On first glance at the fallout of what was a great tournament in Wolverhampton, the plain facts are that only PDC players reached the semi-final stage and Ted Hankey cut a solitary figure as the lone BDO man in the quarters.  Furthermore, one round back and only Dean Winstanley and Martin Phillips were alongside Hankey in the last 16, meaning only three of the six that ventured in front of the Sky Sports cameras for the first time this year got beyond the group stage.

These are indisputable facts, but it is also a pretty harsh way to look at the BDO players’ performances.  First of all, there were only six of them out of a field of 32, and Scott Waites was the only one of them to be seeded, so the odds were hardly in their favour from the off.

Also, although the likes of Waites, Hankey and Tony O’Shea have competed in this competition a few times before, the nature of the PDC tournaments is considerably different to the more serene BDO tournaments, and will take some getting used to for the likes of 21-year-old debutant Jan Dekker.

Although the glory that went with Waites winning the tournament last year wasn’t there for the BDO this time out, their performances and contribution to the Grand Slam will be something that they as an organisation can be extremely proud of.  Hankey, until his exit, was the man that everyone was tuning in for, not just for his antics with the crowd, but because he was playing great darts in exciting matches, leading to talk of a Premier League invite.

Winstanley, although he went out in the second round, was one of only five men to win all three of his group games and in averaging 104.5 in round two, was extremely unlucky to crash out at that stage.

It was not just the performances though that were a treat for the sky viewers, the entertainment the BDO boys provided on the oche was first class, and the relationship with the PDC players also seemed to be incredibly good.

Rarely have I seen as many hugs during and after a match before Winstanley narrowly lost to Mark Walsh, and the respect between Phillips and Mark Webster in their second round tie was plain for all to see.  It just makes you think that darts as a whole would be hugely better off if all these great players could play together more regularly.

Phil Haigh – twitter follow @philhaigh_

Photo – Lawrence Lustig

On demand highlights of this years Grand Slam can be viewed here.

Did you beat the Tipster?

Well out of a couple of hundred entries only 15 entrants managed to beat our resident Tipster, who saw a return to form after a couple of slack events recently.

Those 15 were all entered into the hat for prizes, the draw was made this evening and we are pleased to list the winners below: (Full Prize Breakdown can be found here)

1st Prize – Martin Galea
2nd Prize – Andy Glen
3rd Prize – Troubleagain

Winners will be contacted in the net few days, to arrange delivery of their prizes. Thanks again to Bulls Darts & DartsCorner.co.uk for sponsoring our Beat The Tipster competition.

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.

Following the  interval Walsh started where he left off, taking the first leg. Some tit for tat then ensued with Winstanley matching Walsh’s earlier feat with his own 138 outshot, taking the score to 8-6 in Walsh’s favour. He then proceeded to throw 6 perfect darts, however the 7th fell below the wire of the treble 20, nevertheless he went on to win the leg reducing the arrears to just 1.

Narrowly missing a 170 checkout to level the match,Winstanley took out the 25 on his next visit, hit his 5th match 180 in taking the 17th leg, to move ahead, but despite attempts at the winning double the Lakeside finalist couldn’t close out the match as Walsh drew level.

In the deciding leg, with Walsh sat on 36, Winstanley (requiring 100) found the lipstick with his first dart but missed two attempts at tops. Walsh cool as you like took out the double 18 with his second dart, and for the first time emotion was clear to see on his face.

Winstanley will take no shame in pushing the PDC star to a final leg thriller and achieving a 104.55 average, the key factor being Walsh despite a lower 98.32 average, had 53% checkout success when compared to the 38% of the Yorkshireman.

In his post match interview Walsh declared it “was a superb game that no-one would want to lose, I’m just glad Dean missed tops”…I know I can win any tournament if I put my mind to it”.

Winstanley was quick to dismiss any suggestions of disappointment “I feel privileged …..I’m happy that my name will go out now”.

Michael van Gerwen (9) v (10) Ted Hankey

Van Gerwen raced into a 2-0 lead  leaving an angry looking Hankey in his wake, and less than impressed at the young Dutchman’s checkout celebrations.  13 was lucky for The Count though as he took out 26 to get a leg on the board. Double tops facilitated his second leg, and he maintained the run taking the upperhand at 3-2 going into the break.

Mighty Mike soon put the brakes on Hankey’s charge to square the match, and breaking The Count with a 12 dart leg in the next. A 108 checkout then extended his lead to 5-3. Hankey took the next but the former World Masters Champion reaffirmed his advantage of 2 legs as he entered the second break at 6-4.

At 7-5 the crowd could be heard shouting ‘super, super Ted’ more proof that the Wolverhampton spectators are warming to The Count, which perhaps spurred him on to take the leg to go within one leg of van Gerwen. At 7-6 the pressure was obvious as both players missed several doubles, Hankey eventually winning the leg on madhouse to draw level. A 78 outshot on double 12, gave Hankey the lead at a key stage in the match, only for van Gerwen to hit back to take the next. A 180, backed with a 140 helped The Count to take the 17th leg and move within 1 leg of the winning line, but the Dutchman had other ideas and forced the decider.

Hankey suffered 2 bounceouts in the ultimate leg, but van Gerwen couldn’t capitalise on The Counts misfortune, with some poor scoring and a bounceout of his own.

Hankey though, remained calm and  showed why he is a two times World Champion as took out a match winning 100 checkout with van Gerwen requiring 84. The Count acknowledging after that “I scraped through, Michael played really well, its funny that the crowd started shouting for me”.

Gary Anderson (10) v (3) James Wade

James Wade took first blood with a 122 finish, and raced into a 2-0 lead. However, Anderson despite openly admitting earlier in the week that he is struggling with life on and off the board rattled off the next 5 legs to move into a comfortable position. 7 perfect darts helped the Flying Scotsman take the 8th leg leaving a bewildered Wade shaking his head.

The Machine managed to secure what would be his last winning leg to go 7-3 into the break, on their return Anderson stormed into a 9-3 lead as his average peaked at 102.00 with 60% checkout success. With no way back for Wade, Anderson made no mistake in quickly finishing the game and breaking the trend of the evening’s last leg shootouts. Final stats for the Scotsman being 100.45 ave, 8 x 180′s and 56% checkout success.

When asked to reflect on his performance Anderson response was “at 3-2 I thought I had a chance so I just chucked away.. Its never easy and there are better players coming through all the time”.

Terry Jenkins (10) v (8) Wayne Jones

With their head to head record standing at 11-5 in Wayne Jones favour, the final game of the night saw the local star make early progress to go 2-0 in front. At 4-2 ahead Jones was looking impressive with a 122 highest checkout and 67% success on doubles. The next four legs were shared though as the Bull threatened to make a game of it.

Jones managed to keep the raging bull at arms length maintaining a 2 leg advantage, eventually though The Wanderers missed doubles allowed Jenkins back in as he drew level at 8-8, and then took the lead at 9-8. In what was to be the final leg of the night, Jenkins made no mistake in taking his opportunity of hitting the match winning double and progress to a quarter final place after Jones throwing under the pressure of keeping his Grand Slam dream alive, had missed double 16 to take out 104.

Please find a full roundup from the PDC below……..

TED HANKEY’S love affair with the Wolverhampton Civic crowd continued on Thursday night as he won through to the quarter-finals of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, and he was joined by Terry Jenkins, Gary Anderson and Mark Walsh in progressing to the last eight.

Two-time World Champion Hankey had struggled to win over the Wolves Civic crowd in his first two years at the Grand Slam, but was left saluting over 1,000 fans who were singing his name following a thrilling 10-9 win over Michael van Gerwen.

In a see-saw contest, van Gerwen led 2-0 and 7-5 only to see Hankey peg him back to lead 9-8 – and although the young Dutchman forced a deciding leg it was the Telford ace who finished 100 in two darts to take victory.

Hankey now plays Mark Walsh in Saturday afternoon’s quarter-finals, and admitted: “I’ve had a bit of a rough time with the crowd in previous years but it was superb to hear them singing “Super Ted” – in fact it was hard to concentrate!

“They created a great atmosphere and we both rose to that. Michael played superbly but he gave me a couple of chances and I took them.”

Walsh was another 10-9 winner after edging out Dean Winstanley in the match of the tournament so far, with the Yorkshireman averaging over 104 in a top-quality performance but missing five match darts in a dramatic ending.

“That was a great game to be involved in, a real rollercoaster,” said Walsh. “It seems like I’m trying to entertain the crowd with close games but I don’t mean to! I never gave up and it paid off.”

Gary Anderson came from 2-0 down to defeat 2010 runner-up James Wade 10-3 with a scintillating performance, hitting nine 180s in powering through to his fourth quarter-final in the event’s five years.

“My form’s building gradually and I’m getting closer to my best,” said Anderson. “I’m improving and my scoring was great in this game, but if I can hit my doubles I could be a danger!”

Anderson will take on Terry Jenkins on Saturday, after the 2008 runner-up maintained his ever-present record in the last eight in Wolverhampton with a 10-8 defeat of home hope Wayne Jones.

Jones led 3-0 and 8-6 before Jenkins took the next four legs without reply to move into the quarter-finals.

“Wayne didn’t miss a lot in the first few legs and got an edge on me, but I broke him at the right time,” said Jenkins.

“I’m chuffed to be in the quarter-finals again and I’ll look forward to having a good game with him on Saturday because Gary’s a great player.”

The second round continues with the final four games on Friday night, including three-time Grand Slam winner Phil Taylor against Wes Newton and the high-profile clash between World Champions Adrian Lewis and John Part.

Paul Nicholson’s game with Steve Beaton opens the night, with Mark Webster then meeting Martin Phillips in a meeting of two Welsh left-handers.

William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Second Round
Thursday November 17
Dean Winstanley 9-10 Mark Walsh
Michael van Gerwen 9-10 Ted Hankey
Gary Anderson 10-3 James Wade
Terry Jenkins 10-8 Wayne Jones

Friday November 18 (7pm)
Paul Nicholson v Steve Beaton
Mark Webster v Martin Phillips
Phil Taylor v Wes Newton
Adrian Lewis v John Part
Best of 19 legs

MARK WALSH 10-9 DEAN WINSTANLEY
MARK WALSH edged out Dean Winstanley in a thrilling deciding leg to win through to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals with a 10-9 triumph.

The debutant pair produced the game of the tournament so far in a high-quality contest, with Walsh coming from 3-1 down to lead 6-3 at one stage.

Winstanley – who ended the game with an average of 104.55 – battled back to lead 9-8 but missed five darts at doubles to win the remaining two legs as Walsh firstly forced a decider before edging to victory.

After Walsh had won the game’s opening leg, Winstanley took the next three by finishing double top, hitting an 11-darter which featured a 177 and an 87 checkout to break and a 92 bull finish to lead 3-1.

Winstanley also landed a 180 in the fifth leg, but missed two darts at tops for a fourth successive leg and Walsh powered in a 138 checkout to begin his resurgence.

The former UK Open finalist then finished 96, 60 and 82 – on the bull – to lead 5-3 and saw double ten push him three legs clear with five in a row.

He also missed double 12 in the tenth as Winstanley hit back on double ten, and after Walsh posted tops to lead 7-4 the duo traded double 12 finishes before the Lakeside Championship finalist sparked his own revival with a 138 checkout, the second of the match.

He then landed six perfect darts with back-to-back maximums in the 15th, which he won in 13 darts before levelling the game at eight-all on double eight.

The pair traded maximums in the next as Winstanley wrestled back the lead on double top for a 12-darter, moving a leg away from victory at 9-8.

However, he missed the bull for a 130 checkout and two further match darts as Walsh took out double ten to level and send the match into a final-leg decider.

The pair traded 140s with their opening visit before Winstanley landed a 180, but he would see two darts at double top land on the wire to allow Walsh in, and he posted double 18 to win a superb contest.

“That was a great game to be involved in, a real rollercoaster,” said Walsh. “The five legs I took in a row turned the game at the time but I made it hard work for myself after that.

“It seems like I’m trying to entertain the crowd with close games but I don’t mean to! I never gave up and it paid off.”

Winstanley had overcome World Champions Ted Hankey and Raymond van Barneveld during the group stage, and admitted: “It’s been my first time in the Grand Slam of Darts and I’ve loved every minute of it.

“It was a brilliant match with Mark and I’m as proud as punch to have played so well. The average was fantastic but that doesn’t win you the game, and unfortunately I missed my chance and Mark took his at the end.”

TED HANKEY 10-9 MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
TED HANKEY won through a see-saw battle with Michael van Gerwen to reach the quarter-finals of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a dramatic 10-9 victory.

The young Dutchman looked set to cause an upset when he took leads of 2-0 and 7-5 against the two-time Lakeside Champion, but Hankey produced some fine darts to hit back and lead 9-8.

Van Gerwen forced a decider with a 13-dart finish, but was unable to break in the final leg before Hankey took out 100 in two darts for a famous win.

Hankey now plays Mark Walsh in Saturday’s quarter-finals, having turned around the Wolverhampton Civic Hall crowd to end the contest hearing his name cheered following a fine contest.

“I’ve had a bit of a rough time with the crowd in previous years but it was superb to hear them singing “Super Ted” – in fact it was hard to concentrate!” said Hankey.

“They created a great atmosphere and we both rose to that. Michael played superbly but he gave me a couple of chances and I took them. I didn’t start well but it came together in the end.”

Van Gerwen made a superb start to win the opening leg against the throw with a 13-darter – setting up double 16 with a 177 score – and then doubled his lead with a 76 checkout despite a 180 from Hankey.

Hankey got off the mark in the third with a 14-dart checkout, and punished three missed doubles from van Gerwen to level before posting double five for a 3-2 lead.

Van Gerwen levelled on double top and then finished 81 to break in 12 darts and 108 to move 5-3 up.

Hankey landed a 180 and took out 84 for a 12-darter in reply, but van Gerwen won two of the next three on double top to lead 7-5.

The Telford-based star finished 80 to take the 13th leg, and levelled the game in a dramatic next leg, with van Gerwen missing the bull, two darts at double eight and one dart at double four before Hankey posted double one to square the contest.

Hankey then checked out 78 for a 14-darter to regain the lead, only to narrowly miss the bull in the next as van Gerwen took out double nine to pull back to eight-all.

Hankey hit hit fifth 180 of the match in another 14-darter as he pushed one leg away from victory, but van Gerwen responded in style to win the 18th in 13 darts to force a deciding leg.

The Dutchman held the early advantage as Hankey suffered two bounce-outs, but van Gerwen saw his opening dart for a 164 finish suffer the same fate to allow his opponent in on 100, and Hankey made no mistake with a two-darter for victory and a quarter-final place against Mark Walsh.

“Saturday will be a different game against Mark,” added Hankey. “He’s a great player and the format’s a little bit longer again, and I’m looking forward to it.”

Van Gerwen admitted: “I missed too many doubles and gave too many legs away in the end. I’ve played well but I’m disappointed to lose this game.

“I’ll go away and build up now for the World Championship because I’m feeling good about my game at the moment.”

GARY ANDERSON 10-3 JAMES WADE
GARY ANDERSON powered into the quarter-finals of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts, hitting nine 180s in a brilliant 10-3 defeat of 2010 runner-up James Wade.

Wade led 2-0 early on before the Scot turned on the style with a heavy-scoring display as he won ten of the next 11 legs to win through to the last eight once again in Wolverhampton.

He now plays Terry Jenkins on Saturday in a bid for a third semi-final in five years of the tournament, and said: “My form’s building gradually and I’m getting closer to my best.

“I’m improving and my scoring was great in this game, but if I can hit my doubles I could be a danger!”

The Scot opened slowly as Wade burst out of the blocks, hitting a 180 and winning the opening leg with a 122 checkout for a 12-darter and then finishing 76 to win the second.

He was left waiting on a two-dart finish in the third when Anderson landed double five to break, before the Premier League Darts champion took out 80 and double six to lead 3-2, hitting his first 180 of the game in leg five.

A second successive 14-darter moved him 4-2 up, and he took out double ten to win the seventh before kicking off the next with back-to-back 180s.

He also hit a seventh treble 20 only to see his dart at treble 19 miss, and although he missed the chance of a nine-darter he took the leg in 11 darts to move 6-2 up.

Anderson hit another 180, his sixth in five legs, before taking out 81 on double 13 to move five legs clear only for Wade to produce a sparkling 13-dart leg to end the Scot’s run of seven straight legs.

Anderson, though, regained his cushion in style by hitting another 180 and a 100 finish for a 12-darter which he bettered with another 11-dart leg in the next to move one away from victory at 9-3.

A ninth maximum of the game pushed him clear of Wade, who hit back with three tons but missed four darts at double 19 and Anderson hit double six to seal his quarter-final spot.

“The 180s really helped me and I was glad they came out,” added Anderson. “James is a class act but he didn’t quite show it tonight and I took advantage.”

TERRY JENKINS 10-8 WAYNE JONES
TERRY JENKINS won four successive legs to hit back from 8-6 down and win through to the last eight of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 10-8 defeat of home favourite Wayne Jones.

Jenkins maintained his record of reaching at least the last eight in every year since the Grand Slam was introduced in 2007 with a gutsy display.

Jones led 3-0 before being pegged back, and restored his advantage to move within two legs of victory only to see the Ledbury ace reel off four superb legs to snatch a quarter-final spot.

Jones made an ideal start in front of his home crowd at the Wolves Civic, posting double 18 to break throw in the opening leg – punishing three misses from Jenkins – before landing a 13-darter to double his advantage.

He then finished 122 to move 3-0 up before Jenkins fired in a 180 and tops to get off the mark with a 13-dart finish in reply.

Another double top finish saw Jenkins tak the fith leg, and after Jones took out double seven to lead 4-2 it was the 2008 runner-up who took out 40 and 76 to square the game.

Jones hit 180s in winning legs of 14 and 13 darts to move 6-4 up, with Jenkins taking out 78 to hit back in the 11th only to see the home hope win the next with ease courtesy of an 81 checkout.

Double six saw Jenkins pull back to 7-5, but he was unable to take advantage when – after the pair traded 180s – Jones missed three doubles, seeing two darts of his own miss at double 19 to allow his opponent back in on double six to lead 8-6.

Another 13-dart finish from Jenkins saw him cut the gap to 8-7, and when Jones again faltered on double 12 and six he then hit double ten to level.

Double top pushed Jenkins 9-8 up after he had hit a fourth 180 of the contest, and he went on to secure the victory on tops after Jones was unable to close out a 104 finish.

“That was a battle,” said Jenkins. “Wayne’s the local chap and I knew it would be hard to play him, but I had to blank out the crowd and I managed to do that.

“Wayne didn’t miss a lot in the first few legs and got an edge on me, but I broke him at the right time.

“I’m chuffed to be in the quarter-finals again and I’ll look forward to having a good game with him on Saturday because Gary’s a great player.”

Jones admitted: “I’m disappointed. I hit too many 60 scores during the game and double 12 let me down a bit too, there were too many poor shots.

“Sometimes it doesn’t happen for you but it’s my own fault. I felt good but it didn’t happen for me and although the crowd were fabulous I wish I’d given them more to cheer.”

Photo credit – Lawrence Lustig

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.”

PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis was joined by Martin Phillips in qualifying from Group H, with the Stoke star defeating Vincent van der Voort 5-2 and the Welsh left-hander overcoming Co Stompe by the same scoreline.

“I’ve had my problems in the group stage before so I’m happy to have come through it and I think I can go on and have a good run now,” said Lewis.

“The format’s longer in the second round so you can settle down more but I’m scoring well and feeling confident.”

Lewis tops the group following a third straight victory, while Phillips avoided a repeat of his collapse against Stompe in the same situation last year when the Dutchman had come from 4-1 down to win – with the Lakeside Championship semi-finalist this time sealing victory and progression.

Three-time World Champion John Part set up a high-profile clash with Lewis on Friday when he defeated Arron Monk 5-3 to top Group G, with Mark Webster topping the group unbeaten following his win over Holland’s Jan Dekker by the same scoreline.

The second round begins on Thursday with the first four games, including 2010 runner-up James Wade against Gary Anderson and home favourite Wayne Jones up against 2008 finalist Terry Jenkins.

Two-time World Champion Ted Hankey meets Michael van Gerwen and debutants Dean Winstanley and Mark Walsh clash for a place in the quarter-finals.

William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Wednesday November 16
Groups E-H Final Games
Adrian Lewis 5-2 Vincent van der Voort
Wes Newton 5-1 Barrie Bates
Steve Beaton 5-2 James Hubbard
John Part 5-3 Arron Monk
Co Stompe 2-5 Martin Phillips
Phil Taylor 5-3 Mervyn King
Mark Webster 5-3 Jan Dekker
Paul Nicholson 5-4 Magnus Caris

Second Round
Thursday November 17 (7pm)
Dean Winstanley v Mark Walsh
Michael van Gerwen v Ted Hankey
Gary Anderson v James Wade
Terry Jenkins v Wayne Jones

Friday November 18 (7pm)
Paul Nicholson v Steve Beaton
Mark Webster v Martin Phillips
Phil Taylor v Wes Newton
Adrian Lewis v John Part
Best of 19 Legs

ADRIAN LEWIS 5-2 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
ADRIAN LEWIS moved into the last 16 of the Grand Slam of Darts with a quick-fire 13 minute victory over Vincent van der Voort.

Lewis, who has struggled in this competition on four previous visits, finished top of Group H with three straight victories following a 5-2 success against the Dutchman.

Van der Voort hit a 180 in the first leg but Lewis converted a 14-dart finish to lead before the Dutchman landed double one to level.

Lewis hit double 19 to win the third after van der Voort had missed a dart at tops, and the World Champion then moved 3-1 up by landing double five.

The Stoke star then hit a fabulous 11-darter to take the fifth leg, which included two maximums, but he missed three chances to win the match in the next and van der Voort hit double eight with his last dart.

Lewis wasted more chances to take the match in the next leg, but van der Voort could not capitalise and Lewis returned to hit double two and seal a third straight win.

“It was difficult to motivate myself for tonight’s game as there was nothing riding on it,” admitted Lewis.

“It’s important to keep a positive mentality though, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m very confident to have a good run here and my form is good – I’m scoring well.”

WES NEWTON 5-1 BARRIE BATES
WES NEWTON confirmed his spot in the knockout phase of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts at the Wolverhampton Civic with a 5-1 triumph over Barrie Bates.

The UK Open finalist had never won past the group stage in Wolverhampton previously, but ended the night second in Group F to progress to a date with Phil Taylor on Friday.

The Fleetwood ace hit a 13-darter to take the first leg of the match before Bates, who has struggled for form in Wolverhampton, landed double 16 to win the second.

Newton held throw to lead for the second time and then landed double 12 to win the fourth against the darts and lead 3-1.

The UK Open finalist was clinical in winning the fifth leg as he hit a two-dart 100 finish to move three legs clear before posting his second 180 of the game, only to miss three match darts.

The Welshman, however, could not make Newton pay as his attempt at bullseye was just off-target and the Fleetwood thrower hit double four to end the match.

“I’ve never managed to make to the last 16 in my two previous visits here, so I’m pleased to do it this time,” said Newton.

“I’m not hitting the heights yet but I’m still in it and I have a chance to make an impact.”

STEVE BEATON 5-2 JAMES HUBBARD
STEVE BEATON won his final Group E game at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-2 victory against James Hubbard to earn a second win of the group stage and progression to the last 16.

His win, coupled with Phil Taylor’s later victory against Mervyn King, confirmed that Beaton would qualify for the second round, where he meets Paul Nicholson on Friday.

Last year’s semi-finalist broke throw by hitting double ten with his third dart to win the opening leg but Hubbard won the second after Beaton was guilty of missing four darts at doubles for a 2-0 lead.

The former World Champion put those errors behind as he regained the lead with an excellent 130 checkout, on the bullseye, and he took the fourth for a 3-1 lead after PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship finalist Hubbard missed four chances to level.

Beaton hit a 180 in the process of the winning to fifth leg to move within touching distance of victory, but the 19-year-old showed his class to hit double nine with his third dart to keep the match alive.

Hubbard had the advantage of throw in the seventh, but one dart missed at tops proved costly as Beaton stepped up to land double 16 and end the newcomer’s campaign.

“I knew it was going to be tough against James tonight,” admitted Beaton. “It’s his first televised experience and he impressed a lot. The last few days will give him valuable experience for the future.

“I had a fantastic run here last year which included victories over Ted Hankey and Phil Taylor. I would love to do something similar again this year.”

Hubbard, who takes on Michael van Gerwen in the World Youth Championship final next May, admitted: “I felt more comfortable on stage against Steve and the three matches have been a great experience for me.

“I’m looking forward to turning professional next year and going on from here, because this has been a fantastic week.”

JOHN PART 5-3 ARRON MONK
JOHN PART secured a vital 5-3 victory against Arron Monk in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts at the Wolverhampton Civic as he ensured progression to the last 16.

The Canadian found himself 2-1 down to the youngster but won three legs on the spin to gain control and go on to claim the two points, leaving Monk winless in six attempts in Wolverhampton over the past two year.

Part won the first leg on double one after missing several earlier opportunities before Monk – cheered on by father Colin, a veteran professional, managed to level on double ten with his third dart after the three-time World Champion missed two chances to take a 2-0 lead.

The third dart came to the 21-year-old’s aid again the third leg as hit double top to lead the match for the first time.

Part hit back to level the score at 2-2 with a clinical 103 finish and then took the fifth against the darts to lead for the second time.

Part took his third leg in a row by hitting double eight, but Monk won the seventh leg by hitting the same bed to reduce the deficit to 4-3.

The eighth saw Part miss a dart at double 16 to take the match but the Under-21 World Champion could not convert 120 to set-up a deciding leg as his attempt at double top fell below the target and the Canadian returned to the oche to hit double eight and record his second win in Group G.

“I threw some impressive darts from 2-1 down to get the lead back and that’s a good sign,” said Part. “Arron is an excellent player and I was prepared to work hard to get the win tonight.”

MARTIN PHILLIPS 5-2 CO STOMPE
MARTIN PHILLIPS produced a clinical display to knock Co Stompe out of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts and advance to the last 16 of the competition for the first time.

Last year in Wolverhampton, the Welshman was knocked out by the Dutchman in a thrilling deciding-leg contest, but the roles were reversed this time around as he moved into round two.

“When I was 4-1 up and Co started to fire again I thought that history was going to repeat itself,” admitted Phillips, who had allowed the same lead to slip 12 months ago.

“It’s great to be through and I will just keep doing what I’ve done so far and we will see what happens.”

Stompe hit a 180 with his first three darts but failed to convert three darts at doubles and Phillips stepped in the hit double 16 at the first time of asking for the opening leg.

Phillips hit a maximum of his own in a 13-darter to take the second and the third soon followed with an accurate attempt at double four.

Stompe, who lost to Adrian Lewis in his previous Group H match, hit an impressive 116 finish to get on the scoreboard but Phillips finished double four again to restore his three-leg advantage.

Stompe kept the game alive with a 14-dart finish to win the sixth leg but Phillips ended the contest in the next with a superb 13-darter to remain in the tournament.

PHIL TAYLOR 5-3 MERVYN KING
PHIL TAYLOR secured his third straight Group E victory at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a hard-fought 5-3 victory against Mervyn King.

King was 2-1 ahead in the early stages of the contest, but Taylor regained control to top the group and eliminate his opponent in the process with the aid of a three-dart average of 100.93.

“That was a proper game of darts tonight,” said Taylor who is looking for his fourth Grand Slam title. “Mervyn played very well and produced some excellent darts, so it’s a great feeling to win the match.

“I’m getting better with each game and feeling confident going into the knockout games now.”

Taylor hit double ten to win the opening leg before King replied to take the second by taking out 68 in two darts.

King, who defeated James Hubbard in his second Group E match, hit double 16 at the first time of asking to break throw and establish a 2-1 lead – threatening the victory which could have knocked out the three-time winner.

Taylor, though, broke back immediately with an impressive 13-darter and then won his third leg of the match on double one which confirmed King’s elimination from the event.

King hit double eight to square the game at three apiece but Taylor won the seventh leg with his second 13-darter of the game to lead again.

King held the advantage of throw in the eighth but a 180 from Taylor took control of the leg and took out a 79 finish to win the match.

MARK WEBSTER 5-3 JAN DEKKER
MARK WEBSTER confirmed his position at the top of Group G in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts courtesy of a 5-3 victory over Jan Dekker, ending the match with a three-dart average of 101.43 as he moved into the last 16.

Webster’s victory also meant that John Part advanced to the last 16 phase of the competition in Wolverhampton and denied the Dutch debutant progression.

Webster held throw to win the opening leg of the match before Dekker fired in a 180, followed by a 104 checkout, to level the game.

The former World Champion hit a 107 finish to lead again but was guilty of missing chances for a 3-1 lead, allowing the Dutch youngster to hold throw for a second time.

Webster was also guilty of missing doubles in the fifth leg as two attempts at double top were off-target, and Dekker hit double nine to lead for the first time.

The Welshman immediately hit back with a two-dart 88 finish and then finished double top at the first time of asking to lead 4-3.

The world number six powered to victory in the eighth leg with an 11-dart finish to win the match in style and end Dekker’s hopes of reaching the last 16.

“I didn’t know a great deal about Jan coming into the match and it was a really tough game in the end,” said Webster who now takes on fellow Welshman Martin Phillips for a place in the last eight.

“I had a tough time here 12 months ago, so to qualify by topping the group feels great and shows that I have come a long way in that time.”

PAUL NICHOLSON 5-4 MAGNUS CARIS
PAUL NICHOLSON came from 4-3 down to defeat Magnus Caris and confirm top place in Group F at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The 2010 Players Championship Finals winner produced superb darts to win the final two legs of the contest and will now face Steve Beaton on Friday night for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I feel very relieved to have won that game”, admitted Nicholson, who qualifies for the knockout phase at the third time of asking.

“I came out tonight very motivated to top the group and in the end I had to do it the hard way. I will remember that 144 checkout in the eighth leg for a very long time.”

Nicholson won the first leg of the game by converting a 61 finish after Caris missed a dart at double top for an early break of throw.

The Swede, making his debut in this event, missed two more darts at doubles in the next leg allowing Nicholson to step in and take a 2-0 lead by landing double ten.

Nicholson hit his second 180 of the game in the next leg, but Caris won it by hitting double 16 and then won the fourth with a clinical two-dart 81 finish to level.

That left matters finely balanced at two-all, but Nicholson hit double top at the first time of asking to win his third leg of the match and confirm his place in the knockout phase.

Both players missed darts at the bull to win the sixth leg, which Caris took by hitting double eight before he posted tops in the next leg to lead the match for the first time.

The eighth leg saw Caris leave himself a two-dart finish for victory, but Nicholson hit a fantastic 144 checkout to force a deciding leg.

Nicholson produced some fabulous scoring in the final leg, which included a maximum, and hit double 16 to win an excellent match.

Source – PDC/Lawrence Lustig

FINAL LEAGUE TABLES

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.

Reigning champion Adrian Lewis powered through to the knockout stages, following up his narrow win over Martin Phillips on Sunday with a brilliant 5-1 defeat of Co Stompe, hitting five 180s and averaging 109.39 in the process.

Phillips’ 5-2 victory over Vincent van der Voort means that the Dutchman is now eliminated from the event and the Welsh left-hander meets Stompe on Wednesday in a shoot-out for a place in the second round.

Paul Nicholson remains unbeaten in Group F following a 5-4 win over Wes Newton, hitting five 180s in an impressive performance and sealing victory with a 13-dart finish to put move closer to a second round spot for the first time in the event.

Sweden’s Magnus Caris took a 5-1 win over Barrie Bates in the night’s other game to set up a tasty clash with Nicholson on Wednesday and leave Newton needing to defeat the Welshman to keep his hopes alive.

Group G also remains wide open, with Mark Webster remaining unbeaten following his 5-1 win over John Part and Holland’s Jan Dekker hitting five out of seven darts at a double in a 5-1 win over Arron Monk.

Webster faces Dekker in their final game, while Part plays Monk, although the Under-21 World Champion would need a heavy victory and a Webster win if he was to stand any chance of qualifying.

Groups A-D play their final first round games on Tuesday night, with only Dean Winstanley and Mark Walsh so far assured of a place in the last 16.

Stoke-born duo Ted Hankey and Ian White will do battle to join Winstanley in qualifying from Group B, while Tony O’Shea and Michael van Gerwen fight for the right to progress from Group A alongside Walsh, with reigning champion Scott Waites eliminated following two defeats.

The other two groups have plenty to play for, with unbeaten Wolverhampton favourite Wayne Jones meeting Gary Anderson and Nigel Heydon playing winless Brendan Dolan in Group C.

James Wade heads Group D on four points following two wins and meets Terry Jenkins, while Justin Pipe meets Dave Chisnall in their other game.

William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Tuesday November 15
Groups E-H Second Games
Barrie Bates 1-5 Magnus Caris
Mervyn King 5-3 James Hubbard
Jan Dekker 5-1 Arron Monk
Vincent van der Voort 2-5 Martin Phillips
Mark Webster 5-1 John Part
Phil Taylor 5-3 Steve Beaton
Wes Newton 4-5 Paul Nicholson
Adrian Lewis 5-1 Co Stompe

Tuesday November 15 (7pm)
Groups A-D Final Games
Raymond van Barneveld v Dean Winstanley
Mark Walsh v Scott Waites
Brendan Dolan v Nigel Heydon
Justin Pipe v Dave Chisnall
Tony O’Shea v Michael van Gerwen
James Wade v Terry Jenkins
Ted Hankey v Ian White
Gary Anderson v Wayne Jones

Wednesday November 16 (7pm)
Groups E-H Final Games
Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
Wes Newton v Barrie Bates
Steve Beaton v James Hubbard
John Part v Arron Monk
Co Stompe v Martin Phillips
Phil Taylor v Mervyn King
Mark Webster v Jan Dekker
Paul Nicholson v Magnus Caris

Current Tables

MAGNUS CARIS 5-1 BARRIE BATES
MAGNUS CARIS managed to gain a vital two points with a 5-1 victory over Barrie Bates in the 2011 William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The Swede put on an impressive display to defeat Bates, which has confirmed the Welshman’s elimination from the competition and leaves Caris to face Paul Nicholson on Wednesday.

Caris made an impressive start to the match by landing double seven to break and he then hit an 11-darter to lead 2-0.

The Swede should have taken the third leg but missed six darts at doubles and Bates stole it by hitting a 72 finish, completed on the bullseye.

Caris got back to winning ways by hitting a two-dart 80 finish to win the fourth leg and he landed a 177 in the process of taking the fifth to lead 4-1.

Caris, who lost to Wes Newton in his opening group match, missed six darts at double top to take victory, but landed the target at the seventh attempt to close out the match and keep his hopes of qualifying alive.

“It’s a very important win,” said Caris. “I feel I played well against Wes but I didn’t get the result, but this was good for me and I was relieved at the end.

“I feel confident and the others had better watch out! I’ve got one game to go now and I’m enjoying the tournament.”

MERVYN KING 5-3 JAMES HUBBARD
MERVYN KING was made to work hard before overcoming James Hubbard with a 5-3 victory in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

King, who lost to Steve Beaton in his opening Group E clash, will take on Phil Taylor on Wednesday evening in his final round-robin contest.

“I’ve probably got to beat Phil on Wednesday to qualify and that’s going to be a big challenge,” said King. “My form over the last 12 months has been under-par but I’ll be giving it my best shot.”

King made an excellent start the game, hitting a 180 in the opening leg, followed by 101 checkout for a 12-dart finish to break throw.

But King failed to build on that advantage as he missed six darts at doubles and Hubbard nicked the second by landing double five with his last dart to level.

Hubbard then took out double top at the first time of asking to lead 2-1 but King hit a clinical 14-darter to square the match at two apiece.

King was guilty of missing six more darts to take the fifth and the youngster capitalised again by hitting double four to lead for a second time.

King pegged back by taking the sixth leg and then took the seventh to lead 4-3 with a 62 finish after Hubbard missed a dart at double top to take the leg himself.

The eighth leg saw King produce consistent high scoring and he converted a 62 finish for the third time in the contest to end Hubbard’s challenge.

JAN DEKKER 5-1 ARRON MONK
JAN DEKKER defeated Arron Monk at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with an impressive 5-1 victory to get his challenge back on track.

Monk, who lost in a thrilling deciding leg to Mark Webster in his opening match, was unable to find of the form of Sunday and the Lakeside Championship semi-finalist capitalised to take the two points.

Dekker, who had disappointed on his debut against John Part, held throw to take the opening leg then converted a 66 finish to double his lead after Monk missed two darts at double top.

Dekker won the third leg to establish a 3-0 lead before Monk got himself on the scoreboard with a 12-dart finish which included a maximum.

But the Dutch youngster got back to winning ways by taking the fifth leg with a 75 finish and sealed victory in style with an excellent 13-darter.

“I was pleased with the way I played,” said Dekker. “My finishing in particular was excellent and that got me the win.

“I’m enjoying my experience here in Wolverhampton and I’m confident ahead of my game against Mark Webster on Wednesday.”

MARTIN PHILLIPS 5-2 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
MARTIN PHILLIPS earned an excellent 5-2 victory against Vincent van der Voort to keep his alive of qualifying from Group H in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The Welshman won the opening leg before Van der Voort replied by hitting double ten to take the second.

Phillips then broke throw with a 62 finish in the next to take a 2-1 advantage and that soon became 3-1 when he took out 78.

Phillips took out 68 to win the fifth leg but missed two darts at double top to win the match in the next and the Dutchman landed double top to keep himself in the hunt.

But Phillips made no mistake in the seventh leg as he landed double nine to leave van der Voort with a mountain to climb to qualify for the knockout phase.

“I’ve beaten Vincent on the previous two occasions that we’ve played,” said Phillips. “My scoring wasn’t as good as it could have been but my finishing was clinical tonight.”

Phillips will now take on Co Stompe in his final group match added: “Co beat me 5-4 to qualify for the knockout stages last year, so I owe him one!”

MARK WEBSTER 5-1 JOHN PART
MARK WEBSTER continued to shine at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a convincing 5-1 victory over fellow World Champion John Part.

The Welshman is now in a commanding position to qualify for the knockout phases after two wins in Group G.

Webster came out of the blocks firing with a maximum with his first three darts and then broke Part’s broke with comfort to establish a 2-0 lead.

Webster then hit double top to take the third leg and should have won the fourth but missed four darts at doubles and Part landed double top with his last dart.

That only stemmed the tide for the Canadian as the Welsh ace restored his three leg advantage with a 15-darter and double four secured the victory.

“I scored well tonight and that put me in good positions,” said Webster. “I’ve had some heartbreak in this competition before so I know that the job of qualification hasn’t been achieved just yet.”

PHIL TAYLOR 5-3 STEVE BEATON
PHIL TAYLOR effectively confirmed his place in the last 16 of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts by claiming a tight 5-3 victory over Steve Beaton.

The match was finely balanced at three apiece before the world number one dug deep into his reserves to take the next two legs and a second straight victory.

Taylor opened the contest with a clinical two-dart 67 finish but Beaton replied to take the second on double ten after Taylor missed a dart at double 16.

Taylor missed double 16 again in third leg, and Beaton capitalised by hitting a 120 finish to lead 2-1 with a break of throw.

The three-time Grand Slam champion squared the game by landing double 16 in the fourth to break back before hitting back-to-back maximums in the fifth leg to set up a potential nine-darter.

The attempt at seventh treble 20 landed just above the wire, but the leg was won in 11 darts to put Taylor back into the lead.

Beaton, who defeated Taylor in the quarter-finals of last year’s competition, won the sixth leg on double ten but Taylor edged ahead again to lead 4-3.

The eighth leg saw Beaton hit his second 180 of the game, but he missed a dart at double top to force a decider and Taylor capitalised by converting a superb 107 checkout to win the match in style.

“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.”

PAUL NICHOLSON 5-4 WES NEWTON
PAUL NICHOLSON edged out Wes Newton 5-4 to win his second Group F game in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.

Nicholson hit five maximums during the contest and has put himself in an excellent position to qualify for the last 16 following a superb final leg, as he took victory with a 13-darter.

Newton missed a dart at double ten for an immediate break of throw in the opening leg, and Nicholson landed double eight for an early lead.

The Fleetwood ace won the second leg on double six and then broke throw to take the third after Nicholson was guilty of missing three darts at doubles.

Nicholson, who whitewashed Barrie Bates in his first Group F match, put those errors behind him and broke back immediately with a fabulous 11-darter which included two 180s.

Newton hit his second maximum of the match in the next, but missed a dart at double top and Nicholson stepped in with an excellent two-dart 100 to lead 3-2.

Newton stopped Nicholson’s winning run by winning the sixth leg on double eight but Nicholson regained the lead by landing double ten to move 4-3 up.

Both players fired in maximums in the eighth leg but Newton hit a 63 finish to set up a deciding leg showdown.

Nicholson had the advantage of throw and he hit another 180 to get to a finish first before posting double 16 at the first time of asking to end a tight contest.

“I was really looking forward to this game against Wes tonight,” said Nicholson. “We’ve had a few really good battles over the last couple of years and tonight was no different.

“To hit a 13-darter in the deciding leg under that kind of pressure was very satisfying.”

ADRIAN LEWIS 5-1 CO STOMPE
ADRIAN LEWIS produced a sensational display to defeat Co Stompe 5-1 in only 15 minute at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The World Champion ended with a three-dart average of 109.39 – the highest of the tournament so far – and confirmed his place in the knockout phases with a thrilling performance.

Lewis made a confident start to the match by hitting a 180 followed an 80 finish to take the opening leg.

The World Champion was in control of the second, but two missed darts at doubles allowed Stompe to step in and hit double 18 to level.

Lewis won the third leg in 15 darts and then hit two superb maximums in a 12-darter to break Stompe’s throw and move 3-1 up.

Stompe hit a 180 of his own in the next, but it could not stop Lewis charging on as he won the fifth leg in 14 arrows and posted a clinical 85 finish to seal the victory.

“I was confident coming into tonight’s match,” said Lewis. “I’ve hit the highest average of the tournament so far and I believe that I’ve got a good chance of winning this week.”

Source – PDC/Lawrence Lustig

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.

“He’s dedicated and he’s got a big future ahead of him.”

Hubbard, who left with the match dartboard and Taylor’s darts as a memento of his televised debut, admitted: “I was nervous beforehand but once the first leg was out of the way I settle down.

“Everyone in darts looks up to Phil because of what he’s achieved and it’s been a dream for me to play him in my first TV game. I was disappointed to miss a few doubles in the final leg but it was a good experience for me.”

Taylor will now face Steve Beaton on Monday night, after the former World Champion defeated Mervyn King 5-3 in their Group E contest.

Reigning PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis edged out Welshman Martin Phillips 5-4 in a tight opener to Group H, from which Co Stompe won the all-Dutch clash with Vincent van der Voort 5-3.

Lewis has never won past the last 16 in Wolverhampton, but said: “Martin beat me last year with a 104 average and he played brilliantly again, so I’m happy to get over the line.

“I was a little bit inconsistent but getting the win was the most important thing and I’ve done that. I can relax now and look forward to playing Co on Monday.

Former World Champions Mark Webster and John Part set up a tasty meeting in Monday’s second matches after they overcame Arron Monk and Jan Dekker respectively in their Group G openers.

Paul Nicholson had opened Sunday afternoon’s play with a whitewash of Welshman Barrie Bates in Group F, and now plays Wes Newton on Monday after the UK Open finalist came from 2-0 down to defeat Swedish Wildcard Qualifier Magnus Caris 5-2.

Sunday’s evening session sees Groups A-D play their second games, with Saturday night’s winners clashing and the losers also meeting – with former World Champions Raymond van Barneveld and Ted Hankey facing off in a game which could see either eliminated from the event.

William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 13
Groups E-H First Games
Paul Nicholson 5-0 Barrie Bates (F)
Wes Newton 5-2 Magnus Caris (F)
Mark Webster 5-4 Arron Monk (G)
Vincent van der Voort 3-5 Co Stompe (H)
Mervyn King 3-5 Steve Beaton (E)
Phil Taylor 5-1 James Hubbard (E)
Adrian Lewis 5-4 Martin Phillips (H)
Jan Dekker 2-5 John Part (G)

Evening Session (8pm)
Groups A-D Second Games
Terry Jenkins v Dave Chisnall (D)
Gary Anderson v Brendan Dolan (C)
Scott Waites v Tony O’Shea (A)
Dean Winstanley v Ian White (B)
Raymond van Barneveld v Ted Hankey (B)
James Wade v Justin Pipe (D)
Wayne Jones v Nigel Heydon (C)
Mark Walsh v Michael van Gerwen (A)

PAUL NICHOLSON 5-0 BARRIE BATES
PAUL NICHOLSON made an impressive start to his William Hill Grand Slam of Darts campaign with a whitewash victory over Welshman Barrie Bates in just 13 minutes.

Nicholson, making his third appearance in Wolverhampton, will now face Wes Newton in eye-catching encounter on Monday evening.

“My one goal is to get through the group stage,” said Nicholson. “I’ve set my stall out to win all three group matches.

“Last year I managed to win two games but it didn’t prove to be enough to make it through to the knock-out phase.”

He added: “I decided not to go to Benidorm and spent a bit more time at home before coming here. I think it was a wise decision as I feel fresh and ready for this event.”

The Chorley-based thrower hit a 180 in the process of taking the opening leg and then broke his opponent’s throw with an accurate attempt at double four to make an ideal start to the contest.

Nicholson hit another maximum in the third leg which was won with another successful dart at double four before hitting back-to-back maximums in the next.

That left the opportunity of a nine-dart finish, but the chance went begging when Nicholson’s attempt at a seventh successive treble 20 was too high.

However, the leg was comfortably won in ten darts and the fifth soon followed as he hit double eight to round off a comfortable win.

WES NEWTON 5-2 MAGNUS CARIS
WES NEWTON recovered from a stuttering start to defeat Magnus Caris 5-2 in his opening Group F contest at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The world number seven, who has failed to win past the group stages in his previous two appearances at the Wolverhampton Civic, fell 2-0 behind before putting together a run of five successive winning legs.

Caris made a confident start on his Grand Slam debut, winning the first leg with a 79 finish before hitting double eight to secure a break of throw in the second after Newton missed a dart at double 19 to level.

The Swede was guilty of missing four darts at doubles for a 3-0 lead which allowed Newton to steal the third leg on double 16, and the Fleetwood ace levelled the match when he hit double 12 to win the fourth.

The fifth leg was finely balanced before Newton hit a 177 followed by an 80 finish to lead the match for the first time.

That gave Newton the momentum, but Caris held the advantage in the sixth only to miss three darts at doubles as and Newton took a fourth leg in a row by landing double two with his third dart.

Newton was now in command and he kicked off leg seven with a 180 and won the leg in 13 darts to confirm victory in his opening group match.

MARK WEBSTER 5-4 ARRON MONK
MARK WEBSTER held off a brave challenge from Arron Monk to edge a high-quality opening game of Group G at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

The 2008 Lakeside Champion built up a 3-1 lead only to see Monk level the match before coming through in a deciding leg.

Webster held throw with an impressive 111 checkout to start the match but Monk replied to take the second with an accurate attempt at double top.

The 21-year-old then hit a maximum in the third leg, only to see Webster win it by hitting tops at the first time of asking.

Webster then hit a 13-darter to break, but Monk immediately replied by hitting double top to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

Monk, the Under-21 World Champion making his second appearance in Wolverhampton, hit double top once again to level at three-all before Webster regained the lead with a 15-dart finish.

That put the Welshman one leg away from victory, but the Basingstoke youngster held his nerve to hit double two and force a deciding leg.

Webster held the advantage of throw and he kicked-off with a 140 score to help get to a finish first, and he slotted home double six to record victory.

“I expected Arron to play well today,” said Webster. “That was a good game to be involved in and it feels good to come out on top.

“I’ve been playing well in the major tournaments and I feel that my form is coming good at the business end of the year.”

CO STOMPE 5-3 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
CO STOMPE came out on top in the battle of the Dutchman courtesy of a 5-3 triumph over Vincent van der Voort at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

Stompe had established a 3-1 lead in the early stages of the game and managed to keep that advantage to make a winning start in Group H.

Van der Voort won the opening leg against the darts by hitting double eight, but Stompe won the second to break back and then took the third by hitting double top.

That gave Stompe a 2-1 lead and he then increased that by winning the fourth leg in style with a 121 checkout on the bullsye.

Stompe moved three legs clear by hitting double two, but van der Voort continued to fight by hitting a 13-dart finish to win leg six.

Van der Voort then won the seventh against the darts with an excellent 101 finish to reduce the deficit to one leg before Stompe kicked off the next leg with back-to-back maximums.

The attempt at the seventh treble 20 fell below the target but the leg was won in 11 darts, completed on double top, to get the two points.

“I’ve had a terrible year since winning the World Cup of Darts with Raymond van Barneveld,” admitted Stompe.

“My form is starting to come back again though and I reached two semi-finals in Crawley last weekend, which was a real confidence boost for me.”

STEVE BEATON 5-3 MERVYN KING
STEVE BEATON came out on top against Mervyn King with a 5-3 victory in the opening contest of Group E at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.

Beaton, who enjoyed a superb run to the semi-finals last year, was 3-2 down to King but managed to string together three legs on the spin to come away with the points.

“I thought I’d blown it when I missed all those chances to go 2-0 ahead,” admitted Beaton.

“Mervyn went off the boil slightly after the opening four legs and I stepped in and took my chance.”

Beaton hit a 174 score with his first visit to the oche and the first leg in 13 darts but was guilty of missing six opportunities to double his lead, which allowed King to level.

King then took the lead for the first time by winning the third leg with an accomplished 13-dart finish.

The fourth saw King miss double 12 for a 141 checkout and Beaton took out a pressure 66 finish to level the match at two-all.

King converted a 90 finish to lead again, but Beaton won the sixth leg on double 14 to complete a 14-darter and keep matters finely balanced.

Beaton managed to win the seventh leg against the darts with an excellent 84 finish on the bullseye and then closed out the game in the next leg by hitting double 14 for a second time.

PHIL TAYLOR 5-1 JAMES HUBBARD
PHIL TAYLOR recorded victory in his opening match of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-1 victory against 19-year-old James Hubbard.

Hubbard, the son of former professional Vic, was making his televised debut and produced some impressive darts on the big stage.

Taylor started the match by winning the opening leg on double 16 and the three-time Grand Slam champion repeated the trick to double his lead and put the youngster immediately under pressure with legs of 13 and 14 darts.

The third leg saw Taylor miss three chances to take a 3-0 lead and Hubbard managed to finish double one with his last dart to get a leg on the board.

Taylor soon restored his two-leg advantage by breaking throw to win the fourth before Hubbard hit three consecutive 140s in the next.

The 19-year-old – who sealed a place in this competition by reaching the final of the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship – failed to replicate that scoring into a finishing opportunity and Taylor took out 68 to lead 4-1.

The fifth leg saw Hubbard again show some impressive scoring but he missed four darts to keep the match alive and Taylor once again punished the youngster by taking out 84, hitting double 11 with his last dart.

“James was difficult to beat today,” admitted Taylor. “He produced some consistent scoring and I think he will give Mervyn King a real battle tomorrow night.

“I didn’t know how James would play, but he did well. 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. He’s dedicated and he’s got a big future ahead of him.”

After his first televised match Hubbard, revealed, “I was very nervous coming out but on to the stage but I felt much better once I was on stage and throwing my darts.”

ADRIAN LEWIS 5-4 MARTIN PHILLIPS
ADRIAN LEWIS made a winning start to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a nail-biting 5-4 victory over Martin Phillips.

Lewis had lost to the Welshman in last year’s group stages but gained revenge this time around in a match where he hit five maximums.

The reigning PDC World Champion came out of the blocks superbly as he hit a 180 with his first three darts of the match before taking the opening leg with a 79 finish.

Phillips replied with an excellent 14-dart finish, but Lewis regained the lead by taking the third leg with the aid of back-to-back maximums.

The Welshman, making his second appearance at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall won the fourth leg with another 14-darter and then took the lead for the first time by hitting a pressure double eight with his last dart.

The world number two did not let that setback faze him as he hit double two and double nine to take the next two legs and go within touching distance of victory.

Lewis hit his fifth maximum of the match in the next leg, but Phillips was first to a finish and hit double 18 at the first time of asking to break throw and set up a deciding leg.

Lewis produced the better scoring in the decider and managed to hit a pressure double ten, with his opponent waiting on a two-darter, to end a high-quality encounter.

JOHN PART 5-2 JAN DEKKER
JOHN PART recorded victory in his opening match of Group G in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-2 triumph over debutant Jan Dekker.

The Canadian was coasting at 3-0 before the Dutchman hit- ack to win the next two legs and reduce the arrears to one leg before Part won the next two to take victory.

Part hit a 74 finish to break throw at the start of the match and then managed to take the second after Dekker missed several chances to level.

Dekker missed another opportunity at a double in the third leg, allowing Part to extend his advantage.

Part, who has enjoyed a resurgence of form in 2011, missed four darts at double to take a 4-0 lead and Dekker capitalised by taking out 86 to get a leg on the board.

The Lakeside Championship semi-finalist then hit a 171 to leave tops in the fifth leg which he duly hit at the first time of asking to reduce the deficit to 3-2.

The Canadian stemmed the tide in the sixth leg with the aid of his second 180 in a 15-darter, which was followed by a 118 checkout to seal the match in emphatic fashion.

Source – PDC/Lawrence Lustig

I think it is fair comment that the PDC is widely viewed as the highest standard of darting action around largely as that is where the majority of successful players in the BDO move to, but the Grand Slam has thrown a significant spanner in the works of this theory in the shape of Scott Waites.

Scotty 2 Hotty has defied the odds over the last two years by reaching the final of the tournament in 2009 and winning it last year as he came from behind to dramatically snatch victory away from James Wade, an incredible achievement seen as he was, and still is, an amateur, working as a carpenter in Yorkshire.

The performances of the BDO boys have been steadily improving since the inaugural tournament in 2007, when only Gary Anderson of the six competitors qualified from his group stage.  Tony O’Shea has won his group in each of his appearances in Wolverhampton, even defeating the Power last year, and three of the eight groups were topped by BDO players in the same event.

Grand Slam stalwarts Waites, O’Shea, Ted Hankey and Martin Phillips return to the competition this year whilst Jan Dekker and Dean Winstanley are set for debuts at the tournament and they will be desperate to make an impression on the “celebrities” of the PDC and I believe they have a very good chance of doing just that.

With Waites and O’Shea in the same group along with Mark Walsh and Michael van Gerwen, there’s a good chance that we could see the first ever group with a BDO top two, and with Winstanley and Hankey also drawn together with Barney and Ian White, you would expect one of them to qualify for the knockout stages as well.

For Waites to pull off another win or another BDO man to pick up the title is a fairly long shot (Waites is 20/1 with most bookies, followed by Winstanley at 50′s) but they will certainly give a great account of themselves and remind the PDC once again that they are still a force to be reckoned with.

Phil Haigh  – Twitter follow @philhaigh_

Read Scott’y 2 Hotty’s own thoughts on the build up to the GSoD here.

Ian will be attempting to add to a list of legendary surprise sporting moments. Sporting enthusiasts of a certain age will spot the idea here; let’s look at the list…

Denmark – Euro 1992

The Danish team were eliminated from the European football championships, staged in Sweden, after failure in the  group qualifying stages. However, in the run up to the event the state of Yugoslavia imploded into civil war and the Yugoslavian football team was excluded from the event, giving Demark a second bite at the cherry.

Astonishingly they won the competition, beating a peerless Holland side in the semi-final (Peter Schmeichel the hero, saving a penalty from Marco Van Basten) and then the reigning World Champions Germany in the final with Jon Jensen the inspiration.

John Daly – PGA Champion 1991

Big John Daly had only turned pro and joined the PGA Tour that year and was 9th reserve for the PGA Championship, staged at the notoriously difficult Crooked Stick course. Significantly he was the only one who could make it in time when Nick Price withdrew for the birth of his second child. Famously Daly drove himself to the venue, had no time for a practice round, bagged Price’s caddy, and shot four rounds under 73 to finish champion at three under par.

Goran Ivanisevic – Wimbledon Champion 2001

Ivanisevic is the only wildcard player (and the lowest ranked at 125) to win a Grand Slam Tennis event. Due to injury and poor form Goran was dependent upon The All England Club’s generosity after failing to qualify for Wimbledon 2001. Due to his popularity, and valiant previous efforts in the championships, Goran was given a courtesy wildcard (usually reserved for home players).

The Two Gorans (as he himself called the twin sides of his nature) went on an amazing roller coaster ride to the final, defeating three former or future world No.1′s on the way. And who could forget his defeat of our own Tim Henman in a dramatic, rain affected, five set epic that stretched over three days?

The final against Pat Rafter, played on People’s Monday, is the stuff of legend; the two Gorans wrestled with each other as much as with Rafter. Five sets of the highest drama and quality were finally brought to a close with Goran mastering his tortured soul for one more booming ace to win the final set 9-7 and capture the Wimbledon crown in the most dramatic fashion.

Ian White – Grand Slam of Darts 2011?

White was the final qualifier to gain his place, following the withdrawal of an injured Simon Whitlock, only gaining official confirmation five days before the start of the event. White had earned his standby spot as a losing semi finalist from a field of 250 hopefuls in the Grand Slam play offs the previous week.

The tale is yet to be told but will commence with a daunting opening night battle against five times world champion Raymond van Barneveld, followed by tough matches against the two time Lakeside Champion Ted ‘The Count’ Hankey and 2011 Lakeside Runner Up Dean Winstanley.

Ian has previous experience of being the fairytale underdog – in 1997 he fought through from pub qualifiers to play Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor in the News of The World final. It will be almost fifteen years to the day when he embarks on his 2011 Grand Slam of Darts adventure.

Will it be Daly 1991, Ivanesivic 2001 & White 2011? Here’s hoping that Ian ‘Diamond’ White can add another chapter to the stunning list of underdog success stories above!

Thanks to Callum Harris for submitting a great piece of sports writing, and good luck to Ian in the Slam!

The 32-player tournament begins at 8pm on Saturday night with eight group matches from Groups A-D being held in front of a sell-out crowd. (Enter our Fantasy Tipster competition here to win great prizes from Bulls & DartsCorner.co.uk)

Jones, whose run to the semi-finals of last year’s Grand Slam of Darts saw the town unite in support of their local professional, will take on World Grand Prix runner-up Brendan Dolan in the tournament’s opening game.

Mark Walsh meets Tony O’Shea before debutant Dean Winstanley faces two-time World Champion Ted Hankey in the night’s third game.

Five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld plays another newcomer, Stoke’s Ian White, in game four before 2010 Grand Slam of Darts runner-up James Wade plays Dave Chisnall.

Reigning champion Scott Waites then takes to the stage against Michael van Gerwen, Premier League Darts winner Gary Anderson meets Wildcard Qualifier Nigel Heydon and former finalist Terry Jenkins plays Justin Pipe in the final game of the opening night.

Sunday’s afternoon session sees Groups E-H enter the fray, and opens with a Group F double-header as Paul Nicholson plays Barrie Bates and Wes Newton faces Sweden’s Magnus Caris.

Mark Webster plays Arron Monk in the third game and Vincent van der Voort meets Co Stompe in an all-Dutch affair before two matches from Group E take place, as Mervyn King plays 2010 semi-finalist Steve Beaton and three-time Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor places 19-year-old debutant James Hubbard.

Reigning PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis takes on Martin Phillips before Dutch debutant Jan Dekker plays Canada’s John Part in the afternoon’s final game.

The Sunday evening session will see Groups A-D play their second games, with Saturday’s winners playing each other and the losers also facing off, with their final group game coming on Tuesday.

Groups E-H play their second games on Monday night and their third group games on Wednesday night, before the top two players from each group progress to compete in the knockout stages from Thursday onwards.

The Grand Slam of Darts’ group stages feature the prospect of a unique nine-dart shoot-out should players in a certain group be tied on both points won and leg difference at the end of the round-robin phase – with the tied players doing battle for the highest score over nine darts for a place in the last 16.

Tickets for the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts remain on sale from the Wolves Civic Box Office in person or on 0870 320 7000.

William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Schedule of Play
Saturday November 12
8pm-12am
Groups A-D First Games
Wayne Jones v Brendan Dolan (C)
Mark Walsh v Tony O’Shea (A)
Dean Winstanley v Ted Hankey (B)
Raymond van Barneveld v Ian White (D)
James Wade v Dave Chisnall (B)
Scott Waites v Michael van Gerwen (A)
Gary Anderson v Nigel Heydon (C)
Terry Jenkins v Justin Pipe (D)

Sunday November 13
Afternoon Session – 2pm-6pm
Groups E-H First Games
Paul Nicholson v Barrie Bates (F)
Wes Newton v Magnus Caris (F)
Mark Webster v Arron Monk (G)
Vincent van der Voort v Co Stompe (H)
Mervyn King v Steve Beaton (E)
Phil Taylor v James Hubbard (E)
Adrian Lewis v Martin Phillips (H)
Jan Dekker v John Part (G)

Evening Session – 8pm-12am
Groups A-D Second Games
The winners of Saturday’s games will play each other, and the losers will play each other.

Monday November 14
7pm-11pm
Groups E-H Second Games
The winners of Sunday afternoon’s games will play each other, and the losers will play each other.

Tuesday November 15
7pm-11pm
Groups A-D Final Games

Wednesday November 16
7pm-11pm
Groups E-H Final Games

Thursday November 17
7pm-11pm
Winner A v Runner-Up B
Winner B v Runner-Up A
Winner C v Runner-Up D
Winner D v Runner-Up C

Friday November 18
Winner E v Runner-Up F
Winner F v Runner-Up E
Winner G v Runner-Up H
Winner H v Runner-Up G

Saturday November 19
Afternoon Session – 1pm-5pm
Quarter-Finals x2

Evening Session – 7pm-11pm
Quarter-Finals x2

Sunday November 20
Afternoon Session – 2.30pm-6pm
Semi-Finals

Evening Session – 8pm-10pm
Final
(Order of play from Thursday onwards TBC)

Format
First Round (Group Phase) Best of nine legs
Second Round Best of 19 legs
Quarter-Finals Best of 31 legs
Semi-Finals Best of 31 legs
Final Best of 31 legs

Tournament Odds
Courtesy WilliamHill.com – Odds correct at 1pm on November 8 2011

Outright Winner

Group Winner
Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Opening Match Odds
Saturday Evening Session
Wayne Jones 11/10 v Brendan Dolan 8/11
Mark Walsh 8/13 v Tony O’Shea 13/10
Dean Winstanley 8/11 v Ted Hankey 11/10
Raymond van Barneveld 1/8 v Ian White 5/1
James Wade 4/9 v Dave Chisnall 7/4
Scott Waites 4/11 v Michael van Gerwen 21/10
Gary Anderson 1/6 v Nigel Heydon 4/1
Terry Jenkins 8/11 v Justin Pipe 11/10

Sunday Afternoon Session
Paul Nicholson 4/11 v Barrie Bates 21/10
Wes Newton 1/3 v Magnus Caris 9/4
Mark Webster 4/11 v Arron Monk 21/10
Vincent van der Voort 4/6 v Co Stompe 6/5
Mervyn King 4/7 v Steve Beaton 11/8
Phil Taylor 1/50 v James Hubbard 12/1
Adrian Lewis 3/10 v Martin Phillips 5/2
Jan Dekker 7/4 v John Part 4/9

Source – PDC/Lawrence Lustig

Can you beat the Tipster? He makes his predictions and all you have to do is make sure your beat him. Simples. For the Grand Slam of Darts we look to our Fantasy League Darts format which lends itself to group stage and open draw tournaments. Assemble your squad of 6 players using 42 Million of fantasy sterling (42 being the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything). Enter using our unique online form here where all the hard work is done for you including checking the maths!

Prize Breakdown

Bulls Darts in association with DartsCorner have again provided some excellent prizes for our regular Tipster competition as detailed below.

1st Prize = Bulls Pro Touch Scorer  2nd Prize = Bulls Advantage Dart Board

3rd Prize = Bulls Dart Shirt

*Entries registered after 8pm on 12th November will not be counted.

For more details on this and future Beat The Tipster Competitions please see our main Tipster page.

PDC World Grand Prix 2011 (Completed Results) – Sponsored By Bulls Darts in association with Dartscorner.co.uk

Over 100 players signed up to our last Beat The Tipster competition, we asked Chris Mason to complete the draw for us and he picked the following winners:

1st Prize  - John Abbot

Bulls Advantage Dart Board, Marker Board Set, Personalised Engraved Aluminium Quiver

2nd Prize - Roger McCullough

Signed copy of John Lowe book ‘The Art of Darts’

3rd Prize – Andrew Foster

DartsMad shirt patch

A 4th prize of a DartsMad patch went to Petri Rasmus who stood alone at the top of the table and scored well in a competition that was tough to call.

Our tipster performed so badly again (62 players got the better of him) we think it is time to retire him!