Killarney Win for Anderson
Posted on October 19th, 2010
GARY ANDERSON won his fourth title of 2010 with victory a 6-1 victory over Dennis Smith in the final of the John McEvoy Gold Dart Classic Players Championship.
The Scot bounced back impressively from his quarter-final loss to Phil Taylor a week ago in the Bodog.com World Grand Prix by taking the main title at the Killarney Darts Festival and a £6,000 prize.
Anderson dropped just four legs in his first four games of the day at the INEC, defeating tony Manning, Kevin Dowling, Kevin McDine and Tony Eccles before seeing off Jamie Caven 6-3 in the quarter-finals.
He was made to work all the way by Wales’ Richie Burnett in the semis, coming from 4-3 and 5-4 down to win 6-5 before defeating Smith in the final.
Smith took the game’s second leg to level, but Anderson broke in the fourth for a 3-1 lead and hit two 180s in the next to move three legs clear, before winning the next two to take the title.
Smith claimed £3,000 as runner-up as he reached his first ranking final since November 2004 to further improve his chances of qualifying for the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Caven Doubles Up in Dublin
Posted on October 3rd, 2010
JAMIE CAVEN won his second Players Championship of the year, edging out Ronnie Baxter 6-5 in Sunday’s final at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
The Derby ace followed up his victory in Canada in August with the narrowest of wins against Baxter to take his fourth PDC title, and make the best possible preparation for Monday’s Bodog.com World Grand Prix opener against Andy Smith.
Caven could well have suffered defeat in a dramatic final against Baxter, who missed two darts to win the deciding leg before his opponent hit double top at the first time of asking to win the £6,000 first prize.
Caven had come from 2-1 down to lead 3-2, hitting an 11-dart finish followed by a 130 checkout, only for Baxter to match his 11-darter and then move 4-3 up.
Caven levelled and the pair also shared the ninth and tenth legs before Baxter saw his chance in the final leg go begging, and the 34-year-old stepped in for the win.
Caven had also had to produce some superb form in his semi-final against Ireland’s Michael Mansell, who pushed him all the way in sharing the opening eight legs before going down 6-4.
Caven also saw off Colin Monk, world number five Terry Jenkins, Paul Nicholson and Jelle Klaasen in claiming the win in Dublin.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Whitlock Wins in Dublin
Posted on October 3rd, 2010
SIMON WHITLOCK won his fifth Players Championship title of 2010 with a 6-1 defeat of Dennis Priestley in Saturday’s event at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
The Australian, who picked up four wins in just over a month earlier this year, prepared in ideal fashion for next week’s Bodog.com World Grand Prix with the triumph over Priestley.
He was made to battle throughout the day, with three of his six contests going the full 11-leg distance, firstly against Hampshire’s emerging Arron Monk, secondly against Dutchman Roland Scholten in the last 16 and then against Justin Pipe in the semis.
Whitlock also overcame Tony Eccles and Andy Hamilton in his progression to the final, where he proved too powerful for Priestley.
Whitlock hit two 180s in a 12-darter to open the final, and missed the bullseye for a 170 finish in the second leg as double ten got the two-time World Champion off the mark.
However, Priestley was left waiting on 40 as Whitlock took the third, and the Aussie defied a 180 from the veteran to hit three 140s in a 12-darter to break and move 3-1 up.
Priestley missed two darts to steal the next and a further dart in leg six as Whitlock opened up a 5-1 lead, before landing a fourth 180 of the final in a 13-darter to seal the win.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Bumper Crop for Farmer in Holland
Posted on September 20th, 2010
STEVE FARMER won his maiden career title with a 6-4 defeat of Kevin Painter in Sunday’s Dutch Players Championship final – and dramatically booked a place in the Bodog.com World Grand Prix with the triumph.
The 45-year-old from Church Stretton, Shropshire produced a remarkable finale to the decider against Painter to snatch a qualifying place in next month’s event at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, denying Mark Webster a spot in the tournament.
Farmer trailed Painter 4-2 before reeling off four successive 13-dart finishes to take the £6,000 title, and admitted: “It’s the best moment of my career and I’m lost for words, quite emotional really.
“I’ve been playing for over 25 years and all the practice has paid off. When I was up there on stage I was determined not to waste all those years and to win this is a dream come true.”
Farmer had reached a Players Championship final earlier this month, losing to Adrian Lewis, but went one better in Holland with a fine day of darts.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Dutch Win For Wade
Posted on September 18th, 2010
JAMES WADE picked up his first Players Championship win of 2010 with a 6-4 defeat of Terry Jenkins in Saturday’s final in Nuland.
The world number three, whose only other victory this year came in a UK Open Qualifier in May, took the £6,000 title with a consistently high quality day of darts in Holland.
Wade dropped only three legs in his opening three games, defeating Robert-Jan Bartels, Sam Allen and Jelle Klaasen, before producing strong finishes to see off Mark Walsh 6-5 and Alan Tabern 6-4.
In the semi-finals, he won five successive legs in taking a 5-1 lead against Colin Osborne, before sealing a 6-2 triumph to set up a final against world number five Jenkins.
A brilliant 167 checkout gave Wade the opening leg before Jenkins hit back to lead 2-1, with the next four legs going with the throw as the world number five landed an 11-darter for a 4-3 lead.
But Wade defied two 180s from his opponent to level in the eighth, broke throw on double eight in the next and then sealed the win with a clinical two-dart 84 finish.
Jenkins had won through to his first final since February with a narrow 6-4 win over Wes Newton in the semis, having earlier defeated Mick McGowan, Peter Martin, Andy Hamilton, Ian White and Kim Huybrechts.
Osborne’s semi-final appearance was his best performance since May as he enjoyed a welcome return to form – including a fightback from 5-2 down to defeat Steve Brown – while in-form Newton reached the last four for the third time in his last five events.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Jaws’ Surge Continues
Posted on September 5th, 2010
COLIN LLOYD claimed Players Championship glory for a second successive weekend, defeating Simon Whitlock 6-4 to win Sunday’s PDC ProTour event in Crawley.
The Essex star took the Canadian Masters title a week ago and continued that form to take his fourth tournament win of the year.
Having been a first-game victim in Saturday’s Players Championship, losing to Steve Evans, he bounced back well to take the £6,000 prize money, producing some battling performances.
He needed a deciding 11th leg to defeat Gary Welding and Terry Jenkins in his opening two matches, before then seeing off Steve Beaton 6-4 and then going the distance once more against Tony Eccles.
A 6-3 semi-final win over Alan Tabern secured his spot in the final, and he maintained the momentum to move 2-0 up against Whitlock in the decider.
He also led 3-1 before Whitlock hit back to level, but a pressure 104 checkout – after the Australian left 64 – saw him regain a 4-3 lead.
Whitlock levelled on double top, with Lloyd hitting the same bed to go 5-4 up and repeating the feat to seal victory after his rival missed a dart to save the game with a 120 finish.
“It’s been a tough day and it’s very satisfying to win that,” said Lloyd. “I had some really hard games throughout the day but I battled through them.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Crawley Jackpot for Lewis
Posted on September 5th, 2010
ADRIAN LEWIS won his second Pro Tour title of the year after defeating Steve Farmer 6-4 at the K2 Centre in Crawley.
Lewis bounced back from a disappointing summer after first round exits at the World Matchplay and the European Championships to claim to £6,000 first prize.
The Stoke star edged his past first two matches with deciding leg victories over Wayne Atwood and Steve Maish. His victory over Maish included a superb 161 checkout to win the match.
Alex Roy was dispatched in the last 16 6-1 before defeating Mark Webster and Vincent van der Voort by 6-5 scorelines to reach the final.
Both players throws were broken in the opening two legs of the final before Lewis took the lead for the first time by winning the third leg in 11 darts.
Farmer hit 140 and 177 in the fourth leg to level the game at two apiece before Lewis led again by taking the fifth.
Lewis broke throw in the sixth leg and then won the next in 14 darts to go within touching distance of victory.
Farmer reduced the deficit to 5-3 with a two-dart 95 finish and then hit double 16 in the ninth leg to keep his hopes alive.
Both players had chances to win the 10th leg but it was Lewis who finally prevailed to hit double one to claim victory.
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Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Canadian Joy For Caven
Posted on September 1st, 2010
JAMIE CAVEN took victory in Saturday’s London Ontario Players Championship in Canada to claim his third PDC ProTour title.
The Derby ace defeated Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in the final to round off a fine day of darts, which included a 6-2 semi-final win over Dennis Priestley – last week’s Australian Open Players Championship winner and the champion in Canada for the past two years.
Caven had overcome Dave Watson and John Morrison in the early rounds before seeing off Steve Evans 6-4 and Justin Pipe in a deciding leg to reach the last eight.
There he saw off Andy Hamilton 6-4 before overcoming Priestley in the semis and Dutch ace van Gerwen in the final.
Caven opened the final with a 130 finish, and took the next two legs before van Gerwen wired a 160 checkout as Caven took out 78 for a 4-0 cushion.
A 14-darter from van Gerwen saw him get off the mark in leg five, but Caven won the next and then missed four match darts as van Gerwen took the next and two more legs to reduce the gap to 5-4.
However, Caven was not to be denied and he took the tenth to seal victory and the £5,000 title.
Van Gerwen’s run was his best since last November as he reached the final and boosted his chances of qualifying for the World Grand Prix in October.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Priestley Turns Up Down Under
Posted on August 22nd, 2010
DENNIS PRIESTLEY defeated Mark Hylton 6-3 to win the Australian Open Players Championship in Sydney.
Priestley, who turned 60 last month, took the £5,000 title at the Revesby Workers Club in Sydney on Sunday – a triumph which will secure him a place in October’s World Grand Prix and edge him back towards the world’s top 16.
The two-time World Champion opened his challenge in Sydney with a whitewash of David Clegg and a 6-3 win over Heath Daley before edging out Steve Hine in a deciding leg in the last 16.
He then overcame top Australian Simon Whitlock 6-3 in the quarter-finals and edged out Paul Nicholson – last year’s Australian Open Players Championship winner – in another 11-leg tussle at the semi-final stage.
Priestley secured victory in the final with a 6-3 win over Mark Hylton, the Rugeley-based left-hander who had won through to his first PDC ProTour decider.
Hylton opened with wins over Australian pair Pat Orreal and Peter Asmussen, and then battled through a tricky path to the final – picking up wins over Robert Thornton and Mark Walsh before edging out Sean Reed 6-5 in the semis.
Although he went down in the final, Hylton’s run will almost certainly win him a Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship debut as a Players Championship Order of Merit qualifier, as well as increasing his hopes of winning a World Grand Prix spot.
Tags: PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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Co Stomps on the Vegas Field
Posted on June 30th, 2010
CO STOMPE claimed his maiden PDC title with a 6-3 defeat of James Wade in Tuesday’s Las Vegas Players Championship.
The Dutch star picked up the £6,000 victory during the New Tropicana World Series of Darts Festival to celebrate his recent two-year anniversary since moving onto the PDC circuit.
He produced some outstanding darts during Tuesday’s event in Las Vegas, opening with a whitewash of Edwin Martin and then defeating Wayne Mardle, Adrian Lewis and Steve Beaton to set up an all-Dutch quarter-final with Jelle Klaasen.
After seeing off the former Lakeside Champion 6-4, Stompe whitewashed Matt Clark in the semi-finals before defeating Wade in the decider.
World number three Wade took the final’s opening leg, but Stompe hit back with four successive legs to lead 4-1, twice hitting two maximums in a leg.
Wade won the next two to reduce the gap to one leg, but Stompe crucially took the eight before securing victory in the next.
Wade’s run to the final bettered his semi-final appearance in Sunday’s PDC US Open Players Championship, as he claimed the £3,000 runner-up prize.
Tags: Las Vegas, PDPA Players Championship, Results, Review
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