World Grand Prix - Matchreports 3rd Day
TAYLOR POWERS ON AS ANDERSON RIDES LUCK IN DUBLIN
Phil Taylor brutally dispatched Andy Smith in straight sets to remain on course for a tenth Bodog.com World Grand Prix title at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Wednesday night. Taylor followed up Monday's whitewash of Brendan Dolan with a outstanding display against Smith, who was limited to just two chances at a double in the game.
Taylor will now face Gary Anderson in Friday's quarter-finals, as he looks to take a third successive Dublin title, and a tenth in the history of the event.
Anderson, on the other hand, grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat for the second successive game as Kevin Painter missed three match darts in the fifth set of a dramatic contest.
Wayne Jones and Adrian Lewis also won through to the quarters in contrasting fashion at the Citywest Hotel, as they defeated Steve Brown and Terry Jenkins respectively.
Jones swept past Bristol's Brown in straight sets, while Lewis was forced to battle past Jenkins in a deciding set, with three ton-plus checkouts not enough to see the two-time runner-up progress.
The second round concludes on Thursday with the remaining four matches, including 2007 champion James Wade up against Colin Osborne and world number two Raymond van Barneveld facing Mark Walsh.
Wayne Jones 3-0 Steve Brown
Wayne Jones won through to his third successive major quarter-final with a straight sets defeat of Steve Brown at the Citywest Hotel.Jones has continued the form which saw him reach the last eight in the World Matchplay and the European Championship final over the summer with wins against Mervyn King and Brown to ensure his spot in Friday's quarter-finals at the double-start event.
While the Wolverhampton man saw off Brown in straight sets, it was a 124 bullseye finish to win the second set - after his opponent missed one dart at double top to level - which swung the game in his favour.
Jones made a fine start, hitting a 180 in the opening leg before punishing three misses from the Bristol ace to open his account. Hitting his favourite double 16 in the second leg saw Jones break to lead 2-0 before he hit the same bed to take the set without reply.
Brown landed a 180 and double 16 to get off the mark in set two, stepping in after Jones missed double 16 for a 134 finish, before an 89 finish saw the European Championship runner-up level. Double ten edged Brown ahead and, after Jones took the fourth, he set up his chance to claim the set, but a missed double top for a 113 finish allowed his opponent back, and Jones superbly finished 124 on the bull.
Brown battled gamely in the third, with finishes of double eight and double ten putting him 2-0 up, only for Jones to halt that run with a 108 finish. He then kicked off the fourth leg with a 152 score, and another double 16 finish levelled matters before he won the decider, after Brown missed ten darts to start, to complete victory.
"The scoreline flattered me a little bit but the 124 finish turned the match," said Jones. "When I took that out I thought I'd got Steve because if it had gone one set each the pressure was back on me but at 2-0 I had a little bit of time. I was relaxed after that and managed to finish him off. Steve didn't play as well as I thought he would but I'm glad to get it out of the way and get through. I'll need to improve but my starting is good and the finishing isn't bad but my scoring isn't what I want it to be. I'm annoyed with my scoring because I'm practising well but not taking that onto stage - perhaps I'll sneak back in after the session finishes and have a couple of hours practice on stage when nobody's lookg! Every time I do well it breeds confidence in my and I'm enjoying the game at the moment. I'm throwing nice darts and looking forward to the quarter-finals now."
Adrian Lewis 3-2 Terry Jenkins
Adrian Lewis won a five-set thriller against Terry Jenkins to set up a quarter-final clash with Wayne Jones at the Bodog.com World Grand Prix.A fine battle saw the pair share four tight sets before Lewis took the decider 3-1 to win through to the last eight.
Lewis took the game's opening two legs before missing double top to secure the set in leg three, with double ten getting Jenkins off the mark. The two-time finalist kicked off the fourth leg with a 160 score, and punished Lewis' slow start to land tops to level the set - only to then miss two darts at the same bed in the deciding leg as Lewis took a 1-0 lead.
Lewis landed another double top top open the second set, but Jenkins roared back, hitting a 180 in taking the second, a 160 start and an 87 finish in the third, before checking out 84 for the second set.
Jenkins also powered home a 158 finish in the third set, although that was sandwiched between winning legs for Lewis as he took a 2-1 lead and then finished double eight to win the set and edge back in front in the game.
A superb fourth set saw both players step up a gear, with Jenkins taking out 300 in six darts with a 180 and a 120 finish before also hitting scores of 177 and 140 in the second set. However, he paid the price for opting against throwing for the bullseye, instead leaving 40 with Lewis sat on 140, only to see the Stoke star brilliantly hit treble 20 and two double tops to snatch the leg. A 111 finish for Jenkins put him 2-1 up, and after Lewis missed three darts for the fourth leg the Ledbury ace took out double ten for the set to force a decider in the game.
Lewis edged a tense opener to the fifth set on double ten, after Jenkins missed two darts for the leg, before seeing the number five seed level against the throw. Jenkins, though, missed his chance to punish Lewis in the next as both players felt the tension, with the 25-year-old landing double five with his seventh dart for the leg to lead 2-1. And he produced a timely 174 score in the next to pull clear, with double top at the first time of asking ensuring a last eight spot.
"It was great to win but I don't like to do it easily!" said Lewis. "I thought I started well and was hitting my scores but we both hit some great shots during the match. I felt the 140 was the turning point. It was the first time in the match I felt under pressure, because he'd left 40, and I responded. If Terry had started the legs better then he probably would have beaten me because my scoring wasn't up to scratch, and I've got to improve that in the quarters."
He added: "Wayne got to the final of the European Championship and beat me in the first round, but he's probably only beaten me twice in ten attempts. But Friday is a new game and I've got to go up there and start quickly and score a lot heavier."
Phil Taylor 3:0 Andy Smith
Phil Taylor brutally dispatched Andy Smith in straight sets to remain on course for a tenth Bodog.com World Grand Prix title at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Wednesday night. Taylor followed up Monday's whitewash of Brendan Dolan with a outstanding display against Smith, who was limited to just two chances at a double in the game.One of those came in the second leg, as he took out a 14-dart finish on double 16 to level after Taylor had won the game's opening leg. Double five saw Taylor level, and he wrapped up the opening set with a break of throw to establish command in the contest.
He stepped up a gear in the second set, hitting a 165 score to set up double eight in winning the opening leg and a 153 finish to move 2-0 up. Smith took out 100 in two darts for the third leg, but a 180 from Taylor pushed him clear in the next, and double 16 gave him a second set.
Taylor then landed a 177 and a 105 finish to take the third set's opener, before a 180 helped set up a 74 checkout in the second, and double 16 sealed another comprehensive triumph.
"Andy said to me at the end that he was sorry he didn't give me more of a game but I thought he played quite well," said Taylor. "When he was under pressure he swapped his double and hit it, and he finished well when he had chances, but I didn't give him many chances. It shows that everything I've been doing is coming right on stage, and that takes experience and the ability to do it on stage. I'll have a bit more killer instinct in the quarter-finals and the longer format always suits me, even though I've not played a lot of darts so far."
Gary Anderson 3-2 Kevin Painter
Gary Anderson snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for a second successive game at the Bodog.com World Grand Prix, as
he overcame Kevin Painter 3-2 at the Citywest Hotel.
Anderson saw Ronnie Baxter miss three match darts to knock him out in the first round, and Painter suffered a similar fate in their last 16 clash in Dublin during a dramatic contest.
Painter came from a set down to lead 2-1 and was two legs clear in the decider, but paid the price for failing to close out the win in the fourth leg when he missed darts at the bullseye and double eight before Anderson took the decider.
"I've had a touch of luck again but I left the door open for Kevin to win the match and he didn't close it out," said Anderson. "Kevin won't be happy that he lost but I missed chances earlier on."
Anderson made a brilliant start to win the opening set without reply, taking out 108 in the opening leg, punishing nine missed opening doubles from Painter in the second and then taking out 62 for the third.
Painter opened the second set on double eight before the pair traded 180s in leg two, which Anderson won on double 16. However, the Scot missed the bull for a 135 finish in the next, and Painter stepped in on double top before punishing further misses from Anderson to win the set on double ten.
Painter produced some of his brilliant best in taking the third set without reply, defying another 180 from Anderson to hit double 14 in the opener and hitting double 12 after the Scot missed the same bed in the next. He then secured the set in style, hitting a 180 to leave 147 before checking out spectacularly to move 2-1 up in the game.
Two misses from Painter in the first leg of set four proved costly as Anderson regained the momentum, hitting double ten before scores of 177 and 171 in the next two legs set up finishes of 24 and 16 as he sent the game into a deciding fifth set.
The pair traded 180s in the opening leg, with double 18 putting Painter a leg up before he finished 83 on the bull to move a leg away from the match. Double top from Anderson gave him the third, before Painter then missed the bull for a 121 match-winning finish and two darts at double eight, with the Scot scrambling in double ten to keep the game alive and force a sudden-death fifth leg. Anderson hit a 180, his sixth of the game, in his second visit to the oche in the decider to hold the edge, and took out double ten to secure a remarkable win and set up a tasty quarter-final with Phil Taylor.
"The first set was brilliant but I didn't keep it going after the break," added Anderson. "After the third set I got my rhythm back and I'll have to handle it better in the quarter-finals. I know how tough it will be against Phil Taylor and he probably won't miss three match darts against me! I'm looking forward to it because I'm playing the 15-time World Champion and I've got nothing to lose. I'll worry about my own darts and if I hit my double top first dart then I can give him a good game and hopefully it will happen for me."