Did You Beat The Tipster? Players Champs & Zuiderduin Masters

Posted on December 12th, 2011

What a weekend of top tungsten action eh? Anyway this weeks first piece of important darting information is who won our Tipster competitions, sponsored by Bulls and DartsCorner.co.uk.

The winners are listed at the foot of this page, and will be contacted by email shortly. Thanks to all those that entered the Zuiderduin Masters and Players Champs comps, but the giving doesn’t stop there! Registration is still open for both World Championships, and the prizes on offer are arguably our best yet and are worth hundreds of sterling. Remember it’s free to enter and everyone who beats the Tipster has a chance!

Registration for the World Championship and Lakeside Competitions, and full results for previous competitions can be found on the main Tipster page here.

Zuiderduin Masters 2011 (16 players beat The Tipster, random winners are listed below)

1. Bull’s Focus Board – Martin
2. Bull’s Hi-Q Cool shirt (colour and size free of choice) – Chris Maudsley
3. Bull’s Topas-X aluminium case – Shaun Gallacher

Players Champs Final 2011 (18 players beat The Tipster, random winners are listed below)

1. Bull’s Deluxe Wood Cabinet (black or light oak) + Focus dartboard - Mick Healy
2. Oche mat 0,60 wide – George Williams
3. Bull’s Referee Tool Extended – Kevin Dunstan

Tags: Darts Prediction Competition, DartsMad Beat The Tipster Competition, Lakeside Competition, PDC World Championship, Players Championship Results, Zuiderduin Masters Results
Filed under Competitions | No Comments »

The Seeds of Doubt – Tough Draws for World Championship

Posted on November 29th, 2011

With 32 players seeded for the biggest event of the PDC year, there are fewer draws than usual that the big boys on the circuit would be worried about, but there is still a lot of quality outside of the elite double sixteen and there are some seeds that got it really tough, here are my picks. (Full draw details can be found here)

Mark Dudbridge v Dave Chisnall

Probably the man that every seeded player wanted to avoid was Dave Chisnall and if the non-seeded dartists were hand-picking their draw, I think they would have gone for Mark Dudbridge, and here they are together.

There is no doubt that Chizzy is a top 32 in the making and that he has risen to just one place away from that group in under a year on the PDC circuit proves that.  He is 11^th in the Players Championship order of merit, reached the last eight of the UK Open and appeared at the Grand Prix and Matchplay.

The same can’t be said about Flash though.  Although still only 38, it seems his best years (’02-’05) are behind him and it seems very unlikely that the Bristolian will be seeded for the 2013 World Champs.  Compared to Chisnall he is 48^th in the Players Championship order of merit, went out in the third round of the UK Open to Joe Murnan and didn’t make it to either the Matchplay or Grand Prix.  Who is the seeded player again? Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Ally Pally, Dave Chisnall, John Part, Ladbrokes 2012, PDC World Championship, Phil Haigh
Filed under Darts Blog, News, PDC, Phil Haigh, Uncategorized, World Championship | No Comments »

Unified World Darts Ranking – February Review

Posted on February 15th, 2011

This month’s UWDR is all about big changes following the biggest tournaments on both sides of ‘the tungsten curtain’ – the respective world championships, of course – and Phil Taylor, who performed poorly by his standards in the PDC version, has lost almost half of the nearly 20,000 point lead he enjoyed last month.

Some of this eroded advantage will inevitably be recouped when the Power’s victory in the recent Players Championship Finals is factored into next month’s UWDR, but his dismal performance in the Premier League (which does not reward UWDR points) confirms that all is not well with the game’s greatest ever player, and Taylor might be facing a very uncomfortable 2011, with, potentially, his no.1 ranking in jeopardy!

Meanwhile, Martin Adams, the oldest flinger in town, retains the no.2 slot following his third BDO World Championship triumph at the grand old age of 54.  Remarkably, Adams is almost a year older than Eric Bristow, who captured his first world title in 1980 when Adams was, essentially, a pub league player.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Lakeside World Professional, PDC World Championship, UWDR
Filed under UWDR | No Comments »

Congratulations to 2011 PDC World Champion Adrian Lewis

Posted on January 4th, 2011

It was the performance of Lewis’s life. It was the performance of the tournament. It was of the greatest performances in the history of this special tournament. It brought the title of PDC World Champion home to Team Lewis and finally fulfilled all the undoubted promise of another player off the Potteries production line.

Bolstered by the confidence this will give him and aligned with an awesome natural ability there is no reason why this might not be the start of an era of Taylor-esque domination for The Power’s one time protege.

When he wakes up this morning Adrian Lewis will realise the enormity of his astounding victory. He is World Champion, world number two, £210,000 richer, he has a 2011 Premier League place, and he can bask in the memory of a quite brilliant 9-darter in the final.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: PDC World Championship
Filed under PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

Ladbrokes World Championship Semi Final Review

Posted on January 3rd, 2011

ANDERSON FLIES INTO FINAL AS LEWIS ENDS WEBSTER DREAM

GARY ANDERSON and Adrian Lewis will contest the final of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship on Monday night, having royally entertained Prince Harry amongst a sell-out semi-final crowd at Alexandra Palace with wins over Terry Jenkins and Mark Webster.

Anderson continued his brilliant form during the £1 million tournament with a 6-2 win over Jenkins, averaging over 100 for the fifth successive game and posting 12 180s.

Jenkins had taken the game’s first set before Anderson won five in a row, and although the number seven seed pulled back the seventh set the Scot sealed victory in the next.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: PDC World Championship, Results, Review
Filed under PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

Ally Pally Blog & Stato Zone

Posted on January 3rd, 2011

Paul Nicholson chucked the first dart of the 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship – who will throw the last? DartsMad’s Ally Pally Blog will bring you news & views from the greatest darting show on earth as 72 players from 21 countries battle it out for the top prize in darts. The only sure thing is that there can be only one. Scroll to the bottom for the latest tournament stats.

FINAL PREVIEW - Adrian Lewis (6/4) v Gary Anderson (8/15)

There are some unique elements to the 2011 Ladbrokes World Championship final that will be played on Monday evening. Firstly, it’s in 3D for the first time ever. Secondly, there is no Phil Taylor. This has happened only once in its history – the 2008 damp squib between John Part & Kirk Shepherd.

The final will be contested by the two best players on show this last fortnight. This does not always happen (see Kirk Shepherd again) and both are right on top of their game. This makes it a difficult one to call following years of Phil Taylor being heavy odds on. Even the classic final with Barney in 2007 saw the Dutchman go in a big underdog. A look back at previous finals show there have only really been three classics – John Part’s win over Taylor in 2003, Taylor beating Kevin Painter a year later, and the Barney triumph in 2007. Dennis Priestley’s 3 defeats to Taylor had some drama but weren’t bona fide classics. The 2011 final could be.

Gary Anderson is favourite with the bookies but Lewis leads the head to head 6-2. He has won the last 6 including 4 victories in 2010 in the Championship League Darts tournament. He also won their last tv battle at the 2009 World Grand Prix.

Form stats show Anderson has the edge. He has hit 8 more tournament 180s (48) than Lewis and leads the tournament average (103.79 plays 96.94) having hit 100+ in every round. Lewis has had 8 sets taken off him, Anderson 5. Anderson has won 28 legs against the throw, Lewis 30.

In his post quarter final interview Anderson said he wanted to win the title by beating Phil Taylor in the final – “to be the best and win the world championship you’ve got to beat the best”. Well on current form The Power is not the best and Lewis presents the most difficult hurdle there is. If Anderson wins he will have beaten the best.

You would struggle to put a fag paper between them despite the bookies’ odds. If Lewis can stay focused for 13 sets it’s a toss up for the title. A rare final without The Power but ‘Part v Shepherd 2008′ this most certainly will not be.

Before those two take to the stage there is the not insignificant matter of the PDC Under 21 World Championship. The final will be played on stage live on Sky Sports before the big one and son of Colin, Arron Monk, will be looking to cap a fine 2010 that has seen him make his mark on the tour. He is up against Michael van Gerwen who reminds us of just how old he is by his eligibility for this event. Mighty Mike is being written off in some quarters as having already peaked! His move to the PDC has not brought too much success but he has plenty of time in hand and winning this inaugural prestigious title will be just the spur as he matures into a senior pro.

QUARTER & SEMI FINALS
The two men most likely are still Adrian Lewis & Gary Anderson and that is despite Mark Webster’s 5-2 beating of Phil Taylor in the quarter finals. Webster dominated the match and bullied Taylor into submission. It is becoming more apparent by the tournament that Taylor’s power is waning and we could be seeing the beginning of the end of one of the most extraordinary eras of any sport.

Gary Anderson does not have a great deal of time on his side and Monday’s final provides his best chance to finally realise his awesome potential. He trounced Raymond van Barneveld 5-1 in the quarter final and then did a similar job (6-2) on Terry Jenkins in the semis. He has averaged over 100 EVERY round so far and hit 48 maximums. Ten more will give him the tournament record set by Simon Whitlock last year.

Lewis does have time on his side; he has always looked a world champion in waiting but failed to deliver when it mattered. As one Potter slides another does rise and it seems that only Jackpot has the game to beat Anderson this week. He overcame a stubborn Mark Webster 6-4 in their semi final but still suffered periods of catatonic darts, something he cannot afford against the relentless Scotsman in the final. He was brutal against Vincent van der Voort in the quarter final, not giving the Dutchman an inch and rolling out 5-2 winner.

Terry Jenkins is the perennial bridesmaid and another who does not have time on his side. Once again he reached the latter stages of a tv tournament and came up against a player who was simply better on the day. No disgrace when that player is a Gary Anderson in the form of his life. Jenkins was perhaps fortunate to be in the semis having rode his luck against a Wes Newton with severe double trouble in the quarters. Jenkins narrowly won 5-4 before going down 6-2 to Anderson.

It seems that Barney’s relaxed persona this week might have been a false dawn as he succumbed to Anderson with little more than a whimper. He will drop to around 5th in the PDC Order of Merit and will need a wildcard to make the 2011 Premier League. The top 4 plus 4 wildcards will complete the field and with Anderson & Lewis sure to be at 2 and 3 the final decision will be interesting.

LAST 16
Things are really brewing now and the quarter final line up has an exciting look to it. The last 16 had it’s fair share of drama with Simon Whitlock the biggest casualty and Gary Anderson topping every stat chart there is. Gary Anderson has finally found his feet and will win it. Won’t he?

Peter Wright promised a new “hair do” for his last 16 encounter with Phil Taylor and the result was something akin to Predator crossed with Alice in Wonderland; he looked like a demented skipping rope salesman and it had little effect on the game. Perhaps Taylor’s dodgy eyesight meant he didn’t notice as he completed a routine win to set up a quarter final clash with Mark Webster. Webster had little trouble against Mark Hylton as he cruised to another impressive win.

Adrian Lewis was red hot in his 4-1 drubbing of Robert Thornton; 9 maximums and a 101 average sets him up for a mouthwatering game against Vincent van der Voort who was equally impressive in dumping out much fancied Simon Whitlock.

Van der Voort’s victory should have been the spur for Raymond van Barneveld to come out blazing but Barney admitted later in his post match interview that it had the opposite effect. He got so tied up in the match that he forgot to practice and it showed as he was sluggish for much of his tussle with Colin Osborne before eventually turning on the after burners and reeling off 6 of the last 7 legs to win 4-3.

A note about VvdV: Barney was visibly delighted for his compatriot and mate; it brought to mind a meeting I had with Vincent at the Circus Tavern Players Championship finals in 2010. Midway through our chat he was acosted by a couple of back stage drunkards who quickly became four and proceeded to bombard him with slurred inane questions for what must have been a couple of hours. They were harmless but just would not leave and I was struck by how patient & good natured Vincent was. He genuinely seemed to enjoy the chat when I’ve witnessed many pros be downright rude and simply walk away to the sanctuary of the practise area. From that incident I developed a soft spot for somebody who is a genuinely nice guy and I’m glad he is finally getting some real reward since switching to the PDC.

Barney has now drawn the short straw as he faces a battle royale with the hottest player in the tournament, Gary Anderson. The Sctosman recorded his third 100+ average (108.4 to follow 103.4 and 103.3) and one of the highest in world championship history in demolishing Andy Smith.

The remaining quarter final tie will see Terry Jenkins play Wes Newton. Jenkins came up against a flat Mark Walsh and made light work of a 4-0 win. Newton easily overcame Wade’s conqueror, Mensur Suljovic, by the same 4-0 scoreline as the Austrian finally ran out of puff.

QUARTER FINAL PREVIEW & HEAD 2 HEADS

Phil Taylor (tournament odds 5/6) v Mark Webster (16/1)

Webster is playing really well again following up his third place finish last year; well enough to beat The Power as he did in the IDL in 2007 (his one win to 6 defeats); well enough go two places better than 2010. But you just can’t bet against a 15-time champion. He has gone out to evens for the tournament based on the form of others and it might be a steal. The signs have been there in the last two rounds that he’s dragging himself back to top form. Fortunate for his path to be cleared of John Part & Paul Nicholson it has given him breathing space and that could be ominous. I expect Webby to put up stubborn resistance but Taylor to produce when it really matters and set up a semi final against his former protege, Adrian Lewis. Match odds: Taylor 1/7 | Webster 9/2.

Adrian Lewis (8/1) v Vincent van der Voort (40/1)

The only sure thing about this match is it won’t threaten the broadcasting schedules. Both throw quickly & score heavily and this week their finishing is spot on. They know each others game well having played 21 times before, Lewis leads 14-6 with a solitary draw. Jackpot appears to have got himself focused better than ever and has experience of this stage. Vincent is on his best world championship run and is on the charge. This will be a proper slobberknocker and the relentless onslaught from the Dutchman might just pay dividends and have Lewis buckling. However, I like what I see from the Stoke boy this year and I reckon he will sneak through in a classic. Match odds: Lewis 1/4 | van der Voort 11/4.

Wes Newton (40/1) v Terry Jenkins (18/1)

Jenkins has a habit of tip toeing through to the latter stages of major tournaments (7 major final defeats on his CV) but this equals his best world championship run. Newton is in uncharted territory in this tournament having now gone one better than his previous best. The head to head shows an 8-6 advantage to Jenkins but Newton has won 6 of the last 7; all coming in the last 18 months. Newton is throwing the best darts of his career and Jenkins has been given an easy(ish) ride so far with Steve Brown & Mark Walsh failing to turn up. I think Newton will sneak this one and reward his decision to turn pro with an Ally Pally semi final. Match odds: Newton 17/10 | Jenkins 4/9.

Raymond van Barneveld (13/2) v Gary Anderson (4/1)

Barney joked that perhaps the only way to stop Anderson is to break his arms. That might be the only way if the Flying Scotsman keeps improving each game, however we all know how fragile Anderson can be under pressure – break his confidence not his arms, that’s the answer. Dennis Priestley was one dart away from doing just that and Barney is possibly the worst possible draw for Anderson. The head to head shows a 6-2 advantage for Barney but Anderson has won the last two, both in the last year or so. Barney cannot start as he did against Colin Osborne or he will be blown away before he gets going. I’d love to see a Taylor v Anderson final (that is Anderson’s dream) and will go with my heart in saying Anderson will put Barney to the sword as he finally realises his potential on the biggest stage in darts. Match odds: Barney 6/5 | Anderson 4/6.

ROUND TWO (DAY THREE)
It wasn’t just the manner of Raymond van Barneveld’s impressive win over Kevin McDine – 98 average, ten 180s, controlled under pressure, consistent & nerveless – it was his post match interview that gave me the biggest hint yet that this could well be his year again. It is a while since I’ve seen him so relaxed and thoughtful in the commentary box – thoughtful in a positive way, contemplating the game(s) ahead with the usual respect, not battling the darting demons that have appeared so often this last year or so. Barney looks the part again and when that laconic third dart is consistently finding the lipstick – the lip curls in the knowledge it will find its target – it spells trouble for the rest of the field.

McDine was much better than he was against Barrie Bates. He threatened to turn the match into a classic mid-way through but Barney stepped on the gas and took the game away like he used to do. Next up it’s Colin Osborne, a scrappy 4-0 winner against Jamie Caven, and then potentially Gary Anderson in the quarter final. Taylor, Whitlock, Lewis & Webster are all in the other half giving Barney a great chance to reach the final.

Anderson will prove a difficult barrier should he overcome Andy Smith, a player he has never beaten in five matches. Anderson was cruising against Dennis Priestley, three sets to nil up with a near 110 average. But as the finishing line neared the nerves kicked in and had Priestley not missed darts to make it 3-3 in sets it might have been the Yorkshire man tackling Smith in the last 16. A relieved Anderson closed it out and finished on an impressive 103 average, having hit 13 maximums.

That scoring should see him past Smith as well but the Pieman is a bogey player for the Scot as he is for Mervyn King who was again on the receiving end, bowing out 3-4 to Smith. This half of the draw is slightly the easier with the real form players banging into each other in the top half. Barney & Anderson are the fancied pair but Smith, Walsh, Jenkins, Osborne & Newton will also recognise the golden path that has opened up before them.

ROUND TWO (DAY TWO)
James Wade’s darting demons returned to haunt him in round two as he failed his Mensur test, losing 4-2 to Mensur Suljovic in one of the biggest upsets seen on the big stage. Suljovic was full value for the win and his post match interview was his own Hashimoto moment. Wade, many people’s hot tip for the title, hit only one maximum to Suljovic’s seven and crumbled alarmingly just as he did against Scott Waites in the Grand Slam of Darts final back in November. Suljovic moves on to a clash with Wes Newton in the last 16 while Wade heads home for some serious introspection.

Wade’s demise was the highlight (unless you are him, family, sponsor or fan) of a day that started well with Mark Walsh riding his luck against Alan Tabern to somehow win 4-3 after Tabern missed numerous match darts to win a game he should never have lost. Walsh has finally burst his world championship hoodoo; this is his now his best ever run in the tournament and his 11 maximums in the game will give him confidence as he strives for consistency in his last 16 clash with Terry Jenkins.

Sandwiched in between this drama was a serving of more ordinary fayre – Vincent van der Voort was highly impressive in seeing off a much fancied Wayne Jones. It was arguably the Dutchman’s best TV performance and he comes up against Simon Whitlock in the last 16. Terry Jenkins beat an under par Steve Brown 4-1, while in the evening Wes Newton and Simon Whitlock both won 4-0 against Brendan Dolan & Denis Ovens. Whitlock was particularly impressive, averaging 103, hitting lots of 180s, big checkouts, and allowing Ovens just two legs. The Aussie will be a real handful and could go one better than last year.

ROUND TWO (DAY ONE)
To pinch a line from Homer Simpson – I’m not normally praying man but if you’re out there, please, do something Superman.  On Christmas Day as we raised a toast to Santa, His elves, and the turkey fairy I secretly wished for this tournament to spring into life when the action resumed; it had been seriously underwhelming until now. There is no Matt Clark this year but could the rest of the seeds please stand up.

Indeed, the first six matches of round two did see the seeds stand up. Then generally blow up, bow out, and slink off stage in a cloud of self doubt and bewilderment. “What happened to my finishing?” Paul Nicholson would have been muttering as he turned a first round 82% checkout rate into something closer to single figures during his surprise & limp defeat to a frankly ordinary Peter Wright.

Andy Hamilton carried his awful form into round two and was easily dispatched by Robert Thornton in straight sets, as was Ronnie Baxter who to be fair had one of the seeds’ toughest tasks against former BDO world champion Mark Webster, who has thrust himself firmly into the group of contenders. Colin Lloyd went the same way as Nicholson, by the same score, to high flying Mark Hylton who is improving noticeably with every game.

Only Adrian Lewis and, unsurprisingly, Phil Taylor flew the flag for the top 16 – both very impressive in seeing of an ill Mark Dudbridge and a beaten-before-he-got-on-stage Per Laursen who was lying back and thinking of the money.

Shocks aplenty but is that good for the tournament? Peter Wright averages only mid-80′s as he did here against Nicholson and, hair aside, is not likely to set the competition alight. He could be this year’s Kirk Shepherd – the man with nine lives – but he plays Phil Taylor next so I doubt it.

Taylor’s once potentially tricky path is being cleared before by a huge darting snowplough. John Part & Paul Nicholson could have been terminal opponents for a misfiring Power in the early rounds. Neither made it far enough and a run of Gary Mawson, Per Laursen & Peter Wright looks almost hand picked before the serious stuff starts with a likely clash against Mark Webster who tackles Mark Hylton next.

Adrian Lewis is still there and although he was slightly fortunate to play an off colour opponent he still looked bang on form and ruthless in his win over Dudbridge. Sparks could fly if he keeps that consistency and doubling rate up. Robert Thornton is his next hurdle with Simon Whitlock a potential quarter final foe.

ROUND TWO (DAY TWO) PREVIEW
Day two of round two sees another clutch of tight encounters in the afternoon session. Despite his shocking world championship history Mark Walsh ‘should’ be too good for Alan Tabern. Providing the reports of a festive illness aren’t too serious Wayne Jones’ 2010 form ‘should’ be enough to vanquish the precipitate Vincent van der Voort. And finally, Terry Jenkins v Steve Brown – anybody care to predict that one? All I’ll say is it ‘should’ be a belter.

In the evening session, Wes Newton, Simon Whitlock & James Wade are all too strong for Brendan Dolan, Denis Ovens & Mensur Suljovic, and will surely have no problem making it to the last 16? Won’t they?

NIGHTS 7 & 8
The final two nights of round one, before the Christmas break, had about as much excitement as a soup spooning contest. For the record, Colin Osborne, Raymond van Barneveld, Jamie Caven, Andy Smith, Mark Walsh, Dennis Priestley & Mervyn King all breezed into round two and will enjoy their festive turkey. Kevin McDine beat Barrie Bates in the let down game of the tournament so far (both players averaging less than 80 to sit 75th & 76th in the averages chart), and Magnus Caris came from 3-1 down to beat Dietmar Burger in their prelim game. Apart from that Priestley’s quip that he hoped his wife had put the chickens away and Freddie Flintoff’s commentary box exploits were the highlights of a rather dreary back end of round one.

Roll on round two.

NIGHT 6

You just got the feeling that night 6 was a dangerous one for the seeds and so it proved. As the pace & excitement went up a few notches so did the drama as Dutch Night turned into a Dutch nightmare. First Michael van Gerwen delivered a masterclass in how to miss doubles in his defeat by the methodical but effective Mensur Suljovic, then Jelle Klaasen was bombed out in quick time by an impressive Steve Brown. Brown is a highly likeable character who is on the rise in the PDC and looking to supplant the Dutch youngsters in the rankings. I already knew about his Darts Academy but was not aware that he fostered children as well; a couple of facts that have instantly rocketed him to my second favourite player and the one that I want to win this title, after Wayne Jones.

Elsewhere on night 6 it was a nervy win for Terry Jenkins who was two sets up and cruising against Joe Cullen before finding himself level at 2-2 and up against it as the youngster started to hit the maximums. The Bull dug in and upped his game to break Cullen’s resistance and limp into round two and a meeting with Brown – a rematch of their World Matchplay first round encounter earlier this year when Brown won 10-6.

Vincent van der Voort had no trouble seeing of Preston Ridd, losing only one leg and wrapping up victory is super quick style. Ridd had earlier whitewashed Michael Mansell 4-0 in their preliminary clash and was flying the Kiwi flag before coming up against the VvdV juggernaut.

Night 7 sees my ‘man most likely’, Raymond van Barneveld open his account with a tricky one against the Muffin Man Steve Hine. Barney should have enough but can’t afford a lax start. The same goes for Colin Osborne who takes on Chris Thompson, no mug himself. Jamie Caven is in good form this year and will be to strong for the winner of the Devon Petersen v Norman Madhoo prelim. Game of the night promises to be the evenly matched Barrie Bates against Kevin McDine – I can’t call this one but expect there to be only a couple of legs in it.

NIGHTS 3 to 5

While all eyes have been on the snow and the country got excited about the disruption, the darts plodded on with thrills & spills making only fleeting appearances. As Andy Hamilton hit zero 180s in lumbering to a win over Dennis Smith, Morihiro Hashimoto provided the light relief as Ally Pally adopted a new hero. The man from Japan saw off Matt Padgett before being put to the sword by a ruthless Gary Anderson who hit the highest average of the tournament so far (103.26). Anderson’s win was typical of the other games as Simon Whitlock & Mark Dudbridge were both comfortable in beating Steve Evans & Alex Roy.

Night 4 was going the same pedestrian way with Wayne Jones, Robert Thornton & Wes Newton all comfortably through, until Per Laursen produced the shock of the championship so far in beating 3-time winner John Part. Finally some excitement and this writer had gone to bed. Ear infections & itchy teeth were Part’s reasoning and a Canadian Christmas & NY is his prize, watching from afar.

After a couple of rather dreary nights where Sid & the boys did their best to create the illusion of drama, one look at night 5′s running order induced an early evening yawn. I’m not sure there has been a less exciting night’s line up in this tournament’s history – Tabern, Burnett, Dolan, Wade, and some little known qualifiers, all topped off by hot stuff himself, Denis Ovens. Paddy Power weren’t offering odds on ‘Number of Smiles’ so my money stayed in my pocket. I’d have gone low. All matches went with form with exception of Kevin Painter who went down in straight sets with barely a whimper; even this shock was devoid of excitement.

NIGHTS 4 to 6 PREVIEW

I’m hoping for much more to compensate over the next three nights – we’ve got Michael van Gerwen, Jelle Klaasen & Vincent van der Voort on Tuesday so it’s sure to be an early night at least. There’s a sniff of an upset or two here as well – these fast throwers can be erratic and are prime first round casualties. van Gerwen could be unsettled by the methodical Menusr Suljovic, who has experience on this stage, and Steve Brown wil give Klaasen a game. Joe Cullen plays Terry Jenkins and could spring a surprise but Jenkins is usually solid and rarely loses early in a major.

Also coming up we’ve got Colin Osborne, Barney & Jamie Caven on Wednesday along with one of the potential games of the first round – Barrie Bates v Kevin McDine. A hard one to call that could go either way and will be won by the odd leg. Andy Smith, Mark Walsh, Dennis Priestley & Mervyn King complete the first round games on Thursday before the break for Christmas and I fancy that not all of them will be back. The back end of the draw looks ripe for a few surprises so I’ll be studying that section closely and picking the upsets to take a wedge out of Paddy’s pocket.

NIGHT 3 PREVIEW

There are always shocks in the first round – something like a third of seeds traditionally fall at the first – but picking them is trickier that it seems. On night three I really can’t see any upsets with Andy Hamilton, Simon Whitlock and Gary Anderson all in action; so there’s bound to be at least one! However, Whitlock & Anderson are on my shortlist for the title and The Hammer’s consistency should be too much for a reborn Dennis Smith. Whitlock takes on Steve Evans while Anderson plays the winner of the Matt Padgett v Morihiro Hashimoto prelim. If you’re sniffing for a shock, Padgett might struggle in his first game on the big stage or there’s an outside chance of Alex Roy beating Mark Dudbridge. Roy has plenty of world championship experience and he could capitalise if Dudbridge suffers first round blues but my money will be staying  in my pocket tonight.

NIGHTS 1 & 2

A fun filled evening with Mr Angelos Epithemiou meant no darts action for this writer on Friday night which meant I missed a colourful evenings action by all accounts. The colour provided by Snakebite himself, Peter Wright, who is unmissable in his unique livery, and by an irate Colin Lloyd punching the target in frustration under a German onslaught from Andree Welge. Jaws came through the test in the end and Wright put paid to Co Stompe’s hopes, the second shock of the championship after Steve Beaton’s exit on night one.

Speaking of which, the opening night  was short on drama (Paul Nicholson doing the business against Steve Farmer & Mark Webster demolishing Steve Maish) but Beaton’s loss to former trolley dolly Mark Hylton threw up the first upset, and Phil Taylor’s dismal display in seeing off Gary ‘Rafa’ Mawson gave us the second. Taylor looks to be on shaky ground at the moment and if he’d been playing Nicholson or Webster on night one he’d be out of the tournament today.

Which is true of Roland Scholten who made a long awaited return to tv action, winning his preliminary round match against Veijo Viinikka before falling to Ronnie Baxter. Hopefully Tripod will be back and this is the start of a return to the top. The other player to progress on night two was Adrian Lewis who got through a tricky opener against The Viper, Tony Eccles, who hit 8 maximums and the maximum finish of 170 but lost all three sets 3-2.

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

For the first time in a long time 15-time world champion Phil Taylor goes into the tournament a little less than red hot favourite after spending the latter part of 2010 losing to every Tom, Dick & Harry. The Power is still the man to beat, but if you are looking for an heir apparent to be lifting the trophy on January 2nd I wouldn’t look too far down the current order of merit. If Taylor doesn’t win his 16th title it will be a surprise (as it always is) but this year it feels more likely and there a slack handful of genuine pretenders to his crown.

There are numerous players who are getting closer and their day may come; the likes of Mark Webster, Paul Nicholson, Adrian Lewis, Colin Osborne, & Mark Walsh have the look of future champions. And though time my be running out for Terry Jenkins, Kevin Painter, Andy Hamilton & Mervyn King each has the pedigree to become world champion. However the longer format separates the men from the boys where consistency allied with nerve is the key – high quality matches will be won by the narrowest margins by the most nerveless player and with this in mind my four potential world-champions-who-are-not-Taylor are:-

1. Raymond van Barneveld - relaxed & revitalised World Cup winner a couple of weeks ago and one with the pedigree to win another world title. In the opposite half to Taylor and once again my shout as The Man most likely.
2. James Wade – there is no doubt that he will become world champion one day and there is no reason why it can’t be this year. Also in the opposite half to Taylor but arguably the tougher half despite this.
3. Simon Whitlock – in the form of his life, beaten finalist last year (giving Taylor a real scare) and easily could go one better. Has the temperament and the long format consistency. He’s my only pick in the same half of the draw as Taylor.
4. Gary Anderson – suspect temperament and sometimes struggles to motivate himself but if he can box those nerves and hit his doubles there are few to match his 180 scoring. Over long distances this really counts and few can live with him when his eye is in. I feel he will win this one year and the years are running out for this late developer.

Not overly inspired admittedly but I really can’t look outside this quintet (including Taylor) as the likely 2011 PDC World Champion. The draw separates Taylor & Whitlock until the semis and Wade & Barney can’t meet until the same stage. Barney would need to get past Anderson in the quarters should both get that far but there are time bombs lurking in every section of the draw such is the standard these days.

There are a couple of old faces who might have honestly thought they wouldn’t see this stage again – it’s good to see Roland Scholten back competing after shoulder surgery, and it’s equally nice to see former BDO world champion Richie Burnett back in the big time after a few lean years and struggle with funding the tour.

The world championship often signals a subtle changing of the guard and there are one or two familiar names not in attendance this year. Wayne Mardle came very close to sneaking in at the last minute and having blown his big chance in 2008 we won’t be seeing Hawaii 501 this year. One Dart has become No Darts recently as Peter Manley drifts out of the spotlight and is another absentee, as is Andy Jenkins whose form has been rocky of late and he misses out for the first time in a while.

The world championship always delivers a Christmas cracker so as the snow moves in again we can sit back, turn up the heating, and toast the festive darts season. For two whole weeks. Bliss.

Ally Pally Stato Zone

We will be bringing updated daily stats as the championship progresses. As we reach the quarter final stage this is the stats picture…

Tags: Blog, PDC World Championship
Filed under Darts Blog, PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

Ladbrokes World Championship Last 16 Review

Posted on December 31st, 2010

DOUBLE DUTCH DELIGHT AT ALLY PALLY AS NEWTON CONTINUES QUIET PROGRESSION

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD and Vincent van der Voort enjoyed double Dutch delight at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship on Thursday, as 2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock crashed out of the competition.

Five-time World Champion van Barneveld edged a seven-set thriller with Colin Osborne to book his quarter-final place in dramatic fashion at Alexandra Palace.

Osborne led 3-2 before van Barneveld won six of the final seven legs to progress to a last eight contest with Gary Anderson on New Year’s Year.

“At some stages in the game I wanted to give up and I was so tired, but I fought for my life in the last set,” said van Barneveld.

“I played seven good legs in the last set and got the win, but I will need to be better on Saturday.

“I’m a big fan of Gary. He’s a big scorer and a fantastic player, he’s been brilliant so far and maybe this could be his year – but he’s got me in his way!”

Van der Voort, meanwhile, caused a sensational upset by knocking out 2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock with a 4-2 win to set up a quarter-final with Adrian Lewis.

Whitlock took the game’s opening set, but van der Voort took the next three sets to lead 3-1, hitting six 180s in a brilliant third set as he blew the Australian apart.

Whitlock regathered himself to win the fifth set, but van der Voort punished his missed doubles in the deciding leg of the sixth to seal the biggest win of his career.

“It’s unbelievable for me and nobody can ever take that moment away from me,” said van der Voort. “If it had gone three-all, I’m not sure I’d have won so I knew it was now or never to finish him off at the end.

“I’m in the quarter-finals and you have to improve in every game. Simon was a very tough opponent for me but I got through it and if I can beat the world number four I can beat anybody.

“Adrian is a very quick player and a great player, and I will have to be better than this to beat him but I think I have a good chance.”

Meanwhile, Fleetwood’s Wes Newton whitewashed Austria’s Mensur Suljovic in straight sets to win through to his first World Championship quarter-final.

Newton will now face Terry Jenkins on New Year’s Day, having won his three games so far at Alexandra Palace without dropping a set with defeats of Darin Young, Brendan Dolan and Suljovic, who failed to recapture the form which knocked out number two seed James Wade on Tuesday.

“This is the biggest tournament in the world and I know I am capable of doing well here,” said Newton. “Sometimes you try too hard and I think that’s been why I’ve never been past the second round and not produced my best in the World Championship before.

“I’m treating it as just another tournament and trying to enjoy myself, which I’m doing. Mensur is hard to play because he’s so slow, but I did what I needed to.

“There’s a lot more to come from me. I’ve got the game inside me and I know it’s going to come out some time and it will be a good game against Terry.”

Saturday’s quarter-finals will also feature reigning champion Phil Taylor against Welsh left-hander Mark Webster, who has impressed in his run to the last eight for a second successive year.

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Third Round
Wednesday
Mark Webster 4-1 Mark Hylton
Phil Taylor 4-1 Peter Wright
Thursday
Adrian Lewis 4-1 Robert Thornton
Andy Smith 0-4 Gary Anderson
Terry Jenkins 4-0 Mark Walsh
Simon Whitlock 2-4 Vincent van der Voort
Raymond van Barneveld 4-3 Colin Osborne
Mensur Suljovic 0-4 Wes Newton

Saturday January 1 2011
Quarter-Finals
Afternoon Session (2pm)
Wes Newton v Terry Jenkins
Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort
Evening Session (7.30pm)
Gary Anderson v Raymond van Barneveld
Phil Taylor v Mark Webster
Best of nine sets

VINCENT VAN DER VOORT 4-2 SIMON WHITLOCK
(1-3, 3-2, 3-2, 3-0, 0-3, 3-2)
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT caused a sensational upset by knocking out 2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock with a 4-2 win at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

Whitlock took the game’s opening set, but van der Voort took the next three sets to lead 3-1, hitting six 180s in a brilliant third set as he blew the Australian apart.

Whitlock regathered himself to win the fifth set, but van der Voort punished his missed doubles in the deciding leg of the sixth to seal the biggest win of his career and set up a quarter-final with Adrian Lewis.

“It’s unbelievable for me and nobody can ever take that moment away from me,” said van der Voort. “If it had gone three-all, I’m not sure I’d have won so I knew it was now or never to finish him off at the end.

“I’m in the quarter-finals and you have to improve in every game. Simon was a very tough opponent for me but I got through it and if I can beat the world number four I can beat anybody.

“Adrian is a very quick player and a great player, and I will have to be better than this to beat him but I think I have a good chance.”

Whitlock started the match brilliantly, hitting a 180 with his first three darts and taking the opening leg in 15 darts by landing double 16.

The Australian hit another maximum in the second leg but van der Voort managed to take it to level before Whitlock won the third by hitting double eight.

In the fourth leg Whitlock secured the first break of throw of the match with an 80 finish to seal the set and establish an early lead.

Van der Voort won the opening leg of the second set by hitting double four but missed one dart at double top in the next leg for a break of throw.

Whitlock capitalised by hitting double 12 to level and then hit double top to win the third leg, only to then miss a dart at double 16 which would have given the set, as the Dutchman hit 96 in two darts to steal the leg.

The deciding leg saw van der Voort miss three darts at double top for the set, but Whitlock could not land double 16 and the 20th seed returned to hit double five to edge the set and square the match.

Both players held their throws in the opening two legs of the third set before van der Voort hit back-to-back maximums to leave himself on double eight after nine darts.

However, he missed three darts at double eight and Whitlock made the Dutchman pay by taking out 104 to win the leg.

The fourth leg went to van der Voort on double eight before he took the deciding leg with an 11-darter to lead the match for the first time after Whitlock narrowly missed the bullseye for a 170 finish.

Set four saw van der Voort continue the momentum of the third set as he won it by three legs to nil, landing double two in the opener before breaking throw on double 16 after Whitlock missed two attempts at doubles.

In the third leg van der Voort, who defeated Wayne Jones in the second round, hit an 80 finish in two darts to seal the set and extend his lead.

In the fifth set Whitlock fought back well as he hit double 16 to win the first leg and double top in the next, capitalising on the Dutchman’s five missed darts at doubles.

Whitlock then won the third leg to seal the set before hitting two more maximums in the opening leg of the sixth set.

Van der Voort, though, was also producing high scores and won the leg by landing double top before taking the second in 13 darts to go one leg away from the match.

Whitlock survived to win the third leg after his opponent missed six match darts, and then won the fourth with the aid of his seventh maximum of the contest.

The Australian hit three straight 140s to take command of the deciding leg, but went to miss four darts at doubles and van der Voort managed to keep his nerve to hit 76 in two darts to record the biggest win of his career.

“I’m working really hard on my game and it looks like what I am doing is starting to pay off,” he added.

“My level of scoring is the same as the best players in the game but my doubles has been the thing that has let me down in the past. I just hope to continue this level of form.”

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 4-3 COLIN OSBORNE
(3-1, 2-3, 2-3, 3-2, 1-3, 3-1, 3-0)
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD came from behind on two occasions to defeat Colin Osborne in an epic seven-set tussle in the last 16 of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

After losing the first set, Osborne won three of the next four to lead 3-2 and leave the 2007 World Champion on the brink of defeat.

But van Barneveld stormed through the next two sets by winning six of the final seven legs to join his fellow countryman Vincent van der Voort in the quarter-finals, where he will now face Gary Anderson.

The start of the match saw van Barneveld miss four darts at doubles which allowed Osborne to step in and hit double ten to take the first leg.

Van Barneveld won the second to break back immediately, defying a 180 from Osborne, and then won went on to the third leg.

Osborne hit another maximum in the next leg but van Barneveld took out a 104 finish to seal the first set and establish an early lead.

The start of the second set saw van Barneveld miss two darts at doubles and Osborne duly accepted the invitation to take the leg by landing double ten.

Osborne then hit a superb 139 checkout to win the second leg but the five-time World Champion fought back to win the next two legs.

In the deciding leg, van Barneveld was first to the finish but he missed three darts at doubles for a 2-0 lead and Osborne hit double eight to edge the set and level the match.

Van Barneveld managed to secure a break of throw at the start of the third set by hitting double four after Osborne was off-target with four attempts at doubles.

However, the Dutchman then failed to win the second leg after he missed four darts at double 18, which allowed Osborne in to hit double six.

Both players posted double top to share the next two legs before Osborne won the deciding leg by hitting double six for the second time in the set to lead the match for the first time.

Van Barneveld produced a fabulous 156 checkout to make a winning start to the fourth set but missed two darts at doubles for the second leg and Osborne won it on double ten.

Both players traded 14-dart-finishes to leave Osborne one leg away from a 3-1 lead, but the world number three showed his champion qualities by kicking off the deciding leg with a 180 and winning it with a 96 finish.

At the start of the fifth set, Osborne hit a 111 checkout to win the first leg before van Barneveld held throw to level in the second.

In the third leg, van Barneveld missed a dart at double 16 and Osborne made his opponent pay by hitting the same bed for a 2-1 lead.

Osborne then won the deciding leg by landing double three to regain the lead after the Dutchman missed three darts at doubles.

Van Barneveld put the disappointment of losing the fifth set behind him by starting the next set by winning the first leg on double nine and then breaking throw in the second.

Osborne managed to win the third leg by taking out 90, but van Barneveld landed double nine for the second time in the set to send the game into a decider.

Buoyed by winning that set van Barneveld kicked-off the final set with back-to-back maximums to leave the possibility of a nine-darter for the second time in successive nights.

The attempt at a seventh treble 20 was again unsuccessful, but the leg was won in 11-darts before he then won the second leg by hitting double 16 and an accurate attempt at double eight confirmed victory.

“At some stages in the game I wanted to give up and I was so tired, but I fought for my life in the last set,” said van Barneveld.

“I played seven good legs in the last set and got the win, but I will need to be better on Saturday.

“I’m a big fan of Gary. He’s a big scorer and a fantastic player, he’s been brilliant so far and maybe this could be his year – but he’s got me in his way!”

WES NEWTON 4-0 MENSUR SULJOVIC
(3-2, 3-1, 3-1, 3-1)
WES NEWTON won through to his first Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship quarter-final, ending the hopes of Mensur Suljovic with a straight-sets victory.

Newton, who had failed to get past the last 32 before in this competition, has yet to drop a set in victories over Darin Young, Brendan Dolan and Suljovic, who had knocked out number two seed James Wade on Tuesday but failed to repeat the form in the third round.

Newton won the first leg with a 78 finish before Suljovic won the next leg by hitting double 16 to get off the mark.

Newton held throw to win the third leg but missed two darts at double top to win the set in the next and Suljovic took the opportunity to win the leg by hitting double 14 and level.

The Fleetwood ace, though, put that disappointment behind in the deciding leg with a 13-dart finish to win the set.

Newton started the second set impressively by winning the first leg against the throw, which included his second maximum of the match.

The next two legs were shared, leaving Newton 2-1 up, and he won the fourth leg by hitting double top to win the second set and take command of the game.

Newton hit a 180 in the process of winning the first leg of set three before Suljovic managed to take the second by landing double 14 with his final dart.

The Fleetwood man regained the lead by winning the third with a 64 finish and then hit double top in the next to increase his lead to 3-0.

Newton hit the bullseye to complete the 90 finish to win the first leg of the fourth, and a clinical 71 finish put him one leg away from the match.

Suljovic continued to fight and hit a 180 at the start of the third leg before posting double two to keep the game alive, after Newton missed a dart at bullseye for the match.

Newton, though, held throw in the fourth leg and he made that advantage count by hitting double 16 to record victory.

“This is the biggest tournament in the world and I know I am capable of doing well here,” said Newton. “Sometimes you try too hard and I think that’s been why I’ve never been past the second round and not produced my best in the World Championship before.

“I’m treating it as just another tournament and trying to enjoy myself, which I’m doing. Mensur is hard to play because he’s so slow, but I did what I needed to.

“There’s a lot more to come from me. I’ve got the game inside me and I know it’s going to come out some time and it will be a good game against Terry.”

AFTERNOON – ANDERSON STORMS ON AS LEWIS & JENKINS IMPRESS

GARY ANDERSON, Adrian Lewis and Terry Jenkins lit up the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with sensational displays to move into the quarter-finals of the tournament on Thursday afternoon.

Anderson backed up two previous ton-plus averages with the fifth-highest average in the history of the tournament, at 108.39, as well as hitting ten 180s in a 4-0 win over Andy Smith.

That display came after he hit 13 maximums in Wednesday’s victory over Dennis Priestley, as the Scot reaffirmed his quality at the highest level.

“I’m very pleased to follow up my performance from yesterday,” said Anderson, who takes on Raymond van Barneveld or Colin Osborne in Saturday’s quarter-finals.

“I’ve always wanted to produce good darts on television and it’s taken me some time but I’m getting there now.

“If I can keep playing like that there’s no reason I can’t do well here but you never know when the scoring or doubles will desert me.”

Lewis, meanwhile, hit nine 180s and a 167 finish in a 4-1 defeat of Scotland’s Robert Thornton, as he reached the last eight for the fourth time in six World Championship appearances.

“I wanted to go out there and hit a ton-plus average to send a warning out and I’ve done that,” said Lewis.

“As long as I get myself right, keep calm and prepare right then there’s no reason I can’t win this tournament. I’m happy being a dark horse, but nobody can bet against me.”

Lewis will now meet either 2010 runner-up Simon Whitlock or Vincent van der Voort in the quarter-finals, while Jenkins swept aside Mark Walsh in straight sets with a fine display.

Jenkins produced a clinical display to reach the quarter-finals of the World Championship since 2007, hitting almost 50 percent of his chances at a double during the win.

“I felt more comfortable and I’m pleased with my performance,” said Jenkins. “When the pressure is on me I seem to be more determined and that showed against Mark, and I’m looking forward to the quarter-finals.”

Thursday’s evening session concludes the third round, with Simon Whitlock meeting Vincent van der Voort and Raymond van Barneveld taking on Colin Osborne before Mensur Suljovic – who knocked out number two seed James Wade in the second round – plays Wes Newton.

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
Third Round
Thursday December 30
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Adrian Lewis 4-1 Robert Thornton
Andy Smith 0-4 Gary Anderson
Terry Jenkins 4-0 Mark Walsh

Evening Session (7pm)
Simon Whitlock v Vincent van der Voort
Raymond van Barneveld v Colin Osborne
Mensur Suljovic v Wes Newton

ADRIAN LEWIS 4-1 ROBERT THORNTON
(3-0, 3-0, 2-3, 3-2, 3-0)
ADRIAN LEWIS reached his fourth Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship quarter-final in six years with a 4-1 victory over Robert Thornton.

Lewis was once again in excellent form and Thornton was unable to keep up the relentless pace that was set as the Stoke star ended the match with a three-dart average of 101.05.

The World Grand Prix runner-up will now face either Simon Whitlock or Vincent van der Voort in Saturday’s quarter-finals, as he continued his challenge for a maiden World Championship title.

“I’ve never usually performed in afternoon matches, so I’m really pleased with what I managed to do today,” admitted Lewis.

“I’ve got much more belief in myself now and I am more consistent than I was when I reached the first quarter-final back in 2006.”

Lewis won the opening leg of the contest against the darts with a two-dart 64 finish after Thornton missed one dart to take out 107.

The fifth seed then hit a fantastic 167 checkout to win the second and then hit double six to win the third leg and with it the first set.

The Stoke ace kept up the momentum in the second set as he won three more legs in succession to double his lead, hitting double top at the first time of asking to win the first leg, breaking throw to win the second and a maximum in the process of winning the third.

Thornton, who defeated Nigel Heydon and Andy Hamilton in his first two matches, managed to win his first leg of the match at the start of the third set with a 76 finish, despite a 180 from Lewis.

Lewis levelled with a 101 finish before Thornton led again by taking out 62 to win the leg, which included maximums from both players.

The pair hit a maximum apiece again in the fourth leg, which Lewis won on double two before the Scotsman hit double 18 with his last dart to win the set and get back into the match.

The 25-year-old hit a 12-darter to make a winning start to the fourth set, which was completed by landing double 12.

Lewis then won the second by hitting double top, but Thornton hit a third 180 in the process of taking the third leg, despite Lewis missing a dart at double 12 for the set.

Thornton then took out an excellent 101 finish with Lewis waiting on a two-darter, but the youngster won the deciding leg with the aid of his seventh 180 of the match to regain his two-set advantage.

Lewis hit a 12-dart finish in the first leg of the fifth set and then took out 108 to win the second leg.

Both players hit maximums in the third leg, but Thornton missed two vital attempts at doubles and Lewis stepped up to hit double top to end the game.

“I wanted to go out there and hit a ton-plus average to send a warning out and I’ve done that,” said Lewis.

“As long as I get myself right, keep calm and prepare right then there’s no reason I can’t win this tournament. I’m happy being a dark horse, but nobody can bet against me.”

GARY ANDERSON 4-0 ANDY SMITH
(3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0)
GARY ANDERSON stormed into the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship by producing an incredible performance to end Andy Smith’s hopes at Alexandra Palace.

Anderson hit ten maximums in a game which lasted just 16 legs and went on to end the match with a three-dart average of 108.39 – the fifth highest in the event’s history.

The Scotsman, competing in his second PDC World Championship, will now face either Raymond van Barneveld or Colin Osborne on New Year’s Day after following up Wednesday’s win over Dennis Priestley with another heavy-scoring display.

“I’m very pleased to follow up my performance from yesterday,” said Anderson. “I’ve always wanted to produce good darts on television. It’s taken me some time but I’m getting there now.”

Anderson started the game just as he did in the previous round against Priestley, winning the first leg with a clinical 121 finish.

Smith, who defeated sixth seed Mervyn King on Wednesday, hit the same checkout to win the second on the bullseye before Anderson regained the lead by holding throw in the third leg.

The Scotsman, who had averaged over the 100 mark in his first two matches, then won the set in the fourth leg by recording an 83 finish.

Anderson wasted four chances to make a winning start to the second set and Smith took the opportunity by landing double five to elad.

Anderson won the second leg with the aid of a maximum before Smith won the third on double 16, which also included a 180 for the 27th seed.

Anderson hit an 11-dart finish to win the fourth leg and then double five with his third dart in the deciding leg after Smith had missed a dart at double 16 to win the set himself.

The Scotsman stepped up another gear at the start of the third set as he won the first leg with the aid of two maximums.

A 12-dart finish gave Anderson the second leg and he then posted two more maximums in the third leg, although five missed doubles allowed Smith in to win his first leg in five on double eight.

In the fourth leg Anderson made no mistake and won the leg in 13 darts to win a third set in a row and leave his opponent with a mountain to climb.

The fourth set followed a similar pattern and despite Smith continuing to fight he was unable to keep up with Anderson as he won the opening two legs of the fourth set in 13 and 14 darts.

The third leg saw Anderson move ahead to set up the chance for victory, and after Smith missed tops for a 160 finish to keep the game alive the Scot hit the same bed to seal the win.

TERRY JENKINS 4-0 MARK WALSH
(3-2, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0)
TERRY JENKINS reached his first Ladbrokes.com World Championship quarter-final since 2007 after ending the challenge of Mark Walsh with a 4-0 victory.

The first set proved to be vital in the final outcome, with Walsh missing opportunities for an early lead before Jenkins took charge to set a last eight clash against either Wes Newton or Mensur Suljovic.

Jenkins started the match well by breaking throw with a 98 finish to win the opening leg and then hit double 18 to win the second.

Walsh won his first leg of the match in the third by hitting a 124 finish, which was completed on the bullseye.

He then took out 76 to win the fourth leg but wasted two vital chances at double top to win the set and Jenkins stepped in to hit double four and edge ahead.

Jenkins, who defeated Steve Brown in the second round, hit a 180 at the start of the second set but Walsh won the first leg by recording a 106 finish.

Jenkins put an excellent 11-dart finish together to win the second and then took out 76 to win the third leg.

Walsh won the next leg on double four after Jenkins missed three opportunities to win the set, but the man from Ledbury made no mistake in the deciding leg as he hit double top to extend his lead.

Double top was successfully hit again at the start of the third set by Jenkins and he put Walsh under more pressure when he hit a 120 finish to win the second leg.

Walsh hit a second maximum in the process of winning the third leg but Jenkins posted double ten in the next leg to win the set and leave the Hertfordshire ace’s hopes hanging by a thread.

Jenkins did not let up and won the opening leg of the fourth set by holding throw before kicking off the second with back-to-back 180s.

His hopes of a nine-darter were ended when an attempt at a seventh treble 20 was off-target, but he won the leg in 14 darts to edge towards a victory which was completed in the next when he hit double ten to wrap up a comprehensive win.

“I felt much happier with my game today and I’m getting better as each round goes by,” said Jenkins.

“My first two games against Joe Cullen and Steve Brown were tough and I didn’t feel as comfortable in those games as I did today.

“When the pressure is on me I seem to be more determined and that showed against Mark, and I’m looking forward to the quarter-finals.”

Tags: PDC World Championship, Results, Review
Filed under PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

Ladbrokes World Championship Round 2 Day 3

Posted on December 30th, 2010

TAYLOR SETS UP WEBSTER TIE AS BARNEY POWERS ON

PHIL TAYLOR’S bid to win a 16th World Championship title will continue into the New Year after he set up a quarter-final with Mark Webster at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.

Reigning champion Taylor overcame colourful qualifier Peter Wright 4-1 to progress through the third round of the tournament at Alexandra Palace on Wednesday night.

Lowestoft’s Wright – nicknamed ‘Snake Bite’ had defeated Co Stompe and Paul Nicholson to reach the last 16, and after losing the first eight legs hit back to win the third set against the 15-time World Champion.

However, he missed three darts to lead in the fourth and Taylor punished him with a 13-darter to take the set before sealing the victory in set five.

“I’m improving and I’m feeling good,” said Taylor. “Peter played well and pushed me, and he took out some good finishes so I was relieved to get the winning double in the end.

“I’ve got two days off before the quarter-finals and I’ll have a good preparation. I’ve not played like a World Champion yet but it’s time to step it up.”

Taylor will now face Welsh left-hander Webster on New Year’s Day in a repeat of their semi-final a year ago, when the Stoke legend took a 6-0 victory.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: PDC World Championship, Results, Review
Filed under PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

Ladbrokes World Championship Round 2 Day 2 Review

Posted on December 29th, 2010

WADE SENT PACKING AS SULJOVIC PRODUCES ALLY PALLY MAGIC

WORLD number two James Wade was sensationally dumped from the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship by Mensur Suljovic on Tuesday night, as the Austrian took a 4-2 win in their second round contest.

Wade had entered the £1 million event as the second favourite, but was sent packing by the 38-year-old from Vienna, who was rated at 6/1 just to win the match.

Suljovic hit seven 180s and, after Wade edged the fourth set to level, he took the final two sets for a memorable triumph.

“It’s absolutely the best moment of my career,” said Suljovic, who had stayed in England with his wife and son over Christmas after knocking out Michael van Gerwen in round one.

“It feels like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and I am over the moon. I’m so happy that my wife and son are here to share this moment.”

Suljovic will now play Wes Newton in the third round on Thursday night, after the world number 15 defeated Brendan Dolan in straight sets.

Dolan had knocked out Kevin Painter in the first round, but never recovered from missing five darts at doubles to win the opening set before Newton – aided by finishes of 135 and 136 – pulled through.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: PDC World Championship, Results, Review
Filed under PDC | No Comments »

Ladbrokes World Championship Round 2 Day 1 Review

Posted on December 28th, 2010

MONDAY 27/12 EVENING – TAYLOR SWEEPS THROUGH AS HYLTON FLYS HIGH

PHIL TAYLOR bounced back to top form at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship, sweeping past Denmark’s Per Laursen in straight sets to move into the third round at Alexandra Palace.

The 15-time World Champion had been below-par in his first round defeat of Gary Mawson before Christmas, but returned to London boosted by the improving health of his recently-born third grandchild and his second place in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards.

He went on to drop just four legs in a straight sets win over Denmark’s Laursen to progress to the third round, where he will now meet Lowestoft’s Peter Wright in the last 16 on Wednesday night.

“I feel like I’m ready to win the World Championship now,” said Taylor. “I was nice and relaxed because the pressure has been taken off me.

“My little grandson is out of intensive care, which was a massive pressure on me, and the BBC Sports Personality of the Year was one of the greatest days of my life, one of my proudest ever days.

“It’s been a humbling week for me and the crowd were incredible to me tonight. I was a bit worried before the match but I’ve got through it and I’ve not dropped a set yet.”

Wright had book defeated Paul Nicholson earlier on Monday and was joined by Rugeley’s Mark Hylton as an unseeded qualifier in the third round, after the left-hander knocked out former world number one Colin Lloyd 4-2.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: PDC World Championship, Results, Review
Filed under PDC, World Championship | No Comments »

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.