Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 4
Posted on July 5th, 2009
THE world’s top four players will contest the semi-finals and final of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII on Sunday.
Phil Taylor, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld and John Part progressed to the last four of the Desert Classic with victories in Saturday’s quarter-finals at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino.
Taylor, the defending champion, overcame a strong challenge from Gary Anderson to book his semi-final spot with a 10-6 victory.
Scottish qualifier Anderson led 3-1 early on, but a relentless Taylor performance saw him pull through for victory by winning four of the final five legs, averaging almost 104 in the process.
Taylor will face 2006 champion John Part in the first semi-final, after the Canadian saw off Terry Jenkins 10-8.
Jenkins battled back from 7-2 down to trail only 8-7 before Part sealed victory with a strong performance.
Raymond van Barneveld stormed past Mervyn King 10-1 to book his last four spot and remain on course to repeat his victory of 2007, hitting a 103 average in a sensational display.
Van Barneveld meets world number two James Wade in Sunday’s other semi, with the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion seeing off Adrian Lewis 10-6.
The results mean that, for the first time in the history of the PDC, the top four seeds from an event will contest the semi-finals, while Sunday’s champion will walk away with £30,000 prize money.
PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII
Quarter-Finals
John Part 10-8 Terry Jenkins
Raymond van Barneveld 10-1 Mervyn King
Phil Taylor 10-6 Gary Anderson
James Wade 10-6 Adrian Lewis
Sunday July 5 – 11am start
Semi-Finals (best of 21 legs)
Phil Taylor v John Part
James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld
followed by
Final (best of 25 legs)
JOHN PART 10-8 TERRY JENKINS
JOHN PART’S quest for a second PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title continued with a gritty 10-8 win over Terry Jenkins to send him into Sunday’s semi-finals.
The Canadian continued his strong form at the Mandalay Bay Resort to progress to the last four despite a strong comeback from Jenkins.
The 2007 runner-up trailed 7-2 before hitting back to 8-7 down, only for Part to jump over the finishing line.
Part stated his intentions in the opening leg, taking out a fine 112 finish to break throw immediately before posting a 78 checkout and double 18 for a 14-darter to move 3-0 up.
Jenkins took out 88 in the fourth to get off the mark, and double top pulled him back to 3-2 without either player having missed a dart at a double.
Part returned from the break to reel off four successive legs, twice punishing misses from Jenkins as well as hitting maximums in three legs.
An 11-darter ensured a 7-2 cushion, although Jenkins landed a 13-darter to stall the momentum and then hit a 180 and a 121 finish in pulling back to 7-4.
Double four from Part gave him the 12th leg, but Jenkins took out 92 in the next and then set up double top with a timely 140 in the 14th.
The pair traded 180s in the next, but a missed double 16 from Part allowed Jenkins to continue his fightback and reduce the gap to one leg.
This time it was Part who found an extra gear, hitting 168 to leave 16, which he took out to move a leg away from victory.
Jenkins posted his fifth maximum of the game in taking the next leg to pull back to 9-8, but Part’s sixth 180 proved crucial in helping him set up double four for victory.
“It’s been a good week so far and I’m really looking forward to Sunday,” said Part.
“My form have been up and down at times but I have to not kick myself when I’m down, and I’m doing that at the moment.
“I got out to 7-2 but Terry was like a dog chasing a bone, but the lead I got was just too much for him to overcome in the end.”
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 10-1 MERVYN KING
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD stormed into the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-1 destruction of Mervyn King at the Mandalay Bay Resort.
The Dutchman’s bid to win the Desert Classic for a second time in three years continued with a sweeping victory to condemn King to a quarter-final exit for the second successive year.
Van Barneveld produced the highest average of the tournament so far at 103.23, and restricted King to just one leg with a stunning display.
He secured two breaks of throw immediately in the match with 13-darters as he established a 3-0 lead, with King twice missing the bullseye early on in his first chances.
Van Barneveld landed a 180 and double top to take the fourth leg, with double six giving him a fifth before further misses from King allowed the Dutch star to post double 16 for a 6-0 cushion.
Scores of 134 and 180 pulled King clear in leg seven, and he landed double 16 for a 13-darter in getting off the mark.
He also left 40 after 12 darts in the next, but van Barenveld took out 56 for a 14-darter to move 7-1 up.
Two further 14-darters shattered King’s comeback hopes and took van Barneveld to the brink of victory, which was sealed in 13 darts with a fourth 180 of the game and double eight.
“In the first couple of legs Mervyn had a few chances and I took mine to go 5-0 up,” said van Barneveld.
“10-1 was a great result but I never thought it would be that easy. I’m happy with this win and hopefully I can play well again on Sunday.”
PHIL TAYLOR 10-6 GARY ANDERSON
PHIL TAYLOR survived a fright against Gary Anderson before securing his semi-final spot at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-6 win.
The Scot showed his quality by taking a 3-1 lead against the defending champion at the Mandalay Bay Resort, only to eventually succumb to a relentless Taylor performance.
Taylor kicked off the match with a 180, winning the opening leg in 13 darts only for Anderson to reply with a maximum of his own in taking the second.
Anderson then punished two missed darts at double top to break throw in the third, and took out 106 for a 3-1 cushion.
Taylor replied with a 12-darter, sealed with a 92 finish, before breaking back to level and then land double top for a 4-3 advantage.
Anderson stepped in to square the match at four-all after Taylor failed to leave himself a double, taking out 84 on double 11.
Taylor recovered to land double ten for the ninth leg, in 13 darts, before defying another Anderson 180 to break throw and take a key 6-4 lead.
Two further narrow misses on double top from Taylor gave Anderson a chance in leg 11, which he took in 12 darts, before paying the penalty for two wayward doubles of his own in the next.
Taylor hit back immediately on double eight and landed the same bed for an 8-5 lead to finally gain breathing space.
Anderson produced a two-dart 84 checkout to reduce the gap, and set up a potential 61 finish in the next with a 180 – only for Taylor to fire in a 14-darter to go a leg away from victory.
Both players landed 180s in the next, but a further 140 from Taylor edged him ahead and he landed double top for a place in the semis against John Part.
“Gary’s a great player,” said Taylor. “He’s getting fed up of losing and I think he’s going to be a big force.
“If there’s one chink in his armour, his scoring is great but he misses some darts at doubles sometimes and if he puts that right he can be a cracking player.
“I had to put him under pressure and match him score for score. You have to raise your game to beat these players and I did that against Gary.”
Taylor is hoping to claim a fifth Desert Classic title on Sunday, and added: “The main thing is being in the semi-finals but John has come through well this week and I’ll look forward to it.
“He’s a fantastic finisher but I’ll get stuck in tomorrow and hopefully I can come out of the day with another title.”
JAMES WADE 10-6 ADRIAN LEWIS
JAMES WADE won through to the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-6 win over Adrian Lewis.
The world number two remains on course for a second successive Desert Classic final following the victory against his fellow young gun.
Lewis had produced his best displays this year to defeat Vincent van der Voort and Peter Manley and reach the quarters, but was failed by missed doubles at crucial stages.
Wade kicked off the game with a 104 finish to break Lewis’ throw and then doubled his lead on double ten.
A 121 bullseye finish got Lewis off the mark, with Wade going 3-1 up in 13 darts as the pair traded 180s before the Stoke star posted another maximum in winning leg five.
Wade took out double top to win two of the next three legs, but Lewis landed two 180s in an 11-darter to pull back to 5-4.
Wade denied him the chance to level with another tops finish to move 6-4 up, before they once more traded maximums in the 11th leg, which Lewis edged on double eight.
It was, though, to be as close as he would get as Wade took the next two legs on double ten and then punished Lewis’ misses to take out double six for a 9-5 cushion.
Double 19 from Lewis kept him in the game, but Wade was too strong in the next and took out double ten to progress to a last four clash with Raymond van Barneveld.
“It wasn’t a vintage performance but Adrian missed a lot of doubles,” said Wade. “It was a battle and I came through it.
“I can’t wait to play Raymond, it will be a good game and also a tough game.”
Filed under Las Vegas Desert Classic |
