William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Semis and Final

Posted on November 21st, 2011

PHIL TAYLOR won the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts title for a fourth time with a clinical 16-4 demolition of Gary Anderson at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Sunday night.

The Stoke great followed up his 16-9 semi-final triumph over Adrian Lewis earlier on Sunday with another thrilling performance, averaging 109.03 in winning back the trophy.

After Anderson took out 140 and 128 to lead 2-1, Taylor won seven successive legs to pull clear and after Anderson cut the gap to 9-4 he reeled off seven more to seal the £100,000 title.

Anderson kicked off the match with a superb 140 checkout, and after Taylor finished 72 the Scot posted a 128 finish to lead 2-1.

Taylor hit tops in the fourth before a double eight checkout broke Anderson for the first time and put him 3-2 up.

Taylor then hit a 180 in taking the sixth, having enough breathing space despite a miscount when needing 57 to return and hit tops. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Grand Slam of Darts 2011, Mark Walsh, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor, William Hill
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Quarter Final Results

Posted on November 20th, 2011

Saturday November 19

Afternoon Session
Ted Hankey 14-16 Mark Walsh
Gary Anderson 16-12 Terry Jenkins

TED HANKEY was knocked out of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Saturday afternoon as Mark Walsh enjoyed a fine 16-14 victory in their quarter-final, with Gary Anderson defeating Terry Jenkins 16-12 to join him in the semi-finals.

Two-time World Champion Hankey threatened a stunning fightback when he came from 15-9 to trail Walsh by just one leg of their last eight encounter.

However, he missed three darts at double 16 to force a deciding leg before Walsh finished 90 to win through to only the second major televised final of his career.

“I missed an awful lot of doubles early on and I was always chasing the game,” said Hankey. “It didn’t seem to go for me early on but I’m happy – I played well enough and it just wasn’t good enough on the day.”

Walsh, the 2005 UK Open runner-up, will now meet Anderson in Sunday’s semi-finals as he searches for his maiden major title.

“At 15-10 I thought the game would be over soon and then he started coming back,” admitted Walsh. “I started to doubt myself and I thought I’d thrown it away, but he missed his chance and I took the 90 out.”

Anderson was also made to sweat before sealing his 16-12 win over Jenkins.

The Scot hit ten 180s and finished the game with an average of 99.97, with a mid-game burst which saw him win seven out of eight legs proving crucial before Jenkins hit back from 13-7 down to cause him some anxious moments.

“I’m relieved to have got through that,” said Anderson. “Terry’s best form is returning and he kept coming back at me.

“I knew there were a lot of 140s and 180s from me but the doubles are the main thing and I missed too many. I thought I was going to blow it at the end and started panicking, but I had a good winning leg.”

Saturday’s evening session sees the remaining two quarter-finals, as PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis plays former Lakeside Champion Mark Webster before three-time Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor meets Paul Nicholson.

MARK WALSH 16-14 TED HANKEY
MARK WALSH won through to only the second televised semi-final of his career with a thrilling 16-14 win over battling Ted Hankey at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The Hertfordshire ace, whose only similar success in a televised major came when he reached the 2005 UK Open final, continued a superb debut at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall with a clinical defeat of the two-time World Champion.

Walsh led 8-3 and 15-9 in the race to 16 legs before Hankey took five straight legs to threaten an incredible comeback, finding his range on the doubles which had deserted him earlier in the contest.

Walsh missed five match darts as the tension mounted, but he regained his composure to finish 90 for a place in Sunday’s semi-finals, where he meets Gary Anderson or Terry Jenkins.

“At 15-10 I thought the game would be over soon and then he started coming back,” admitted Walsh.

“I started to doubt myself and I thought I’d thrown it away, but he missed his chance and I took the 90 out.”

Although Hankey took the game’s opening leg, he missed two early darts at a double in a taste of the finishing problems he would suffer throughout the game.

Walsh hit a 174 before levelling on double top in the second, and stepped in to punish Hankey’s misses in the next two to move 3-1 up courtesy of double four and double ten.

Walsh also landed a 180 in the fifth leg, but Hankey checked out 101 to cut the gap to 3-2, and after sharing the next two it was the Hertfordshire thrower who took command by winning four successive legs.

Hankey missed doubles to win three of them as his woes on double top and ten continued, with Walsh capitalising to move 8-3 up.

Hankey won the 12th, following up a 180 with a double top finish, and also landed a maximum in the next only to see Walsh follow up his earlier 180 with tops.

Walsh then finished 122 to move 10-4 up, and he bettered that with a 124 checkout after Hankey landed double 12 to move 11-5 up.

The next six legs were shared as Walsh moved two away from the win at 14-8, before a miss at tops from Walsh saw Hankey hit double ten to reduce the gap to five legs.

Walsh, though, hit a 180 and stepped in following a missed double ten from the Telford thrower to hit tops and move to the brink of victory – only for Hankey to spring to life.

A pair of double ten finishes won Hankey the next two legs as he fought back, and after trading 180s with Walsh he took out double two to reduce the gap to 15-12.

He posted another 180 in a 14-darter to take the next as Walsh missed tops for a 120 checkout and the match – and the drama continued as Hankey took a fifth successive leg in thrilling fashion.

Walsh opened with seven perfect darts but hit a three instead of treble 19 as his bid for a nine-darter went begging, and then after leaving 24 he missed two darts at double 12 and one at double six as Hankey posted double eight to keep the match alive at 15-14.

Walsh’s double trouble continued when he left 90 in the next, landing treble 20 but missing double 15 and then bursting his score – but Hankey crucially missed three darts at double 16 and he returned to finish the combination at the second time of asking to take the win.

Hankey admitted: “I missed an awful lot of doubles early on and I was always chasing the game.

“It didn’t seem to go for me early on but I’m happy. I played well enough and it just wasn’t good enough on the day, but I reached the quarter-finals and enjoyed the week.

“Mark played great, he was superb and I wish him the best of luck in the semis.”

GARY ANDERSON 16-12 TERRY JENKINS
GARY ANDERSON held off Terry Jenkins’ fightback to win through to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals on Saturday afternoon.

The Scot hit ten 180s in another heavy-scoring display, although he was made to sweat as Jenkins threatened a comeback when he came from 13-7 behind to trail just 15-12.

Anderson, though, hit double ten to finally secure his triumph and a place in the last four of the Grand Slam for the third time in five years of the event.

Jenkins had defied a 180 from Anderson to take the game’s opening leg before the Scot levelled on tops and hit further maximums in the next two to break throw and then lead 3-1.

A fourth 180 followed in leg five, but Jenkins replied in kind and took out double top for a 14-darter to hit back.

He then took out 110 to break and double ten to lead 4-3 as Anderson stuttered, although he replied superbly with legs of 12 and 13 darts to wrestle back the lead.

Anderson missed three darts to win the tenth as Jenkins levelled, and after hitting double ten to break for a 6-5 lead was again punished as he missed seven darts at a double before his opponent hit double three.

Anderson, though, hit top gear to reel off the next four legs in effortless fashion, hitting three 13-dart finishes and a 14-darter to move 10-6 up.

Jenkins hit a 180 and a 78 finish to slow his charge, but Anderson replied with another 14-dart leg, a 128 checkout to break throw and double five for a 13-7 cushion.

Tops gave Jenkins his eighth leg and, after Anderson hit a 180 in a 13-darter, the pair traded maximums in the next as the 2008 runner-up cut the gap to 14-9.

Anderson hit double top in the next to move one leg away from the win, but Jenkins landed in the same bed in the next and punished a missed double 14 for the match in pulling back to 15-11.

Anderson also missed the bull for victory in the next as Jenkins hit tops, but Anderson landed three 140s to pull clear in leg 28 and landed double ten to secure his semi-final berth.

“I’m relieved to have got through that,” said Anderson. “Terry’s best form is returning and he kept coming back at me, so it was nice to get the winning leg eventually.

“I knew there were a lot of 140s and 180s from me but the doubles are the main thing and I missed too many. I thought I was going to blow it at the end and started panicking, but I had a good winning leg.”

Anderson now takes on Mark Walsh in Sunday’s semi-finals, and he said: “Mark’s playing well so it should be a good game. His form has been steady throughout the week and he’s done really well to get this far.”

Jenkins said: “I let Gary get into a lead and it was always going to be a big ask to pull it back. I came good at the end but wish I’d played like that in the middle of the game.

“I’m happy with how I’ve played this week since losing in my first game, and I know my form’s coming good so I’ll look to take that forward from here.”

Evening Session (7pm)
Mark Webster 5-16 Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor 16-7 Paul Nicholson
Best of 31 legs

PHIL TAYLOR and Adrian Lewis will clash in the semi-finals of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday afternoon after they progressed safely past Paul Nicholson and Mark Webster at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion Taylor swept aside Nicholson 16-7 to earn his spot in the last four as he bids to regain the £100,000 title.

Taylor led 3-0 and 8-1 before Nicholson hit back, but the 15-time World Champion had too much scoring power as he eased into the semis, which will be played on Sunday afternoon ahead of the evening’s final.

“I’m over the moon to still be in the running and it would be special to win this title back on Sunday,” said Taylor.

“It will be a hard day but I’m really looking forward to playing Adrian in the semi-finals because he’s having a good tournament so far and getting back to his best.”

PDC World Champion Lewis – the world number two – had earlier won through to the last four for the first time in the Grand Slam of Darts with a 16-5 win over Welshman Webster.

Lewis had seen John Part threaten a comeback when he pulled clear in Friday’s second round, but made no mistake 24 hours later by finishing 62 percent of his chances at a double in a clinical display.

“I started a bit slowly with my scoring but I was hitting my doubles and I kept Mark under pressure,” said Lewis. “I know I’m in good form and as long as my finishing is good I know that I’ll hit the scores.

“My finishing hasn’t let me down and I feel confident, and there’s no reason why I can’t go on to win the tournament.”

The other semi-final features Mark Walsh and Gary Anderson who had enjoyed tougher victories over Ted Hankey and Terry Jenkins respectively earlier in the day.

Anderson will be competing in his third Grand Slam of Darts semi-final as he bids to follow up May’s Premier League Darts victory with another major title, while 2005 UK Open runner-up Walsh will be appearing in only his second major semi-final.

Play in the semi-finals begins at 2.30pm, with the final to follow at 8pm on Sunday evening, and all games are the best of 31 legs.

ADRIAN LEWIS 16-5 MARK WEBSTER
ADRIAN LEWIS stormed into the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts semi-finals with a 16-5 win over Mark Webster at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Saturday night.

The PDC World Champion’s best-ever run in the Grand Slam of Darts continued as he progressed to the last four courtesy of a clinical victory, as he hit 62 percent of his chances at a double.

Lewis failed to hit a 180 until the game’s ninth leg, which sparked a run which saw him crucially win eight legs out of nine to pull away from 5-3 to lead 13-4.

Webster took out 108 to threaten a fightback, but unlike John Part 24 hours earlier was unable to cause Lewis any headaches as the Stoke ace won three in a row to seal the win.

“I switched off when I got ahead against John Part on Friday but I learned my lesson and didn’t ease up this time,” said Lewis.

“I started a bit slowly with my scoring but I was hitting my doubles and I kept Mark under pressure. My manager Keith Deller told me to knuckle down and I came out focused and firing.

“I know I’m in good form and as long as my finishing is good I know that I’ll hit the scores. My finishing hasn’t let me down and I feel confident, and there’s no reason why I can’t go on to win the tournament.”

After Lewis edged the opener, Webster hit a 180 in levelling before the World Champion landed the bull for a 95 checkout in the third.

Lewis then missed the bull in the fourth as Webster levelled on tops, but the world number two took out 104 and a superb 152 to lead 4-2 before punishing misses from the Welshman to take out 80 for a three-leg cushion.

Tops gave Webster the eighth, but Lewis opened the next with his first maximum of the contest as he took out an 11-darter to lead 6-3.

He broke twice in the next three legs and then hit tops for a 13-dart leg to complete a run of five in a row as he moved 10-3 up, although Webster hit back with a 12-dart finish courtesy of an 88 checkout.

Lewis replied with three successive 14-dart finishes to move 13-4 up, before Webster defied another 180 from his opponent to take out 108 to take his fifth leg.

That would be his last chance at a double, as Lewis followed another 14-darter with a 91 finish as he moved 15-5 up, and he sealed victory in style with a 128 checkout.

“I’m disappointed with the scoreline and maybe it didn’t reflect the game, but I missed too many doubles early on and Adrian punished me,” said Webster.

“I’ve got to take the positives out of this week and it’s another quarter-final appearance for me in a major tournament. I’m ambitious but I’ve got to be patient too because I’m still learning.”

PHIL TAYLOR 16-7 PAUL NICHOLSON
PHIL TAYLOR’S quest to regain the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts title continued as he swept aside Paul Nicholson 16-7 to power into Sunday’s semi-finals at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Taylor never looked troubled after taking leads of 3-0 and 8-1 against Nicholson, who was unable to find the form which had seen him defeat the world number one in June’s UK Open.

Nicholson had won the pre-match bullseye but handed Taylor the throw in an attempt to win an immediate break, which initially looked set to pay off when he opened with a 180 only to then miss five darts to take the opening leg as Taylor hit double ten to hold.

Taylor then broke with a superb 11-darter, which featured a 180 of his own, before moving 3-0 up courtesy of double 16.

Nicholson hit his second maximum of the game in taking the fourth on double five, landing a pressure third dart after Taylor had hit a 177 to leave 24, but it was the Stoke ace who struck the next blow.

He hit a 180 in a 14-darter to enter the first break 4-1 up and followed that with a 174 score in a 13-dart finish which he ended on double top.

Finishes of double 16 and tops moved Taylor 7-1 up before two misses from Nicholson allowed him in to pull further clear on double five.

Taylor posted another 180 in the next leg, but missed his chance to lead by eight legs when Nicholson stepped in to land double 16.

A 14-darter gave Taylor a 9-2 cushion before Nicholson produced his best spell of the game to win three successive legs, following up a double top finish with a pair of 14-dart checkouts in pulling back to 9-5.

Taylor, though, replied in the same manner with a treble burst of his own, twice hitting double six and once landing double 16 in restoring his advantage at 12-5.

Nicholson hit back with double 16, but Taylor took out 80 and then finished 88 on the bull before a 13-darter, which featured two 180s and a double 16 checkout, moved him to the brink of victory.

Nicholson hit his fourth 180 of the game in an 11-dart finish to hit back, but it was only delaying the inevitable as Taylor posted a ninth maximum and hit double 16 for a 13-darter to complete the triumph.

“It was a good game and I really enjoyed that,” said Taylor. “Paul’s got a lot of bottle and he kept coming back at me, even though he wasn’t playing as well as he can.

“I’m over the moon to still be in the running and it would be special to win this title back on Sunday.

“It will be a hard day but I’m really looking forward to playing Adrian in the semi-finals because he’s having a good tournament so far and getting back to his best.”

Nicholson admitted: “The week as a whole has been good but tonight didn’t go to plan, unfortunately it wasn’t my time.

“I still enjoyed the game and I’ve learned a lot this week, which I can take on now to the Players Championship Finals and World Championship next month.”
Semi-Finals
Sunday November 20 (2.30pm)
Phil Taylor v Adrian Lewis
Mark Walsh v Gary Anderson
Best of 31 legs

Final
Sunday November 20 (8pm)

Source – PDC/Lawrence Lustig

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Grand Slam of Darts 2011, Mark Walsh, Mark Webster, Paul Nicholson, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor, Ted Hankey, Terry Jenkins, Wolverhampton
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Last 16 Friday

Posted on November 19th, 2011

THREE-TIME William Hill Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor will play Paul Nicholson in the quarter-finals of this year’s tournament on Saturday following their second round victories over Wes Newton & Steve Beaton in Wolverhampton.

Taylor and Nicholson both produced top-drawer performances to win through to the last eight at the Wolves Civic on Friday night, where they were joined by World Champions Adrian Lewis and Mark Webster.

Taylor defeated Wes Newton 10-3 in their clash, hitting the highest average in the history of the Grand Slam of Darts at 112.37 as he blew the UK Open finalist away.

Taylor hit two 11-dart finishes and a 116 finish in powering into the quarter-finals for the fifth successive year in Wolverhampton.

“It’s a brilliant win for me but I didn’t expect the score to be so comfortable,” said Taylor. “Wes usually starts really well against me and I thought this would be the same, and when I went 4-0 up I suddenly got really nervous.

“I calmed down again and am pleased with how I played. It will be a cracking quarter-final against Paul Nicholson, because he’s playing well and we’ll both be up for it.

“Paul’s a great character, I like him and he’s great for the game.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Grand Slam of Darts 2011, John Part, Mark Webster, Martin Phillips, Paul Nicholson, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor, Wolverhampton
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Last 16

Posted on November 18th, 2011

With the group stages determined last night and half the field eliminated from this years Grand Slam of Darts, our attention turns to the last 16 (Round 2). Following 5 days of races to 6, the last 16 offers the players the chance to slug it out over a few more legs, with the first man to notch up 10 to his name securing a place in the quarter final and a guaranteed £15k payday.

On paper the game of the night looked to be James Wade v Gary Anderson, notwithstanding The Flying Scotsman’s recent comments of course. However, surprisingly, or not? It was the two games featuring BDO v PDC that offered the closest scoreline, drama and overall entertainment.

Dean Winstanley (9) v (10) Mark Walsh

The only thing predictable in this clash was the winners surname would begin with W. Having no previous head to head form to go on, and nothing significantly separating their tournament stats.

Walsh took first blood, however the Yorkshireman quickly took the next 3 legs giving himself a 2 leg buffer with a 92 finish on the bull and sitting on a 107 average. Walsh though, with 83% checkout success including finishes of 138, 98, 60 and 82 regained the advantage at 5-3. The following two legs were shared meaning that Special Brew entered the break 6-4 ahead, despite Winstanley maintaining a 100+ average. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Dean Winstanley, Gary Anderson, Grand Slam of Darts, James Wade, Last 16, PDC Darts Results, Ted Hankey, Terry Jenkins, Wayne Jones
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts Final Group Results

Posted on November 17th, 2011

PHIL TAYLOR saw off Mervyn King to progress to the second round of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Wednesday night, with World Champions Adrian Lewis, John Part, Steve Beaton & Mark Webster also moving into the last 16.

Taylor completed a clean sweep in Group E with a third successive victory, defeating King 5-3 to knock the Norfolk ace out of the tournament.

The three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion now face Wes Newton in the second round on Friday night, and is looking forward to an exciting contest at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

“I’m very pleased,” said Taylor. “Getting through the group stage unbeaten is the first goal and I’ve achieved that, and my performances have been getting better with each game.

“I’m feeling good and it’s going to be a cracking game against Wes on Friday because he’s had a great year.”

Steve Beaton joined Taylor in progressing to the last 16, with last year’s semi-finalist enjoying a 5-2 win over teenager James Hubbard in their final contest.

Beaton now meets Paul Nicholson in the last 16, following his narrow 5-4 defeat of Magnus Caris which denied the Swede a place in the second round and ensures that he tops Group F with a hat-trick of victories.

“I came out very motivated to win the group and, in the end, I did it the hard way,” said Nicholson. “It’s a memorable win for me because it my first time past the group stage but I’m determined to go much further.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Grand Slam of Darts, Mervyn King, Paul Nicholson, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts – Tuesday Evening Round-Up

Posted on November 16th, 2011

TED HANKEY, Terry Jenkins and Michael van Gerwen turned on the style to win through to the knockout stages of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Tuesday night.

Hankey entered his clash with fellow Stoke-born ace White knowing that the winner would progress to the second round from Group B alongside Dean Winstanley.

And Hankey responded in superb fashion with a 5-3 triumph which included a 161 checkout amongst two bullseye finishes as he averaged over 100 to move into the last 16, where he will play van Gerwen on Thursday night.

“Ian’s a great player and he played well but I was delighted with my finishing, which was brilliant,” said Hankey. “The 161 was sweet and the other bullseye was a big shot, and I felt great.

“I’m looking forward to playing Michael – it will be an interesting game because he’s playing very well this year.” Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Gary Anderson, Grand Slam of Drats 2011, Ian White, Justin Pipe, PDC Darts Results, Ted Hankey, Terry Jenkins
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts – Monday Evening Round-Up

Posted on November 15th, 2011

PHIL TAYLOR avenged last year’s defeat to Steve Beaton in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Monday night as he put one foot into the tournament’s last 16 in Wolverhampton.

The three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion saw his reign in the tournament ended 12 months ago with a quarter-final defeat to Beaton.

However, he secured a second successive group stage win in this year’s event with a 5-3 victory over Beaton.

Beaton actually led 2-1 early on, finishing 120 to break throw in the third leg, but Taylor hit an 11-darter in hitting back to lead before finishing 107 for victory.

“Steve’s a great player and he really pushed me again tonight,” said Taylor. “He beat me here last year so I knew I had to be on my game tonight to get the result.

“It’s in my hands now to get through to the last 16 and I know I’ll have a tough game on my hands on Wednesday against Mervyn.

King defeated youngster James Hubbard 5-3 earlier on Monday night to join Beaton on two points in Group E, tension set to be high as they battle for spots in the second round. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Grand Slam of Darts, Paul Nicholson, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor, Steve Beaton
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts – Sunday Evening Round-Up

Posted on November 14th, 2011

REIGNING CHAMPION Scott Waites and Raymond van Barneveld were both knocked out of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday night as Mark Walsh and Dean Winstanley secured their places in the last 16 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

Waites suffered a second successive defeat in Group A when he went down 5-4 to Tony O’Shea as the Stockport ace came from 4-1 down to win in a deciding leg.

Walsh’s later victory over Michael van Gerwen means that Waites is now eliminated from the tournament and that the Dutch youngster plays O’Shea on Tuesday night for a place in the second round.

Van Barneveld, meanwhile, followed up Saturday’s loss to Ian White with a 5-2 defeat to Ted Hankey, who had also been defeated in his opening Group B clash but bounced back in style.

Van Barneveld had shared the opening four legs before Hankey took the fifth and then finished 121 to break and move 4-2 up, before winning the next on double ten for a victory which, coupled with Winstanley’s victory over White, ended his opponent’s hopes in the event. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Grand Slam of Darts 2011, PDC Darts Results, Raymond van Barneveld, Scoot Waites, Ted Hankey
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts – Sunday Afternoon Round-Up

Posted on November 13th, 2011

PHIL TAYLOR began his bid to win a fourth William Hill Grand Slam title with a 5-1 win over teenage debutant James Hubbard on Sunday afternoon, while Adrian Lewis overcame a scare against Martin Phillips to open with a victory.

Taylor, who won the first three Grand Slam events before suffering a quarter-final loss to Steve Beaton last November, opened Group E with a comfortable victory over Hubbard.

The 19-year-old from Norfolk had qualified by reaching the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship final last Friday, and after Taylor led 2-0 he won the third fourth leg to secure a chalk against the 15-time World Champion.

Taylor, though, proved too strong in the next two before punishing four missed doubles from the youngster to gain an opening victory.

“I’m happy with that because I didn’t know how James would play, but he did well,” said Taylor. “I’d watched him practising before the game and he should keep doing what he’s doing because he’ll settle down on stage and play his natural game. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Adrian Lewis, Grand Slam of Darts, James Hubbard, PDC Darts Results, Phil Taylor
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William Hill Grand Slam of Darts – Night One Round-Up

Posted on November 13th, 2011

REIGNING CHAMPION Scott Waites, former World Champions Raymond van Barneveld and Ted Hankey and Premier League Darts Champion Gary Anderson all suffered defeats in an exciting opening to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts on Saturday night.

The £400,000 tournament kicked off at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall with eight first round matches from Groups A-D, as debutants Ian White, Dean Winstanley and Nigel Heydon stole the show.

Wildcard Qualifier White – who only came into the event on Monday when Simon Whitlock was ruled out through injury – defeated five-time World Champion van Barneveld 5-4 in their opening Group B clash to make a superb first appearance in the event.

Doncaster’s Winstanley, the 2011 Lakeside Championship runner-up, joined White in the winner’s enclosure with a stunning whitewash of two-time World Champion Ted Hankey.

“I’m so happy with the result and to be honest I’m lost for words,” said a stunned Winstanley. “Ted is a superb champion and a great player but he didn’t take his chances tonight.”

Hankey and van Barneveld will now play on Sunday evening knowing that the loser will be almost certainly eliminated from the event in the group stage. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Dean Winstanley, Gary Anderson, Grand Slam of Darts 2011, Ian White, Michael Van Gerwen, PDC Darts Results, Scott Waites, Ted Hankey
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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.