Bates Takes Crawley Title
Posted on March 20th, 2010
BARRIE BATES won his first tournament since 2006 with a narrow 6-5 defeat of Denis Ovens in Saturday’s Players Championship final.
The Welshman picked up three titles and reached the UK Open four years ago in his most successful period of form and, having overcome his foot problems, enjoyed his best run since to claim the £6,000 title at the K2 Centre in Crawley.
He overcame some leading names in the process, defeating seeded players Co Stompe and Jamie Caven to reach the last 16, where he overcame his fellow countryman Richie Burnett 6-3.
In-form Mark Walsh was defeated 6-2 in the quarter-finals and Essex’s Steve Maish fell in the semis, before he came from behind to win the final.
Ovens made a fine start with two breaks of throw in the opening three legs to lead 3-0, including an 11-dart finish, before Bates landed double 16 to get off the mark and double 12 to reduce the gap to one.
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Taylor Seals Wigan Double
Posted on March 14th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR completed a weekend double in Wigan with a stunning whitewash of Jamie Caven in the final of Sunday’s UK Open Qualifier.
Taylor had won Saturday’s Players Championship in imperious fashion, and doubled his prize money for the weekend by picking up a further £6,000 on Sunday.
Only world number three James Wade was able to take a leg from Taylor in his opening four games, with Mark Jodrill, Sam Allen and Michael Smith all whitewashed.
He then defeated Jelle Klaasen 6-2 in the quarter-finals and repeated the scoreline in his semi-final defeat of Osborne.
However, he saved his best display for the final averaging an amazing 121.86 in a straight legs win over Derby star Caven.
Caven missed two darts at double top for a 94 finish in the final’s opening leg, and Taylor followed up an earlier 180 with double 14 for a 13-dart finish.
He added maximums in the next two legs of 11 and 13 darts, although he missed doubles to take the third in ten.
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Taylor Wins In Wigan
Posted on March 14th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR swept to a second successive Players Championship victory, whitewashing Mark Dudbridge in the final of Saturday’s event in Wigan.
Taylor was victorious in a Players Championship two weeks ago in Derby, and claimed another £6,000 title at Wigan’s Robin Park Tennis Centre.
The 15-time World Champion won his opening three games on the day 6-2, against Darren Latham, Gary Mawson and Peter Manley, before defeating Holland’s Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in the last 16.
Following a 6-1 win over Wes Newton in the quarter-finals, he defeated Colin Lloyd 6-3 at the last four stage – winning four of the final five legs after the Essex man shared the opening stages – before powering past Dudbridge in the decider.
Dudbridge never recovered from missing three darts at double eight to win the second leg as Taylor followed up his double 16 finish to win the opening leg by hitting the same bed again.
Dudbridge hit two 180s in the next leg, but was denied a dart at a double as Taylor landed a second successive 14-darter on double eight.
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German Title For Lewis
Posted on March 7th, 2010
ADRIAN LEWIS claimed his first PDC ProTour win of 2010 with a 6-4 win over Mark Walsh in the final of Sunday’s German Darts Classic Players Championship.
The 25-year-old from Stoke picked up the £6,000 title in Gladbeck with a fine performance, coming from 4-3 down to take three successive legs in winning the final.
Lewis produced legs of 11 and 15 darts to lead 2-0 in the final – hitting a showpiece 96 finish of single 20, double 18 and double top in the second.
Walsh hit back to win the next three, including a 126 finish, in taking the lead, and also punished missed doubles from Lewis in leg seven to edge 4-3 up.
But Lewis took out a 14-darter to level, double four to break throw and then sealed victory with an 80 finish of two double tops in ensuring the title.
Earlier in the day, he had avenged Saturday’s defeat to Mark Dudbridge with a 6-2 win, and also overcame Mick McGowan, Maik Langendorf, Steve Hine and Robert Thornton to reach the semis.
He also found himself 4-3 down in the last four against Dolan, but included a 121 bullseye finish in winning the next three without reply in taking victory.
Walsh battled past Gary Anderson with a 6-3 semi-final win, having been taken to a deciding leg in the quarter-finals by Steve Brown.
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Van Der Voort Claims Maiden PDC Title
Posted on March 7th, 2010
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT won his first PDC title with a 6-2 defeat of Wayne Jones in the final of Saturday’s German Darts Classic Players Championship in Gladbeck.
Van der Voort celebrated three years on the PDC circuit by claiming his first title in his fourth final, having lost two previous PDC ProTour events and the 2007 UK Open final.
The Dutchman showed some fine form in Gladbeck, Germany, to win through to the final, whitewashing Steven Marckowiak in his opening game before seeing off Dennis Smith, Andy Smith and Mark Walsh to reach the quarter-finals – missing double 12 for a nine-darter against the latter.
He overcame Mark Dudbridge 6-3 in the last eight before edging out Kevin Painter 6-5 in a thrilling semi-final.
Painter led 2-0 and 3-1 before van der Voort took three legs in a row, including seven perfect darts in one leg, to hit the front.
Painter levelled with a superb ten-darter, featuring seven perfect darts of his own, but missed two darts in the next as van der Voort edged 5-4 up.
The Dutchman missed the bullseye for a 127 finish for victory in the tenth leg, as Painter took out 90 on the bull – but the English star missed the same bed for a 121 checkout in the decider and van der Voort posted tops for a 14-darter and the win.
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Derby Win For Taylor
Posted on February 27th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR powered past Terry Jenkins 6-1 to claim Saturday’s Players Championship in Derby in his first PDC ProTour appearance of 2010.
The world number one confirmed his return to top form following a virus at the Moorways Centre in Derby, backing up a third successive Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts victory on Thursday with a devastating Players Championship win.
Taylor dropped just six legs in seven matches on his way to the £6,000 title, which included whitewashes of Andy Hamilton and Chris Thompson, with Co Stompe being the only player to win two legs against him, in their quarter-final.
After storming to victory against York’s Thompson in the semi-finals, Taylor blew away Premier League rival Jenkins 6-1 in the final.
He opened the final with a 14-dart finish, and set up a double eight checkout with a 168 score in breaking Jenkins’ throw in the second leg.
A missed double 11, for a 124 finish, allowed Jenkins to hit back in the third, but Taylor slammed home checkouts of 108 and 124 in taking the next two legs, before hitting a 180 in a 13-darter to lead 5-1.
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King Takes Swindon Title
Posted on February 21st, 2010
MERVYN KING won his first tournament since 2008 with 6-3 victory over Andy Hamilton in the final of Saturday’s Players Championship.
The world number four ended a 15-month gap between victories to claim the £6,000 winner’s cheque at the Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.
Having won both his Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts matches so far this season, King continued his form to sweep through the 156-player field in the third Players Championship of the year.
Having edged past Steve Evans in a deciding leg in the first round, he took 6-2 wins against Andy Callaby, Vincent van der Voort and Steve Hine to reach the quarter-finals.
There, he saw off in-form Adrian Lewis 6-4 before blowing away another Premier League rival, Ronnie Baxter, 6-1 to reach the final.
In the decider, he took out 101 in the opening leg to break Hamilton’s throw before the Stoke man punished two misses from King to level with a 76 finish.
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Gib Win For Ovens
Posted on February 8th, 2010
DENIS OVENS won his first PDC Pro tour event since 2007 with victory over Gary Anderson in the final of Sunday’s Gibraltar Players Championship.
Ovens claimed the £6,000 title with a fine day of darts in the Tercentenary Sports Hall, picking up his first win in two-and-a-half years and reaching a final for the first time in 16 months.
In a day of steadily improving form, he overcame Tony Blundell, Andy Relf and Par Riihonen in the early stages before blowing away Mark Dudbridge and Andy Hamilton 6-1 and dropping just two legs against Steve Evans.
He enjoyed a thrilling final against Hamilton, hitting two 180s in taking a 4-2 lead before Anderson took out 78 and 96 to level.
A 120 finish put Ovens 5-4 up, with Anderson taking the tenth leg but having no answer in the decider, as the Stevenage man hit another 180 and took out 96 for the title.
Anderson was in blistering form in the early rounds, dropping only two legs in victories against Bryan De Hoog, Tab Hunter, Wayne Atwood and Robert Thornton before sweeping past Terry Jenkins 6-3 and seeing off Nigel Heydon 6-2 in the semi-finals.
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Jaws Wins In Gibraltar
Posted on February 7th, 2010
COLIN LLOYD claimed victory in the opening Players Championship of 2010, defeating Wayne Jones 6-2 to win the StanJames.com Eddie Cox Memorial Trophy.
The world number eight claimed the £6,000 title in Gibraltar with a strong showing on Saturday, dropping only one leg in his opening two wins, against Dave Ahmet and Julian Sanchez before edging out Tony Eccles 6-5.
Peter Wright was whitewashed in the last 16, while Colin Osborne took out three 100-plus finishes in their quarter final, which Lloyd won 6-3.
He then defeated Mervyn King 6-2 in the semi-finals, having led 5-0, and repeated the scoreline against Jones in the decider.
Lloyd opened the final with a 180 and produced back-to-back 14-darters in leading 3-0, before hitting a 168 score to leave double 12 in the fourth.
Jones won two successive legs to pull back to 4-2, but paid for a missed dart at double top in the seventh as Lloyd posted double 12, before taking out 92 on double eight for victory.
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Nicholson Wins Players Championship
Posted on February 1st, 2010
GIANT-KILLER Paul Nicholson claimed his first major title with victory at the totesport.com Players Championship, dethroning Phil Taylor before overcoming Mervyn King 13-11 in the final at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet.
Nicholson produced the greatest form of his life to claim the £60,000 first prize and mark his rise to 16th in the PDC Order of Merit with a superb finale to the Essex-based event.
Following wins over former World Champions Dennis Priestley and Steve Beaton in the opening two rounds, he saw off Adrian Lewis in Sunday afternoon’s quarter-finals before then ending Phil Taylor’s hopes of retaining the title in an incredible semi-final.
Nicholson hit four ton-plus finishes – including a 170 – in coming from 3-1 down to lead against Taylor, and held his nerve in a deciding leg to reach the final.
There, he defeated King in a tight battle, eventually prevailing 13-11 after the pair shared the opening 20 legs of the final.
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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.
