Grand Slam Hat-Trick For The Power
Posted on November 22nd, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR claimed a third successive PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts title with a 16-2 demolition of Scott Waites at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Taylor followed up his 16-6 defeat of Raymond van Barneveld in Sunday afternoon’s semis with another brilliant display to take the £100,000 title.
The win earned Taylor a 21st tournament victory of 2009 in sensational style, hitting a 170 checkout during the game and missing double 12 for a nine-darter in the winning leg – settling instead for a 10-darter in wrapping up the triumph.
“I’ve put a lot of hard work into this and really dedicated myself,” said Taylor. “I love the competition and playing on the big stage against all the other players.
“I’m so proud of Scott. He came through a really tough field this week, and he never gave in.”
Taylor kicked-off the match with a 14 darter, before winning the second against the darts by hitting double 16.
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Tags: Final, Grand Slam of Darts, Phil Taylor, Results, Review
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Grand Slam of Darts Semi Finals
Posted on November 22nd, 2009
SCOTT WAITES will attempt to deny Phil Taylor a third successive PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts title when the pair meet in the final at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Sunday night.
Yorkshireman Waites continued the greatest week of his darting career with a superb 16-11 semi-final win over Terry Jenkins, earning him a minimum £50,000 pay-day.
He could yet take the £100,000 first prize on Sunday night when he meets Taylor for the first time in his career.
“It’s amazing, I can’t believe I’ve made it this far,” said Waites, a joiner by trade and a former World Masters runner-up.
“It’s always been my ambition to play against Phil and I get to do it for the first time in the final. Given the way this week has gone, anything could happen!”
Waites, ranked number two in the BDO, led 2008 runner-up Jenkins 4-1 and 10-6 before the Ledbury star hit back to level at 11-all.
However, Waites reeled off five successive legs, including finishes of 117 and 10, to progress to the final.
Taylor had earlier seen off Raymond van Barneveld 16-6 with another high-quality display, averaging almost 107 in reaching a third successive Grand Slam of Darts final.
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Tags: Grand Slam of Darts, Results, Review
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Grand Slam of Darts Evening Quarter Finals
Posted on November 22nd, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR surged past Tony O’Shea 16-7 to set up a semi-final with Raymond van Barneveld at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Taylor’s bid for a third successive title at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall continued with his strongest performance of the week,
O’Shea matched Taylor for the first eight legs, but Taylor took 12 of the next 14 in storming to victory.
“It was a great game to be involved in and we both enjoyed it,” said Taylor. “Tony never gave up and he pushed me hard, but I can look forward to a fantastic match with Barney now.”
O’Shea, the BDO number one, added: “It was my first time playing in the Grand Slam and I really enjoyed it, I had a fantastic week and will look forward to coming back next year.”
Van Barneveld won through to the semis for the first time in the Grand Slam with a high-quality 16-6 win over Kevin Painter.
Van Barneveld finished 53 percent of his chances at a double, including a 156 checkout, and also hit eight 180s in taking the win.
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Grand Slam of Darts Afternoon Quarter Finals
Posted on November 22nd, 2009
SCOTT WAITES produced the performance of his career to win through to the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts, where he will take on Terry Jenkins on Sunday.
Yorkshireman Waites, the 2008 World Masters runner-up, followed up Friday’s thrilling second round defeat of Gary Anderson by seeing off Simon Whitlock 16-13 in the quarter-finals.
Waites came from 5-4 down to lead 9-5 and also landed a 144 checkout in taking a 13-8 cushion.
Australian Whitlock cut the gap to one leg, but Waites hit three 180s in his final three winning legs to book a semi-final berth.
“It was a big struggle all the way through but I’m delighted to have won.” said Waites, a joiner who has now earned the biggest paycheck of his darts career with a minimum £25,000 prize money.
He could still take the £100,000 title on Sunday night, although 2008 runner-up Terry Jenkins lays in wait in the semi-finals following his 16-9 defeat of Robert Thornton.
Jenkins made a brilliant start to lead 9-2, and though the Scot cut the gap to 10-7 he could never claw his way back into the game.
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Grand Slam of Darts Last 16
Posted on November 21st, 2009
SCOTT WAITES, Terry Jenkins and Robert Thornton all won through deciding leg battles to reach the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts on Friday night.
The trio and Australian Simon Whitlock completed the last eight line-up at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall in a dramatic night of darts.
Waites came from 9-7 down to defeat Gary Anderson in a thriller, defying 11 maximums, a ten-dart finish and three 11-darters from the Scot to win the final three legs.
The Yorkshireman admitted afterwards: “It was an unbelievable game. Gary had a few loose darts later on, and I managed to creep back into the match.”
Waites now meets Whitlock in Saturday’s quarter-finals, after the Australian stormed past Steve Beaton 10-1 in their second round game.
2008 runner-up Jenkins and Thornton, though, both went to deciding legs in their clashes against James Wade and Darin Young.
Jenkins took out a 121 checkout to win the final leg of his brilliant clash with left-hander Wade, while Thornton produced a 116 checkout to take victory over American star Young.
Saturday’s other quarter-finals see reigning champion Phil Taylor take on BDO number one Tony O’Shea, while Raymond van Barneveld comes up against Kevin Painter.
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Grand Slam of Darts Last 16
Posted on November 20th, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR set up a clash with BDO number one Tony O’Shea in the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts with a superb comeback against Colin Lloyd on Thursday night.
Taylor, the reigning champion and PDC number one, won seven successive legs with an average of 113 to come from 4-3 down and win 10-3 in his clash with Lloyd.
The Stoke ace hit eight 180s and finishes of 131, 130 and 127 in taking the victory, keeping him on course for a third successive title at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
“At 4-3 down I knew I had to lift and I raised my game,” said Taylor, who had lost his final group game to Vincent van der Voort earlier this week.
“I think I averaged about 113 for the last seven legs and I needed to do that. Tony’s been great so far this week and it’s going to be a fantastic game on Saturday.”
O’Shea, who was unbeaten in topping Group B earlier this week, edged past former World Champion Mark Webster 10-9 in a thriller earlier in the night.
Webster battled back from 5-2 and 7-5 down to take a 9-8 lead, but missed four darts for the match in the deciding leg before double 12 put O’Shea into the last eight.
Raymond van Barneveld and Kevin Painter won through the other two second round games to be played on Thursday.
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Grand Slam of Darts Night 5
Posted on November 19th, 2009
JAMES WADE won a nine-dart shoot-out with Andy Hamilton to progress to the last 16 of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts on Wednesday night, as Ted Hankey crashed out of the competition.
The final night of matches for Groups E-H at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall proved a dramatic one, with all four groups going to the wire.
Wade’s Group H proved especially tight, with Robert Thornton’s 5-2 win over Gary Mawson earning him a second round spot and leaving left-hander Wade, the number three seed, facing a crucial clash with Hamilton.
Hamilton produced a sensational display of finishing to defeat Wade 5-3 in their game, failing to miss a double and hitting finishes of 132, 130, 120, 102 and 64 in the victory.
That left the duo tied on four points and also on +2 leg difference, ensuring the shoot-out, which Wade won by 361 points to 277 thanks to a 180 with his final three of the nine darts each threw.
“I played well in the first two games and then lost to Andy so it was strange,” said Wade. “I’m happy to get through and I’m looking forward to playing Terry Jenkins on Friday, because we always have good games.”
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Grand Slam of Darts Standings
Posted on November 19th, 2009
The group stage has now been completed and the final group standings are below. Sixteen players go through to Round Two and sixteen players go home. Among the departees is current BDO World Champion Ted Hankey.
James Wade is in round two courtesy of his nine dart shootout against Andy Hamilton, where a 180 from Wade with his last throw clinched it. Denis Ovens condemns Adrian Lewis to bottom spot in Group G due to winning their head to head. The pair finished on identical points and leg difference.
Four players finished without a point to their name – Francisca Hoenselaar, Co Stompe, Gary Mawson, and the hugely disappointing Wayne Mardle who had a -10 leg difference.
Tony O’Shea, Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson finished with 100% records – all three look capable of winning it.
Colin Lloyd qualified despite winning just one game, while John Part and Andy Hamilton go out having won twice. Kirk Shepherd and Darin Young are perhaps the surprises of the Last 16 line up.
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Grand Slam of Darts Night Four
Posted on November 18th, 2009
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD, Mark Webster, Colin Lloyd and Kirk Shepherd all claimed places in the last 16 of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts in a dramatic Monday night at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Groups A-D in the tournament played their final games of the round-robin phase, with reigning champion Phil Taylor suffering a shock 5-1 loss to Vincent van der Voort.
Taylor had failed to drop a single leg in previous wins over Anastasia Dobromyslova and Mark Webster, while van der Voort was defeated by the former Womens World Champion Dobromyslova on Sunday,
But the Dutchman bounced back with a thrilling display to defeat a below-par Taylor.
“I played the worst game of my life two days ago and I wanted to put it right,” said van der Voort, who finishes third in Group A. “This shows how fast things can change in darts.”
Taylor admitted: “I didn’t want to lose but he beat me fair and square.
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Grand Slam of Darts Night Three
Posted on November 17th, 2009
TED HANKEY bounced back to winning ways in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts on Monday night, while James Wade turned up the heat at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall with a sensational display.
Hankey, the current BDO World Champion, was jeered during a 5-3 loss to Scott Waites in Sunday’s opening fixture, but silenced any critics by taking victory.
He now meets Simon Whitlock in Wednesday’s final group games, although will need to improve his finishing after missing almost 30 doubles against Mardle.
“The crowd were still on my back but I’ve got through it and that’s all that matters,” said Hankey. “I played better than I did on Sunday but I missed too many doubles.”
Hankey now meets Simon Whitlock on Wednesday, with the Australian securing a second successive victory with a 142 finish to defeat Scott Waites in the deciding leg of their clash.
Wade, meanwhile, produced the best performance of the tournament so far with a 108.90 average in coming from 3-0 down to defeat Robert Thornton 5-3.
Thornton included a brilliant ten-darter in taking the first three legs, but Wade landed four 180s in a superb burst to sweep to victory.
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Both poker and darts are highly popular pursuits. The games are available online, in fact, that there are organizations dedicated to making sure the rules of video poker and online darts are conformed. Similar to darts having the World Darts Federation, among others, and poker has the Tournament Directors Association. These rules are put into place in highly competitive tournaments, in which as many as hundreds or even thousands of people compete for cash prizes as well as prestige.
