UK Open 2016 - Second Day
Lost...and found
It often happens that Dart players sink without trace, but some reappear as during this UK Open Alex Roy and Dennis Smith.My first experience of this kind I had when I for the first time was in Hull for the Winmau World Masters. There he suddenly appeared on stage, the runner-up of the inaugural UK Open Shayne Burgess. Burgess hat celebrated his firs successes in the BDO before he switched in 1993 only a short while after it had been founded to the PDC. 1994 he for the first time reached the semi-finals of the World Matchplay, 1999 he reached the semi-finals of the PDC World Championship and he reached the same year and the next year again - and both times he lost to Phil Taylor. Those were the highlights of his career. Completely unexpected he reached in 2003 the final of the first UK Open and beaten again by Phil Taylor.For some time he played on without success in the PDC circuit before in 2008 he returned to the BDO. There he appeared again on stage 2014 during the Winmau World Masters and the BDO mixed up his walk-on music.Almost he had tried his luck again in Qualifying School 2015.
Gary Anderson always told that Burgess inspired him and that he learned a lot of him. Burgess himself remembers it differently, he tells he only played once against Anderson and was demolished. So he wonders what Anderson really learned by him other than how defeat him, Burgess.
Similar experiences I made in the first day of the UK Open in Minehead when Dennis Smith and Alex Roy crossed my path. For many years they seemed to be omni present in PDC tournaments though Roy was more successful on the tour than in Major tournaments, despite him taking part from 1999 to 2012 in every PDC World Championship. Once he reached the fourth round, his best result. Dennis Smith was much more successful - he stood in the quarterfinals of the PDC World Championship in 1995, 1999 and 2003 and once - 2000 - in the semi-finals where he lost to Phil Taylor. Dennis Smith to be sure has one of the most exceptional throwing styles..
Over the last years you didn't hear much of them. Roy returned after he lost his Tour Card and couldn't find a sponsor to the BDO. Dennis Smith slipped off in the rankings as well and lost his Tour Card too. So it is really encouraging they had the chance to show during the UK Open they didn't forget how to play darts.
On the second day of the UK Open both Smith and Roy were no longer in the tournament. But not only the number of participants was reduced - the number of boards was diminished as well. In the afternoon session only two boards could be found in Center Stage and the fifth round in the evening was only played on stages one and two in the Arena an in Reds. So most of the crowd could now be found in the Arena which looked very much sold out. Around 5000 people fit in and all were cheerful and colourful dressed up. The atmosphere was great - in all three venues.
I tried to follow some of the matches for a longer time and was caught by the match between Barry Lynn and Gary Anderson in Reds so that I missed Michael van Gerwens extraordinary performance and the nine-darter against the second amateur qualifier, Rob Cross, still in the tournament. But somehow it didn't feel like I missed something - and I got the impression most of the crowd watched the Lynn/Anderson match shared that feeling. IN the moment I can watch every week in Premier League a Michael van Gerwen in form, but how often can I see and unbelievable match in which an amateur qualifier demolishes a World Champion in a convincing performance?
During the fifth round I returned to the Reds. Of course I wanted to watch Mensur Suljovic. In the afternoon he had just managed to win against young Dutchman de Vreede and I had been surprised that he played much more fluent than against James Wade. There never was any hesitation before he walked to the oche, no time he turned around at the oche to have a sip first, no hesitation between his three darts. The same happened in the evening against Mark Webster, who himself tried to slow down a little bit, first taking a sip before walking to the Oche. Suljovic played a decent match but Webster was the better player on this evening - both with scoring and with finishing and was a deserved winner.
Than Barry Lynn again turned upon stage and I was eager to see, how he had coped with the Anderson match. It really took some legs before Lynn really was in the match but then he was back on his game and defeated Stuart Kellett as well- The next match on the Reds stage was the match between Peter Wright and Darren Webster which Wright dominated from the beginning and he progressed as well to the quarterfinals. When I returned after this match to the Arena the match between Adrian Lewis and Jelle Klaasen was in its last legs and a little bit surprisingly Klaasen was the winner. I waited for the Michael van Gerwen/Kim Huybrechts walk-on and than finally returned a little bit tired to the press room for some updates. For both Lewis and Huybrechts it be sure were disappointing UK Opens.
And so at the end of day two the following eight players remained: Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Peter Wright, Jelle Klaasen, Mark Webster, Joe Cullen, Kyle Anderson and - for the very first time in the quarterfinals an amateur qualifier - Barry Lynn.
