European Darts Grand Prix Third Round

BRILLIANT CULLEN LEAVES BARNEY SPEECHLESS IN SINDELFINGEN THRILLER
 

JOE CULLEN produced an astounding display to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 as both players topped 110 averages at the European Darts Grand Prix, as Mensur Suljovic continued to thrill the German crowd in Sindelfingen.

Bradford youngster Cullen had impressed with a 103.58 win over Dave Chisnall in Saturday's second round, but bettered that in a game of the highest quality against five-time World Champion van Barneveld, who matched Michael van Gerwen in being knocked out despite a 111 average!

Van Barneveld hit the first two of eight 180s in the game as he took the opening leg in 13 darts, with Cullen landing a maximum and a 91 finish to level.

Two further 180s from the Dutchman were not enough in leg three as Cullen scored 180, 140 and 145 before finishing double 18 for an 11-darter, and the pair also traded 180s in leg four before double 12 completed a 13-darter for the youngster.

Checkouts of 125 and 100 for Cullen moved him 5-1 up, with the pair also trading 180s in the seventh leg as double four saw van Barneveld save the game.

Cullen, though, hit five perfect darts for the third time in the game to open leg eight, with van Barneveld replying with another maximum but missing the bull to continue his challenge before double two saw the youngster complete a stunning display.

Cullen now plays Austria's Mensur Suljovic, who defied three ton-plus checkouts from Mervyn King to edge a thrilling third round tie 6-5 with a brilliant 13-darter in the deciding leg.

After Suljovic won the opening leg with an 82 finish, King took out 114 and 116 and an 11-darter to move into a 3-1 lead.

Suljovic finished 141 to hit back, with King landing a 180 and double ten to move 4-2 up only for the World Grand Prix semi-finalist to take out back-to-back 12-darters - including a 137 checkout - to level.

King then checked out 141 himself to move 5-4 up, but wasted two match darts at double 16 as Suljovic forced a decider, which the crowd favourite took as a superb 174 score set up double 18 for a 13-darter.

The £115,000 PDC European Tour event also saw Kim Huybrechts and Ian White top 100 averages during a high-quality afternoon session on Sunday as the tournament heads towards it's conclusion in the evening.

Huybrechts averaged 104.70 in a 6-5 win over Steve Beaton, , who had produced an 11-darter to win the deciding leg of his second round tie with Justin Pipe but was unable to repeat the feat 24 hours later.

Huybrechts made a stunning opening to take a 4-1 lead, with his average hitting 116 as he took command - despite a ten-dart finish from Beaton in leg two which replied to a 13-darter which opened the game for the Belgian.

Huybrechts took out 64 to win the third leg and hit 180s in the next two, only for Beaton to punish misses a tops from his opponent in the next two and then finish 78 to level.

Huybrechts finished 62 on double 16 to move 5-4 up, with a 13-darter from Beaton forcing a decider which he opened with scores of 58 and 28 as the Belgian pulled clear before taking out 74 for the win.

Michael Smith continued his challenge to win a third European Tour event of the year with a 6-3 defeat of Gerwyn Price, setting himself up for a tasty quarter-final against Huybrechts.

Price actually hit back from a leg down to lead 2-1, landing a 180 as he edged ahead, only for Smith to reply with a maximum before punishing msises from the Welsh ace to level in leg four.

Smith moved ahead before seeing another 180 go to waste as three misses at tops in the sixth allowed Price to finish 86 - but Smith regained his range on tops in the next, hit a 180 to break throw in leg eight and then finished tops once more to seal the win.

White, meanwhile, ended Lee Evans' challenge in the European Darts Grand Prix with a 6-3 win over the birthday boy from Gloucestershire - who showed his promise by leading 3-1 in the early stages.

After White took out double four to win the opening leg, Evans levelled before hitting a 180 in a 14-darter before matching a maximum from the Stoke ace in leg four, as a 100 checkout gave him an 11-darter for a two-leg lead.

White hit back with a 14-darter on double 16 before winning an incredible sixth leg with a ten-dart finish - with Evans hitting a 180 but missing tops as his opponent scored 134, 180 and 171 before hitting double eight.

White then landed double four to move ahead, double ten for a 5-3 lead and a 180 and a 61 finish to end with a 102.69 average as he secured progression to the last eight, where he meets Peter Wright.

World number four Wright raced into the last eight with a 6-2 win over Stephen Bunting in another high-quality contest.

The Scot opened the game with a 12-darter which featured a 180 and a 115 finish, before Bunting took out an 11-darter to level, scoring 140, 140 and 180 before finishing double 16.

Wright, though, took out 61 on double 18 and then broke by finishing 81 on the bull, before hitting a 180 and double eight for a 4-1 lead and double 12 with his last dart - to punish three misses from Bunting - as he moved to the brink of victory.

Bunting finished a 14-darter on tops to hit back, but missed tops to continue his challenge as Wright sealed the victory on double 16.

James Wade booked his place in the quarter-finals with a narrow 6-5 win over Simon Whitlock in the opening third round contest.

Wade kicked off with a 180 as an 11-darter broke throw, with Whitlock punishing a miss at tops from the left-hander to take the second leg in 13 darts.

The next two were also shared before Wade broke in the fifth and traded 180s with his opponent in the sixth as double three moved him 4-2 up.

Whitlock, though, finished 65 to hit back, matched a maximum from his rival to level with a 14-darter and then punished two more misses from Wade to lead 5-4 courtesy of double ten.

Wade though, took out 80 to force a decider in which he was first to a finish, landing double ten to complete the win.

Jelle Klaasen punished Robert Thornton's missed doubles to take a 6-4 win over the new World Grand Prix champion and set up a quarter-final with Wade.

Klaasen landed a 180 and took out 90 on the bull to win the opener in 12 darts and then took the second following four missed doubles from the Scot, who hit back to win the next two and level.

Klaasen, though, capitalised on further misses to take the next two for a 4-2 lead, with Thornton hitting back in the seventh only to see the Dutchman take out 76 for a 5-3 cushion.

Double ten kept Thornton's hopes alive and he hit a 180 in leg ten in a bid to force a deciding leg - but further misses at the bull and double four allowed Klaasen to seal victory on double four.

Sunday's evening session sees the tournament conclude with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen.

The European Darts Grand Prix will be streamed live online through www.LIVEPDC.TV and a series of bookmakers' websites.

Live Scores can be followed through the PDC Live Scores Website .

WATCH RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD V JOE CULLEN HERE!
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2015 European Darts Grand Prix
Sunday October 18
Afternoon Session
Third Round
James Wade 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Robert Thornton 4-6 Jelle Klaasen
Kim Huybrechts 6-5 Steve Beaton
Michael Smith 6-3 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 6-2 Stephen Bunting
Ian White 6-3 Lee Evans
Raymond van Barneveld 2-6 Joe Cullen
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Mervyn King

Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm local time)
Quarter-Finals
James Wade v Jelle Klaasen
Kim Huybrechts v Michael Smith
Peter Wright v Ian White
Joe Cullen v Mensur Suljovic

Semi-Finals
Wade/Klaasen v Huybrechts/Smith
Wright/White v Cullen/Suljovic

Final
v

All games are the best of 11 legs.


MATCH STATS