Grand Slam of Darts - Match Reports 2nd Day
Afternoon Session - First Group matches Groups E - H
Scott Waites 5:4 Co Stompe
Scott Waites won a dramatic final-leg thriller against Co Stompe to begin his Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts challenge
with a win after the Dutchman came from 4:0 down to take the match all the way.
Waites, who was the runner-up in last year's Grand Slam of Darts, made a sensational start to move 4:0 without Stompe having a dart at a double in the first three legs.
The Dutchman, though, clawed back into the game and took four successive legs of his own to force a decider as Waites wobbled at the finishing line - only to miss one dart for the game as the Yorkshireman edged to victory.
Stompe started well, hitting a 180 in the first leg, but was waiting on 40 as Waites finished 66 to take the opener. Waites then hit 180s of his own in the next two, with a brace of double top finishes moving him 3:0 up. Waites also landed amaximum in the fourth, but seven misses at double 12 allowed Stompe in for his first glimpse of a finish, but two misses at double top gave the Yorkshireman a reprieve, which he took for a commanding lead at the break.
The pair traded 180s after the restart, with a 13-darter from Stompe getting him onto the scoreboard and kick-starting his challenge.He took the next on double three and won leg seven courtesy of a double eight finish set up with a 162 score.
Waites opened the eighth with scores of 174 and 140, but missed the bull for a 127 game shot as Stompe landed tops for a 77 checkout to level and force a decider. Waites, with the advantage of throw, kicked off with another 180 and a 140, but missed two darts at double 18 and one at double nine as Stompe returned on 72. But the Dutchman was unable to land double four to snatch a remarkable win as Waites returned to land double nine to finally close out victory.
"I got off to a fast start but the break killed me and the next thing I knew it, it was four-all," said Waites. "I've been working on my finishing and that showed at the start, but it's good to get a win."
Stompe added: "I started okay in the first leg but losing that leg hurt me. At 4-0 down I wanted to dig in and take one leg at a time and I pulled it back but just didn't get the win."
Colin Lloyd 5:4 Darryl Fitton
Colin Lloyd edged a dramatic nine-leg thriller with Darryl Fitton to take victory in their Group F opener at the Daily Mirror
Grand Slam of Darts.
T he pair traded legs throughout a tight contest, with Lloyd posting a 170 finish early on but paying for missed match darts in two legs as Fitton forced a decider. However, the Stockport ace missed one match dart in the final leg before Lloyd returned to land double eight for the win.
"Darryl's a class player who I've known for a lot of years but he missed a few doubles," said Lloyd. "I missed a few doubles too but I hung in and got the result."
Fitton took the game's opening leg on double 14, but Lloyd landed double 16 to get off the mark in the second before replying to a 180 from his opponent with a sensational 170 checkout to break for a 2:1 lead.
Fitton broke back on double nine, but Lloyd hit scores of 171 and 180 in edging the fifth - albeit after missing five doubles before the Stockport man saw four chances to steal the leg go begging. The pair hit 180s in the sixth, with Fitton being punished for a missed double top, for a 119 checkout, as Lloyd posted double eight.
Lloyd landed a 180 in being first to the finish in the seven, but missed two darts at double 16 for the match as Fitton took out 330 in six brilliant darts, hitting a maximum and a 150 finish.
Lloyd then missed the bull for victory in the eighth, as Fitton forced a decider on double eight. Lloyd again wired the bullseye for the win, but Fitton missed double top for a 118 finish to snatch victory and Lloyd held his nerve to hit double eight to take the two points.
Paul Nicholson 5:4 Arron Monk
Paul Nicholson made a winning return to the Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts, squeezing past Arron Monk 5:4 in
their opening Group G contest.
Nicholson previously competed at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall during the 2008 Grand Slam, and began his second tilt at the 100,000 Pound title successfully.
Monk who qualified by reaching the final of the PDC Unicorn Under-21 World Championship last weekend, performed well on his debut in the event, but crucially failed to break Nicholson's throw to be denied.
Nicholson made a dream start, taking out 111 in the opening leg, before Monk landed double top at the first time of asking to level in the second.
The pair also traded the next two before 20-year-old Monk missed two darts to break in the next, with Nicholson following up an earlier 180 with double 12 to hold throw. Monk hit a maximum and double top to take the sixth, but was unable to capitalise on three misses from January's Players Championship Finals winner, who returned to land double eight for a 4:3 lead.
A 67 finish from Monk sent the match into a decider, but he could only wait on 60 when Nicholson finished 82 with bullseye and double 16 to take the points.
"I'm very pleased with that," said Nicholson. "My performance was pretty good and I was pushed hard by Arron. He's got a massive future and he showed a lot of quality in that match."
Ted Hankey 5:3 Wes Newton
Ted Hankey made a solid start to his second Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts challenge, taking a 5:3 win against Wes Newton in
their Group H opener.
The pair have been drawn alongside Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen in what has been dubbed the 'Group of Death', and it was Hankey - nicknamed The Count - who drew first blood.
Hankey was a group stage loser in last year's Grand Slam of Darts and notoriously clashed with the Wolves Civic crowd, but professionally disposed of Newton.
The pair traded the first two legs before Hankey took the third on double ten before breaking on double four for a 3:1 lead.
Newton punished four misses from the two-time Lakeside Champion to take the fifth on double four, and defied a 180 from Hankey to win the sixth and level.
However, he was left waiting on 52 when Hankey took the next with a two-dart 80 finish before the Telford ace hit another maximum and double ten to seal victory.
"Neither of us played our best games but getting the win was the most important thing," said Hankey. "We both knew it was important to win this game because we're in such a tough group."
Ronnie Baxter 5:2 Steve Beaton
Ronnie Baxter kicked off his Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts challenge with a 5:2 win over Steve Beaton at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.Baxter found himself 2:1 down early on against the former Lakeside Champion, but won four in a row to put himself into pole position in Group G.
Baxter hit a 180 and a 97 finish to break throw in the game's opening leg, only for Beaton to reply with scores of 180 and 171 in a 12-darter to level. Beaton then took out 90 to lead 2:1, only for Baxter to find another gear.
He levelled on double four and hit a 177 in the fifth as double two punished two missed darts at tops from Beaton. Beaton landed another maximum in the next, but Baxter finished 80 on tops for a 4:2 cushion before securing the win on double eight after three missed double tops from his opponent.
"It's a victory and it gets me on the board, which was all that matters," said Baxter. "It wasn't a classic like some of the games we've played but I came through with the win."
Beaton admitted: "It was an edgy game and I was up and down like a yo-yo - I scored well but didn't finish like I can. I've got an uphill battle now and I know I must win my next two games."
Martin Philips 5:2 Adrian Lewis
Martin Philips made a sensational Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts debut, powering past Adrian Lewis 5:2 in their opener in
the tournament.
The Welshman qualified for the Wolverhampton Civic event by reaching the semi-finals of this year's Lakeside Championship, and reproduced that form to sweep past the Stoke ace.
P hillips settled any nerves with a 177 to set up double 12 in taking the opening leg in 13 darts, although Lewis replied with a break of throw in 12 darts, kicking off with a 180 and finishing 128. Lewis also opened the third with a maximum, but double eight saw Phillips again break throw before the Welshman missed tops for a 3:1 lead, as Lewis hit double one to level at two-all.
Phillips, though, produced a fine 12-darter to break again in the fifth, hitting three 140s and an 81 finish, and then punished two misses from Lewis to land double two for a 4:2 cushion.
Lewis battled to keep the game alive in the next, but Phillips took out 101 on double 12 to complete a fine victory, ending with a 97 average and a 50 percent checkout ratio.
"I went up there to enjoy myself and I certainly did that," said Phillips. "I'm very happy but I don't want to get ahead of myself because this is just one win and there are two more games left."
Raymond van Barneveld 5:0 Tricia Wright
Raymond van Barneveld swept aside the challenge of Tricia Wright with a whitewash victory in their battle of the sexes at
the Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts.
Wright earned a debut in the Grand Slam of Darts by reaching the final of the PDC Unicorn Women's World Championship in July, but came undone as the five-time World Champion made a strong start in Wolverhampton.
The Dutchman had won the pre-match bullseye but gave the throw to Wright, and secured an immediate break on double 16 before landing double nine for the second leg after earlier missing double 18 for a 156 checkout.
He finished 80 on double ten to win the third leg before a miss in the fourth gave Wright a sniff on 92, only for the Surrey-based female to miss double 16 and double eight to get off the mark, with double three giving van Barneveld a fourth leg.
Wright also had a chance in the fifth, but was unable to finish 158 as van Barneveld posted double top for a flawless start.
"I'm happy with that because I can't do anything more than win 5:0," said van Barneveld. "My average wasn't brilliant but I did the job and am looking forward to two more good group games now."
Phil Taylor 5:1 Michael van Gerwen
Reigning Daily Mirror Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor made a winning start to life with glasses, defeating
Michael van Gerwen 5:1 in his first appearance wearing spectacles on stage.
Taylor, the 15-time World Champion and three-time Grand Slam winner, has recently been prescribed glasses to aid his long sight, and the 50-year-old showed few signs of weakness in a winning start to Group H.
Although both players took their time to get going in a scrappy opening, Taylor won five successive legs in taking victory to set up a second group game against Potteries rival Ted Hankey on Monday night.
"My glasses aren't too strong but I can see more clearly and I can see what I'm aiming at now!" revealed Taylor. "I've had reading glasses for a couple of years but got re-tested and my long sight is going a little bit. I'll see a specialist after the Grand Slam is over to see if I'd need any laser surgery but it's a case of so far, so good in this event and I'd love to keep hold of the title."
Taylor took a little time to find his focus in the opening leg, missing six darts to take the lead as van Gerwen took out double 16 to lead.
The Dutch youngster, though, failed to produce the explosive scoring which brought him to prominence as a teenager as Taylor replied in 14 darters and broke throw in the third leg on double two, after van Gerwen missed one dart at double 18.
Van Gerwen showed his frustration in the fourth as Taylor hit double eight to enter the break 3:1 up, and the lead was extended to three legs in the next, after the youngster missed the bull for a 167 finish.
Taylor then wrapped up the win with his best leg of the match, posting his first 180 and double 16 for a 13-darter.
"Michael didn't play anywhere near as well as he can and didn't put me under pressure, but all I can do is win," said Taylor, who now takes on two-time Lakeside Champion Hankey on Monday night. I'm really looking forward to playing Ted and I know it's a match the fans will want to see too," said Taylor. "Just because we've both won one game we can't relax and it will be a belter."