BARNEY AVOIDS UPSET AS ZIPANG CASINO JAPAN DARTS MASTERS KICKS OFF IN STYLE
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD overcame a scare before he defeated Katsuya Aiba 6-4 in the first round of the Zipang Casino Japan Darts Masters on Saturday, as the PDC World Series of Darts event enjoyed a spectacular opening in Yokohama.
The PDC's first televised event in Japan saw an enthusiastic crowd of over 1,000 pack Yokohama's Osanbashi Hall to see eight leading domestic stars take on the sport's biggest names.
Dutch star van Barneveld was the PDC star who came closest to elimination before he overcame Katsuya Aida 6-4.
Van Barneveld began confidently with a 13-dart finish, but Aida led 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 with some assured finishing - but he crucially missed one dart at double 16 in leg eight to open up a two-leg lead.
The five-time World Champion stepped in to follow up an earlier 107 checkout with a 104 finish, before moving 5-4 up on double five and then sealing victory with a 146 combination.
"I'm happy with the win but not happy with the way I played," said van Barneveld. "In the first couple of legs everything was fine, but I had a few sloppy legs after that.
"The three big finishes were important, especially the two at the end, but getting the win was all that mattered and I can prepare for the next day now."
Van Barneveld now takes on 16-time World Champion Phil Taylor, who defeated Masumi Chino 6-2 in another game which saw the Japanese ace impress.
Taylor landed two 180s as he took the game's first three legs, only for Chino to finish 69 to hit back in the fourth and double ten to pull back to 3-2.
Taylor, though, finished 135 to restore his breathing space before winning the next two legs to progress.
"It's very nerve-wracking coming up against a player you don't know much about, but he's a fantastic player who'll get better and better," said Taylor.
"We've had a wonderful reception from everyone in Japan and it's a tournament that we're all desperate to win tomorrow night."
World Champion Gary Anderson landed four 180s in his 6-2 defeat of Yuki Yamada, who took out 121 on the bull but was unable to match the Scot's power scoring.
"He played really well and I could see that I was up against a good player when I saw him in the practice room," said Anderson. "It was in the back of my mind that none of us wanted to lose today, so it's a relief.
"We're all gunning for the title and it's going to be a cracker on Sunday."
Anderson will meet James Wade in the quarter-finals on Sunday evening, after the eight-time major winner defeated double World Championship qualifier Morihiro Hashimoto 6-2.
Hashimoto hit back from 3-0 down to 3-2 at one stage, but Wade finished double 12, tops and double ten to seal his place in the last eight.
"I don't think Morihiro produced the darts he can do but I did enough to win tonight," said Wade. "I'm looking forward to the final day because the crowd were fantastic and they enjoyed themselves."
World number one Michael van Gerwen, who won the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters a month ago, began his bid to win another World Series title with a 13-minute whitewash of Chikara Fujimori.
"It's a comfortable win and though it wasn't my best game I'm still in the tournament and still going, so you can't ask for any more than that," said van Gerwen.
"I feel good and I'm playing well, but I've got more in my pocket and I'll have to show that on Sunday. I won the last World Series event in Dubai and I'd love to win this too."
Van Gerwen's quarter-final opponent will be Stephen Bunting, who hit six doubles from eight attempts in a clinical 6-1 win over Shintaro Inoue, whose only leg came with a 118 checkout.
"I don't think the scoreline reflected the game because he missed some doubles to go ahead and it could have been a different game if he had hit them," admitted Bunting.
"He showed what a fantastic player he is but he missed a few doubles early on, and six out of eight for me is probably as well as I've finished all year."
Adrian Lewis swept past Sho Katsumi with a 6-0 whitewash to begin his bid for a first World Series of Darts victory.
"He beat me in the World Cup a couple of years ago so I owed him one, but it was going to be tough for him in front of his home crowd," said Lewis.
"It wasn't a great game but I got the job done, and as long as you win then you know you can improve your performance. If I want to win the tournament then I've got to be on my best form on Sunday but I'm feeling good."
Lewis will now take on Peter Wright, who ended home hopes in the tournament with a 6-1 defeat of Japanese number one Haruki Muramatsu, averaging 102.28 in the best-quality performance of the first round.
Wright landed two 11-darters as he took a 3-0 lead, before Muramatsu took out 100 to hit back, but the colourful former World Championship finalist pulled clear by taking the next three legs without reply.
"I knew that I was up against the top Japanese player and the amazing venue and great crowd spurred me on," said Wright. "It was hard being on last after everyone else had played, and won, so there was more pressure on me and it's a relief to get the win.
"I still feel that I've got more in the tank, but I really enjoyed the game. It's going to be tough on Sunday with three games but I can't wait."
The tournament concludes on Sunday with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in one bumper session at the Osanbashi Hall in Yokohama.
Play commences at 6pm local time (10am BST), with live coverage available through JSport in Japan and worldwide through the PDC's broadcast partners, as well as for www.LIVEPDC.TV International Pass Subscribers.
UK Coverage of the Zipang Casino Darts Masters on ITV4 will be shown delayed at 6.30pm-11.30pm (BST) on Saturday June 27 and from 6.15pm-11.15pm (BST) on Sunday June 28.
Zipang Casino Japan Darts Masters
Saturday June 27
First Round
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Shintaro Inoue
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 Katsuya Aiba
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Sho Katsumi
Phil Taylor 6-2 Masumi Chino
James Wade 6-2 Morihiro Hashimoto
Gary Anderson 6-2 Yuki Yamada
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Chikara Fujimori
Peter Wright 6-1 Haruki Muramatsu
Best of 11 legs
Sunday June 28
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright v Adrian Lewis
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld
James Wade v Gary Anderson
Semi-Finals
van Gerwen/Bunting v Wright/Lewis
Taylor/van Barneveld v Wade/Anderson
Final
v
All games are the best of 15 legs
Television Coverage
JSport - Japan
ITV4 - UK (Delayed)
Setanta - Ireland
OSN - Middle East & North Africa
Fox Sports - Australia
Sky - New Zealand
RTL7 - Netherlands
Fox Asia
PPTV Online - China
www.LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers outside of UK, Ireland & Netherlands.
UK Coverage of the Zipang Casino Darts Masters on ITV4 will be shown delayed at 6.30pm-11.30pm (BST) on Saturday June 27 and from 6.15pm-11.15pm (BST) on Sunday June 28.
MATCH INFORMATION
Stephen Bunting v Shintaro Inoue
1-0 - Bunting wins the tournament's opening leg, taking out 76 on tops.
1-1 - Inoue levels the game with a superb 118 checkout, thrilling the Japanese crowd.
2-1 - Inoue misses double top to break throw, allowing Bunting a let-off from a missed bullseye as he returns to land double eight.
3-1 - Bunting fires in a 180 and finishes 61 on double 18 to win the leg - but only after Inoue misses tops to level!
4-1 - Bunting lands another 180 before hitting double 16 to move three legs clear.
5-1 - Bunting takes out 66 to continue his charge with a fourth successive leg.
6-1 - Double top seals Bunting's victory and a place in the quarter-finals, as he ends with an impressive 6/8 on his doubles.
Raymond van Barneveld v Katsuya Aiba
1-0 - van Barneveld makes an ideal start, hitting a 180 and double top for a 13-dart opening leg.
1-1 - Aiba levels the game, hitting a maximum of his own before taking out 70 on tops, after the Dutchman missed double 18.
1-2 - A scrappy leg sees van Barneveld punished for missed doubles across three visits as Aiba lands double two to break throw and move ahead.
2-2 - van Barneveld's double troubles continue before he hits double four to hit back.
2-3 - Aiba takes out double nine to move back in front.
3-3 - van Barneveld finishes a confidence-boosting 107 checkout to level.
3-4 - Aiba delights the home crowd by finishing 48 to regain the lead.
4-4 - Aiba misses one dart, at double 16, to take a two-leg advantage, and van Barneveld finishes 104 to square the contest.
5-4 - van Barneveld moves back into the lead, finishing 60 on double five.
6-4 - The Dutchman seals victory in style with a third ton-plus checkout of the game, taking out 146 on double 16 to move into the last eight.
Adrian Lewis v Sho Katsumi
1-0 - Lewis finishes double eight with his third dart as he takes the opening leg.
2-0 - The world number four takes out 55 to doubles his advantage with a break of throw.
3-0 - Katsumi misses a dart at tops, allowing Lewis in to take out 72 on tops to win a third leg.
4-0 - Lewis lands a 180 before double ten wins him a fourth leg.
5-0 - A second maximum from Lewis is followed by double five as he moves to the brink of victory.
6-0 - Double one sees Lewis complete a whitewash victory.
Phil Taylor v Masumi Chino
1-0 - Taylor opens in style, landing a 180 and finishing double four for a 13-darter.
2-0 - Chino misses two darts at double 16 to punish Taylor for his wayward finishing, allowing the world number two back in on double six.
3-0 - Taylor lands a 180 before wiring the bullseye to complete a party-piece 125 checkout, but Chino is unable to finish 95 to allow his opponent back in to land double eight for a third straight leg.
3-1 - Chino gets off the mark with a break of throw, finishing 69 on double 18.
3-2 - The Japanese ace trades 180s with Taylor before punishing three missed doubles from the 16-time World Champion by hitting double ten to reduce the gap to one leg.
4-2 - Taylor regains his breathing space with a superb 135 checkout.
5-2 - Double 16 sees Taylor move a leg away from victory.
6-2 - Taylor posts his fourth 180 of the game before finishing double ten for a 14-darter to wrap up the win.
James Wade v Morihiro Hashimoto
1-0 - Wade secures an immediate break of throw by winning the opening leg.
2-0 - The left-hander takes out 35 to double his advantage.
3-0 - Wade misses the bull to finish 124, but Hashimoto miscounts when needing 117 - throwing at the bull instead of double top - and the world number six returns to finish double ten for a three-leg lead.
3-1 - Wade is punished for missed doubles across two visits as Hashimoto steps in on double eight to break throw.
3-2 - Hashimoto initially misses double 16 for a 106 finish, but returns on double eight to reduce the gap to one leg.
4-2 - Double 12 moves Wade two legs clear once more.
5-2 - Wade lands double top as he moves one leg away from victory.
6-2 - Wade kicks off the leg with his first 180 of the game, and adds scores of 140 and 134 before finishing double ten to complete a 14-darter for the win.
Gary Anderson v Yuki Yamada
1-0 - Anderson lands double 12 to claim the opening leg of the game.
2-0 - The World Champion misses the bull for a 170 checkout before eventually taking the leg on double three.
2-1 - Yamada hits the game's first 180 before finishing double top to win his first leg of the game.
3-1 - Anderson recovers from two misses at double 14 by returning on double seven.
4-1 - Anderson lands a 180 as he takes a three-leg lead.
5-1 - The Scot wins his third successive leg as he moves to the brink of victory.
5-2 - Anderson opens with a 180, but Yamada takes out 121 on the bull to keep his hopes alive.
6-2 - Anderson raises hopes of achieving a nine-dart finish by opening with two 180s, but is unable to land a seventh treble 20 - although he returns to finish double eight for a 13-darter as he seals the win.
Michael van Gerwen v Chikara Fujimori
1-0 - van Gerwen takes the opening leg to make the ideal start.
2-0 - A 74 finish sees the Dutchman double his lead.
3-0 - The world number one lands a 180 before hitting double eight to move three legs clear.
4-0 - van Gerwen misses the bull to take out 124 before returning to land double eight.
5-0 - van Gerwen opens with a 180 before double two moves him to the brink of victory.
6-0 - Double ten sees van Gerwen progress to the quarter-finals.
Peter Wright v Haruki Muramatsu
1-0 - Double four gives Wright the opening leg.
2-0 - Wright lands a 180 and double 15 to move two legs up.
3-0 - Wright moves three legs clear with a brilliant 11-darter, opening with a 180 and finishing on double 16.
3-1 - Muramatsu gets off the mark with a fine leg, hitting a 180 and a 100 finish.
4-1 - Double 16 restores Wright's three leg cushion.
5-1 - Wright lands a 180 before punishing a miss from Muramatsu at tops by landing double four to move four legs clear.
6-1 - Double 16 sees Wright complete victory and set up a quarter-final tie with Adrian Lewis.