SkyBet World Grand Prix - Night One Reports

REPORTS from Monday's first round games at the 2006 SkyBet World Grand Prix, staged at the Citywest Hotel, Dublin.

LIONEL SAMS 2-1 JOHN PART

LIONEL SAMS produced a brilliant comeback to win the opening game of the 2006 SkyBet World Grand Prix 2-1 against John Part.

Part looked set to storm to victory when he won the opening set 3-0 after storming out of the blocks.

He then moved 2-1 up in the second set and stared defeat in the face when Part missed the bullseye for a 124 finish in the fourth leg.

Sams landed double 20 to stay in the match before repeating the shot to take the deciding leg of the set.

He opened up a 2-0 lead in the final set and, though Part took out double 18 in the third leg, Sams took victory with a nerveless 136 checkout.

Lionel Sams	2-1 (0-3, 3-2, 3-1)	John Part
21	100+	22
8	140+	2
2	180	-
28.03	Ave1	27.11
84.10	Ave3	81.33
136	High Finish	70

KEVIN PAINTER 0-2 ANDY CALLABY

ANDY CALLABY'S love affair with the SkyBet World Grand Prix resumed with a straight sets win over Kevin Painter.

Callaby knocked out Phil Taylor on his debut in the tournament two years ago, going on to reach the quarter-finals.

And he took out number eight seed Painter in style with an assured display.

After losing the opening leg, Callaby took the next three to win the first set with a 13-darter against his Cambridgeshire neighbour.

A 103 finish against the throw put Painter ahead in the second set, but Callaby hit back to level matters.

Painter won the third after Callaby, for the only time in the game, failed to open with a double in his first visit to the oche.

A 177 finish left Painter on a finish in the next, but Callaby took out a pressure 72 to level the set.

Two maximums in the deciding leg gave Callaby the edge, and he even had space to miss seven darts for the match before nailing victory on double six.

"I enjoy this tournament," said Callaby. "We both got away pretty well and it was a good game.

"It meant a lot to me because I am defending 16 ranking points from two years ago. I know it means a lot to Kevin, because he was in the running for the Premier League places, but maybe that put pressure on him and helped me.

"I felt comfortable and fluent and I feel good. I was a bit patchy, following 180s with a 45 but hopefully that will come back in the next game.

"I need to match my quarter-final place from last time to stay in the seedings for the World Championship Qualifiers in December."

Kevin Painter	0-2 (1-3, 2-3)	Andy Callaby
13	100+	4
5	140+	4
-	180	4
27.49	Ave1	26.56
82.48	Ave3	79.67
103	High Finish	72

ANDY JENKINS 1-2 TERRY JENKINS

TERRY JENKINS won a final-leg shoot-out to dump namesake Andy from the 2006 SkyBet World Grand Prix on the opening night.

Number ten seed Jenkins has enhanced his reputation during 2006 with wins in the Antwerp and Blackwater Opens, and showed flashes of his best in sneaking the win.

He lost the first set 3-2 in a decider, with Andy taking out a 104 finish to move in front, but then won three legs in a row to take the second.

Andy took the first two legs in the final set, but a maximum in the third leg lifted him and saw the Herefordshire-based hopeful hit back to level matters.

The double-start format looked set to help Andy in the deciding leg, when he was straight off, but missed doubles from the Portsmouth star allowed Terry in - and he landed double top with his final dart to progress.

"I'm exhausted!" said the winning Jenkins. "I've got a lot of respect for Andy, he's a good bloke.

"It was a grudge game - we've had plenty of banter over the years and are good mates but it's the first time we've met in an important tournament.

"We're both battling to get into the Premier League and there was a lot of pressure, not just on the game but on other things.

"It's tough for me. I'm a quiet sort of person, not like Wayne Mardle or anybody like that, and I don't get a lot of credit really. I keep myself to myself and get on with the job.

"I feel as though I should have taken the first set, I missed two darts at double 16 to take control of the game.

"Andy was scoring well and kept me under pressure, but I didn't let it worry me and got on with what I had to do.

"In a way, I feel as though I get punished for being like that but I can't help the way I am.

"My form is good at the moment and I had a bit of luck tonight - you always need that."

The defeat ended Andy Jenkins' hopes of breaking back into the world's top six this week to earn an automatic Holsten Premier League place for 2007.

"I'm gutted," he said. "I should have won the game - I threw it away. Fair play to Terry, he came back well and took his chances.

"That has ended the Premier League hopes for now, but there is still a Wildcard available and I'm going to have to win the World Championship now to get in!

"There was no pressure about the Premier League for me. I'd forgotten all about it and concentrated on my game.

"But the way things are now, I have lots of events coming up to earn decent money so I can get straight back into things."

Andy Jenkins	1-2 (3-2, 1-3, 2-3)	Terry Jenkins
12	100+	22
10	140+	6
2	180	1
27.20	Ave1	27.97
81.60	Ave3	83.91
104	High Finish	120

ANTO McCRACKEN 2-1 MARK WALSH

DUBLINER Anto McCracken roared into the second round of the SkyBet World Grand Prix in front of his home crowd with a 2-1 win over Mark Walsh.

The qualifier from Rathcoole - the neighbouring village to the Citywest Hotel - edged a tight contest with the former UK Open finalist in the final set.

McCracken brought the crowd to their feet by winning the opening set 3-1, punishing missed doubles from Walsh in the fourth leg.

Walsh hit back to win the second set by the same scoreline, but never got going in the decider.

McCracken won the opening leg with double top and took out double ten after his opponent missed a raft of doubles in the second.

The 34-year-old then landed double five to seal victory and move into the last 16.

"I loved every second second of that," said McCracken, who was cheered on by over 200 home supporters who flocked from across Ireland.

"There was a mix of nerves and excitement. I tried to calm the nerves down, but I didn't feel afraid and I'll be better when the next game comes around.

"Hopefully I will produce my proper darts, they weren't great darts."

Anto McCracken	2-1 (3-1, 1-3, 3-0)	Mark Walsh
11	100+	10
5	140+	4
-	180	-
20.94	Ave1	21.55
62.83	Ave3	64.65
51	High Finish	56

COLIN LLOYD 1-2 BOB ANDERSON

BOB ANDERSON knocked out world number one Colin Lloyd to reach the second round of the SkyBet World Grand Prix for the first time in his career.

Anderson has failed to get past the first hurdle on five previous occasions in the double-start tournament, but showed all his character to come from behind against the 2004 champion.

Lloyd won the first set 3-1 with a three-dart average of 103 after posting winning legs of 13, 14 and 15 darts.

Anderson took the opening leg of the second set with Lloyd sat on eight, but the Essex star levelled matters with 12 scoring darts in the next, after taking four to get off the mark.

But Anderson punished missed doubles from Lloyd to win the third before breaking Lloyd's throw with a fine 15-darter to level the scores.

He broke Lloyd again in the opening leg of the final set before the world number one battled back to square matters.

Anderson took the third leg despite a maximum from Lloyd, and then produced a stunning 146 to seal victory.

"This tournament does not have my name on it, but tonight I got the monkey off my back," said Anderson. "Even when they made the first round longer a few years ago I lost 16-15!

"Colin's a gentleman, a superb dart player and the world number one because of his ability.

"I rate him very highly and I think he's wiped the floor with me in our previous matches but I was fortunate enough to beat him tonight.

"I knew I was playing reasonably well but I needed a break, a little bit of luck, and that came in the second set, which I nicked.

"My starting was very good all night - I hit with my first three darts every time - but my finishing was very good as well and I was very pleased with the 146.

"I'll go into my next match with Anto McCracken confident. He did exceptionally well to beat Mark Walsh and I hope he doesn't do quite as well on Wednesday!

"On paper, I suppose I will be favourite but he will have the crowd with him. He's a good player and I'll treat him with the respect he deserves.

"I'm very pleased with my form and I've practised more recently. I don't care what it thrown at me now, I'll be ready."

Colin Lloyd	1-2 (3-1, 1-3, 1-3)	Bob Anderson
13	100+	10
13	140+	11
2	180	2
30.96	Ave1	30.44
92.89	Ave3	91.31
83	High Finish	146

PETER MANLEY 2-0 CHRIS MASON

PETER MANLEY stormed into round two of the SkyBet World Grand Prix with a 2-0 win over Chris Mason.

Mason has recently moved to Stoke-on-Trent and has been practising for four hours a day with rising PDC star Andy Hamilton.

But the practice failed him against Manley, hitting a double with his first three darts in just one leg of eight in the game.

Mason took the opening leg of the match, but Manley struck a killer blow with a 130 finish on the bull in the second - with his opponent sat on 40.

Manley won the set with a superb 12-darter, but Mason returned from the break with three ton-plus scores to open the second set by winning the first leg.

Manley landed a 177 on his way to levelling matters and took full advantage of two scoreless visits to the oche from Mason to move to within one leg of the match.

He then opened with scores of 108 and 140 before sealing the win on his favoured double top to set up a second round date with Lionel Sams.

"I'm very pleased," said Manley. "This was a tough game, Chris is no walkover and I went out there and gave it my all.

"I gave everything into that game and I think I played some good darts. I've won the game and I know now that I am almost certainly in the Premier League next year, which is comforting.

"I can relax now and enjoy the rest of the tournament."

Mason said: "I'm very disappointed. I'm playing better than I have in my life, and then to go up on stage and play like that is a disaster.

"In practice I'm averaging 36 and 37 (per dart) over 11 sets and then I go on stage and can't hit a double to get going. I don't understand it.

"I'm in a hole that I can't get out of. Losing is a habit like winning is.

"In my back room, I'm 11 times World Champion but in public I'm nothing, the guy who's constantly quizzed over. It's hard to get out of and I'm finding it hard to get over that tag."

Manley added: "Chris has the world on his shoulders but there are other players who also think like that.

"They have to get rid of that because they are top dart players, and get on with it, win the game and get through these type of battles."

Peter Manley	2-0 (3-1, 3-1)	Chris Mason
13	100+	9
6	140+	4
1	180	1
28.22	Ave1	21.98
84.65	Ave3	65.95
130	High Finish	40

WAYNE MARDLE 2-0 DENIS OVENS

WAYNE MARDLE showed some superb form to book his place in the last 16 of the SkyBet World Grand Prix with a straight sets defeat of Denis Ovens.

On a night where the bookies' favourites struggled, Mardle produced a classy display to record a three-dart average of 92 in the double-start event.

Mardle raced into a 2-0 lead before missing double top for a 140 finish which would have won him the set.

Ovens stepped in to take the leg, and then won the fourth before a 15-darter from Mardle put him 1-0 up.

He then stepped up a gear in the second set, winning three straight legs to seal his place in round two.

"That was a good win," said Mardle, who faces either Andy Smith or Irish qualifier Garrett Gray on Wednesday.

"I've been really pleased with my form in the last three to four months. I've been playing consistently well and then having the odd lapse.

"I had that in one leg in this game, and you can't afford to do that much."

Wayne Mardle	2-0 (3-2, 3-0)	Denis Ovens
10	100+	13
8	140+	3
1	180	-
30.66	Ave1	26.05
91.98	Ave3	78.14
47	High Finish	56

ROLAND SCHOLTEN 2-0 DAVE ASKEW

ROLAND SCHOLTEN displayed his title credentials in the SkyBet World Grand Prix with a 2-0 demolition of Dave Askew in Monday's final game.

The Dutchman got off to a flying start in every single leg by hitting a double with one of his first three darts, and took out two ton-plus finishes and averaged 96.48 in the game.

Askew began the contest brightly enough, landing a 180 on his way to winning the first leg.

But legs of 14, 15 and 15 darts from Scholten saw him take the opening set before overpowering his opponent in the second.

Finishes of 116 and 111 for two 12-darters put Scholten to within a leg of the match at 2-1 in the next set, with Askew winning the second leg with a 78 finish.

He then wrapped up the win to move into the second round and set up a second round meeting with Mark Dudbridge or Steve Beaton.

"I'm feeling good and this was a nice win," said Scholten.

"I felt confident with the way I've been playing but Dave is always up for a game. The way he started, he was dangerous but when I got level I got in my rhythm.

"It is a hard format. You only need to win six legs and when you have to start on a double it is hard.

"I'm just worried about myself, I don't look at the draw and just make sure I'm ready to play when I need to go on stage."