PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts - Day One Evening Session Round-Up
Posted on November 16th, 2008
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD made an impressive start to the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts, but crowd favourite Wayne Mardle suffered an opening-day whitewash to Kevin McDine.
Van Barneveld, a five-time World Champion, showed no mercy against emerging youngster Kirk Shepherd with a powerful display to gain first blood in the group phase at the Wolverhampton Civic.
Van Barneveld averaged over 100 and hit five doubles from seven attempts to make an ideal start to the tournament, setting up a clash with fellow Group E winner Robert Thornton on Sunday.
“It’s a great start for me,” said van Barneveld. “At 4-0, Kirk started to play like the player who reached the World Championship final, but darts is a strange game.”
A disappointing opening day leaves Wayne Mardle facing a must-win clash with Women’s World Champion Anastasia Dobromyslova.
Mardle produced what he described as “one of the worst displays of my career” in losing 5-0 to Kevin McDine, a semi-finalist in the 2007 Grand Slam of Darts who made a perfect start to this year’s event.
English-born Australian number one Paul Nicholson produced the biggest upset of the opening day, marking his debut in a televised event by seeing off WDF world number one Gary Anderson 5-4.
Nicholson made an immediate impression when entering the stage to Metallica and wearing sunglasses – but silenced the partisan crowd and held his nerve with a final-leg triumph.
“I tried to have some fun with the crowd at the start and it backfired a bit, but it was my first time on stage and I enjoyed it,” said Nicholson.
PDC world number three James Wade saw off Niels de Ruiter 5-1 and takes on Denis Ovens on day two, with the Dutch youngster now taking on Adrian Lewis, who went down 5-2 earlier in the day.
Mervyn King saw off Michael van Gerwen 5-1, but Simon Whitlock was unable to make it an Australian double when he lost 5-3 to Alan Tabern.
Andy Jenkins defeated Vincent van der Voort in a deciding leg to set up a clash with Phil Taylor on Sunday, while Wes Newton was another narrow winner in his clash with Colin Lloyd.
Sunday’s afternoon session features Saturday’s losers clashing in must-win games, which include Gary Anderson against Kevin Painter, van der Voort against Phill Nixon, Lloyd against Terry Jenkins and van Gerwen’s meeting with BDO World Champion Mark Webster.
The evening session will see King take on newcomer Colin McGarry, who defeated Mark Webster earlier on Saturday, McDine against John Part and Andy Hamilton versus Alan Tabern.
PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts
First Round (Group Phase)
Afternoon Session
Denis Ovens 5-2 Adrian Lewis
Andy Hamilton 5-3 Brian Woods
Robert Thornton 5-3 Gary Mawson
John Part 5-1 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Phil Taylor 5-0 Phill Nixon
Colin McGarry 5-4 Mark Webster
Darryl Fitton 5-2 Kevin Painter
Darin Young 5-4 Terry Jenkins
Evening Session
Andy Jenkins 5-4 Vincent van der Voort
Kevin McDine 5-0 Wayne Mardle
James Wade 5-1 Niels de Ruiter
Paul Nicholson 5-4 Gary Anderson
Raymond van Barneveld 5-1 Kirk Shepherd
Alan Tabern 5-3 Simon Whitlock
Mervyn King 5-1 Michael van Gerwen
Wes Newton 5-4 Colin Lloyd
ANDY JENKINS 5-4 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
ANDY JENKINS came back from 4-2 down to defeat Vincent van der Voort in the 2008 PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Van der Voort had a dart for the match in the eighth leg but the man from Portsmouth survived that moment and went on to win his first match in Group A.
In a tight opening to the match both players held their throw in the first four legs. In the fifth leg Van der Voort made a surge when he broke throw by landing double 19.
He then went 4-2 up with the aid of the maximum and finishing the leg on double five.
Jenkins took the seventh leg with a 64 finish and then landed double twelve to take the match the full-distance after the Dutchman missed a dart at bull for the match.
Jenkins consistent scoring in the final leg proved vital. And despite a maximum from Van der Voort, Jenkins landed double top to pinch the win.
“It was a very close game and in the end it probably came down to me winning the bullseye to throw first,” said Jenkins.
“Vincent’s a very good player and we both know this would be an important game in our group, so there was a lot of pressure.”
Van der Voort added: “We both didn’t play our best and maybe I was lucky to be level at 2-2 and he was lucky to get it back to four-all.
“It’s hard being a short format and you can’t settle, but at 4-2 I felt good and somehow it got away from me.”
KEVIN McDINE 5-0 WAYNE MARDLE
KEVIN McDINE opened up his 2008 PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts challenge with a whitewash victory over Wayne Mardle.
McDine, who made a career breakthrough in this event last year, when he reached the Semi-Finals won comfortably without really hitting top form.
McDine broke throw straight away after both players missed a number of chances, the Irthlingborough based player landing double one.
McDine hit a maximum in the second leg and then won the third after Mardle missed three darts at doubles.
The next two legs proved comfortable for McDine as his opponent failed to get going.
He hit a 65 finish for 4-0, and took the match by landing double ten for the second time in the contest.
“I’m pleased to win but I don’t feel I played well at all,” said McDine. “Wayne didn’t perform and I didn’t respond, so I’ll have to raise my game 20 percent against John Part.
Mardle admitted: “If I play like that against Anastasia on Sunday she’ll win.
“I was rubbish. I was watching Kevin and studying his action and I lost concentration, which I shouldn’t have done”.
JAMES WADE 5-1 NIELS DE RUITER
JAMES WADE came through his first match in Group G with a comfortable victory over Holland’s Niels de Ruiter in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Wade never had to find top gear in the match as his opponent struggled to find form on the big stage.
The Aldershot man broke throw in the first leg and then doubled his lead with a 101 finish.
The Dutchman stemmed the tide briefly in the third leg with a two dart 73 finish to reduce the deficit to 2-1.
Wade took the next two legs to go 4-1 ahead, and then won the match in some style with a 15 dart-leg.
PAUL NICHOLSON 5-4 GARY ANDERSON
AUSTRALIAN Paul Nicholson won an enthralling encounter against last year’s semi-finalist Gary Anderson at the Wolverhampton Civic.
Nicholson, making his first TV appearance made a flying start, hitting a maximum with his first three darts and following that with a 140 checkout to take the lead.
He led the match 4-2 before Anderson pegged back to force a final leg before the Australian came through.
He doubled his lead but the Scotsman quickly hit back to level the match at 2-2, hitting a 170 checkout in the fourth leg.
In the fifth leg Anderson allowed Nicholson to regain the lead after he missed six darts at doubles.
Nicholson then restored his two leg advantage hitting his second maximum of the game in the process.
Anderson won the seventh leg with a 71 finish and he then levelled at 4-4 after Nicholson missed five opportunities to win the match.
In the deciding-leg Anderson had the throw but Nicholson grabbed the advantage when he hit two 140s.
But as the tension grew Anderson clawed his way back and had a dart at double sixteen for victory. But he was unable to convert and Nicholson landed double ten to record a famous win.
“I was trying to have some fun with the crowd at the start and they didn’t quite take it that way,” admitted Nicholson. “I didn’t forecast that reaction and it backfired a bit.
“It got to me when I was on a double for the match and I missed, but I’m chuffed that I got the chance in the last leg.”
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 5-1 KIRK SHEPHERD
FIVE TIME WORLD CHAMPION Raymond van Barneveld put in an impressive performance to defeat an under-par Kirk Shepherd 5-1 in the 2008 PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Barneveld ended the match with a three-dart average of 100.38 and hit five out of seven doubles during the contest.
He broke throw at the start with a 56 finish and quickly took the next leg to put the World Championship runner-up under pressure.
Barneveld continued on in similar fashion to build a 4-0 lead, hitting finishes of 76 and 65. His opponent not having an opportunity at a double.
Shepherd opened his account in the fifth leg landing double eight at the first time of asking.
But Barneveld quickly wrapped up the win in the next leg with a classy 11-dart finish.
“To average 100 and have five from seven doubles is a great start for me,” said van Barneveld. “At 4-0, Kirk started to play like a player who reached the World Championship Final, but darts is strange game.
The Dutchman will play Robert Thornton on Sunday who won the other Group E encounter earlier this afternoon.
“I need to focus on my next game now because Robert had a good win over Gary Mawson”.
ALAN TABERN 5-3 SIMON WHITLOCK
ALAN TABERN began his PartyPoker.com Grand of Slam of Darts campaign with a 5-3 victory over Simon Whitlock.
Both players where making their debut in the Grand Slam of Darts and it was the Englishmen who edged out the Australian.
Whitlock started in confident mood with a maximum in the opening leg before winning it in 12 darts.
Tabern levelled-up and then broke throw with a 71 finish.
But Whitlock did not let Tabern get away and brought the score back to two apiece with a 96 checkout.
Tabern, currently ranked nine in the world, put in an important surge mid-way through the match taking the next two legs to go one away from victory.
He had two darts to win 5-2 but he missed both and Whitlock stepped in by landing double nine to keep his hopes alive.
The St Helens man missed two further opportunities to close out the match in the seventh, but the Australian was too far behind and Tabern came back to land double sixteen.
“I missed a few doubles but seemed to do that when I was under no pressure,” When Simon played the game we know he can play I reacted and started hitting my doubles - maybe I’m better with just one dart at a double!”
Whitlock added: “I started great but dipped off and Alan picked his game up, and he punished me.”
MERVYN KING 5-1 MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
MERVYN KING put in a solid performance to beat the young Dutchman Michael van Gerwen 5-1 in their opening match at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Van Gerwen hit three maximums in the match, but could only convert one of his six double opportunities and proved to be his downfall.
King opened up an early 3-0 lead, taking advantage of Van Gerwen’s missed doubles.
Van Gerwen took the fourth leg when he landed double eight, but it stemmed the tide only briefly.
King, who is world ranked number 12 after an impressive on the PDC Pro Tour in 2008, went 4-1 up, kicking-off with a 177 and going on to land double twelve.
The man from Norfolk quickly wrapped up victory in the sixth leg to defeat Van Gerwen for second time in two years at the Grand Slam of Darts.
A disappointed Van Gerwen said: “I missed my doubles in early legs and it cost me.
“It wasn’t my best but it’s a short format and I made it a difficult year for myself.”
King said: “Michael will bounce back and can still get through from his next two games. It’s pleasing to get the win and I’ve put myself in a good position but I can do it better.”
WES NEWTON 5-4 COLIN LLOYD
WES NEWTON won a final-leg shoot-out against Colin Lloyd at the 2008 PartyPoker.net Grand Slam of Darts.
Newton, who won the ITV Wildcard Qualifer last month to qualify for this event, led 2-1, and 4-3, before coming through.
Both players missed chances to win the opening leg, but Newton landed double three to lead.
Lloyd took out a 90 finish to level, before Newton broke throw once again after Lloyd has missed three darts to win the leg.
The man from Essex hit-back to win the fourth, and fifth legs in 13, and 14 darts respectively, to lead 3-2.
But Newton took the next two legs, capitalising on five missed doubles in each leg by Lloyd to go one leg away from victory.
Lloyd recovered to take the eighth leg to send the game into a deciding leg by hitting double top.
In the deciding-leg Newton hit a superb 170 to leave 32, and he managed to land double sixteen on the last dart, with his opponent waiting on 20.
“Standard-wise it was a poor game but I’ll take a win any day of the week,” said Newton. “We didn’t find our range up on stage but I hung in there.
“Over the last month or so I’ve played really well and I am expecting a lot from myself this week, and I’ll take this win and try to build on it.”
Tags: Grand Slam of Darts, Results, Review
Filed under Grand Slam of Darts, PDC |
