REPORTS from the first round of the Bullit World Darts Trophy, with John Part, Dennis Priestley and Peter Manley among the winners.
Gary Anderson 3-0 Wayne Atwood
Gary Anderson produced an impressive display to start the Bullit World Darts Trophy, dropping just one leg against preliminary round qualifier Wayne Atwood.
Anderson, who won the International Darts League in May, took out three ton-plus checkouts and landed four maximums to move into the last 16 in style.
He won the first set without reply, opening with double 16 in the first leg and a 130 finish before double two put him 1-0 up.
Atwood levelled the second set at 1-1 on double top, but Anderson stepped up a gear in the third leg with his first maximum to leave a double 12 finish.
A 120 "Shanghai" checkout then sealed the second set, before he added further 180s in taking the third set without reply.
A second 120 finish saw him wrap up the win without missing a single double attempt - after Atwood had hit a 180 with what proved to be his final darts of the game.
John Part 3-1 Niels de Ruiter
John Part overcame a nervous start to defeat Niels de Ruiter 3-1 and set up a second round date with Gary Anderson in the Bullit World Darts Trophy.
The Canadian was forced to come from a set behind to the home favourite after a slow opening set as he struggled to get into a rhythm.
De Ruiter took the first and third legs, with two first-dart doubles from Part seeing him take the set into a deciding leg only to miss at double top and double ten before the Dutchman landed double eight for a 1-0 cushion.
Part, though, found his feet in the second, taking three legs without reply to level the game thanks to double six, double 18 and double eight finishes.
De Ruiter was punished in the third for missed doubles as Part twice broke his opponent's throw to win another set 3-0 and edge in front in the contest.
The young Dutchman broke back to win the fourth set with a brilliant 138 finish on double 18, only for Part to respond by winning the next two legs.
De Ruiter crucially hit double nine to stay in the game in the fourth leg, but the double World Champion showed his class with a superb 11-darter to seal the win, opening with a 180 and leaving 11 with a 170 score before wrapping up the victory on double four.
Simon Whitlock 3-2 Wayne Mardle
Simon Whitlock held off a spirited Wayne Mardle comeback to win a five-set encounter and move into round two of the Bullit World Darts Trophy.
The Australian looked to set to cruise to the win when he won six of the first seven legs to open up a two-set lead.
He also missed one dart for the game in the third set before Mardle hit back to square the match, but maximums in three successive legs in the decider proved crucial in sending Whitlock through.
Mardle was punished for missed doubles in the opening leg of the game, and Whitlock took out 112 in taking the first set without reply.
He also opened up a 2-0 lead in the second with a pair of double four finishes, before a 104 checkout got Mardle off the mark.
A second 180 of the game helped Whitlock take the fourth leg on double nine and double his lead.
The current Australian Grand Prix leader then took out 118 to move in front in set three, before Mardle took the next two legs to lead 201.
He missed two darts for the set in leg four as Whitlock square, before the favour was returned in the deciding leg after the Australian missed double 16 for a 101 finish and victory - a two-dart 70 pulling Mardle back into the contest.
Mardle swept through the fourth set with three successive legs to level the game at 2-2.
But Whitlock found another gear in the decider, winning the opening leg on double 16 with the throw before securing a crucial break with an excellent 12-darter in leg two, which featured five perfect darts and a 76 finish.
Another maximum in leg three put him clear, and he was on target with double 12 to move into the last 16.
Peter Manley 3-2 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Manley punished a sloppy display from Michael van Gerwen to edge himself into the second round of the Bullit World Darts Trophy with a 3-2 victory in Saturday evening's opening game.
Dutch youngster van Gerwen produced some superb darts at times, but was equally guilty with some erratic finishing to gift a host of chances to Manley.
Van Gerwen opened the game with a 93 finish to break Manley's throw, and the pair traded maximums in the next before the Englishman hit back to level.
The teenager added further 180s in the next two legs to take the set 3-1 and move ahead.
However, the opening leg of the second set typified van Gerwen's performance; he scored 180, 140 and 145 to leave 36 for a ten-darter, and proceeded to miss nine darts at double 18 and allow Manley back in to win the leg on double top.
A two-dart 62 finish in the next from van Gerwen levelled matters before Manley punished further missed doubles from the youngster to win the next two legs and square the game.
Both players suffered double trouble in the third set's opener, with van Gerwen missing seven darts and Manley then hitting his eighth dart for the leg on double one.
The next three legs went with the throw to send the set into a decider, which Manley took at ease to go 2-1 up.
Van Gerwen then won set four 3-0, but missed an amazing 16 darts at the double in the three legs.
Finishes of 96 from Manley and 98 from van Gerwen left the final set deadlocked at one-all before the crucial moment of the match in leg three.
Manley had missed six darts at a double when van Gerwen returned to the oche needing 60, only for his first two darts to land above the board - gifting the Englishman another chance at double two, which he this time took.
Manley then kicked off with three ton-plus scores to give himself the cushion and landed double ten to book his place in round two, where he will face Australia's Simon Whitlock.
Martin Adams 3-1 Denis Ovens
Martin Adams produced a clinical performance to see off Denis Ovens 3-1 in his Bullit World Darts Trophy opener on Saturday night.
Adams, the Lakeside champion and runner-up in last year's World Darts Trophy, reeled off six of the last seven legs to end Ovens' spirited resistance.
Adams won the game's opening set 3-1 before Ovens hit back by winning the second in a decider, taking out double four to square the contest.
However, the qualifier had few chances after that, with the third going to Adams without reply thanks to two double 16 finishes and a double eight checkout.
Ovens won the opening leg of set four, but a two-dart 61 from Adams levelled matters, a maximum in leg three helped him to break the throw and he then landed double 12 for victory to move into the second round.
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Mike Veitch
Dennis Priestley fended off a fightback from Mike Veitch to move into the last 16 of the Bullit World Darts Trophy with a 3-1 victory.
Priestley looked set to coast to victory when he won the game's first two sets without reply, before Veitch hit back to win the third and also provide some nervous moments in the fourth before the double World Champion sealed the win.
Priestley began in superb form, winning the first leg on double four, the second with a superb 160 checkout when his opponent was left on double 16 and the third leg on double top.
Veitch was punished twice in the second set as Priestley doubled his lead by winning another three legs without reply, including a 116 checkout.
Priestley extended his run to seven straight legs by winning the third set's opener, but then wasted six darts for the second leg before Veitch got off the mark on double one.
Priestley moved 2-1 up on double 16, only for Veitch to take out 102 and square the set, before double top saw him pull back into the contest.
He paid, though, for a missed dart at double top when Priestley hit the same bed to break Veitch's throw in the fourth set's opening leg, and the Yorkshireman opened the second leg with a 180 before adding another 116 finish to move to within a leg of victory.
Scores of 140 and 180 helped Priestley set up a potential 12-darter in the next, only to miss three darts for the match before Veitch scrambled home double ten to stay in the game.
It was, though, brief respite for the Scotsman as Priestley landed a fifth maximum of the game in the next leg and took out double four to complete a polished display.
Priestley's 160 finish was the highest yet in the tournament, putting him in line for the 1,000 bonus for the top checkout of the week.
Bullit World Darts Trophy - Saturday
First Round
Afternoon Session
Gary Anderson 3-0 Wayne Atwood (3-0, 3-1, 3-0)
John Part 3-1 Niels de Ruiter (2-3, 3-0, 3-0, 3-2)
Simon Whitlock 3-2 Wayne Mardle (3-0, 3-1, 2-3, 0-3, 3-0)
Evening Session
Peter Manley 3-2 Michael van Gerwen (1-3, 3-1, 3-2, 0-3, 3-1)
Martin Adams 3-1 Denis Ovens (3-1, 2-3, 3-0, 3-1)
Dennis Priestley 3-1 Mike Veitch (3-0, 3-0, 2-3, 3-1)
Best of five sets, best of five legs per set