European Championship - Night One

REIGNING PartyPoker.net European Championship winner Phil Taylor made a winning start to the defence of his title with a 6-2 win over Co Stompe on Thursday night.

Taylor has won the previous two stagings of the European Championship and was in clinical mood at the Stadthalle in Dinslaken as he bids to claim Sunday's £50,000 first prize.

Stompe gave Taylor some edgy moments in the opening five legs, but three missed darts to level the game in the sixth allowed the Stoke legend to put daylight between the duo before winning the next two without reply to seal victory.

Taylor will now face Andy Smith in the second round on Saturday, after the Studley-based thrower knocked out Paul Nicholson 6-3 in Germany.

World number four Mervyn King crashed out of the tournament with a 6-3 defeat to Barrie Bates, who took a 5-0 lead and held off a brief fightback to claim victory.

Bates takes on Jamie Caven in round two, after the Derby man came from 2-0 down to see off Scotland's Gary Anderson 6-2 in their clash.

Jelle Klaasen also produced a spirited comeback to defeat Vincent van der Voort 6-4 in the battle of the Dutch aces, having included finishes of 142 and 92 in coming from 3-1 down to take the win.

Klaasen meets Mark Walsh in the second round, with the number eight seed having overcome Spanish debutant Antonio Alcinas 6-3, despite trailing the newcomer - who hit a 160 finish - 3-2 midway through the game.

Germany's Andree Welge also threatened an upset in his clash with world number five Terry Jenkins, coming from 4-2 down to level before the English star took the last two legs in style.

Simon Whitlock set up a tasty last 16 meeting with Jenkins on Saturday with his 6-3 win over two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley.

The first round concludes on Friday night at the Stadthalle in Dinslaken with the remaining eight matches, which include number two seed Raymond van Barneveld's meeting with Andy Hamilton.

World number three James Wade faces Colin Lloyd, Adrian Lewis takes on Wayne Jones and German pair Bernd Roith and Tomas Seyler are in action on home soil when they take on Denis Ovens and Michael van Gerwen.

The PartyPoker.net European Championship is being shown live on Sport1 in Germany and on Bravo in the UK - Bravo can be found at channel 123 on Sky and 136 on Virgin Media.

Watch higlights from 7pm on Friday July 30 in PDCtv - click here for more information

PartyPoker.net European Championship
Schedule of Play
Thursday July 29
First Round
Paul Nicholson 3-6 Andy Smith
Mark Walsh 6-3 Antonio Alcinas
Terry Jenkins 6-4 Andree Welge
Simon Whitlock 6-3 Dennis Priestley
Gary Anderson 2-6 Jamie Caven
Phil Taylor 6-2 Co Stompe
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Mervyn King 3-6 Barrie Bates

ANDY SMITH 6-3 PAUL NICHOLSON
ANDY SMITH punished Paul Nicholson's missed doubles to progress to the second round of the PartyPoker.net European Championship with a 6-3 win.

Smith, opening up the tournament against January's Players Championship Finals winner, bounced back from a first round exit in the World Matchplay in style to move into the last 16.

He trailed 2-1 early in the game, having won the opening leg with a 70 finish only to miss a dart to take the second as Nicholson levelled on double four and hit a 180 and a bullseye finish to move ahead.

Smith, though, took out 120 to square the match and then followed up a double eight finish - after four misses from Nicholson - with a 12-darter to take a 4-2 lead.

Nicholson took the advantage in the seventh with another maximum, but five more missed doubles allowed Smith in on double five to move a leg away from victory.

Nicholson then hit two 180s in the next leg, but further missed doubles allowed Smith in for a chance to seal the win - only for him to then waste four match darts as double one kept the world number 16 in the game.

The pair traded maximum scores in the next, but four further misses from Nicholson gave Smith another chance, and this time he posted double 16 to take victory.

"I scored really well but missed a lot of doubles," said Smith, who faces Phil Taylor or Co Stompe in round two.

"I've had a bad leg recently and that means I've not practised as much as I'd have wanted before this but I was determined to do well and I managed to get through to victory."

Match Stats

Paul Nicholson	3-6	Andy Smith
9	100+	16
2	140+	7
5	180	1
27.70	Ave1	30.27
83.11	Ave3	90.82
90	High Finish	120
2	Legs Against Throw	4

MARK WALSH 6-3 ANTONIO ALCINAS
MARK WALSH survived a scare from newcomer Antonio Alcinas before booking his place in the second round of the PartyPoker.net European Championship.

Walsh, the number eight seed, found himself 3-2 down against the impressive Spanish debutant, who defied any nerves on his debut in a televised event to come from 2-0 behind to lead.

However, Walsh found his clinical range on double top, pinning the bed in four successive legs to move into the last 16.

Walsh took the game's opening leg and hit a 177 to leave 24 in breaking throw to double his advantage with a 13-darter.

Alcinas got off the mark by taking out 76 to break back, and won the next two to take the lead, the latter with a sensational 160 checkout.

He also hit a maximum in the sixth, but Walsh battled back and landed double top to square the match before hitting the same bed in the next to regain the lead.

Alcinas fought to level in the next, but Walsh's accuracy on his favoured double top gave him a 5-3 cushion and he repeated the feat to wrap up the win with a superb 127 finish.

Match Stats

Mark Walsh	6-3	Antonio Alcinas
16	100+	9
9	140+	8
1	180	0
32.63	Ave1	30.35
97.90	Ave3	91.06
127	High Finish	160
3	Legs Against Throw	2

TERRY JENKINS 6-4 ANDREE WELGE
TERRY JENKINS held off the spirited challenge of Germany's Andree Welge to pick up a 6-4 first round win in the PartyPoker.net European Championship.

Jenkins had been a first round loser in the previous two European Championships, but ended that run with a strong finish after Welge hit back from 4-2 down to level as the world number five lost his range on the doubles.

Welge took the game's opening leg before Jenkins took out finishes of 121 and 78 to take the next two in edging in front, showing no signs of nerves following last week's first round loss to Steve Brown in the World Matchplay.

Four missed doubles in the next allowed Welge in to level, hitting double ten with his third dart, only for finishes of double six and double eight in the next two to give Jenkins a 4-2 advantage.

However, his finishing deserted him in the next two legs as he missed 12 darts at the double and Welge, courtesy of double five and a two-dart 83 finish, saw the German level.

He also hit five successive treble 20s to kick off the ninth leg, but Jenkins piled on the pressure with a 180 leave 81 and - after Welge missed darts at double 16 and eight - he landed the bull for a 5-4 lead.

Jenkins kicked off the next with hammer blows of 140 and 180 for Welge, and went on to seal victory on double 16.

Match Stats

Terry Jenkins	6-4	Andree Welge
14	100+	10
11	140+	3
2	180	1
30.63	Ave1	26.41
91.88	Ave3	79.24
121	High Finish	83
3	Legs Against Throw	2

SIMON WHITLOCK 6-3 DENNIS PRIESTLEY
AUSSIE sensation Simon whitlock powered into the second round of the PartyPoker.net European Championship with a 6-3 defeat of Dennis Priestley in Dinslaken on Thursday night.

Whitlock, a semi-finalist last week in the World Matchplay, continued his good form to see off Priestley with a near-100 average and hitting five maximums.

The pair traded 180s in sharing the first two legs, before Priestley - after hitting a second maximum of the match - missed one dart at double top to break and Whitlock landed double 12 for a 2-1 lead.

Whitlock then stepped up a gear to reel off back-to-back 13-dart finishes and then landed double 16 for a 5-1 lead.

The two-time World Champion stepped in to keep the match alive after Whitlock missed darts for the game in the next two legs, landing double eight and double 16 to maintain hope of a comeback.

But Whitlock fired in a 180 amongst three ton-plus scores to kick off the next, and sealed the match on double five.

Match Stats

Simon Whitlock	6-3	Dennis Priestley
15	100+	13
6	140+	5
5	180	2
33.20	Ave1	29.95
99.60	Ave3	89.84
57	High Finish	24
2	Legs Against Throw	1

JAMIE CAVEN 6-2 GARY ANDERSON
JAMIE CAVEN reeled off six straight legs to power past Gary Anderson and win a spot in the last 16 of the PartyPoker.net European Championship in Dinslaken.

Scottish ace Anderson took the game's opening two legs, defying a maximum from Caven to win the first and landing a 180 of his own in the second.

However, Caven landed double five in the next to settle his nerves and fired home a 12-darter - which featured two 180s - to break throw and level.

Anderson, battling a shoulder problem, could do little as Caven won the next for a 3-2 lead before he paid the price for five misses in leg six as the Derby man moved 4-2 up.

Anderson hit another 180 in the next, but Caven posted double eight to move a leg away from the win before punishing three misses from the Scot to seal victory on double top.

Match Stats

Gary Anderson	2-6	Jamie Caven
6	100+	8
5	140+	4
3	180	3
28.36	Ave1	30.09
85.08	Ave3	90.26
48	High Finish	91
1	Legs Against Throw	2

PHIL TAYLOR 6-2 CO STOMPE
REIGNING PartyPoker.net European Championship winner Phil Taylor made a winning start to the defence of his title with a 6-2 win over Co Stompe on Thursday night.

Taylor has won the previous two stagings of the European Championship and was in clinical mood at the Stadthalle in Dinslaken as he bids to claim Sunday's £50,000 first prize.

Stompe gave Taylor some edgy moments in the opening five legs, but three missed darts to level the game in the sixth allowed the Stoke legend to put daylight between the duo before winning the next two without reply to seal victory.

"It was a difficult game but a very good game too," he said. "I kept putting him under pressure and it worked for me.

"Co played well but I picked up on him missing doubles and under pressure he was doing that.

"The Dutch players are very competitive and Co epitomises that. He works hard at his game and it showed because he made me work very hard."

Taylor landed a 180 in the game's opening leg, which he took with double 16, before Stompe replied with a maximum of his own to level.

Taylor landed a 177 and 140 to kick off the third, and had enough breathing space despite another maximum from Stompe to miss two darts at a double before returning to hit double six for a 2-1 lead.

The 15-time World Champion produced another 180 in the fourth, which he won on double 14, before Stompe fired in a maximum and double four for the fifth to pull back to 3-2.

He also had a chance to level in the sixth, but missed darts at the bull, double four and double two as Taylor crucially moved 4-2 up on double eight.

Double 16 put him a leg away from victory, and after the pair traded maximums in the next he landed the same double again to wrap up the win.

Match Stats

Phil Taylor	6-2	Co Stompe
9	100+	10
8	140+	3
3	180	4
33.76	Ave1	32.74
101.27	Ave3	98.22
64	High Finish	94
3	Legs Against Throw	1

JELLE KLAASEN 6-4 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT
JELLE KLAASEN battled from 3-1 down to win the all-Dutch first round clash with Vincent van der Voort in the PartyPoker.net European Championship with a 6-4 triumph.

Klaasen, fresh from his quarter-final appearance in the World Matchplay, showed great resilience to see off his close friend and set up a second round clash with Mark Walsh in Dinslaken.

Klaasen missed darts to win the opening two legs, with van der Voort twice posting double top to move 2-0 up, and after the youngster took the third on double 16 he finished 103 to move 3-1 up.

That checkout was bettered by a 142 from Klaasen in the fifth, before he landed double eight for a 76 finish to level.

Double ten put Klaasen 4-3 up, although van der Voort posted double three to briefly stem the tide and square the match again.

Klaasen returned from two missed doubles to win a pivotal ninth leg on double ten, and checked out 92 to seal the win in the next.

Match Stats

Jelle Klaasen	6-4	Vincent van der Voort
9	100+	10
9	140+	10
0	180	0
29.35	Ave1	28.81
88.05	Ave3	86.44
142	High Finish	103
2	Legs Against Throw	1

BARRIE BATES 6-3 MERVYN KING
BARRIE BATES fended off Mervyn King's fightback to win a second round place at the PartyPoker.net European Championship with a 6-3 triumph.

Bates produced some of his best-ever darts on the televised stage as he stormed into a 5-0 lead, only for King to win three in threatening a comeback before the Welshman wrapped up the win.

A missed double 16 from King in the opening leg cost him dearly, as Bates finished 56 to win the first leg before powering home a 130 checkout in the next.

A 96 checkout put Bates 3-0 up, and he broke throw for a second time on double four, after hitting a maximum, before landing double 12 for a 5-0 lead against the world number four.

A second maximum of the game helped Bates to leave a finish in the sixth to whitewash King, who replied with a 180 and took out 124 on the bull to stay in the game.

He also picked up 180s in the next two legs as finishes of 70 and 84 kept the match alive, only to see three 140s go to waste in the ninth, with three missed doubles allowing Bates back to take out 84 himself on the bull to seal victory.

"I've probably never been 5-0 up before and I took my time getting over the finishing line," admitted Bates. "Mervyn is a quality player and he did well to come back, but I'm very pleased with my performance."

Match Stats