Grand Slam of Darts - Day Six

REPORTS from Thursday's opening second round games at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts
Thursday November 19
Second Round - Groups A-D
Tony O'Shea 10-9 Mark Webster (Match 2)
Kevin Painter 10-5 Kirk Shepherd (Match 4)
Phil Taylor 10-4 Colin Lloyd (Match 1)
Mervyn King 6-10 Raymond van Barneveld (Match 3)
Best of 19 legs - first to 10 with no tie-break

TONY O'SHEA 10-9 MARK WEBSTER

TONY O'SHEA dramatically edged out Mark Webster 10-9 to win a place in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals.

Webster battled back from 3-1 and 7-5 down to lead 9-8 - but missed four darts for victory in a thrilling final leg.

Number eight seed O'Shea will now meet either Phil Taylor or Colin Lloyd in the quarters, as he continued his unbeaten debut in the tournament.

O'Shea made the ideal start with a 180 in his first three darts and double ten to break throw in the opening leg, and he took out double 18 for a 2-0 lead.

Webster won the third on double top, but missed the same bed to level as O'Shea landed double 16 for a 3-1 cushion.

The Welshman reduced the gap with double four, but missed further doubles in the next two legs as O'Shea established a 5-2 lead.

Webster took leg eight and then punished three misses from O'Shea to pull back to 5-4, before sharing the next two legs.

O'Shea, though, took double eight in leg 12 to lead 7-5, only for Webster to win the next three in edging ahead for the first time in the match.

O'Shea landed a 180 in winning the 16th leg, before a 117 checkout from Webster moved him a leg away from victory at 9-8.

The Stockport man landed double top to ensure a deciding leg, which he began with a 180 against the throw, only to miss one dart at double 12 for victory after Webster missed double top for the win.

Webster returned to the oche needing 40, but agonisingly missed all three darts for victory and O'Shea posted double 12 to progress.

"It was unbelievable and an incredible game," said O'Shea. "I bossed it early on but Mark came back really well.

"In one leg I hit 180 and 140 but missed a double and Mark took it out, and he was right on my tail for so much of the match."

Webster admitted: "I'm gutted but later on I won't feel too bad about it and I'll see the positives from the game.

"One of my weak spots has been coming from behind but I've done that and could have won, so full credit to Tony for his win."

Match Stats

Tony O'Shea	10-9	Mark Webster
20	100+	25
17	140+	8
6	180	2
29.89	Ave1	29.03
89.68	Ave3	87.08
95	High Finish	117
3	Legs Against Throw	2

KEVIN PAINTER 10-5 KIRK SHEPHERD

KEVIN PAINTER won through to the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts for the second time in three years with a 10-5 defeat of Kirk Shepherd.

Painter produced a polished display to see off the youngster, hitting 50 percent of his attempts at a double and landing six maximums in the game.

Shepherd played his part, pulling back to 5-4 at one stage before Painter pulled clear to take the win.

The opening four legs were shared, with Shepherd taking out 106 in the fourth to level at two-all before Painter took the next two, hitting a 180 in one and an 85 finish for a 4-2 cushion.

That break proved crucial, with Shepherd sharing the next two before hitting a key double top with Painter waiting on 28 in the ninth to pull back to 5-4.

Painter hit double eight to take the tenth, and landed a 79 finish for a key break of throw following one missed double from Shepherd.

Double top put Painter 8-4 up, and he then took out 118 to move a leg away from the win.

Shepherd scrambled home double two to stay in the contest, but Painter posted a sixth maximum of the game and double top to wrap up victory.

"It wasn't my greatest performance but I did a job and I'm glad to get through it," said Painter. "My scoring was okay but I never got into my best rhythm.

"Kirk caused me a few problems early on and he's played well in this tournament, and shown what a good player he is."

Match Stats

Kevin Painter	10-5	Kirk Shepherd
18	100+	19
9	140+	8
5	180	0
30.15	Ave1	28.78
90.44	Ave3	86.33
118	High Finish	106
6	Legs Against Throw	3

PHIL TAYLOR 10-4 COLIN LLOYD

PHIL TAYLOR reeled off seven successive legs to come from 4-3 down and book his place in the last eight of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 10-4 win over Colin Lloyd.

Taylor, the defending champion, lost his final group game in Wolverhampton to Vincent van der Voort and a slow start saw Lloyd hold an early advantage.

But Taylor piled in eight 180s and a 107.53 average in taking seven straight legs to claim the win and set up a quarter-final against BDO number one Tony O'Shea on Saturday.

Lloyd took the game to Taylor, winning the opening leg against the throw on double top, before Taylor took out 131 to level and then double eight for a 2-1 lead.

Lloyd stepped in following a missed bullseye from Taylor to take the fourth leg, only for the reigning champion to hit two 180s in an 11-darter in moving 3-2 up.

Taylor also hit a maximum in the sixth, but Lloyd finished 82 on double 12 to square matters and a fine 116 checkout to lead 4-3.

Taylor hit a 174 score to set up a double 12 finish in levelling matters, and defied a 180 from Lloyd to hit a key double three in edging back in front.

The two traded 180s as Taylor won leg ten for a 6-4 cushion, and he then punished a miss at double top from Lloyd to take out double eight for a three-leg advantage.

Taylor hit another maximum in an 11-darter to take the 12th leg, took out 130 to move a leg away from the win and tops to seal victory and a quarter-final with O'Shea.

"After the result against Vincent I needed a test and Colin gave me that," said Taylor. "At 4-3 down I knew I had to lift and I raised my game.

"In the sixth or seventh leg I adjusted and started to find the treble 20 bed more, and that was important. I think I averaged about 113 for the last seven legs and I needed to do that.

"Tony's been great so far this week and he's enjoying himself. It's going to be a fantastic game and I'm sure the crowd will be in for a treat on Saturday."

Lloyd said: "I tried my best and got stuck into a great game, but Phil is an animal - in the nicest sense of the word.

"He goes up there and hits some amazing scores, and when you falter a bit he steps in.

"He is the greatest sportsman in the world and he just keeps dominating. He keeps taking his game up a notch and you have to take your hat off to him."

Match Stats

Phil Taylor	10-4	Colin Lloyd
14	100+	19
13	140+	10
8	180	3
35.84	Ave1	32.39
107.53	Ave3	97.18
131,130,127	High Finish	116
5	Legs Against Throw	2

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 10-6 MERVYN KING

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD produced a gritty display to defeat Mervyn King 10-6 and win a place in the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.

The Dutch ace looked set to crash out of the tournament when King established an early 4-2 lead in a superb start to the contest.

But five-time World Champion van Barneveld showed his class to level at five-all and hit a 161 finish in taking five of the next six legs to set up a last eight clash with Kevin Painter.

A 76 finish from van Barneveld gave him the game's opening leg before King posted a 177 in a 13-darter to level, which was bettered by a 121 checkout for a 12-dart leg in hitting the front.

Double four put him 3-1 up before van Barneveld took leg five, only for King to win the next and restore his two-leg lead.

Van Barneveld posted double 16 for the seventh leg, and hit a 180 in crucially breaking throw to square the game.

Another 15-dart finish saw van Barneveld move 5-4 up, only for King to respond in style with a 12-darter, featuring his first maximum of the game.

However, he missed two darts to take the 11th leg as van Barneveld edged 6-5 up, and the Dutchman produced a sensational 161 checkout to earn a two-leg cushion.

An 11-darter moved him 8-5 up, with King then taking out double nine for a sixth leg but paying for four missed doubles in the next as van Barneveld edged a leg away from victory.

The Dutchman's strong scoring continued in the next, and he landed double top at the first time of asking for a 14-dart finish in wrapping up the win.

"It's always a hard game against Mervyn but the 161 finish turned the game," said van Barneveld, who now meets Kevin Painter.

"Mervyn was great but the 161 put me two legs in front and that was important, and I'm very happy with the win."

King added: "I started well and was in control of the game but I let it slip and missed doubles in two key legs."

Match Stats