Stan James World Matchplay - Night One Reports

REPORTS, reaction and statistics from Sunday night's play at the Stan James World Matchplay, as the tournament got underway at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.

Three matches open the event, with coverage live on Sky Sports.

Stan James World Matchplay
First Round
Kevin Painter 12-10 Adrian Gray
Wayne Mardle 10-7 Mark Dudbridge
Roland Scholten 13-11 Chris Mason

KEVIN PAINTER 12-10 ADRIAN GRAY

KEVIN PAINTER battled back to edge out Adrian Gray 12-10 in a tie break thriller to open the 2007 Stan James World Matchplay.

Painter, the 2004 World Championship finalist, looked set to suffer a second first round defeat in three years when he fell behind to the qualifier.

However, he battled back to edge 8-7 up, and held his nerve when the game went into a tie break to take the win.

Painter paid the price for missed doubles in the first leg, with Gray taking out 90 in two darts and then moving 2-0 up on double 16.

Painter got off the mark in a scrappy third leg, landing double one, and took the next two after missed doubles from Gray.

The 26-year-old from Sussex returned from the break to win four of the next five legs and move 6-4 up - including a 136 finish for a 12-darter.

Painter had hit back with two maximums in winning leg nine, and came back from the second break in superb form, hitting finishes of 100, 96, 87 and 52 to move 8-7 ahead.

The next four legs were shared as the match moved into the tie break, with the winner needing two be two legs clear.

Painter missed five darts in the 20th leg to win the game, with Gray hitting a two-dart 80 finish to stay in the match.

Painter hit double 16 with his first dart to go 11-10 up, and back-to-back 140s moved him clear in the next before he took out double 18 for a 96 finish and victory.

"It was an unbelievable game and I'm so relieved to have won," said Painter. "Every time Adrian plays me he plays brilliantly, digs in and seems to take out shots when you don't want him to!

"I was under a lot of pressure. I was expected to win, Adrian was the underdog and every time it was level I was under pressure to hold my own throw.

"I did that well and that got me through the game.

"Every time I'm under pressure with one dart left I tend to get it but when I'm miles ahead in a leg I seem to waste those chances and that's a part of my game I need to shape up on."

Kevin Painter	12-10	Adrian Gray
24	100+	25
19	140+	8
4	180	3
29.93	Ave1	28.26
89.78	Ave3	84.79
100	High Finish	136

WAYNE MARDLE 10-7 MARK DUDBRIDGE

WAYNE MARDLE produced a finishing master-class to see off Mark Dudbridge 10-7 and move into the last 16 of the Stan James World Matchplay.

The world number 12 from Essex took out five ton-plus finishes to end the hopes of Dudbridge, who failed to reach the heights of the display which saw him defeat Phil Taylor in the Las Vegas Desert Classic recently.

Dudbridge started the game well enough, landing double 16 for the first leg only to see Mardle take out 110 in the next to level.

Mardle then punished four missed doubles from his opponent to win the third leg against the throw, before Dudbridge responded in kind in leg four.

Mardle stepped up a gear to reel off the next three legs in 15 darts with finishes of 121, 105 and 95 to surge 5-2 up.

Dudbridge hit back with two legs of his own, but a 110 finish restored Mardle's cushion before his opponent epitomised a mixed performance over the next three legs.

Dudbridge landed 102 and 136 in two of the legs, but the middle leg saw both players wayward on the doubles before Mardle hit double one and prevent the Bristolian pulling level.

Mardle punished further misses to move 8-6 up in leg 14 and a 121 finish in the 16th pushed him to the brink of victory.

He then produced arguably his best leg of the match to seal the win, hitting 140, 180, 99 and a neat 82 finish for a 12-darter.

"It's a pleasing start," said Mardle. "It was an indifferent game and I was waiting for Mark to kick in, I guess he was waiting for me too.

"I should have gone 6-2 up and all of a sudden Mark was back in the game, but I refused to beat myself up and I stepped up a gear."

Wayne Mardle	10-7	Mark Dudbridge
21	100+	22
11	140+	8
5	180	2
29.79	Ave1	29.03
89.38	Ave3	87.09
121 x2, 110 x2, 106	High Finish	136, 102

ROLAND SCHOLTEN 13-11 CHRIS MASON

ROLAND SCHOLTEN came out on top in a see-saw thriller with Chris Mason to book his place in round two of the Stan James World Matchplay.

The Dutchman has lost twice in the last three years at the Winter Gardens in a tie break situation, but this time overturned a 10-9 deficit to take the win in an entertaining battle.

Mason played his part in the contest with a fine performance, but paid for three missed darts at the double in the 18th leg which would have earned him a 10-8 win.

He never had another chance for victory, with Scholten crucially taking out 120 to move 12-11 up with Mason sat on double top, before winning leg 24 to set up a second round clash with Wayne Mardle.

"I missed a lot of doubles but got through in the end," said Scholten. "I know I'm scoring well, it's just my doubles that I can't hit at the moment.

"Chris had chances to win but I knew I had to step in and take mine, and I did. I got the win in the end and that's all that matters.

"If I hit my doubles against Wayne I should be alright. I'm happy with the way I'm playing."

Scholten's first three darts in the match were a 180 - the first of ten during the contest - but he missed six darts at a double in the opening leg as Mason took an early 2-0 lead.

Mason extended that lead to 5-2 before Scholten reeled off four successive legs, including legs of 13, 14 and 15 darts, to put himself ahead.

Mason then took three of his own, including two 12-darters and a 130 finish, to take an 8-6 lead.

Scholten battled back to win the next two legs, but a double 18 finish put Mason within touching distance of the win.

He missed a dart at the bullseye and two at double eight for the match in leg 18 before Scholten stepped in to land double 18 at the first time of asking and stay alive.

The next two were shared before Scholten edged 11-10 up.

Mason levelled, but a superb 23rd leg gave the Dutchman the edge, taking out a 120 "Shanghai" finish to leave his opponent - who had left 40 after 12 darts - reeling.

Mason never recovered, with Scholten first to the double in the next and landing double ten for the win.