RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD kicked off the European Darts Matchplay with a revenge win over Max Hopp, as Rowby-John Rodriguez kept Austrian hopes alive at the PDC European Tour event in Innsbruck.
The German youngster had produced a thrilling display in last week's European Tour event in Muelheim, taking out two 161 checkouts in his victory over the five-time World Champion. ~
Van Barneveld, though, produced an assured display as he avenged that loss and moved into the last 32 of the £115,000 tournament with a 6-3 victory.
The duo shared the opening four legs, including a 13-darter from Hopp, before van Barneveld took out 100 and then broke with a 66 checkout for a 4-2 cushion.
Hopp hit back with a 180 in a 12-darter, but tops moved van Barneveld to the brink of victory and double 16 completed a 13-dart finish to seal his win as the Dutchman moves through to meet Stephen Bunting in Saturday's second round.
"I'm happy with the win," said van Barneveld. "Max played some great darts last week and showed his quality, but tonight was different."
Friday's first round was less successful for five of the six Host Nation Qualifiers, with only Rowby-John Rodriguez progressing to represent Austria in the last 32.
Rodriguez progressed past Germany's Stefan Stoyke with a 6-3 victory as he moved through to meet Australia's Simon Whitlock for a second successive weekend.
The youngster took command by winning the first three legs and also led 5-1 before fending off the European Qualifier's brief revival to seal the win with a 14-darter.
Kevin Painter ended Roxy-James Rodriguez's hopes of joining his brother in the second round with a 6-3 win.
After sharing the opening two legs, Painter took the next three without reply - including a 14-darter to break throw - as he took command at 4-1, with Rodriguez hitting a 141 checkout in replying only to see the former Players Champion progress to a last 32 meeting with Terry Jenkins.
Austrian number one Mensur Suljovic suffered disappointment on home soil with a 6-2 defeat to Darren Webster.
Suljovic kicked off the game with a 14-darter before Webster finished 160 to level, and though the home favourite levelled at two-all, the Englishman pulled clear with four successive legs to progress to meet Kim Huybrechts.
German-based Maik Langendorf squeezed past Austrian newcomer Aaron Hardy with a narrow 6-5 victory, but only after the European Tour debutant missed four darts at double top to snatch victory in a dramatic deciding leg.
After Hardy had held a slender 3-2 advantage, Langendorf landed a 13-darter to break throw amongst three successive legs as he moved 5-3 up and was made to sweat before finally moving through to a second round meeting with July's European Darts Open winner Robert Thornton.
Darren Johnson celebrated his birthday with a 6-1 win over Austrian qualifier Zoran Lerchbacher, who found himself four legs down before getting off the mark only for the English ace to fire in back-to-back 14-dart finishes.
Johnson now takes on Peter Wright in Saturday's second round, after reaching the last 32 for a second European Tour event in a row.
Alan Norris will take on last week's European Darts Trophy winner Michael Smith in the second round following his 6-2 win over Austrian qualifier Armin Glanzer.
Norris led 3-0 before Glanzer took out 104 as he took two of the next three, but the local ace was punished for missed doubles as the Englishman moved into the last 32.
Andy Hamilton won a high-quality first round clash with Dean Winstanley 6-3 as he set up a meeting with Vincent van der Voort, who won last year's European Tour event in Austria.
Winstanley hit back from 2-0 down to level before Hamilton followed a 14-darter with a superb 132 checkout for a 12-dart finish as he moved 4-2 up.
An 11-darter saw Winstanley respond, but Hamilton's consistent scoring helped him to wrap up victory with legs of 13 and 14 darts, ending with a 103.66 average to his opponent's 102.59.
David Pallett produced an impressive display to defeat Jamie Caven 6-2, hitting six 180s and averaging over 100 as he set up a second round meeting with Jelle Klaasen.
Pallett kicked off the game with a 180 in an 11-darter and raced into a 3-0 lead before Caven cut the gap to one leg, only for maximums in the next three legs - plus a 12-darter and a 14-dart finish - aided the Shropshire ace to complete a quick-fire win.
Ronny Huybrechts survived a gutsy fightback from Wes Newton to move through to meet world number one Michael van Gerwen in the second round, leading 4-0 and 5-1 before Newton forced a decider.
Huybrechts capitalised on Newton's slow start to take command, but paid the price for six missed match darts as the former European Tour winner clawed back level, only for the Belgian to take out 108 on double 14 to finally seal the win.
Ireland's William O'Connor came from behind as he took the final three legs to claim a 6-4 win over Gerwyn Price and move through to face Dave Chisnall in the second round.
With the opening seven legs going with the throw, Welshman Price held a slender 4-3 lead only to see O'Connor follow up an earlier 13-darter with a 180 and double three to level, a 177 and double eight to break throw and double eight to complete the win.
Croatia's Robert Marijanovic overcame Dirk van Duijvenbode 6-5 in another nail-biter, as the Dutch youngster hit back from 2-0 and 5-3 down to level only to lose out in the deciding leg, missing three match darts across two visits.
Marijanovic now takes on another top Dutch youngster, Benito van de Pas, in Saturday's second round.
Northern Irish left-hander Mickey Mansell moved through to meet Mervyn King in round two with a 6-3 win over Adam Hunt.
Hunt hit back from 2-0 down to level the contest but blew his chance to lead in the fifth leg and was punished for further misses as Mansell moved 5-2 up before going on to complete the win.
Young Belgian star Dimitri Van den Bergh enjoyed a fine 6-2 win over European Tour debutant Paul Milford as he progressed to a second round clash with Ian White.
The pair shared the opening four legs, but the Belgian then took four in a row as he completed the win.
Tony Newell moved through to meet Justin Pipe as he defeated Terry Temple 6-3, reaching the last 32 for the second time in as many European Tour events he has competed in since winning a Tour Card in 2014.
He opened with a 111 finish and took a 4-1 lead before Temple, inspired by a 122 checkout, reduced the gap to one leg, but the Cumbrian was too strong to complete the win.
Mark Walsh survived a scare against Joe Murnan before finally edging through to a second round meeting with Brendan Dolan with a 6-5 win over his fellow UK Qualifier.
Walsh put himself in command of the contest at 5-2 with some fine darts, but missed doubles for victory in two of the next three legs as Murnan forced a decider, but he was unable to capitalise as tops put the former UK Open finalist through.
The European Darts Matchplay will be screened live online throughout the weekend at www.LIVEPDC.TV and a series of bookmakers' websites listed below.
Live Coverage
www.LIVEPDC.TV - Worldwide
www.Bet365.com
www.betfair.com
www.coral.co.uk
www.ladbrokes.com
www.unibet.co.uk
Live Scores
Live scores from the European Darts Matchplay can be seen at the PDC Live Scores Website - http://live.dartsdata.com .
European Darts Matchplay
Friday September 18
Afternoon Session
First Round
Stefan Stoyke 3-6 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Zoran Lerchbacher 1-6 Darren Johnson
Tony Newell 6-3 Terry Temple
Joe Murnan 5-6 Mark Walsh
Robert Marijanovic 6-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Mickey Mansell 6-3 Adam Hunt
Dimitri Van den Bergh 6-2 Paul Milford
Armin Glanzer 2-6 Alan Norris
Evening Session
First Round
William O'Connor 6-4 Gerwyn Price
Dean Winstanley 3-6 Andy Hamilton
Roxy-James Rodriguez 3-6 Kevin Painter
Maik Langendorf 6-5 Aaron Hardy
David Pallett 6-2 Jamie Caven
Ronny Huybrechts 6-5 Wes Newton
Mensur Suljovic 2-6 Darren Webster
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Max Hopp
Saturday September 19
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm local time, 12pm-4pm BST)
Benito van de Pas v Robert Marijanovic
Justin Pipe v Tony Newell
Dave Chisnall v William O'Connor
Terry Jenkins v Kevin Painter
Brendan Dolan v Marl Walsh
Robert Thornton v Maik Langendorf
Kim Huybrechts v Darren Webster
Ian White v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Evening Session (7pm-11pm local time, 6pm-10pm BST)
Mervyn King v Mickey Mansell
Michael Smith v Alan Norris
Peter Wright v Darren Johnson
Simon Whitlock v Rowby-John Rodriguez
Jelle Klaasen v David Pallett
Vincent van der Voort v Andy Hamilton
Stephen Bunting v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v Ronny Huybrechts
All games are the best of 11 legs