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 PHIL TAYLOR and Raymond van Barneveld made winning starts at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts last night.
Taylor kicked off the tournament at Wolverhampton by taking four straight legs to come from 2-1 down against Wayne Mardle to take a 5-2 victory.
Van Barneveld, meanwhile, was clinical in his 5-2 win against Chris Mason, who opened the game with two big finishes to lead 2-0 before the World Champion took five legs in a row.
There was one upset, though, as number three seed Gary Anderson crashed to a 5-1 loss against Kevin Painter, who landed four maximums and hit a ten-darter in a quality display.
Young Dutch duo Michael van Gerwen and Jelle Klaasen got off to winning starts against Scott Waites and Shaun Greatbatch.
Van Gerwen stared defeat in the face against Waites, who missed a dart for victory in the deciding leg of their game.
Number four seed James Wade also scraped through in a nine-leg thriller, against Phill Nixon, who missed chances in the final two legs to claim a major scalp.
Andy Jenkins and Andy Hamilton also made excellent starts, winning 5-1 and 5-3 respectively against Mark Webster and Vincent van der Voort.
PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts
Saturday Afternoon Results
First Round Group Phase
Jelle Klaasen 5-1 Shaun Greatbatch
Andy Hamilton 5-3 Vincent van der Voort
James Wade 5-4 Phill Nixon
Andy Jenkins 5-1 Mark Webster
Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Scott Waites
Raymond van Barneveld 5-3 Chris Mason
Phil Taylor 5-2 Wayne Mardle
Kevin Painter 5-1 Gary Anderson
JELLE KLAASEN 5-1 SHAUN GREATBATCH
JELLE KLAASEN made a superb start to the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-1 win against Shaun Greatbatch.
The young Dutchman produced a classy display to see off Greatbatch in a repeat of their 2006 Lakeside Championship semi-final.
Klaasen stormed out of the blocks to take the game's opening four legs, hitting a maximum in the opener and a 110 finish in the second.
A second double four finish put him 3-0 up before the duo traded maximums in leg four as Klaasen landed double ten to move into the break in command.
Greatbatch returned to take out double 15 and get off the mark, but missed a chance to take the sixth leg when he was off-target on double 18 for a 156 checkout.
It allowed Klaasen to return to the oche, having already missed four darts for victory before he landed double ten.
"I feel great and I'm happy with that," said Klaasen. "I had to stay focused and managed to get the win."
ANDY HAMILTON 5-3 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
ANDY HAMILTON came from 2-0 down to open his account at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-3 defeat of Vincent van der Voort.
The Stoke star was punished for a slow start as van der Voort rocketed into a 2-0 lead, taking out double four and then a classy two-dart 96 finish.
Hamilton hit back strongly to level, and then stepped in to take the lead for the first time at 3-2 when van der Voort missed his chance for an 11-darter.
Hamilton took leg six in 13 darters before van der Voort hit double seven to stay in the match at 4-3.
However, Hamilton kicked off the next with a third 180, and sealed the win on double 16.
"Vincent's a cracking player but I knew on my top form I could beat him," said Hamilton afterwards.
"The first game is always tough but I can relax more now and get into the event.
"Heavy scoring is a part of my game and I'm coming back into form at the moment."
JAMES WADE 5-4 PHILL NIXON
JAMES WADE edged out Phill Nixon in a nine-leg thriller to open the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-4 opening day victory.
Nixon, the Lakeside Championship runner-up in January, showed all his battling skills to lead 4-2 against the PDC world number three.
But Wade pegged him back to send the game into a decider, and then took victory after Nixon missed a second chance for the win.
Wade kicked off the game with a maximum and took the opening leg in 13 darts before Nixon replied with a maximum of his own on the way to leg two.
Wade missed two darts at double top in the third as Nixon edged ahead, before the youngster levelled on double four in the fourth.
Wade was again punished as Nixon moved 3-2 up, and the 51-year-old from Durham added another 180 in extending his lead to two legs.
That was halved in leg seven as Wade landed double ten, before Nixon paid for a missed dart at double top in the next as Wade scrambled home double four to send the match into a decider.
Nixon also gave himself a chance of victory on 118 in the ninth leg, but was off-target again on double top before Wade hit the same bed with his third dart to take the win.
"I was lucky there and got away with a bit of complacency," admitted Wade. "I'm over the moon that I won and hopefully I'll learn for the next game."
Nixon said: "I missed a few doubles at the wrong time but I did well and I'm not just here to make the numbers up, I'm here to play darts."
ANDY JENKINS 5-1 MARK WEBSTER
ANDY JENKINS made a storming start to the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-1 win over Mark Webster.
Jenkins wasted little time in seeing off the Welshman, dropping just one leg and taking out two-thirds of his doubles.
He roared into a 3-0 lead, opening with a 13-darter and taking a 141 finish in leg two.
Webster hit back to take the fourth leg with a 91 finish, but Jenkins returned from the break to win leg five and move 4-1 up.
Webster strived to get back into the contest, but Jenkins was first to the finish in the next, landing double eight for the win.
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN 5-4 SCOTT WAITES
DUTCH teenager Michael van Gerwen sneaked past Scott Waites in a deciding leg to open the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a victory.
The pair enjoyed a close contest at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, matching each other blow for blow in the first Group H match.
Van Gerwen kicked off with a maximum in the opening leg, with Waites hitting back to level with a 94 finish on double 16 and then move 2-1 up after the youngster missed his doubles.
Waites was punished for misses in leg four as van Gerwen levelled, and he also took the next two legs to move 4-2 up and within touching distance of the win.
Waites struck back on double eight, and then hit double ten to send the match into a decider.
The Yorkshireman was handed a chance of victory when van Gerwen missed two darts at double top for the game, but hit a single nine when needing double 12 to allow the 18-year-old back in.
He made no mistake this time, nailing double ten to take the first two points of the event.
"I've won my first match and that is good for me," said van Gerwen. "I've not played too well in the last few tournaments but I wanted to win that so much to get off to a good start."
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 5-3 CHRIS MASON
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD made a stunning start to his challenge at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-3 win over Chris Mason.
The five-time World Champion trailed Mason 2-0 early in the contest, and could have found himself further behind had the ITV Wildcard Qualifier hit double top for a third successive ton-plus checkout.
However, the Dutchman hit back with four straight legs to take command, and sealed the win without missing a single attempt at a double.
"I could have been 3-0 down but he let me in and I had to take my chance," said van Barneveld. "I'm very pleased that I've won my first game but I've still got plenty to do."
Mason kicked off the game in superb fashion, with his first three darts being a 180 before he took out 157 for the opening leg.
Mason then took out 121 on the bullseye to double his lead, but was off-target on double top for a 120 checkout that would have given him a 3-0 lead.
Van Barneveld stepped in to finish on double four, and won the next three legs, landing two maximums along the way to move 4-2 up.
Mason took out double top to stay in the contest, but a superb two-dart 96 finish saw Barneveld take the win with a 105 average.
PHIL TAYLOR 5-2 WAYNE MARDLE
PHIL TAYLOR reeled off four successive legs to see off Wayne Mardle in the Group E opener at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Taylor, the 13-time World Champion and tournament favourite, found himself 2-1 down to Mardle before finding another gear to storm to victory.
He opened well, landing double 18 for the first leg before Mardle took out double top and then broke Taylor's throw in the third leg on double 16.
Taylor levelled on double 12 and then regained the lead at 3-2, with a 137 score leaving him a double top finish.
Taylor landed a crucial blow in leg six to land a hammer blow, taking out a 153 finish with Mardle sat on 66.
The duo kicked off leg seven with maximums, but Mardle paid the price when he hit double eight instead of double 16, with Taylor claiming victory on tops.
"I'm relieved to get the first game out of the way, and hopefully Sunday will go the same way too," said Taylor.
"I was shaking like a leaf but we're all nervous as it's a short format and we want to get past the first round.
"Wayne played well but I think the 153 checkout was the turning point of the game."
KEVIN PAINTER 5-1 GARY ANDERSON
KEVIN PAINTER produced a sensational display to defeat number three seed Gary Anderson 5-1 in the Group G opener at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Painter only secured his place in the tournament a week ago, winning one of the final two places from the PDC Order of Merit.
However, he was in sensational form to storm past Anderson, landing four maximums and dropping just one leg against the Scot.
He made his intentions clear in the first leg, responding to Anderson opening with a maximum by landing a 180 of his own and taking out double eight for the leg.
He punished misses from Anderson for a second successive leg in moving 2-0 up, and then edged a scrappy third leg to extend his lead.
Anderson got off the mark by taking out 104 on double top, but a brilliant ten-darter from Painter put him 4-1 ahead.
A further maximum from Painter left him 84 for the win, and two misses from Anderson at double ten allowed him to return and take victory on the bullseye.
"I'm pleased with that," said Painter. "Gary's a class player but he left me a couple of shots and my finishing was good.
"My scoring was good too and in a short game like that you want it to come together." |