European Darts Grand Prix Day Two

STUNNING SULJOVIC KO'S VAN GERWEN IN SINDELFINGEN

MENSUR SULJOVIC stunned Michael van Gerwen with a career-best display to defeat the world number one 6-4 with a 109.70 average in the European Darts Grand Prix second round on Saturday.

The Austrian star had won through to the semi-finals of the partypoker.com World Grand Prix last week and continued that form with a scintillating display against van Gerwen, who averaged over 111 in defeat.

A 12-darter which featured a 180 and a 102 finish was a signal of intent for Suljovic as he won the opening leg, before van Gerwen recorded legs of 11 and 12 darts - including two maximums and a 120 finish - to move ahead.

Suljovic levelled in 13 darts, and after van Gerwen took out 100 to move 3-2 up, the Austrian produced back-to-back 14-darters to regain the lead before finishing 121 on double 14 for a 12-darter to lead 5-3.

Van Gerwen landed a 174 score for a second successive leg as he hit back with another 12-darter, but Suljovic took out 68 on double 14 in the next to complete a remarkable win.

Suljovic will now take on Mervyn King in the third round, after last year's Sindelfingen winner overcame Dutch youngster Jeffrey De Zwaan 6-2 with a clinical display.

After King took the opening leg on double eight, De Zwaan - who missed double 12 for a nine-darter in the first round - landed a pair of 180s in legs of 12 and 14 darts to move 2-1 up.

King, though, levelled in a key fourth before taking out 101 to move back ahead, and followed a 64 checkout with a 14-darter to lead 5-2 before sealing the win with a fine 124 checkout for a 12-darter.

New World Grand Prix champion Robert Thornton almost joined van Gerwen in suffering a second round exit, but came from 5-3 down to defeat Welsh ace Jonny Clayton.

Thornton made a fine start to win the opening two legs, before Clayton, aided by a 180, hit back to level.

The Scot won the fifth to edge 3-2 up, but Clayton levelled with tops and then moved ahead with a superb 12-darter which featured a 180 and a 141 finish, before punishing missed doubles from Thornton across two visits by posting double 16 to move 5-3 up.

Thornton hit back on double four and then landed a 180 and a superb 121 finish to force a deciding leg, which he took with a 13-darter.

Thornton now plays Jelle Klaasen, after the Dutch ace celebrated his birthday with an impressive 104.78 to defeat David Pallett 6-4.

The Dutchman broke in the opening leg before landing a 180 as he moved 2-0 up, with Pallett hitting back with a 15-darter in leg three only for Klaasen to finish double 18 for a 14-darter to lead 3-1.

The pair traded 180s as Pallett punished misses from his opponent to take the fifth leg, but Klaasen landed another maximum as he moved 4-2 up.

Pallett's 65 finish cut the gap, but Klaasen moved 5-3 up with a superb 11-dart leg and though the Shropshire youngster hit a 180 and double 15 to stay in the game, the Dutch ace took out 76 for a 12-darter to book his last 16 spot.

Kim Huybrechts also impressed as he averaged 105.71 in a 6-4 win over Dave Ladley, who twice led an entertaining contest.

Ladley finished 76 for the opening leg and added a 180 and tops to break throw in the second, only for Huybrechts to reply on tops and double 18 to level.

A missed bull for a 167 finish in leg five allowed Ladley in on double five to regain the edge, before Huybrechts hit top gear to reel off legs of 12, 14 and 12 darts, hitting two 180s and checkouts of 140, 79 and 100 as he moved 5-3 up.

Double five kept Ladley in the contest, but Huybrechts sealed victory in style, landing his third 180 of the game in a superb 11-darter.

Huybrechts' third round opponent will be Steve Beaton, the 2013 European Tour winner in Sindelfingen who was a narrow 6-5 victor against Justin Pipe on Saturday, producing a superb 11-darter in the deciding leg of a close contest.

Pipe made a fine start, taking out 130 on the bull as he moved into a 2-0 lead before also taking a 3-1 advantage.

Beaton traded 180s with his rival in the fifth as he hit back on double eight before finishing a brilliant 141 checkout to level, double eight to move 4-3 up and double two to lead by two legs.

Double 14 saw Pipe hit back before he punished two missed match darts from Beaton at tops by landing double eight to force a decider, but the former Lakeside Champion showed his class by scoring 137, 140 and 140 before finishing 84 in two darts to claim victory.

Joe Cullen produced a superb display to defeat Dave Chisnall 6-2 and move into the third round, averaging 103.58 and finishing six doubles from seven attempts.

He took out 74 and 52, following a 180, to win the opening two legs before Chisnall landed a maximum in a 13-darter to get himself off the mark.

Cullen posted a maximum in a 13-darter of his own to regain the cushion, with Chisnall finishing 80 to pull back to 3-2 only for the Bradford youngster to take out legs of 14 and 13 darts to move 5-2 up.

Cullen then landed his fourth 180 of the game in leg eight, and when Chisnall missed double 18 to keep his hopes alive, he clinically took out double eight to seal the win.

Cullen now takes on Raymond van Barneveld, after the five-time World Champion swept aside Brendan Dolan with a 6-1 victory.

Van Barneveld had averaged 100 in his first round win over Johnny Haines, and hit six doubles from nine attempts during his clinical dismissal of Dolan.

The Dutchman hit a 180 and took out 72 for the opening leg before breaking throw with a 14-darter, landed double four for a three-leg cushion and a pair of tops to lead by five legs as Dolan struggled to hit back.

The Northern Irish ace took out 70 for a 14-darter in the sixth leg to hit back, but the rally was brief as van Barneveld sealed victory with a 14-dart finish of his own.

Number two seed Michael Smith hit five 180s in a heavy-scoring 6-3 win over Dean Winstanley as the number two seed kicked off his bid to win a third European Tour event of the year in style.

Smith opened with a 14-darter and finished double ten to move 2-0 up before double ten saw Winstanley hit back.

Smith landed two 180s to his opponent's one in the fourth leg before finishing legs of 13 and 14 darts to move 5-1 up.

Winstanley fought back by finishing double eight and double two and the pair then traded 180s in leg nine, but Smith took out 81 on double 12 for a 12-darter to book his last 16 place.

Smith's third round opponent will now be Gerwyn Price, who overcame Benito van de Pas 6-3.

The Welsh ace took control early on, finishing 112 to win the opening leg before taking three legs in a row - after the Dutchman levelled with a 78 finish - to lead 4-1.

Van de Pas hit back by taking out 100 with two double tops, and after Price edged the seventh leg an 85 checkout saw the youngster pull back to 5-3, but the Welsh ace landed double ten in leg nine to seal the win.

Stephen Bunting reeled off four straight legs to come from 4-2 down and defeat Vincent van der Voort, landing a quartet of maximums and averaging 100 in a strong performance.

Van der Voort led 2-0 and retained his cushion halfway through to contest before Bunting fired in 180s in successive legs to level at four-all.

The former Lakeside Champion then hit a 180 and took out 134 for a brilliant 12-darter to lead for the first time, before hitting his fourth maximum in as many legs as he sealed the fightback.

Bunting will now take on Peter Wright, who hit back from a leg down to see off Holland's Jermaine Wattimena 6-3.

The Dutch qualifier broke throw to win the opening leg, but Wright responded well to take the next four without reply and take command.

Wattimena punished missed doubles from the Scot to take the next two, but missed his chance to level in leg eight when he was unable to land tops, allowing Wright to finish double two for a 5-3 advantage before sealing the win on double eight.

James Wade won the battle of the left-handers as he defeated Mark Webster 6-3 to move into the last 16.

An even contest saw the first six legs shared with throw before Wade made his move, finishing 60 on tops to move 4-3 up, breaking throw by taking out 96 in leg eight and then hitting a 180 in a 13-darter to wrap up the win.

Simon Whitlock set up a third round clash with Wade by defeating Jamie Caven 6-4, averaging 100 in the process with a clinical display as he hit six doubles from seven attempts.

Caven kicked off the match with two 180s, and though he missed out on a nine-dart finish he returned to win the leg in 12 darts.

Whitlock took the next two by finishing 61 and 70 before Caven levelled on double five - but it was the Australian who pulled away by finishing 124 for a 12-darter, tops and a 106 checkout to move 5-2 up.

Caven hit back to win the next two legs, including a 14-darter, but Whitlock sealed the win in style with another 12-dart finish.

Lee Evans continued his memorable European Tour debut with a 6-4 win over Terry Jenkins, meaning that the Gloucestershire qualifier will celebrate his 27th birthday on Sunday by competing in the last 16 in Sindelfingen.

Both players landed 180s in the opening leg as Jenkins kicked off with an 11-darter before double 16 moved the Ledbury ace two legs up, and he also led 3-1 before Evans hit back to level, hitting a 180 in leg five before setting up tops for a 13-darter with a 165 score in the sixth.

Double four moved Evans ahead for the first time at 4-3, with Jenkins taking out 111 to level before the duo swapped maximums in a key ninth before the Fairford thrower took out 109 to move 5-4 up and double 16 to seal the win.

Evans now plays Ian White, who overcame the challenge of Mickey Mansell to book his third round place with a 6-3 victory.

The Stoke ace took out 101 to open with a 12-darter, and after Mansell levelled on tops White took out back-to-back 14-darters - including a 97 finish and tops - to move 3-1 up.

Mansell replied in 14 darts by finishing 80, but White landed a 180 and tops to move 4-2 up before missed doubles allowed the left-hander to cut the gap once more in leg seven.

The pair landed early 180s in the eighth leg, which saw White take out 86 for a 14-darter before he sealed the win in style with another maximum in a 12-dart leg.

The £115,000 PDC European Tour event at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen concludes on Sunday, with the afternoon session's third round followed by the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening session.

Coverage will be streamed live worldwide through www.LIVEPDC.TV and via the bookmakers' websites listed below.

Live Scores can be followed through the PDC Live Scores Website .

Tickets for the European Darts Grand Prix are available through www.pdc-europe.tv .

The European Darts Grand Prix will be screened live for all LIVEPDC.TV Subscribers worldwide, and will also be broadcast through the following bookmakers' websites:

Afternoon Session
Second Round
Brendan Dolan (8) 1-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Terry Jenkins (12) 4-6 Lee Evans
Mervyn King (16) 6-2 Jeffrey de Zwaan
Justin Pipe (10) 5-6 Steve Beaton
Kim Huybrechts (7) 6-4 Dave Ladley
Ian White (5) 6-3 Mickey Mansell
Benito van de Pas (15) 3-6 Gerwyn Price
Jelle Klaasen (11) 6-4 David Pallett

Evening Session
Second Round
Dave Chisnall (9) 2-6 Joe Cullen
James Wade (3) 6-3 Mark Webster
Simon Whitlock (14) 6-4 Jamie Caven
Michael Smith (2) 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Robert Thornton (6) 6-5 Jonny Clayton
Michael van Gerwen (1) 4-6 Mensur Suljovic
Vincent van der Voort (13) 4-6 Stephen Bunting
Peter Wright (4) 6-3 Jermaine Wattimena

Sunday October 18
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm local time, 12pm-4pm BST)
Third Round
James Wade v Simon Whitlock
Robert Thornton v Jelle Klaasen
Kim Huybrechts v Steve Beaton
Michael Smith v Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright v Stephen Bunting
Ian White v Lee Evans
Raymond van Barneveld v Joe Cullen
Mensur Suljovic v Mervyn King

Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm local time)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final

All games are the best of 11 legs.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO - MICHAEL VAN GERWEN V MENSUR SULJOVIC FULL GAME
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