PDC World Championship - Match Reports Second Round (2)
Afternoon
Mark Walsh 4:3 Alan Tabern
(2:3, 0:3, 3:1, 3:1, 1:3, 3:2, 6:4)
Mark Walsh reached the last 16 of the Ladbrokes.com World Championship for the first time after overcoming Alan Tabern in an epic second round
encounter which lasted almost two hours at Alexandra Palace.
Tabern had led the match 2:0 and 3:2 only to see his opponent come back to level on both occassions before he made the St Helens man pay for six missed darts to win the match during the final set.
Walsh will now face Terry Jenkins for a place in the quarter-finals on Thursday, and admitted: "I feel a bit lucky because Alan was the better player and had so many chances to knock me out. He gave me chances and I sneaked through, and I'm happy to be through to the next round. I'm going to enjoy the moment and hopefully get as far as I can."
Both players held their throws in the opening two legs of the contest and Walsh continued that trend with a 110 finish to win the third leg. Walsh, who defeated Justin Pipe in the first round, missed double five for a 130 checkout that would have given him the set in the fourth leg and Tabern hit double eight to level matters. Walsh hit back-to-back maximums in the deciding leg and looked on course to win the set, but three more darts went begging and Tabern hit a superb 160 checkout to steal the lead.
Buoyed by winning that set in dramatic fashion, the left-hander hit double top to win the opening leg and then landed double nine to break throw in the second, defying a maximum from his opponent. Tabern hit his first 180 of the contest to kick off the third leg but missed three darts to win the set. Walsh, though, was unable to capitalise as his dart at double four was just off-target and Tabern returned to hit double five and establish a 2-0 lead.
Tabern, who overcame the challenge of Wales' Richie Burnett in his first game, continued the winning the run of legs by constructing a 13-darter to make a winning start to the third set. Walsh managed to stop the rot by taking the second leg on double top to win his first leg in seven and took the third on the same double after Tabern wasted three opportunities to win it himself. Walsh hit his fourth maximum of the game in the fourth leg and then capitalised on a missed dart at double from Tabern to win the leg by hitting a 103 finish to win the set and get back into the match.
Tabern won the first leg of the fourth set with a two-dart 64 finish before Walsh levelled with the aid of a maximum. Walsh hit double top at the first time of asking, cashing in on missed doubles by Tabern, and the former UK Open finalist repeated the trick in the fourth leg to win the set and square the match at two apiece.
The fifth set began with some excellent finishing for both players as Walsh hit 146 to win the first leg before Tabern took out 135 and 104 to win the next two. Both players hit maximums in the fourth leg, but Tabern was first to a finish and hit double 16 at the first time of asking to win the set and regain the lead.
Tabern won the first leg of the sixth set, which included a maximum from both players, before Walsh replied to win the second after holding throw. Walsh secured a break of throw to win the third leg but could not make that advantage count as four chances at doubles went begging to win the set and Tabern landed a pressure double eight with his last dart. That put Tabern one leg away from victory but his scoring power deserted him in the decider and Walsh hit a timely 180, followed by a two-dart 61 finish to send the match into the final set.
Walsh won the opening leg by hit double top but Tabern soon levelled by taking out a 64 finish in two darts. Tabern then secured a break of throw in the third leg with a 15-dart finish, but five chances to win the match in the fourth went begging and Walsh kept his nerve to hit tops and send the match into a tie-break. Walsh held throw to win the fifth leg and hit a maximum at the start of the sixth, but Tabern produced the more consistent scoring to win the leg and then secured a break of throw by landing double ten. That took him a leg away from winning the match for the second time but a dart at the bullseye for a 127 finish to end the game was off-target and Walsh hit double 12 to complete a 14-darter. Walsh hit double five to move 5-4 ahead and then held his nerve to land a 102 checkout to complete a superb victory.
"I think it was a tough game for both of us out there, although the crowd certainly enjoyed it," added Walsh. "I feel that Alan played better than me as a whole, but he didn't take the chances when he had them."
Vincent van der Voort 4:2 Wayne Jones
(3:1, 1:3, 3:0, 3:1, 0:3, 3:2)Vincent van der Voort defeated Wayne Jones with a 4:2 victory in the second round of the 2011 Ladbrokes.com Word Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Van der Voort, who has never won past the last 16 before at the World Championship, will now face either Simon Whitlock or Denis Ovens for a place in the quarter-finals.
Van der Voort hit double eight to win the first leg before Jones, who reached the final of the European Championship this summer, took the second with an 81 finish to level. The Dutchman, who defeated New Zealand's Preston Ridd in his first match, held throw for a second time to win the third leg and then hit a 76 finish in the fourth leg to establish an early lead.
Jones hit a 180 at the beginning of the second set and went on to win the first leg by hitting double eight. Van der Voort hit double 12 to level before Jones regained the lead by recording a 120 checkout after the Dutchman had his first maximum of the game. Jones then broke his opponent's throw for the first time in the game, in the fourth leg, by landing double eight to square the game at one apiece.
The third set began with van der Voort winning the first leg by hitting double top and he then broke Jones' throw to win the second, after the Wolverhampton man missed four attempts at doubles. Van der Voort then won the third leg by hitting double top to wrap up the set and lead the match for the second time.
Jones held throw to win the first leg of the fourth set before van der Voort won the second with the aid of his second maximum of the game. Both players fired in 180s in the third leg but Jones was off-target with two darts at doubles and van der Voort was clinical in completing an 80 finish in two darts to win the leg against the throw. Van der Voort then kept up that form by hitting a superb 148 checkout to secure the set and increase his lead to 3:1.
The Dutchman should have won the opening leg of the fifth set but two attempts at doubles were off-target and Jones hit double 18 to break throw. Jones, who has broken into the top 16 for the first time in his career after some excellent performances in 2010, won the second leg and then took out 89 on double 16 to win third leg and reduce the deficit.
Jones kept up the momentum to win his fourth leg in a row with a 93 finish to win the first leg of the sixth set. Van der Voort won the second leg defying a 180 from his opponent but Jones regained the lead by winning the third after both players had hit maximums. Van der Voort took the fourth by landing double four with his last dart to move within touching distance of victory, and that was secured in the deciding leg as the Dutchman hit a 116 checkout.
"I worked really hard and am very happy to get the win," said van der Voort. "This is the big one and as long as you're in it, you count for something and I want to be the best I can - every night I go to sleep dreaming of being World Champion. I can improve, and my first dart isn't as good as I want it to be at the moment. I'll be practising on Wednesday and resting for my next game."
Terry Jenkins 4:1 Steve Brown
(3:0, 3:0, 2:3, 3:0, 3:2)
Terry Jenkins secured a last 16 place at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with a 4:1 victory over Steve Brown.
Jenkins won the opening eight legs of the contest to gain a firm grip on the match and he went to set-up a third round clash against Mark Walsh, who had earlier defeated Alan Tabern in an epic seven-set encounter.
Jenkins came out of the blocks quickly, winning the first leg with an 88 finish before securing a break of throw in the second by landing double ten. Three maximums were recorded in the next leg, two of which fell the way of Jenkins before he hit double two to win the first set without reply.
Jenkins, who lost to Steve Brown in the first round of this year's World Matchplay back in July, hit his third 180 in the process of winning the opening leg of the second set. Brown was unable to take two chances at doubles in the second leg and Jenkins stepped in to hit double five with his last dart. Jenkins then hit double 19 at the first time of asking to win the next leg and establish a 2:0 lead with his opponent yet to win a leg.
The seventh seed continued his good form by taking out 117 to win the first leg of the third set and then broke Brown's throw with an 80 finish. The third leg saw Jenkins miss two darts at double top, which would have given him the set, and Brown hit double eight to win his first leg of the contest. Brown, who defeated former Lakeside Champion Jelle Klaasen in the first round, won the next by hitting double four and then hit his third maximum of the game in the deciding leg. Jenkins had another chance to win the set, but a dart at bullseye to complete a 164 finish was off-target and Brown hit double top with his last dart to take a set he seemed unlikely to win.
Jenkins put the disappointment of the third set behind him at the start of the fourth by breaking his opponent's throw by hitting double five with his last dart. A clinical two-dart 96 finish gave the Ledbury thrower the second leg and he hit double 18 in the next to regain his two-set advantage and move 3:1 up.
Jenkins held throw at the start of the sixth set before Brown hit back to win the second with an excellent 126 checkout, completed on the bullseye. Jenkins won the third leg with the aid of his fifth maximum of the game and back-to-back 140s in the next put him on course to win the match. However, he was off-target with his attempt at double top and Brown landed a pressure double five with his last dart to keep the match alive. In the deciding leg, though, Jenkins made no mistake as he hit an 80 finish in two darts to end the match.
"I wanted revenge against him because I felt I should have beat him in the World Matchplay in the summer and I was more determined to beat him this time," said Jenkins. "It was difficult to keep my concentration in the early sets because Steve wasn't hitting anything. But I got the job done and I can look forward to the last 16 now."
Evening
Wes Newton 4:0 Brendan Dolan
(3:2, 3:1, 3:2, 3:1)Wes Newton reached the last 16 of the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship for the first time in with a straight-sets victory over Brendan Dolan at Alexandra Palace.
The first set proved to be the pivotal in the eventual outcome of the match, as Dolan missed five darts to take the lead before Newton hit a 135 finish. The Fleetwood ace went on to take the next three sets and will now take on Mensur Suljovic in the third round on Thursday.
Dolan, who defeated former finalist Kevin Painter in the first round, hit a 180 in the opening leg of the match, which he won against the darts, and hit a 15-dart finish to double his lead. Dolan missed three darts at doubles in the third leg, allowing Newton to step in with an 80 finish, and the Fleetwood man won the fourth leg with the aid of a maximum. The deciding leg saw Dolan miss two further attempts at doubles to win the set and Newton made him pay with a fantastic 135 checkout, completed on the bullseye, to dramatically snatch the lead.
Newton, buoyed by that finish, hit a 180 in the process of the winning the first leg of the second set and then recorded a 13-darter to win the second. Newton was on course to win the third leg but missed three darts at double 12 and Dolan stole the leg by hitting double 16. But Newton, who defeated Darin Young in straight sets in his first round match, put together his second 13-darter of the set to establish a commanding 2:0 lead.
Newton hit double top to win the opening leg of the third set and repeated the trick in the second to break his opponent's throw. He then opened the third leg with a 180, but a 168 from Dolan left 40, and Newton was unable to land double 12 allowing the Northern Irish number one to return and hit double top to keep the set alive. Dolan missed two darts at double top to win the fourth leg, but Newton was unable to capitalise with two more chances to win the set and his opponent accepted the reprieve to win the leg. In the deciding leg, Newton put the mistakes of the previous two legs behind him as he hit double 16 at the first time of asking to increase the margin to three sets.
Newton took the early initiative in the fourth set by taking the first leg with a 136 checkout and the second with a 65 finish to move one leg away from the match. Dolan hit a 62 finish to win the third leg but missed three darts to win the fourth and Newton promptly ended matters by hitting double four.
"Brendan came out firing but I thought I had to put a bit of pressure on him and I did that," said Newton. "He still should have won the first set, but gave me the shot at a 135 and lucky for me it went - but finishes like that change games." He added: "I've never got past the last 32 before but I've drawn world-class players like Kevin Painter, Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis, but I feel this could be my year. I've played really well all year and I'm happy and enjoying my darts. Everything's going good and I'm looking forward to my next game."
Simon Whitlock 4:0 Denis Ovens
(3:1, 3:0, 3:1, 3:0)
Simon Whitlock reduced Denis Ovens to just two legs in a crushing second round triumph at the 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship.
Whitlock produced the kind of display that saw him reach the final of last year's competition and ended the match with a three-dart average of 102.86 - the second highest so far in the tournament.
The Australian also produced finishes of 164 and 135 in taking a straight sets win, and will now play Vincent van der Voort for a place in the last eight.
Ovens held throw to win the opening leg by hitting double eight before Whitlock hit the same double to win the second after missing the bullseye for an attempt at a 164 checkout. The Australian then took out a 135 finish to win the third leg and landed double ten in the fourth to win the set and grab an early lead.
Whitlock hit the first 180 of the match in the opening leg of the second set and returned to the oche to hit an 84 finish, completed on the bullseye. The bullseye came into the equation again in the second leg as the world number four hit two treble 19s followed by the bullseye, for a 164 checkout to take a 2:0 lead. In the next leg Whitlock had a chance to better that with a 170 checkout, only to miss the bullseye before he returned to land double four for a two-set lead.
The early stages of the third set followed a similar pattern to the second as Whitlock hit a 13-dart finish to win the opening leg and double 16 gave him the second. Ovens managed to hold his throw in the third leg to stop Whitlock's run of eight consecutive legs, but the Australian soon returned to winning ways by taking the next leg with the aid of a maximum to secure the set.
Whitlock hit a 13-dart finish to open up the fourth set and improved on that in the second leg with a 12-darter, which included back-to-back maximums. The third leg also went the way of the Australian as he hit double four to complete a superb performance.
"I'm finding my form now," said Whitlock. "I've put in a lot of hours since then, four to five hours every single day, and I'm preparing well for this World Championship because I want to win it badly. I think I'm a bit better than last year. Most of us are really nervous in the first round but I was a lot more calm tonight. Vincent's a class player and I know that it will be a tough match. I'll just play my game and won't worry about his fast throwing style."
Whitlock entered the stage waving an inflatable kangaroo which was sporting an English flag - in reference to Australia's under-fire cricket team who are heading for an Ashes defeat. "I'm feeling for the boys in the cricket," he added. "They're going through a bit of a transition and England have the best team in the world at the moment, but we'll fight back."
Mensur Suljovic 4:2 James Wade
(1:3, 3:2, 3:2, 2:3, 3:1, 3:2)
Mensur Suljovic created the biggest shock of the 2011 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship to date by defeating world number two James Wade with
an incredible 4:2 triumph.
Suljovic had led the match 2:1 and had chances to increase his lead to 3:1 before Wade levelled by punishing his misses in the fourth set.
But the Austrian won the next two sets to end Wade's hopes of a maiden World Championship crown for another year, and will now face Wes Newton in the next round.
Wade won the opening leg with a 97 finish but missed three chances for a 2:0 lead, which allowed Suljovic to level by hitting double four with his third dart. Wade held throw for a second time by landing double 12 at the first time of asking to win the third leg and then closed out the set in clinical fashion, with a two-dart 74 finish, to establish an early advantage.
Suljovic, who knocked out Michael van Gerwen in the first round, hit a 111 checkout to win the first leg of the second set and double nine gave
him the second.
Wade hit back with a 12-dart finish to win the third leg and an accurate attempt at double five gave the world number two the fourth.
But Suljovic hit his first 180 of the contest in the deciding leg and returned to the oche to take out 97, completed by hitting double top with
his last dart, to square the match at one apiece.
Wade missed three darts at double top to take the first leg of the third set and it nearly proved costly as Suljovic just missed an attempt at the bullseye to take out a 170 finish. Wade, though, returned to hit double top before Suljovic won the second leg after the left-hander missed two darts at doubles for a 2:0 lead. Both players traded 13-dart-finishes before Suljovic won the deciding leg against the darts with a 96 checkout to win the set and lead the match for the first time.
Suljovic won his third successive leg at the start of the fourth set, but Wade managed to win the next leg, which included his first 180 of the match. Suljovic hit double top to win the third leg but Wade held throw in the fourth with a 13-darter, completed on double 12, to level. The deciding leg proved to be a tense affair, with Suljovic first to a finish only to waste two darts at double six as a relieved Wade took the opportunity to hit double ten and square the game.
Suljovic put that disappointment behind him to break throw in the opening leg of the fifth set with a 72 finish.
The Austrian also secured the second leg by hitting double ten but missed seven chances at doubles to win the set in the third, allowing Wade to
pinch the leg.
The World Grand Prix champion missed a dart at double eight for a 127 finish in the fourth leg and Suljovic took out 72 to win the set and lead
the match for the second time.
Wade secured a break of throw at the start of the sixth set, but Suljovic hit back with a 13 darter to win the second leg. Suljovic won the third leg on double two and had a chance to win the match in the fourth, but missed double 14 to complete a 121 checkout and Wade hit a two-dart 75 finish under severe pressure to keep his hopes alive. However, Suljovic hit his seventh maximum of the contest in the deciding leg and went on to post double top to secure a famous victory.
"It's absolutely the best moment of my career," said Suljovic, who had stayed in England with his wife and son over Christmas after knocking out Michael van Gerwen in round one. "It feels like nothing I've ever experienced before and I am over the moon. I'm so happy that my wife and son are here to share this moment."
