WAYNE MARDLE will take on reigning Rileys Darts Zones UK Open champion Phil Taylor at the Reebok Stadium on Friday night, as the world's top players enter the tournament at the third round stage.
Mardle overcame Mick McGowan 6-3 as the £200,000 event kicked off on Thursday night, with the Essex man holding off the challenge of both the Irishman and his own nerves to progress to the last 64 in Bolton.
The game was Mardle's first appearance on television since he slumped to Germany's then-unknown Jyhan Artut in the first round of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship in December, but he admits he will enter Friday's clash with Taylor in confident mood.
"I'm happy to get through and I can relax on Friday," said Mardle. "I was a bag of nerves and I've got no composure at all at the moment. I'm scoring well and have to convert those positions into wins.
"I have to go into the game with Phil confident. I'm a professional dart player and I'm going up there to win it - and I know how good I can be if I play my best game. I've not done it for a couple of years on TV but I'm getting back there."
Another crowd favourite, Peter Manley, suffered disappointment in his bid to retain a place in the world's top 32, losing 6-3 in the second round to St Helens-based 19-year-old Michael Smith.
Smith was one of a number of youngsters who shone on the tournament's opening night, with 18-year-old Reece Robinson, a Rileys Amateur Qualifier from Hull, rewarded for three victories on the night with a clash against World Championship runner-up Simon Whitlock in the third round.
Robinson whitewashed Scotland's Hugh Ringland in the preliminary round to begin his charge, and dropped only five legs in subsequent wins over Danny Pinhorne and Louis Blundell to reach the last 64.
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"I'm delighted to win two matches and I'll prepare myself for Friday night and hopefully do well again," William O'Connor. |
"I'm speechless," admitted O'Connor, who drew Lowestoft's Peter Wright in round three. "I'm delighted to win two matches and I'll prepare myself for Friday night and hopefully do well again."
Bradford's young star Joe Cullen, 20, overcame Darren Latham and Mike Nott to reach the third round, where he meets world number four Mervyn King.
Other eye-catching third round games include Michael van Gerwen against Gary Anderson, three-time World Champion John Part against Mark Walsh - who was the leading qualifier for the event with two wins in the eight qualifying events - and Wes Newton against world number five Terry Jenkins.
2008 UK Open champion James Wade will begin his challenge for a second Bolton title with a clash against Coventry's Steve Hine, who defeated Ian Gleeson and Melvyn Johnston to progress.
The father-and-son combination of Colin and Arron Monk both won through to round three, with the elder defeating Darren Johnson 6-4 before cheering his 20-year-old son to a 6-3 win over Nick Fullwell.
Kirk Shepherd, the 2008 World Championship finalist, edged out Adrian Gray 6-4 and now meets Paul Nicholson, who was a 6-4 winner against Leeds' Dave Smith in round two.
Two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley faces Steve Maish, Adrian Lewis takes on Michael Barnard, Ronnie Baxter drew York's Chris Thompson and 2009 UK Open runner-up Colin Osborne meets Gibraltar's Dylan Duo.
2004 UK Open champion Roland Scholten's reward for a win over Rileys Amateur Qualifier Joe Palmer is a clash with Plymouth-based newcomer Simon Cunningham.
Gary Mawson, the runner-up in Bolton two years ago, defeated Essex-based tractor driver Ashley Whisker in the preliminary round but then lost 6-4 to Duo in the first round.
Robinson is joined in the third round by fellow Rileys Amateur Qualifiers Tony Broughton, Pete Fisher and Paul Warwick, with the quartet the most successful of the 32 players who had won places at Bolton by coming through knockouts held in Rileys clubs around the UK.
Broughton, from the Isle of Wight, now takes on Kevin McDine, Oxford's former European powerlifting champion Fisher faces Sussex's Tony Ayres and Milton Keynes-based Warwick drew Co Stompe.
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Rileys Darts Zones UK Open Results
Main Stage
Preliminary Round
Ashley Whisker 2-6 Gary Mawson
First Round
Louis Blundell 6-5 Richie Burnett
Darren Latham 1-6 Joe Cullen
Steve Hine 6-5 Ian Gleeson
Stuart Monaghan 0-6 William O'Connor
Second Round
Kirk Shepherd 6-4 Adrian Gray
Wayne Mardle 6-3 Mick McGowan
Nick Fullwell 3-6 Arron Monk
Board Two
Preliminary Round
Andy Hutchings 3-6 Darren Webster
First Round
John Quantock 3-6 Matt Padgett
Chris Loudon 5-6 Paul Whitworth
Peter Hudson 3-6 Dave Smith
Steve Farmer Bye (Dean Edlin disqualified, did not register)
Second Round
Alex Roy 6-3 Mark Lawrence
Kevin McDine 6-2 Jamie Green
Ricky Evans 2-6 Steve Beaton
William O'Connor 6-3 Mark Frost
Dave Smith 4-6 Paul Nicholson
Board Three
Preliminary Round
Kevin Dowling 1-6 Jyhan Artut
Dean Stewart 2-6 Dylan Duo
First Round
Tony Hutchinson Bye (Darren Sullivan disqualified, did not register)
Sam Allen 3-6 Melvyn Johnston
Bradley Williams 1-6 Joe Palmer
Ryan Murray 4-6 Jason Clark
Second Round
Justin Pipe 4-6 Chris Thompson
Robbie Newland 1-6 Dennis Smith
Gary Eastwood 4-6 Dylan Duo
Darren Webster 5-6 Andy Smith
Board Four
Preliminary Round
Prakash Jiwa 6-4 John Lakeman
First Round
Robbie Newland 6-5 John Robertson
Mark Wilson 3-6 Paul Gibbs
Dean Harris 1-6 Darren Webster
Jyhan Artut 3-6 Scott Rand
Second Round
Colin Monk 6-4 Darren Johnson
Mark Cox 6-5 Henry O'Neill
Louis Blundell 1-6 Reece Robinson
Jason Clark 5-6 Matt Padgett
Board Five
Preliminary Round
Andy Murray 1-6 Scott Rand
Par Riihonen 5-6 Steve Farmer
First Round
Gary Eastwood 6-5 David Martin
Michael Hammond 2-6 Henry O'Neill
Dave Honey 2-6 Mike Nott
Jay Foreman 6-1 Barrie Knight
Second Round
Wayne Atwood 6-4 Steve Brown
John Bowles 3-6 Michael Barnard
Mark Harris 6-4 Martyn Turner
Board Six
Preliminary Round
Kevin Lowe 4-6 Jason Clark
First Round
Alex Harrison 1-6 Jamie Green
Noel Grant 4-6 Ricky Evans
Henry Murphy 3-6 Paul Warwick
Simon Cunningham 6-4 Prakash Jiwa
Second Round
Robert Thornton 6-2 Paul Gibbs
Michael Smith 6-3 Peter Manley
Steve Hine 6-1 Melvyn Johnston
Tony Broughton 6-4 Scott Rand
Board Seven
Preliminary Round
Reece Robinson 6-0 Hugh Ringland
First Round
Matt Draper 2-6 Mark Harris
Paul Rowley 3-6 Anton Liscsey
Nicky Bache 4-6 Martyn Turner
Gary Mawson 4-6 Dylan Duo
Second Round
Pete Fisher Bye (Chris Mason withdrew through illness)
Tony Hutchinson 1-6 Steve Evans
Mike Nott 3-6 Joe Cullen
Joe Palmer 3-6 Roland Scholten
Paul Warwick 6-3 Steve Farmer
Board Eight
Preliminary Round
Peter Hudson 6-1 Paul Neate
First Round
Tony Broughton 6-3 Mark Stephenson
Pete Fisher 6-2 Barrie Webb
Simon Jones 4-6 John Bowles
Danny Pinhorne 4-6 Reece Robinson
Second Round
Tony Ayres 6-4 Paul Whitworth
Anton Liscsey 5-6 Barrie Bates
Stephen Hardy 6-4 Jay Foreman
Stuart Dutton 5-6 Simon Cunningham
Third Round Draw
Main Stage
Mervyn King v Joe Cullen
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson
Wayne Mardle v Phil Taylor
Reece Robinson v Simon Whitlock
Board Two
John Part v Mark Walsh
Kirk Shepherd v Paul Nicholson
Wes Newton v Terry Jenkins
Steve Hine v James Wade
Board Three
Steve Maish v Dennis Priestley
Andy Smith v Colin Lloyd
Vincent van der Voort v Wayne Atwood
Barrie Bates v Alex Roy
Board Four
Mark Webster v Tony Eccles
Kevin Painter v Mark Harris
Dylan Duo v Colin Osborne
Roland Scholten v Simon Cunningham
Board Five
Denis Ovens v Arron Monk
Matt Clark v Michael Smith
Stephen Hardy v Alan Tabern
Andy Hamilton v Brendan Dolan
Board Six
Robert Thornton v Mark Cox
Steve Beaton v Jamie Caven
Mark Dudbridge v Nigel Heydon
Tony Broughton v Kevin McDine
Board Seven
Peter Wright v William O'Connor
Adrian Lewis v Michael Barnard
Paul Warwick v Co Stompe
Ronnie Baxter v Chris Thompson
Board Eight
Tony Ayres v Pete Fisher
Steve Evans v Jelle Klaasen
Dennis Smith v Colin Monk
Wayne Jones v Matt Padgett