StanJames.com World Matchplay Preview
Posted on July 16th, 2010
THE StanJames.com World Matchplay begins on Saturday, as 32 players battle to take the £100,000 title at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.
The 17th staging of the World Matchplay sees arguably the strongest field in the event’s history battling for £400,000 prize money from July 17-25.
Reigning champion Phil Taylor, who won his tenth title last summer with a record margin of victory in defeating Terry Jenkins 18-4 in the final, enters the fray on Tuesday when he plays Barrie Bates in the first round.
However, world number two Raymond van Barneveld is in action in one of four games on the opening night of the event on Saturday, when he takes on in-form Denis Ovens, the 53-year-old who reached his first ever televised semi-final in last month’s Rileys Darts Zones UK Open.
Dutch star van Barneveld failed to qualify for the UK Open and returns to action in Blackpool having had a two-month break from darts since the end of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League – which included a trip to South Africa to cheer on the Netherlands in football’s World Cup.
Tags: Preview, schedule, World Matchplay
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UK Open Schedule Of Play
Posted on May 17th, 2010
FORMER finalist Gary Mawson will kick off the 2010 UK Open when he takes on Rileys Amateur Qualifier Ashley Whisker on the main stage at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton on Thursday June 3.
American ace Mawson, whose family hail from Bolton, enjoyed the finest weekend of his darts career two years ago when he battled through to the final of the UK Open, defeating reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld along the way, before losing out to James Wade.
Mawson is one of 106 players who will take part in the Preliminary, First and Second Rounds at the Reebok Stadium when the four-day UK Open – nicknamed “The FA Cup of Darts” due to the free draw format for each round – begins on June 3, screened live on Sky Sports.
The Preliminary and First Rounds feature the players placed from 65-96 in the UK Open Order of Merit, following eight qualifying events, along with the 32 Rileys Amateur Qualifiers and ten BDO County Qualifiers.
Mawson has drawn Basildon-based Ashley Whisker – a 26-year-old tractor driver – in the Preliminary Round, with their match opening the tournament on the Main Stage, which is one of eight stages which will host simultanous action around the Reebok Stadium’s Premier Suite.
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Tags: Draw, schedule, UK Open
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Premier League Fixtures
Posted on January 14th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR and Simon Whitlock will meet on the opening night of the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts at The O2 on Thursday February 11.
The duo clash in a repeat of their recent meeting in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final in the first of 14 weekly rounds in the Premier League Darts.
Whitlock’s appearance will mark his debut in the tournament, having been included as one of the two Sky Sports Wildcards following his sensational display in the World Championship.
He eventually lost 7-3 to Taylor in the final, with the Stoke legend bidding to regain the Premier League Darts title this spring after missing out on a fifth successive crown with a semi-final loss to Mervyn King last May.
Reigning champion James Wade meets world number two Raymond van Barneveld in another huge clash on the opening night, while Ronnie Baxter celebrates his return to Premier League Darts against Terry Jenkins and King, the 2009 runner-up, takes on Sky Sports Wildcard Adrian Lewis.
The second week, at the BIC in Bournemouth, sees van Barneveld take on Lewis at the scene of the Dutchman’s nine-dart finish in the 2006 Premier League Darts, when he hit a perfect leg against Peter Manley.
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Tags: Fixtures, Premier League Darts, schedule
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Players Championship Finals Draw & Schedule
Posted on January 11th, 2010
PHIL TAYLOR will face Peter Manley in the first round of the totesport.com Players Championship on Thursday January 28.
World number one Taylor, the reigning champion in the £250,000 event, will take on his long-time rival at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet in a repeat of three World Championship finals the pair contested at the famous venue.
Their game will be played amongst eight first round clashes on the opening night of the ITV4-televised totesport.com Players Championship on Thursday January 28.
Robert Thornton, who was runner-up to Taylor in last year’s tournament, will take on Kevin Painter in another high-profile first round contest, seeing the English star return to the scene of one of his finest hours, the classic 2004 World Championship final against Taylor which went to a sudden-death leg.
Dennis Priestley, the 1994 World Champion in the first Professional Darts Corporation event at the Circus Tavern, will play Paul Nicholson, while Alan Tabern faces Andy Hamilton and Adrian Lewis, the number four seed, takes on Brendan Dolan.
The first round will conclude with a further eight matches on Friday January 29, including world number two James Wade’s clash with Mervyn King.
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Ladbrokes World Championship Preview
Posted on December 17th, 2009
THE world’s first £1 million tournament begins on Friday when the 2010 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship kicks off at Alexandra Palace.
Reigning World Champion Phil Taylor will be amongst the players in action in the first of 13 days of play at the north London venue, as 72 players from 24 countries gather in darts’ biggest event.
The eventual champion on Sunday January 3 will take home £200,000, the highest individual prize ever paid in darts, with a record £1 million prize money on offer, an increase of £260,000 on last year’s event.
Wayne Mardle’s clash with German qualifier Jyhan Artut will open the tournament at 7pm on Friday, with two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley in action against youngster Kevin McDine in the second first round game of the evening.
Taylor then begins his bid for a 15th World Championship title when he meets Basingstoke’s Colin Monk, and enters the event as 4/11 favourite after scooping every major ranking title in 2009.
“It’s really exciting for me and if I don’t win the World Championship this year, I need my backside kicking because I’m in with my best chance ever,” said Taylor.
“I’m playing better than ever now and everything’s coming to plan. I’ve been putting everything into it.”
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Tags: PDC World Championship, Preview, schedule
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2009 European Championship Draw
Posted on October 26th, 2009
Phil Taylor will begin the defence of his European Championship title against Holland’s Toon Greebe on Thursday.
The £200,000 event will be held at the Claus Event Centre in Hoofddorp, Holland from Thursday October 29-Sunday November 1.
Taylor meets top Dutch youngster Greebe in the opening round, while the opening night also features Co Stompe against Gary Anderson, Jelle Klaasen versus Wayne Jones and Roland Scholten against Mensur Suljovic.
Number four seed John Part drew Colin Lloyd, Terry Jenkins meets Jamie Caven and Ronnie Baxter takes on Andy Smith, while in-form Wes Newton takes on Robert Thornton.
World number two Raymond van Barneveld faces Dennis Priestley, while James Wade drew Alan Tabern in a battle of the two top left-handers.
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Tags: Draw, European Championship, schedule
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Lakeside 2010 Draw & Schedule
Posted on October 22nd, 2009
The draw for the 2010 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship has been made. There are some tasty matches in store.
The tournament takes place at The Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green from 2nd to 10th January 2010.
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Tags: Draw, Lakeside World Professional, schedule
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Skybet World Grand Prix Preview
Posted on October 2nd, 2009
THE 2009 Skybet World Grand Prix begins on Monday, with 32 players battling for the £100,000 first prize at the Citywest Hotel IECC.
The unique double-start event will be played from October 5-11, with a tournament-record £350,000 in prize money on offer during the seven days, which are screened live on Sky Sports.
Defending champion Phil Taylor opens his bid for a record-extending ninth World Grand Prix title on Monday’s opening night, taking on Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan.
Taylor has dominated the tournament since its inception in 1998, claiming an eighth win with a 6-2 victory over Raymond van Barneveld in the final last year.
However, his three defeats have all come in the short, best-of-three set first round – against Kevin Painter in 2001, Andy Callaby in 2004 and Adrian Gray in 2007 – and Taylor admits he will need to be on form immediately at the Citywest Hotel
“It’s a format that challenges us all and I’m looking forward to it,” said Taylor, who took victory in the Virgin Atlantic South African Masters to warm up in style for the visit to Ireland.
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Tags: Draw, Preview, schedule, World Grand Prix
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SkyBet World Grand Prix Draw
Posted on September 16th, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR will begin the defence of his Skybet World Grand Prix title against Northern Ireland’s Brendan Dolan on Monday October 5, while Dublin duo Jacko Barry and Mick McGowan will clash in the tournament’s first round.
The £350,000 tournament – unique for having to start and finish a leg with a double – will be held in the Citywest Hotel IECC from October 5-11, offering £100,000 to the champion.
Taylor, who picked up an eighth title last year when he defeated Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 in the final, has drawn Co Fermanagh’s Brendan Dolan in round one.
Dolan, ranked 48th in the PDC Order of Merit, will be making his third World Grand Prix appearance and secured his qualifying place for the tournament by reaching the semi-finals of the Austrian Open Players Championship recently.
However, he has picked up arguably the toughest draw, facing reigning champion Taylor on the opening night on Monday October 5, in the best-of-three set first round.
“I’m looking forward to the game,” said Taylor. “The first round is always hard because it’s so short but it’s a good challenge to get through.
“I know how good Brendan is and he’s had a good year, plus he’ll be looking to put on a good show, and he’ll have plenty of support from Northern Ireland.”
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Tags: Draw, schedule, World Grand Prix
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Stan James World Matchplay Draw & Schedule
Posted on July 8th, 2009
PHIL TAYLOR will begin his quest for a tenth stanjames.com World Matchplay title against Robert Thornton.
Taylor has drawn the Scottish qualifier as he begins the defence of his World Matchplay title at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens from July 19-26.
Taylor and Thornton will clash on Monday July 20, with the winner taking on either Kevin Painter or local favourite Wes Newton in the second round.
World number three Raymond van Barneveld, the Las Vegas Desert Classic runner-up on Sunday, has drawn fellow Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in the first round.
James Wade, who has appeared in the last three World Matchplay finals and took victory in 2007, begins his bid for another title against Jamie Caven.
2005 champion Colin Lloyd drew Wayne Jones, while three-time finalist Dennis Priestley takes on Denis Ovens.
Canadian John Part, the number four seed, will take on quick-fire Dutchman Vincent van der Voort, while Adrian Lewis meets Co Stompe.
Gary Anderson, who headed the 16 qualifiers from the Players Championship Order of Merit, will make his World Matchplay debut against Andy Hamilton.
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Tags: Draw, schedule, World Matchplay
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Both poker and darts are highly popular pursuits. The games are available online, in fact, that there are organizations dedicated to making sure the rules of video poker and online darts are conformed. Similar to darts having the World Darts Federation, among others, and poker has the Tournament Directors Association. These rules are put into place in highly competitive tournaments, in which as many as hundreds or even thousands of people compete for cash prizes as well as prestige.
