REPORTS from Saturday's second round at the totesport.com Players Championship.
The £250,000 tournament continued across two sessions with the second round at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet
Watch Highlights!
Coverage of the totesport.com Players Championship will be shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ireland.
Subscribers to PDCtv are also able to watch live online - and highlights of these games will be available from 1pm on Sunday.
Click here for further details in PDCtv
Schedule of Play
Saturday January 30
Second Round
Steve Beaton 5-8 Paul Nicholson
Colin Lloyd 8-4 Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh 5-8 Wayne Jones
Wes Newton 8-7 Ronnie Baxter
Adrian Lewis 8-7 Andy Hamilton
Jelle Klaasen 1-8 Mervyn King
Phil Taylor 8-7 Terry Jenkins
Colin Osborne 8-2 Michael van Gerwen
PAUL NICHOLSON 8-5 STEVE BEATON
PAUL NICHOLSON defeated Steve Beaton 8-5 in the second round of the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship.
Beaton became the second World Champion to fall victim to Nicholson in this year's event, after the Geordie overcame the challenge of Dennis Priestley in the first round.
Beaton hit a maximum in the opening leg of the match and went on to hold throw despite Nicholson missing an opportunity at double top.
Nicholson missed three darts at double eight in the second leg, but Beaton was unable to capitalise and allowed his opponent to return to the oche to hit double eight and level.
Nicholson then broke his opponent's throw by hitting double 18 to win the third, and an accurate attempt at double 11 put him two legs clear going into the break.
Beaton won the fifth leg and then broke Nicholson's throw in the next with the aid of his second 180 of the game.
The fifth seed, who defeated Tony Eccles in the first round, moved into the lead for the second time by hitting double ten to win the seventh leg, defying a maximum from his opponent.
Nicholson managed to stem the tide by hitting double ten to level the game and then forged ahead by winning the ninth leg by hitting a key 104 checkout, after Beaton had a missed a dart at tops.
A clinical two-dart 97 in the next put Nicholson two legs clear and back-to-back maximums in the 11th leg put him on course for a nine-dart-finish.
That was not to be, missing treble 17 with his seventh dart in attempting the 141 finish, and the drama continued as Nicholson missed four darts at double 11 for the leg and he was made to pay as Beaton hit an excellent 95 finish, completed on the bullseye, to nick the leg.
Nicholson put the disappointment of losing that leg behind him by winning the 12th leg in 14 darts to go within touching distance of victory.
And he swept over the winning line by breaking Beaton's throw with a confident 70 finish to book a quarter-final place.
"I'm thrilled," said Nicholson. "I worked hard to get 3-1 up but went to sleep in the middle of the match.
"Luckily I came strong later on, hit some 180s and good finishes, and the 70 to win it was great!"
Beaton conceded: "I didn't get into my rhythm but at four-all I thought I was in with a chance. The 104 finish was a killer and Paul deserved the win in the end."
Match Stats
COLIN LLOYD 8-4 KEVIN PAINTER
COLIN LLOYD produced an impressive display to end Kevin Painter's hopes in the totesport.com Players Championship at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.
From 4-2 down, Lloyd put together six excellent legs of darts to seal a quarter-final tie against Phil Taylor or Terry Jenkins on Sunday and end the match with a 102 average.
Lloyd hit a maximum in the process of winning the first leg of the game before Painter held throw to win the second, after the Chelmsford-based ace missed a dart at double five for a 95 finish.
Lloyd hit double 16 to win the third leg, but missed three chances to establish a 3-1 lead which allowed Painter to step in and hit double nine to level.
Painter, who defeated 2009 runner-up Robert Thornton in the first round, broke throw to win the fifth leg with a clinical 11-dart-finish and that was followed by a 13 darter to move 4-2 ahead.
But Lloyd fought back to win the seventh leg and then hit a 106 checkout in the next to keep the game finely poised at four-all.
Lloyd, who came through a deciding-leg clash against Denis Ovens on Thursday evening, continued his purple patch by moving 5-4 ahead with 13-dart-finish and then posted an accurate dart at double four to break Painter's throw.
The local man then hit an excellent 108 finish, completed on the bullseye, to move to the brink of victory, and the end was swift as a 15-darter secured his quarter-final spot.
"It was a fantastic game to be involved in," said Lloyd. "I was battling throughout and an 8-4 scoreline doesn't really reflect the game, but I'll take it.
"Kevin has been a big friend of mine for a lot of years, we used to room together on the circuit and to beat him in such a tough match is great for me.
"I'll have to improve a bit if I'm going to win this but I know there's a bit more in the tank. I can lift my game to 104 and hopefully that will be enough."
Painter said: "Colin came out all guns blazing and should have been 4-0 up really so I was happy with a two-all score at the first break.
"When I went 4-2 up I thought I could kick on, but it didn't happen for me and Colin was superb. That's the best he's played on TV for a couple of years, I thought he played well in every leg and I had too many bad legs."
Match Stats
WAYNE JONES 8-5 MARK WALSH
WAYNE JONES came back from 5-2 down to send number two seed Mark Walsh crashing out of the totesport.com Players Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Walsh appeared to be in complete command having established a 5-2 lead, but Jones won six legs on the trot to set up a quarter-final clash against Jelle Klaasen or Mervyn King.
Both players held their own throws at the start of the match before Jones won the third against the darts with a clinical 101 checkout.
Walsh hit two maximums in the fourth leg but it appeared to be in vain as Jones was at a finish first. However, he missed four chances to move 3-1 ahead and Walsh pinched the leg to level the game at two apiece.
The second seed then won the fifth leg to move ahead for the second time in the game and broke throw with an 81 finish, despite a maximum from Jones, to go 4-2 up.
Walsh extended his lead to three legs with an accurate dart at double top to win the seventh leg before Jones hit back-to-back maximums at the start of the next.
A seventh treble 20 was successfully converted but an off-target attempt at treble 19 ended the hopes of a nine-dart-finish - although the leg was won in 11 darts to reduce the deficit to 5-3.
Jones won the ninth leg against the darts, with a 15-dart-finish, and then levelled the game at five-all on double 16.
The man from Wolverhampton kept the run going by converting a two-dart 64 finish to move 6-5 up and go two legs away from taking the match.
Walsh missed a chance at double ten for a 140 checkout in the 12th leg and Jones stepped in to make it five consecutive legs.
The next leg saw Walsh miss four darts at doubles to keep the match alive, and Jones hit double top to end the contest and confirm a quarter-final place.
"I'm very pleased with the result," said Jones. "I was annoyed at 3-1 down and had to try and break Mark's throw to get back into the game, which I did, and at five-all I kicked on and got the win."
Walsh admitted: "I got the lead but couldn't close him out and my performance wasn't great. Wayne's got a very good record against me and he played well again, and he deserved the win."
Match Stats
EVENING SESSION
ADRIAN LEWIS 8-7 ANDY HAMILTON
ADRIAN LEWIS came through a final-leg thriller at the Circus Tavern to defeat Stoke rival Andy Hamilton in the second round of the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship.
Both players had a chance to win the match before Lewis, who had led 6-3 and 7-5, finally sealed it to set up an eye-catching quarter-final clash against Paul Nicholson.
Lewis hit back-to-back maximums at the start of the game to leave a chance of recording a nine-dart-finish in the first leg.
The seventh treble 20 fell straight into the target but the attempt at treble 19 fell short - although the leg was still won in a fabulous ten darts.
A 120 checkout gave Lewis the second leg before Hamilton managed to win the third leg despite Lewis hitting another maximum.
The superb standard continued in the fourth as Hamilton left himself on a potential nine-darter after kicking off the leg with two 180s.
His seventh treble 20 was off-target to end hopes of another nine-dart attempt, while Lewis almost won the leg by missing bullseye for a 170 checkout before his local rival returned to level the match at two apiece by hitting double 16.
But Lewis forged ahead again by winning the next two legs with clinical 13 and 15-dart-finishes to move 4-2 ahead.
The Stoke youngster moved three legs clear after breaking Hamilton's throw courtesy of an accurate attempt at double ten, before his Stoke rival won the eighth to keep himself in the match by converting an 84 checkout.
Lewis hit his seventh 180 of the game in the ninth leg, but missed two darts at double top before being given a reprieve following two misses from Hamilton to move into a 6-3 cushion.
However, Hamilton fought back well and broke throw to win the tenth leg and then hit double 18 in the next to reduce the deficit to one leg.
Lewis hit double ten in the 12th to move one leg away from the match, and two 140s saw the 24-year-old to a finish first. But he failed with his attempt at double top for the match and Hamilton kept his hopes alive by hitting double 16.
A vital maximum from Hamilton in the next leg, followed by a successful attempt at double eight, saw him break throw and send the game to a decisive final leg.
Both players struggled to find their range in the decider before Hamilton fell just short of converting a 136 checkout - after narrowly missing double eight.
That allowed Lewis another chance to win the match, and he took out a 56 finish by hitting double top at the first time of asking to end a dramatic encounter.
"It was a cracking game," said Lewis. "We both showed lots of bottle and played well.
"Andy took some good finishes out at key times and came back at me, and it was a tough game where I had to keep digging in and trying.
"I'll look forward to playing Paul Nicholson now. He beat me in the World Championship a year ago but I'm a different player now, and I've got to keep my concentration."
Hamilton added: "It was a great game to be a part of and Adrian was brilliant. I'm not disappointed about losing, but the double eight will probably haunt me for a long time.
"I thought it was in when it left my hand, but it wasn't to be."
Match Stats
MERVYN KING 8-1 JELLE KLAASEN
MERVYN KING breezed through his second round clash against Jelle Klaasen with a comfortable 8-1 victory at the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.
King put in a clinical display and did not allow his Dutch opponent to produce the kind of form he showed in his first round game against Gary Anderson, as Klaasen endured a nightmare display.
While his average dipped to just 82 a day on from his superb defeat of Anderson, King again averaged over 100 and landed five maximums in a clinical victory.
King hit double eight to win the first leg and then landed a maximum in a process of completing an 11-dart-finish to break his Klaasen's throw in the second.
The world number five, who defeated James Wade in a thrilling first round encounter, hit double 18 for a 3-0 lead and repeated the trick in the fourth leg to establish complete command of the game.
King kept up the momentum by winning the fifth before Klaasen managed to win his first leg of the match by converting a 96 finish.
The Dutchman hit a 177 to get to a finish first in the seventh leg, but failed to convert the chance he had set himself and King cashed in by hitting double 18 for the third time in the game to go 6-1 up.
King hit double four to win the eighth leg and sealed the match with a 61 finish in the next, setting up a quarter-final clash against Wayne Jones on Sunday afternoon.
"That was a hard game to play because Jelle had a nightmare by his standards," said King. "I feel for him because we've all been there as players, and although it was in my favour it was an awkward match."
Klaasen conceded: "I didn't feel right on stage and the darts didn't go for me, but Mervyn played well and deserved the win."
Match Stats
PHIL TAYLOR 8-7 TERRY JENKINS
PHIL TAYLOR was made to work hard before defeating Terry Jenkins in a deciding leg thriller to reach the quarter-finals of the totesport.com Players Championship.
There was never more than one leg between the two players throughout a tight battle, but the defending champion managed to come through and set-up a clash with Colin Lloyd - who the Stoke star defeated at same stage of last year's competition.
Taylor defied a maximum from Jenkins to win the opening leg before the Herefordshire man levelled by hitting double ten with his last dart.
Jenkins then secured an early break by landing double ten with his last dart once again, after Taylor had missed two darts at double 16.
But Taylor soon put that disappointment behind him by immediately breaking back, courtesy of a 13-dart -finish, to square the game at two apiece.
Taylor moved 3-2 ahead with the aid of a 14-darter before Jenkins won the sixth hitting double three with his last dart after missing five previous attempts to win the leg.
Jenkins then broke Taylor's throw for a second time with a clinical two-dart 80 finish to lead 4-3, but once again the world number one hit back to level by hitting a crucial 70 checkout with his opponent waiting on double four.
Taylor showed class in obtaining a 5-4 lead by hitting a fabulous 160 checkout before both players hit maximums in the tenth leg.
The world number one was at a finish first, but missed four darts at double 14 to establish a two-leg advantage and Jenkins made his opponent pay by converting a 73 finish.
A tight 11th leg saw both players miss a dart at double top before Taylor won it, but Jenkins continued to fight and won the next leg in 13 darts to leave contest finely balanced at six-all.
Taylor moved one leg away from the match with a 14-dart-finish, but missed a dart at double top to take victory and Jenkins hit the same double to send the match into a deciding leg.
The 15-time World Champion had the throw, and that proved key as he hit pulled clear to land another 14-darter and settle a tight contest.
"Terry's great under pressure and he took some superb finishes out with his last dart," said Taylor. "It was a really tough game and I'm relieved to be through it.
"I'm here to win and I'll look forward to the quarter-finals now against Colin Lloyd on Sunday, and hopefully I can go all the way."
Jenkins admitted: "I felt I had my chance there and blew it.
"When I broke Phil and went 4-3 up I threw away a couple of legs and let him back in, but I've no complaints."
Match Stats
COLIN OSBORNE 8-2 MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
COLIN OSBORNE defeated Michael van Gerwen with a comfortable 8-2 triumph to reach the quarter-finals of the totesport.com Players Championship.
After a bright start from van Gerwen, Osborne got into his stride to send another Dutchman out of the competition - having also defeated Co Stompe in his opening match on Friday.
The Dutch youngster made a confident start to the match by hitting a 13-darter to win the opening leg against the darts, but Osborne immediately broke back with a two-dart 65 finish.
Van Gerwen seemed destined to win the third leg having left himself on 32, but Osborne hit a fabulous 160 checkout to go 2-1 up.
Van Gerwen won the fourth by hitting double top, but Osborne hit the same bed after the break to win the fifth and lead again.
Osborne recorded second successive 14-dart-finish to break his opponent's throw, and then won the seventh leg by hitting double ten after van Gerwen missed one dart to reduce the deficit.
The Derby-based player, seeded three for this tournament following his 2009 Players Championship displays, hit back-to-back maximums in the process of moving 6-2 up.
Van Gerwen missed a dart at the bullseye to win the ninth leg, and Osborne stepped in by hitting double nine with his last dart to move one leg away from victory.
Osborne missed double eight for a 133 finish in the next leg, but van Gerwen was in no position to punish that and he returned to hit double four to seal a quarter-final tie against Wes Newton.
"Michael wasn't at his best but I can only worry about my own darts and that's what I did," he said. "The 160 got to him a bit and I kept plugging away.
"I've not played my best darts yet but I'm in the quarter-finals and anything could happen on Sunday."
Van Gerwen said: "He hurt me early on in the game, especially with the 160 finish, and I never recovered. He's a good player but I don't feel I played well at all and I feel bad."
Match Stats
The £250,000 tournament continued across two sessions with the second round at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet
Watch Highlights!
Coverage of the totesport.com Players Championship will be shown live on ITV4 in the UK and Ireland.
Subscribers to PDCtv are also able to watch live online - and highlights of these games will be available from 1pm on Sunday.
Click here for further details in PDCtv
Schedule of Play
Saturday January 30
Second Round
Steve Beaton 5-8 Paul Nicholson
Colin Lloyd 8-4 Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh 5-8 Wayne Jones
Wes Newton 8-7 Ronnie Baxter
Adrian Lewis 8-7 Andy Hamilton
Jelle Klaasen 1-8 Mervyn King
Phil Taylor 8-7 Terry Jenkins
Colin Osborne 8-2 Michael van Gerwen
PAUL NICHOLSON 8-5 STEVE BEATON
PAUL NICHOLSON defeated Steve Beaton 8-5 in the second round of the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship.
Beaton became the second World Champion to fall victim to Nicholson in this year's event, after the Geordie overcame the challenge of Dennis Priestley in the first round.
Beaton hit a maximum in the opening leg of the match and went on to hold throw despite Nicholson missing an opportunity at double top.
Nicholson missed three darts at double eight in the second leg, but Beaton was unable to capitalise and allowed his opponent to return to the oche to hit double eight and level.
Nicholson then broke his opponent's throw by hitting double 18 to win the third, and an accurate attempt at double 11 put him two legs clear going into the break.
Beaton won the fifth leg and then broke Nicholson's throw in the next with the aid of his second 180 of the game.
The fifth seed, who defeated Tony Eccles in the first round, moved into the lead for the second time by hitting double ten to win the seventh leg, defying a maximum from his opponent.
Nicholson managed to stem the tide by hitting double ten to level the game and then forged ahead by winning the ninth leg by hitting a key 104 checkout, after Beaton had a missed a dart at tops.
A clinical two-dart 97 in the next put Nicholson two legs clear and back-to-back maximums in the 11th leg put him on course for a nine-dart-finish.
That was not to be, missing treble 17 with his seventh dart in attempting the 141 finish, and the drama continued as Nicholson missed four darts at double 11 for the leg and he was made to pay as Beaton hit an excellent 95 finish, completed on the bullseye, to nick the leg.
Nicholson put the disappointment of losing that leg behind him by winning the 12th leg in 14 darts to go within touching distance of victory.
And he swept over the winning line by breaking Beaton's throw with a confident 70 finish to book a quarter-final place.
"I'm thrilled," said Nicholson. "I worked hard to get 3-1 up but went to sleep in the middle of the match.
"Luckily I came strong later on, hit some 180s and good finishes, and the 70 to win it was great!"
Beaton conceded: "I didn't get into my rhythm but at four-all I thought I was in with a chance. The 104 finish was a killer and Paul deserved the win in the end."
Match Stats
|
Steve Beaton |
5-8 |
Paul Nicholson |
|
20 |
100+ |
28 |
|
8 |
140+ |
9 |
|
3 |
180 |
3 |
|
30.46 |
Ave1 |
31.31 |
|
91.37 |
Ave3 |
93.93 |
|
95 |
High Finish |
104 |
|
2 |
Legs Against Throw |
3 |
COLIN LLOYD 8-4 KEVIN PAINTER
COLIN LLOYD produced an impressive display to end Kevin Painter's hopes in the totesport.com Players Championship at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.
From 4-2 down, Lloyd put together six excellent legs of darts to seal a quarter-final tie against Phil Taylor or Terry Jenkins on Sunday and end the match with a 102 average.
Lloyd hit a maximum in the process of winning the first leg of the game before Painter held throw to win the second, after the Chelmsford-based ace missed a dart at double five for a 95 finish.
Lloyd hit double 16 to win the third leg, but missed three chances to establish a 3-1 lead which allowed Painter to step in and hit double nine to level.
Painter, who defeated 2009 runner-up Robert Thornton in the first round, broke throw to win the fifth leg with a clinical 11-dart-finish and that was followed by a 13 darter to move 4-2 ahead.
But Lloyd fought back to win the seventh leg and then hit a 106 checkout in the next to keep the game finely poised at four-all.
Lloyd, who came through a deciding-leg clash against Denis Ovens on Thursday evening, continued his purple patch by moving 5-4 ahead with 13-dart-finish and then posted an accurate dart at double four to break Painter's throw.
The local man then hit an excellent 108 finish, completed on the bullseye, to move to the brink of victory, and the end was swift as a 15-darter secured his quarter-final spot.
"It was a fantastic game to be involved in," said Lloyd. "I was battling throughout and an 8-4 scoreline doesn't really reflect the game, but I'll take it.
"Kevin has been a big friend of mine for a lot of years, we used to room together on the circuit and to beat him in such a tough match is great for me.
"I'll have to improve a bit if I'm going to win this but I know there's a bit more in the tank. I can lift my game to 104 and hopefully that will be enough."
Painter said: "Colin came out all guns blazing and should have been 4-0 up really so I was happy with a two-all score at the first break.
"When I went 4-2 up I thought I could kick on, but it didn't happen for me and Colin was superb. That's the best he's played on TV for a couple of years, I thought he played well in every leg and I had too many bad legs."
Match Stats
|
Colin Lloyd |
8-4 |
Kevin Painter |
|
17 |
100+ |
10 |
|
13 |
140+ |
8 |
|
3 |
180 |
2 |
|
34.12 |
Ave1 |
31.14 |
|
102.36 |
Ave3 |
93.41 |
|
108,106 |
High Finish |
81 |
|
3 |
Legs Against Throw |
1 |
WAYNE JONES 8-5 MARK WALSH
WAYNE JONES came back from 5-2 down to send number two seed Mark Walsh crashing out of the totesport.com Players Championship on Saturday afternoon.
Walsh appeared to be in complete command having established a 5-2 lead, but Jones won six legs on the trot to set up a quarter-final clash against Jelle Klaasen or Mervyn King.
Both players held their own throws at the start of the match before Jones won the third against the darts with a clinical 101 checkout.
Walsh hit two maximums in the fourth leg but it appeared to be in vain as Jones was at a finish first. However, he missed four chances to move 3-1 ahead and Walsh pinched the leg to level the game at two apiece.
The second seed then won the fifth leg to move ahead for the second time in the game and broke throw with an 81 finish, despite a maximum from Jones, to go 4-2 up.
Walsh extended his lead to three legs with an accurate dart at double top to win the seventh leg before Jones hit back-to-back maximums at the start of the next.
A seventh treble 20 was successfully converted but an off-target attempt at treble 19 ended the hopes of a nine-dart-finish - although the leg was won in 11 darts to reduce the deficit to 5-3.
Jones won the ninth leg against the darts, with a 15-dart-finish, and then levelled the game at five-all on double 16.
The man from Wolverhampton kept the run going by converting a two-dart 64 finish to move 6-5 up and go two legs away from taking the match.
Walsh missed a chance at double ten for a 140 checkout in the 12th leg and Jones stepped in to make it five consecutive legs.
The next leg saw Walsh miss four darts at doubles to keep the match alive, and Jones hit double top to end the contest and confirm a quarter-final place.
"I'm very pleased with the result," said Jones. "I was annoyed at 3-1 down and had to try and break Mark's throw to get back into the game, which I did, and at five-all I kicked on and got the win."
Walsh admitted: "I got the lead but couldn't close him out and my performance wasn't great. Wayne's got a very good record against me and he played well again, and he deserved the win."
Match Stats
|
Mark Walsh |
5-8 |
Wayne Jones |
|
15 |
100+ |
22 |
|
7 |
140+ |
11 |
|
3 |
180 |
3 |
|
29.61 |
Ave1 |
30.89 |
|
88.83 |
Ave3 |
92.67 |
|
81 |
High Finish |
101 |
|
2 |
Legs Against Throw |
4 |
WES NEWTON 8-7 RONNIE BAXTER
WES NEWTON came out on top in the battle of the Fylde coast throwers with a dramatic deciding-leg second round victory over Ronnie Baxter at the totesport.com Players Championship.
Newton had led 5-2 and 7-5 but he missed five chances to close out victory as Baxter hit back to force a decider.
However, world number 24 Newton held his nerve to prevail in the 15th leg and claim a quarter-final place.
Newton started the match in impressive fashion winning the first leg with a 15-dart-finish and then breaking throw with a 99 checkout to secure a 2-0 lead.
Newton missed several chances to extend the advantage, allowing Baxter to win the third leg, but he made no mistake in the fourth with an excellent 124 checkout, completed on the bullseye.
A clinical 13-dart-finish in the fifth extended Newton's lead to three legs before Baxter managed to pull one back by hitting double three.
Newton won the seventh leg with a successful attempt at double top before Baxter produced his best leg of the match by winning the eighth with a 116 checkout.
Baxter, who will competing in the 2010 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts, broke throw to win the ninth but missed chances to level and Newton cashed in with an excellent two-dart 69 finish to move 6-4 up.
Baxter won the 11th leg on double top, but Newton maintained his two-leg advantage with a pressure last dart at double 18 in the next to go one leg away from the match.
Newton appeared to have the match wrapped up in the 13th leg, but he missed five darts for victory and Baxter kept his hopes alive by hitting double six.
Baxter had the advantage of throwing first in the next leg and he made that count by hitting double six for the second leg in succession to force the match to a decider.
A tense deciding leg was in the balance until Newton hit a 136 to leave 32, which proved decisive as he returned to the oche to hit double four and end an enthralling contest.
"I'm so relieved to get the win," said Newton. "Early on I felt very comfortable and everything went in but I put a few slack darts in and Ronnie came back at me.
"I thought I might have blown my chance, but I got over the finishing line in the end."
Baxter added: "The last leg was Wes' all the way, he was too strong and I couldn't match him."
Match Stats
|
Wes Newton |
8-7 |
Ronnie Baxter |
|
24 |
100+ |
31 |
|
10 |
140+ |
8 |
|
2 |
180 |
1 |
|
31.29 |
Ave1 |
30.59 |
|
93.88 |
Ave3 |
91.77 |
|
124 |
High Finish |
116 |
|
4 |
Legs Against Throw |
4 |
EVENING SESSION
ADRIAN LEWIS 8-7 ANDY HAMILTON
ADRIAN LEWIS came through a final-leg thriller at the Circus Tavern to defeat Stoke rival Andy Hamilton in the second round of the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship.
Both players had a chance to win the match before Lewis, who had led 6-3 and 7-5, finally sealed it to set up an eye-catching quarter-final clash against Paul Nicholson.
Lewis hit back-to-back maximums at the start of the game to leave a chance of recording a nine-dart-finish in the first leg.
The seventh treble 20 fell straight into the target but the attempt at treble 19 fell short - although the leg was still won in a fabulous ten darts.
A 120 checkout gave Lewis the second leg before Hamilton managed to win the third leg despite Lewis hitting another maximum.
The superb standard continued in the fourth as Hamilton left himself on a potential nine-darter after kicking off the leg with two 180s.
His seventh treble 20 was off-target to end hopes of another nine-dart attempt, while Lewis almost won the leg by missing bullseye for a 170 checkout before his local rival returned to level the match at two apiece by hitting double 16.
But Lewis forged ahead again by winning the next two legs with clinical 13 and 15-dart-finishes to move 4-2 ahead.
The Stoke youngster moved three legs clear after breaking Hamilton's throw courtesy of an accurate attempt at double ten, before his Stoke rival won the eighth to keep himself in the match by converting an 84 checkout.
Lewis hit his seventh 180 of the game in the ninth leg, but missed two darts at double top before being given a reprieve following two misses from Hamilton to move into a 6-3 cushion.
However, Hamilton fought back well and broke throw to win the tenth leg and then hit double 18 in the next to reduce the deficit to one leg.
Lewis hit double ten in the 12th to move one leg away from the match, and two 140s saw the 24-year-old to a finish first. But he failed with his attempt at double top for the match and Hamilton kept his hopes alive by hitting double 16.
A vital maximum from Hamilton in the next leg, followed by a successful attempt at double eight, saw him break throw and send the game to a decisive final leg.
Both players struggled to find their range in the decider before Hamilton fell just short of converting a 136 checkout - after narrowly missing double eight.
That allowed Lewis another chance to win the match, and he took out a 56 finish by hitting double top at the first time of asking to end a dramatic encounter.
"It was a cracking game," said Lewis. "We both showed lots of bottle and played well.
"Andy took some good finishes out at key times and came back at me, and it was a tough game where I had to keep digging in and trying.
"I'll look forward to playing Paul Nicholson now. He beat me in the World Championship a year ago but I'm a different player now, and I've got to keep my concentration."
Hamilton added: "It was a great game to be a part of and Adrian was brilliant. I'm not disappointed about losing, but the double eight will probably haunt me for a long time.
"I thought it was in when it left my hand, but it wasn't to be."
Match Stats
|
Adrian Lewis |
8-7 |
Andy Hamilton |
|
16 |
100+ |
14 |
|
8 |
140+ |
7 |
|
7 |
180 |
5 |
|
31.09 |
Ave1 |
30.67 |
|
93.28 |
Ave3 |
92.02 |
|
120 |
High Finish |
84 |
|
5 |
Legs Against Throw |
4 |
MERVYN KING 8-1 JELLE KLAASEN
MERVYN KING breezed through his second round clash against Jelle Klaasen with a comfortable 8-1 victory at the 2010 totesport.com Players Championship at the Circus Tavern, Purfleet.
King put in a clinical display and did not allow his Dutch opponent to produce the kind of form he showed in his first round game against Gary Anderson, as Klaasen endured a nightmare display.
While his average dipped to just 82 a day on from his superb defeat of Anderson, King again averaged over 100 and landed five maximums in a clinical victory.
King hit double eight to win the first leg and then landed a maximum in a process of completing an 11-dart-finish to break his Klaasen's throw in the second.
The world number five, who defeated James Wade in a thrilling first round encounter, hit double 18 for a 3-0 lead and repeated the trick in the fourth leg to establish complete command of the game.
King kept up the momentum by winning the fifth before Klaasen managed to win his first leg of the match by converting a 96 finish.
The Dutchman hit a 177 to get to a finish first in the seventh leg, but failed to convert the chance he had set himself and King cashed in by hitting double 18 for the third time in the game to go 6-1 up.
King hit double four to win the eighth leg and sealed the match with a 61 finish in the next, setting up a quarter-final clash against Wayne Jones on Sunday afternoon.
"That was a hard game to play because Jelle had a nightmare by his standards," said King. "I feel for him because we've all been there as players, and although it was in my favour it was an awkward match."
Klaasen conceded: "I didn't feel right on stage and the darts didn't go for me, but Mervyn played well and deserved the win."
Match Stats
|
Jelle Klaasen |
1-8 |
Mervyn King |
|
6 |
100+ |
11 |
|
2 |
140+ |
5 |
|
1 |
180 |
5 |
|
27.42 |
Ave1 |
33.60 |
|
82.26 |
Ave3 |
100.81 |
|
96 |
High Finish |
81 |
|
0 |
Legs Against Throw |
3 |
PHIL TAYLOR 8-7 TERRY JENKINS
PHIL TAYLOR was made to work hard before defeating Terry Jenkins in a deciding leg thriller to reach the quarter-finals of the totesport.com Players Championship.
There was never more than one leg between the two players throughout a tight battle, but the defending champion managed to come through and set-up a clash with Colin Lloyd - who the Stoke star defeated at same stage of last year's competition.
Taylor defied a maximum from Jenkins to win the opening leg before the Herefordshire man levelled by hitting double ten with his last dart.
Jenkins then secured an early break by landing double ten with his last dart once again, after Taylor had missed two darts at double 16.
But Taylor soon put that disappointment behind him by immediately breaking back, courtesy of a 13-dart -finish, to square the game at two apiece.
Taylor moved 3-2 ahead with the aid of a 14-darter before Jenkins won the sixth hitting double three with his last dart after missing five previous attempts to win the leg.
Jenkins then broke Taylor's throw for a second time with a clinical two-dart 80 finish to lead 4-3, but once again the world number one hit back to level by hitting a crucial 70 checkout with his opponent waiting on double four.
Taylor showed class in obtaining a 5-4 lead by hitting a fabulous 160 checkout before both players hit maximums in the tenth leg.
The world number one was at a finish first, but missed four darts at double 14 to establish a two-leg advantage and Jenkins made his opponent pay by converting a 73 finish.
A tight 11th leg saw both players miss a dart at double top before Taylor won it, but Jenkins continued to fight and won the next leg in 13 darts to leave contest finely balanced at six-all.
Taylor moved one leg away from the match with a 14-dart-finish, but missed a dart at double top to take victory and Jenkins hit the same double to send the match into a deciding leg.
The 15-time World Champion had the throw, and that proved key as he hit pulled clear to land another 14-darter and settle a tight contest.
"Terry's great under pressure and he took some superb finishes out with his last dart," said Taylor. "It was a really tough game and I'm relieved to be through it.
"I'm here to win and I'll look forward to the quarter-finals now against Colin Lloyd on Sunday, and hopefully I can go all the way."
Jenkins admitted: "I felt I had my chance there and blew it.
"When I broke Phil and went 4-3 up I threw away a couple of legs and let him back in, but I've no complaints."
Match Stats
|
Phil Taylor |
8-7 |
Terry Jenkins |
|
25 |
100+ |
19 |
|
10 |
140+ |
9 |
|
3 |
180 |
5 |
|
33.30 |
Ave1 |
31.15 |
|
99.90 |
Ave3 |
93.45 |
|
160 |
High Finish |
80 |
|
2 |
Legs Against Throw |
2 |
COLIN OSBORNE 8-2 MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
COLIN OSBORNE defeated Michael van Gerwen with a comfortable 8-2 triumph to reach the quarter-finals of the totesport.com Players Championship.
After a bright start from van Gerwen, Osborne got into his stride to send another Dutchman out of the competition - having also defeated Co Stompe in his opening match on Friday.
The Dutch youngster made a confident start to the match by hitting a 13-darter to win the opening leg against the darts, but Osborne immediately broke back with a two-dart 65 finish.
Van Gerwen seemed destined to win the third leg having left himself on 32, but Osborne hit a fabulous 160 checkout to go 2-1 up.
Van Gerwen won the fourth by hitting double top, but Osborne hit the same bed after the break to win the fifth and lead again.
Osborne recorded second successive 14-dart-finish to break his opponent's throw, and then won the seventh leg by hitting double ten after van Gerwen missed one dart to reduce the deficit.
The Derby-based player, seeded three for this tournament following his 2009 Players Championship displays, hit back-to-back maximums in the process of moving 6-2 up.
Van Gerwen missed a dart at the bullseye to win the ninth leg, and Osborne stepped in by hitting double nine with his last dart to move one leg away from victory.
Osborne missed double eight for a 133 finish in the next leg, but van Gerwen was in no position to punish that and he returned to hit double four to seal a quarter-final tie against Wes Newton.
"Michael wasn't at his best but I can only worry about my own darts and that's what I did," he said. "The 160 got to him a bit and I kept plugging away.
"I've not played my best darts yet but I'm in the quarter-finals and anything could happen on Sunday."
Van Gerwen said: "He hurt me early on in the game, especially with the 160 finish, and I never recovered. He's a good player but I don't feel I played well at all and I feel bad."
Match Stats
|
Colin Osborne |
8-2 |
Michael van Gerwen |
|
10 |
100+ |
11 |
|
8 |
140+ |
8 |
|
3 |
180 |
1 |
|
30.33 |
Ave1 |
30.29 |
|
90.98 |
Ave3 |
90.88 |
|
160 |
High Finish |
40 |
|
4 |
Legs Against Throw |
1 |