FORMER champion Peter Manley was amongst the final six qualifiers for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic on Monday.
Manley, the 2003 winner, had to enter the qualifiers at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas after dropping outside the world’s top 16 recently.
However, he bounced back from the disappointment of a defeat to Shane O’Connor on Sunday by winning through 24 hours later.
His victories on Monday included a revenge win over O’Connor, at the semi-final stage, before he whitewashed Holland’s Bryan de Hoog to win his place in the first round draw.
Wes Newton, twice a Desert Classic semi-finalist, booked his spot in this year’s event with a 5-1 defeat of Roland Scholten in his deciding game.
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Desert Classic Sunday Qualifiers
Posted on June 29th, 2009
DUTCH trio Jelle Klaasen, Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe were amongst the first six qualifiers for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday.
Almost 200 players travelled to the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas in a bid to win the 12 qualifying places in the main Desert Classic event, which begins on Wednesday.
Three of the first six players will join Raymond van Barneveld as Dutch representatives in the Desert Classic, with Klaasen, van der Voort and Stompe all winning through a tough field on Sunday.
Klaasen had to take on former World Champion Mark Webster in the first round, winning 5-2, and later edged out James Barton 5-4 before seeing off Smith in his deciding game, taking out 146 and 149 in the final two legs to seal the narrowest of victories.
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New World Championship 3rd Place Play-Off
Posted on June 25th, 2009
THIRD-FOURTH PLACE PLAY-OFF INTRODUCED
A THIRD-FOURTH place play-off will be introduced at the 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
The battle between the losing semi-finalists at Alexandra Palace will be the pre-cursor to the £1 million event’s final on Sunday January 3.
Four previous third-fourth place play-offs have previously been held between 1994 and 1998, and the concept will return next January.
The two players will be battling for a £100,000 total in prize money, with the winner picking up £60,000 and the loser £40,000.
“The Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship is already the sport’s biggest ever event but the third-fourth place play-off will add even further to the spectacle at Alexandra Palace,” said PDC Chairman Barry Hearn.
“After 12 days of play across Christmas and New Year, the tournament will now culminate with these two high profile fixtures – the final and the third-fourth place play-off on January 3.
“Our aim is to give fans the best possible value for their money at all PDC tournaments and creating an experience they will never forget, and this certainly does that.
“For the stars involved it will also be a huge occasion, especially so as the game could also be the deciding factor for players battling for a Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts place.”
The 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts will feature the top six players in the PDC Order of Merit following the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, to be joined by two wildcard selections.
Tickets for the 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship are now on sale, with prices starting at £15. To book, call 0871 220 0260.
Hospitality Packages start from £100 and can be booked on 08712 501 180.
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Walsh Claims Fourth Title Of 2009
Posted on June 21st, 2009
MARK WALSH tasted Players Championship victory for a second successive weekend with a final-leg defeat of Andy Hamilton in Sunday’s German Darts Trophy.
Walsh won a third title of 2009 with triumph in Barnsley last weekend, and picked up a further £6,000 in Dinslaken with a narrow win against Hamilton.
Walsh battled back from 4-2 down in the decider to lead 5-4 before Stoke ace Hamilton sent the match into a sudden-death 11th leg.
Hamilton set up a chance for victory on 122 in the final leg, hitting two treble 18s but missing double seven before Walsh stepped in for the win.
Walsh had also been pushed all the way in the semi-finals by in-form Baxter, and knocked out Gary Anderson 6-2 in the last eight.
He had earlier dropped only one leg in victories over Didier de Vuyst, Dennis Smith and Mark Walsh in reaching the latter stages.
Hamilton’s run saw him reach a second PDC Pro Tour final of 2009, and included a 6-2 semi-final victory over UK Open runner-up Colin Osborne.
Hamilton also saw off Tony Ayres, Alex Roy, Alan Tabern and Co Stompe in picking up the £3,000 runner-up cheque.
Colin Lloyd, the runner-up in Saturday’s Players Championship to Andy Smith, was a quarter-final loser to Baxter, while Terry Jenkins also reached the last eight.
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Tags: German Darts Trophy, PDPA Players Championship
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Pieman Wins German Darts Trophy
Posted on June 20th, 2009
ANDY SMITH picked up his first Players Championship victory since 2007 with a 6-5 win over Colin Lloyd in the final of Saturday’s German Darts Trophy.
Smith had not picked up a tournament win since October 2007 in Scotland, but hit a nine-darter in ending that run in Dinslaken.
The Studley-based star achieved the perfect leg in his quarter-final victory against Mark Walsh, having hit a ten-darter to level after being 3-0 down before landing a perfect leg later in the match to earn a £400 bonus.
Smith overcame Wim Mink and Louis Blundell in the early rounds, edged out Mervyn King 6-5 in the last 32 and then defeated Jelle Klaasen 6-4 to reach the quarters.
Following his deciding leg win over Walsh, Smith then knocked out Bradford youngster Joe Cullen 6-3 in the semis and edged out Lloyd in a tight final.
Lloyd’s run featured wins over Mick McGowan, Braulio Roncero, Andy Hamilton, Steve Beaton and Wayne Jones to reach his fourth final of the year.
Cullen’s run follows his recent decision to leave his job as a postman to become a full-time professional, and was his best-ever on the PDC Pro Tour.
The 19-year-old picked up wins over Mark Dudbridge, Tony Eccles, Alan Tabern and Vincent van der Voort in making the last four, and led Smith 3-2 before the eventual champion took the final four legs without reply.
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Tags: German Darts Trophy, PDPA Players Championship
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Osborne Takes Barnsley Title
Posted on June 14th, 2009
COLIN OSBORNE picked up his first Players Championship win of 2009 with a 6-2 defeat of Gary Anderson at the Barnsley Metrodome.
Osborne followed up his run to the final of last week’s Blue Square UK Open and a semi-final appearance in Saturday’s Players Championship by going all the way to the £6,000 title.
Early victories over Brendan Dolan, Kirk Shepherd, Andy Smith and Martyn Turner were followed by a 6-3 quarter-final defeat of Robert Thornton to put him into a second successive semi.
He then saw off Paul Nicholson 6-2 to reach the final, twice setting up potential nine-darters with back-to-back 180s in storming through.
The final saw him similarly dominant, with a break of throw in leg four putting him 3-1 up before he landed a second maximum of the final to lead 4-1.
A two-dart 64 finish kept Anderson in the contest, but successive 65 checkouts from Osborne ensured his third PDC Pro Tour victory.
Anderson’s progression to the final included wins over Anastasia Dobromyslova, Jan van der Rassel, Andy Jenkins, Alan Tabern and Steve Beaton before he defeated Wayne Mardle 6-4 in the semis.
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Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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