Wade And Barney Battle Through

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD and James Wade were made to work as they progressed into the second round of the 2009 European Championship at the Claus Event Centre in Hoofddorp, Holland.

Van Barneveld survived a final-leg thriller with Dennis Priestley while Alan Tabern came from 5-1 down to within one leg of the Premier League champion before Wade sealed the win.

"I got out of trouble out there really and I'll have to step up a gear now," said Wade, who meets Andy Hamilton in Saturday's second round after the Stoke man cruised past Remco van Eijden with a 6-3 win.

Priestley never let the five-world champion feel at ease in front of his home crowd and came from 4-2 and 5-3 down to take it to a decider.

"Story of my life," said Van Barneveld after being taken to the wire to set up a clash with Mark Walsh, who beat Kevin Painter 6-4 from 4-1 down himself. "But I'm through to the second round and that's what counts really."

Steve Beaton continues to be the form man, following his recent Players Championship win in Holland with arguably the performance of the tournament so far in knocking out last year's runner-up Adrian Lewis 6-2. He now faces Michael van Gerwen after he beat fellow countryman Vincent van der Voort by the same scoreline.

Mervyn King edged through the opening match of the night in a final leg decider against Spaniard Carlos Rodriguez. His reward for his win is a clash with the winner of the final match of the evening, where Colin Osborne registered a 6-2 win over Paul Nicholson.

2009 European Championship
First Round - Friday 7pm
Mervyn King 6-5 Carlos Rodriguez
Kevin Painter 4-6 Mark Walsh
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Remco van Eijden
James Wade 6-4 Alan Tabern
Adrian Lewis 2-6 Steve Beaton
Raymond van Barneveld 6-5 Dennis Priestley
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Colin Osborne 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Best of 11 legs

Press F5 to refresh the page

MERVYN KING 6-5 CARLOS RODRIGUEZ

MERVYN King edged out Carlos Rodriguez in a final leg thriller to reach the second round of the 2009 European Championship.

Rodriguez broke in the opening leg, hitting a 180 before leaving double 16 out of a 164 checkout but King broke straight back in similar fashion, leaving 36 from 150 with Rodriguez on an unlikely 153.
King moved 2-1 ahead as both players clicked into gear, King completing an 11-dart leg with one missed double as Rodriguez piled the pressure on with a pair of 140s.

The Spaniard levelled as he hit the first maximum of the game, and should have punished King for missing three darts at double 16 but failed to take out 60 and King moved back in front.

The world number six extended his lead to 4-2 by pressurising Carlos to take out 64 by leaving himself double 18 from 170, but Rodriguez replied with a solid leg to break King and trail by just one leg.

Rodriguez then levelled to four-each on his throw but King protected his throw with ease, with the Barcelona man allowing him to cruise into a 5-4 lead.

But the Norfolk ace failed to see his opponent off as Rodriguez popped in a crucial 140 and held his nerve to take the match into a deciding leg with one dart at double two. But his English counterpart never looked in danger of being broken and had six darts at 121 for the victory, just missing the bull for the win but returning to clinch an entertaining opening to the second day of the tournament.

Mervyn King	6-5	Carlos Rodriguez
17	100+	7
5	140+	7
1	180	3
28.17	Ave1	28.32
84.50	Ave3	84.97
36	High Finish	66

MARK WALSH 6-4 KEVIN PAINTER

MARK WALSH won five legs on the trot from 4-1 down to beat Kevin Painter in their first round clash.

Painter held his throw in the first leg comfortably after being afforded six darts at 161 to return and take out 38. But Walsh responded in kind when he recorded the first 180 of the match to leave 100 which he duly polished off.

Painter struck straight back then broke Walsh's throw to move 3-1 up, although Walsh nearly punished Painter for missing three darts at double 14, missing tops to take out 113 to allow Kevin to clean up the leg. Painter missed three more darts at a double in the fifth leg after a fine 177 left him on 32, but despite Walsh firing in a 180 to leave a big finish, Kevin composed himself to stretch his lead to three legs.

Back-to-back legs were secured as Walsh broke Painter's throw despite Kevin beginning with a 180 - capitalising on Painter failing to take 60 out to move one leg behind and he duly held his throw to level the match at four apiece.

Painter's profligacy on the doubles proved costly in the ninth leg as he missed six darts to move into the lead and Walsh broke crucially with his third dart at tops to move ahead and march into a 6-4 victory.

Mark Walsh	6-4	Kevin Painter
14	100+	9
3	140+	8
2	180	2
28.30	Ave1	28.45
84.90	Ave3	85.35
100	High Finish	50

ANDY HAMILTON 6-3 REMCO VAN EIJDEN

ANDY HAMILTON avenged his first round exit in the 2008 European Championship by seeing off home favourite Remco van Eijden 6-3.

The Stoke ace lost 5-1 to Denis Ovens in the inaugural event last year but recorded a 97.42 average in getting past Van Eijden.

"I'm happy with my game and I feel there is more to come," said Hamilton. "The opening round is always a tough one to get out of the way and I'm delighted to come out on top."

The first three legs went against the throw as Van Eijden struggled to get into the game and Hamilton punished him on double 18. But Remco battled straight back strongly with a 140 to leave tops which he nailed to level.

Hamilton soon clicked into gear though, moving 2-1 up with the third break of the game before holding his throw after hitting his first 180, then firing in another to take a 4-1 lead.

The Dutchman stopped the rot with a bull finish to checkout 65 and reduce the deficit to two legs, but his English counterpart fired straight back to move to within one leg of victory.

Van Eijden wouldn't lie down though and found the perfect time to hit his first maximum of the match to break with an 11-dart leg, however, Hamilton was in no mood to let his advantage slip and took out 60 to finish off the Dutchman on his home turf.

Andy Hamilton	6-3	Remco van Eijden
14	100+	9
6	140+	6
2	180	0
31.77	Ave1	27.78
95.30	Ave3	83.35
60	High Finish	65

JAMES WADE 6-4 ALAN TABERN

JAMES WADE survived a scare as Alan Tabern nearly pulled off an heroic comeback before the world number two secured a 6-4 victory.

Wade won in Holland last weekend and appeared to take that form into his meeting with Tabern as he quickly moved 5-1 up. But he then missed a dart for the match before Tabern won three legs on the trot to make the score 5-4 and then missed a dart to level for Wade progress.

"I got out of trouble out there really and I'll have to step up a gear now," said Wade, who meets Andy Hamilton in Saturday's second round.

Wade was stunned into action after when Tabern broke in the first leg - with the Premier League champion firing two 13 dart legs en route to winning four legs on the spin to put the St Helens ace to the sword.

Tabern began a fight back in the seventh leg after Wade missed a dart at tops for the match then Alan fired three tons and a 140 to storm back to trail by two legs. Tabern closed further still by winning the ninth leg and missed a dart at double 16 to level the game before Wade clinched his victory.

James Wade	6-4	Alan Tabern
12	100+	16
7	140+	9
1	180	0
30.20	Ave1	29.87
90.59	Ave3	89.60
72	High Finish	61

STEVE BEATON 6-2 ADRIAN LEWIS

STEVE BEATON carried on his fine recent form to knock-out 2008 runner-up Adrian Lewis with a clinical 6-2 victory.

Beaton ended an eight-year wait for a tournament victory with victory in the Players Championship in Nuland last weekend and produced the best performance of the tournament so far with three 14 dart legs in his triumph.

The Warwickshire man fired in four 180s and 13 ton-plus scores in his win and will face the victor of the all-Dutch affair between Michael van Gerwen and Vincent van der Voort in the second round.

"The crowd will be behind whoever I'm against but I'll have a few fans too and I'm feeling really good at the moment," said Beaton.

The first three legs of the match went against the throw, with both players opening their 180 accounts early but neither able to hold throw. That honour went to Beaton who moved 3-1 up with another maximum and then opened up a three-leg gap when Lewis missed the bull for a 164 checkout.

Beaton showed no signs of allowing Lewis back into the match and moved to within a leg of victory when he opened the leg with a 180 followed by a 177 and checked out 32 with Adrian on his tail with 40 left.

Lewis held up his opponents progress by winning the seventh leg and put pressure on Beaton in the eighth by leaving 12 from 177 but Beaton took out double 18 to reach Saturday's second round.

Steve Beaton	6-2	Adrian Lewis
7	100+	10
6	140+	4
4	180	1
31.39	Ave1	29.89
94.17	Ave3	89.68
70	High Finish	48

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 6-5 DENNIS PRIESTLEY

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD held off a spirited effort from Dennis Priestley to edge a final leg thriller on his home turf.

The Dutchman was 4-2 and 5-3 ahead of the Yorkshireman, but Priestley clung on to force a deciding leg with the darts but is was Van Barneveld who missed tops for the match to give Priestley three darts at 36 for the victory but he failed to capitalise and it's Van Barneveld who meets Mark Walsh in Saturday's second round.

"Story of my life," said Van Barneveld after being taken to the wire. "But I'm through to the second round and that's what counts really."

The game was slow to get into gear, with both men missing doubles for the opening leg before Priestley held to open the scoring.

Van Barneveld levelled matters and then won two legs on the trot with a 15-dart leg taking him 3-1 in front. Both players were left with tops for the fifth leg and Priestley won it before Raymond had his chance, but the Dutchman regained his two-leg advantage in the sixth leg.

The seventh leg was indicative of their contest though as Priestley wouldn't let Van Barneveld out of his sights with a 70 checkout but the Dutchman then moved to within touching distance of the win in front of his home crowd with a 76 checkout taking him 5-3 ahead.

Priestley wasn't finished though and set up a grand stand finish by firstly holding his throw with a 69 checkout and then claiming the tenth leg after Van Barneveld missed the bull to win the match.
Dennis had the darts in the final leg but Van Barneveld put him under pressure with three 100 but then missed tops for the game to hand Dennis three darts at 36 for the match. Priestley failed to convert his chance to complete the comeback though and Barney hit double ten at the second attempt to seal the win.

Raymond van Barneveld	6-5	Dennis Priestley
14	100+	13
10	140+	9
3	180	1
30.97	Ave1	29.17
92.91	Ave3	87.51
76	High Finish	70

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN 6-2 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN claimed a 6-2 victory in the battle of the Dutchmen against Vincent van der Voort.

Van Gerwen never looked in trouble against his fellow countryman and good friend in a game that hardly drew breath. Van der Voort found it hard to get a foothold in the match with Van Gerwen clicking into gear with the first 180 of the match taking him 2-1 up after he levelled with a 105 checkout and he soon moved 3-1 up.

Vincent pulled one leg back but checkouts of 32 and 92 saw Van Gerwen move to within one leg of victory which he secured inside 20 minutes with his third consecutive leg and faces the in-form Steve Beaton in the second round.

Michael van Gerwen	6-2	Vincent van der Voort
9	100+	8
3	140+	6
2	180	0
28.77	Ave1	31.19
86.32	Ave3	93.58
105	High Finish	80

COLIN OSBORNE 6-2 PAUL NICHOLSON

COLIN OSBORNE moved into the second round of the 2009 European Championship with a 6-2 win over Paul Nicholson.

The Derby ace produced an assured display in the last match of the evening and now faces Mervyn King in Saturday's second round.

The first three legs went with throw before Osborne claimed a crucial break in the fourth leg after his Australian opponent missed the bull to take out 125 and the Championship League winner edged ahead.

He extended his lead after opening the fourth leg with two 140s, and although Nicholson checked out 124 for a 15 dart leg to reduce arrears, Osborne responded with a 13 dart leg and polished off the match in the eighth leg, hitting the only 180 of the game to ease to victory.