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 PHIL TAYLOR, Raymond van Barneveld and James Wade continued their unbeaten starts to the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday afternoon.
The trio made it two wins from as many games as the group stage continued at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Taylor followed up Saturday's victory against Wayne Mardle with a sensational 5-1 defeat of Colin Lloyd.
The 13-time World Champion averaged almost 105 in the game, and admitted: "I'm over the moon with that performance.
"I've practised hard for this event and I'm really determined to win it and get back to the top."
Van Barneveld also averaged 100 in effectively securing his place in the second round with a 5-3 defeat of Stoke's Adrian Lewis.
Wade overcame Australian Pat Orreal 5-1 to maintain his 100 percent record, while Kevin Painter, Andy Hamilton and Jelle Klaasen also remain unbeaten.
Painter whitewashed Barrie Bates in the afternoon's opening game, Klaasen was a 5-3 winner against Kevin McDine and Hamilton overcame number eight seed Terry Jenkins 5-2.
Canada's John Part snatched his first victory of the event with a narrow 5-4 defeat of Mark Webster, who will need a big win over Gary Mawson on Tuesday if he is to progress.
Scott Waites is also facing a make-or-break final game, against Roland Scholten, following his 5-3 loss to Mervyn King, who reeled off four straight legs to take his first victory.
PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts
First Round - Sunday Afternoon
Kevin Painter 5-0 Barrie Bates
Mervyn King 5-3 Scott Waites
John Part 5-4 Mark Webster
Jelle Klaasen 5-3 Kevin McDine
Andy Hamilton 5-2 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 5-1 Pat Orreal
Phil Taylor 5-1 Colin Lloyd
Raymond van Barneveld 5-3 Adrian Lewis
KEVIN PAINTER 5-0 BARRIE BATES
KEVIN PAINTER all but ensured his place in the second round of the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-0 whitewash of Barrie Bates.
Painter followed up Saturday's 5-1 win against Gary Anderson with another strong display to put one foot into round two.
He will meet Wayne Jones on Tuesday in the final set of first round games, effectively knowing his place in the last 16 is assured.
"Things are going okay and it looks good for me now," said Painter.
"There are still a few permutations but if I win my last game I'm through whatever happens."
Painter was in clinical form from the off, hitting double top to take the opening leg after Bates missed double seven for a 122 checkout.
He followed that up with a 13-darter and landed double seven to win the third leg after Bates was off-target on double top.
Double 16 saw Painter move 4-0 up, and he punished three misses from Bates in the next to secure the win.
MERVYN KING 5-3 SCOTT WAITES
MERVYN KING came from 3-1 down in a game of two halves against Scott Waites to gain his first win of the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts.
King, who lost to Roland Scholten on Saturday, looked on course for a second successive group stage defeat when Waites stormed into a 3-1 lead.
However, the Yorkshireman never regained his range following the break, with King taking four successive legs for the win.
Waites kicked off the game with a 96 finish which broke the throw, although King hit back immediately with a fine second leg, which saw scores of 180 and 132 leave a double 16 finish.
Waites replied excellently with a maximum of his own in an 11-darter, and added another 180 in winning leg four on double eight after King missed two darts at a double.
However, the break seemed to stifle Waites' rhythm, with King taking the fifth leg on double 18 and then levelling matters on double top.
King scrambled home double two to move in front, and a 134 score left him 36 for victory, and he landed double 18 to seal the win.
"Scott didn't play as well as he can in the second half," admitted King, who prevented Waites from reaching a double in the final four legs.
"I missed a couple of doubles in the first half but he was struggling to hit the treble after the break and I lifted myself.
"I'm happy to win but I feel I can do better - I lost with a 102 average yesterday and won with a 95 average today, but that's darts!"
JOHN PART 5-4 MARK WEBSTER
JOHN PART produced a remarkable comeback from 4-1 down to edge out Mark Webster in a decider at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts.
The Canadian was staring a second successive defeat in the face when he went 4-1 down and Webster gave himself a chance of victory in leg six.
But the Welsh youngster narrowly missed double 12 for the win, allowing Part back into the match - and he struck back to win in a decider.
Part took the game's opening leg on double ten, before Webster levelled and then broke the throw in leg three after the double World Champion failed to take his chances.
A 105 finish put Webster 3-1 up going into the break, and he won a second leg against the throw in the fifth on double top.
A fine sixth leg saw Webster need 87 for the win, but he was narrowly off-target on double 12, with Part landing the bullseye for a 90 finish for a 12-darter which kept him in the game.
Part took leg seven to pull back to 4-3, and then stepped in to level on double eight and send the game into a decider.
A second maximum of the game from Part gave him the advantage in the final leg, and he sealed the win on double eight.
"It was very entertaining, a topsy-turvey game and I responded to Mark," said Part. "He raised his game and I lifted mine.
"I'm a responsive player and I'm at my best that way, and Mark brought the best out of me. I started slowly but I knew I had a gear to respond."
Webster admitted: "I don't think I did a lot wrong but I'm effectively out of the tournament now and it's hard to take.
"I played okay and hopefully I can turn things around in the last game against Gary Mawson."
JELLE KLAASEN 5-3 KEVIN McDINE
JELLE KLAASEN put one foot into the second round of the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-3 win over Kevin McDine.
The Dutchman made it two wins from two matches at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall by seeing off the ITV Wildcard Qualifier.
Klaasen overcame Shaun Greatbatch 5-1 on Saturday, and looked set to repeat that win when he moved 3-1 up, before resisting McDine's fightback to take the win.
The first two legs were shared before a classy 121 finish put the Dutchman 2-1 up, and he then extended the cushion by winning leg four on double ten.
McDine returned from the break to take the next two legs and level matters, before the former World Champion crucially broke the throw on double top in leg seven.
It was a crucial blow, and he had the advantage in the next before landing double eight for the win.
"My scoring was pretty good but my doubles weren't great and I'll have to improve my finishing," said Klaasen.
"I've won two matches now but I'm not through yet and I'll look forward to playing Peter Manley."
ANDY HAMILTON 5-2 TERRY JENKINS
ANDY HAMILTON made it two wins from as many matches at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-2 defeat of Terry Jenkins.
Hamilton has started the tournament strongly, overcoming Vincent van der Voort on Saturday and then defeating Group B seed Jenkins.
He is now almost certain to win a place in round two, with his third game coming against South Africa's Charles Losper on Monday night.
Hamilton took the game's opening leg but maximums in the next two were not enough, with missed doubles costing him as Jenkins took a 2-1 lead.
But Jenkins missed double top to extend that cushion going into the break, allowing Hamilton to level and then hit double two for the third leg.
Another 180 helped Hamilton move 4-2 up, before he took out double eight for the victory.
"It was a good result and I felt I played well enough to win," said Hamilton. "I hit big scores at the right time and put Terry under pressure.
"I've done my bit now and should be able to relax and enjoy Monday."
JAMES WADE 5-1 PAT ORREAL
JAMES WADE moved to the top of Group C at the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts with a swift 5-1 win over Pat Orreal.
Wade scraped past Phill Nixon in Saturday's opening clash, but was in fine form against the Australian, who held his own against the PDC world number three.
Orreal landed two 180s, but was never in with a shout after Wade opened with a 13-darter and then landed double five to double the lead.
A two-dart 100 checkout got Orreal off the mark, but two missed doubles to level the match proved costly for the Queenslander, as Wade went into the break 3-1 up.
Double ten in the next leg put Wade within touching distance of the win, and the duo traded 180s in leg six before Wade stepped in to seal the win.
"I'm pleased with that," said Wade. "Pat missed a few doubles, but I believe I deserved the win."
PHIL TAYLOR 5-1 COLIN LLOYD
PHIL TAYLOR powered past Colin Lloyd 5-1 to maintain his unbeaten start to the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Taylor admitted to being nervous in his opening game against Wayne Mardle, but backed up that triumph to move onto four points in Group E.
He averaged 104.82 against Lloyd, taking out 42 percent of his doubles and hitting three 180s, including one with his first three darts of the match.
Taylor took leg one in 11 darts, and then moved 2-0 up with a 13-darter.
Lloyd missed four darts to win the third leg, with Taylor stepping in on double 19 before another 13-darter put him 4-0 up at the break.
Rare misses from Taylor in the next allowed Lloyd to capitalise and get off the mark on double 20.
But Taylor showed little mercy, completing the win on double 16 in the next to put one foot into round two.
"I'm over the moon with that," said Taylor. "The first leg set the tone for the game and I knew I had to get off to a quick start.
"I've practised hard for this event and I'm really determined to win it and get back to the top."
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 5-3 ADRIAN LEWIS
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD'S fine start to the PartyBets.com Grand Slam of Darts continued with a 5-3 win over Adrian Lewis.
The Dutchman continued where he left off against Chris Mason on Saturday, with his clinical finishing accompanied by four maximums to see him average almost 101 in the contest.
Van Barneveld won the first leg on double 12 after Lewis missed with three darts at the bed, and a 13-darter gave him leg two.
Lewis got off the mark in the third, eventually landing double top after van Barneveld missed double 18 to steal the leg.
An 81 finish sent van Barneveld into the break at 3-1 before a 121 finish on the bullseye from Lewis cut the lead to one leg.
A maximum in a third successive leg from van Barneveld helped him to take a 4-2 cushion.
Lewis took the seventh leg and opened the next with a 180 before four missed darts allowed van Barneveld back - and the Dutchman took out double 16 to complete the win.
"When the draw came out I knew I would have three close games and you can't afford to miss a double in these games," he said.
"In the first leg Adrian missed three and then I hit mine, and that was important for the whole match because I then won the second and was 2-0 up."
Van Barneveld also revealed that he has turned to meditation to prepare himself for the tournament.
"I started meditating last Monday and have been doing it two times a day to relax myself," he added. "It's working and I'm concentrated, and in my body I'm calm.
"I've put myself under pressure all year and now I'm relaxed and enjoying myself." |