World Matchplay - Match Reports 5. Day

VAN GERWEN LIGHTS UP BETFAIR WORLD MATCHPLAY WITH NINE-DARTER AS LEWIS, WADE & JENKINS PROGRESS
Michael van Gerwen hit a sensational nine-dart finish in the Betfair World Matchplay on Wednesday night as he won a quarter-final place alongside World Champion Adrian Lewis, 2007 winner James Wade and two-time finalist Terry Jenkins.
Van Gerwen, the 23-year-old Dutch prodigy, became only the fourth player in the tournament's history - alongside Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and John Part - to achieve the perfect leg when he hit 180, 180 and finished 141 on double 12 in the ninth leg of his clash with Steve Beaton.
He will pick up a 5,000 pound bonus for the nine-darter, although he remains in the hunt to claim the 100,000 pound first prize after going on to win a heavy-scoring contest in style with a 13-9 triumph.
Van Gerwen hit six ton-plus finishes in the game - accompanying the 141 with checkouts of 128, 120, a pair of 116 finishes and a 108 - as well as hitting seven 180s to finish with an end average of 104.36.
Van Gerwen now faces former champion James Wade in a tasty quarter-final tie on Friday night, with the world number three securing his place in the last eight for a seventh successive year by seeing off Mark Walsh 13-4.

Wade was rarely troubled as he romped into a 10-1 lead, and although Walsh rallied briefly the left-hander proved too strong to secure passage into the latter stages once again. World Champion Lewis, the number two seed, followed up his first round whitewash of Robert Thornton by winning the first seven legs of his second round clash with Andy Smith in a fine start.
Smith won six of the next eight to threaten a comeback, but a 149 checkout from Lewis - to follow earlier finishes of 138 and 116 - helped avert any threat as he progressed to play Terry Jenkins.
Jenkins, the runner-up in Blackpool in 2007 and 2009, won a see-saw battle with Raymond van Barneveld 13-10 to book his clash with the world number two on Friday. The Ledbury thrower trailed twice to the Dutchman but came from 8-6 down to finish the stronger, winning seven of the game's final nine legs to knock out the five-time World Champion.

The second round concludes with the remaining four games on Thursday evening, with reigning champion Phil Taylor facing Ian White in an all-Stoke battle. Number five seed Wes Newton plays Justin Pipe, World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton faces Mark Webster and local favourite Ronnie Baxter meets Dean Winstanley.



Michael van Gerwen 13:9 Steve Beaton
Michael van Gerwen hit a sensational nine-dart finish in the Betfair World Matchplay on Wednesday night as he won a quarter-final place with a thrilling 13-9 defeat of Steve Beaton in Blackpool.

"The nine-darter was amazing," said van Gerwen. "It means so much for me and I'm very happy - I exploded into the game after the nine-darter. "It was a very good game and Steve played well too. To win the game with a 104 average and a nine-darter is brilliant."

Both stars played their part in a high-quality opening, with the Dutchman hitting his first maximum in the opening leg to set up double 12 before Beaton levelled on double four. Neither player was able to break in the early exchanges, with van Gerwen finishing 108 and 116 and Beaton taking out double 12 and double 16 to share the opening six legs before breaking for the first time in the seventh by landing the bull for a 90 finish. The pair traded maximums in the eighth before van Gerwen took out 128 to level, before bettering that with his stunning nine-darter to regain the lead, following back-to-back 180s by finishing 141 with treble 20, treble 19 and double 12 to bring the capacity Winter Gardens crowd to its feet.
Beaton levelled on double ten before van Gerwen took out 116 to lead 6-5, but a double top finish from the English star to level would be his last leg in five as the Dutchman pulled clear by winning four in a row. He added a 180 and double nine for the first and added finishes of double 14, double 16 and double ten to move clear at 10-6. Beaton hit two 180s in winning the 17th leg, with a 177 from van Gerwen leaving him 32 only for his opponent to take out double 16, and the former World Champion added a 174 in cutting the arrears to two legs. Both players hit 180s in the next as van Gerwen finished 120 to lead 11-8, with Beaton adding another maximum and tops to win his ninth leg and remain in touch.
However, Beaton posted his ninth 180 of the game in the next - but van Gerwen crucially was first to a double and landed double eight to move a leg away from the win. Beaton continued to fight with a 174, but van Gerwen replied with his seventh maximum and stepped in after a missed bullseye from his opponent to hit tops to complete a brilliant win.

Van Gerwen had emerged as a precocious teenage talent and won the World Masters title in 2006 before moving onto the PDC circuit, where he is now producing his best form on a regular basis.
"I'm very happy to be playing well again after so long where I didn't turn up," he said. "I'll carry on practising and I'm playing again in two days so I've got to make sure I play well again. "I'm so proud of myself and for everyone who's made this happen. I put a lot of pressure on myself and that makes it difficult, but I'm happy I'm playing well now." Beaton misses the bull to take out 90 and stay alive.



James Wade 13:4 Mark Walsh
James Wade marched into the quarter-finals of the Betfair World Matchplay for the seventh successive year, defeating Mark Walsh 13-4 at the Winter Gardens on Wednesday night.
Wade followed up his first round win over Richie Burnett on Sunday night with another high-quality performance to remain in the hunt for a second title in the 400,000 pound event.
The left-hander won ten of the game's first 11 legs, including eight in a row, to pull clear of the former UK Open finalist, and although Walsh staged a brief rally it was not enough to threaten a fightback.

Wade made a fine start by hitting 180s in the game's first two legs, which he took courtesy of double two and double 14, and he could also have won the third only to miss double 12 for a 141 checkout, as Walsh got himself off the mark by taking out 121 on the bull. Wade added another 180 and double ten in moving 3-1 up with an 80 finish, which he bettered with a classy 158 checkout to win his fourth leg. He landed a 171 and double top to lead 5-1, finished tops again in the next before taking out 140 and 87, on the bull, to lead 8-1.
The lead was swiftly extended with a brace of double top finishes before Walsh posted double 16 to take out 62 and win his second leg of the game. Wade opened the next with 180 and a 140 before hitting double ten, but Walsh took out 74 on tops to stay in the contest at 11-3. Wade added double ten again to move a leg away from the win, and although Walsh hit tops to keep the match alive his respite was short-lived as the number three seed powered in his fifth 180 and finished double ten for a 13-darter to complete the win.

"I did all the damage early on and did a job on Mark," said Wade. "Towards the end I couldn't get my darts up and I dropped off a little, which maybe cost me having a ton-plus average. "I think every player enjoys a ding-dong and I didn't get that tonight, but I've done my practice and I'm deserving to win at the moment. "I really want to win at the moment because I've been putting real work in and it's showing in patches. I'm nowhere near my best, but I'm doing okay and I'm looking forward to playing Michael."



Terry Jenkins 13.10 Raymond van Barneveld
Terry Jenkins came from behind for the second successive match as he defeated Raymond van Barneveld 13-10 to win through to the Betfair World Matchplay quarter-finals.
Jenkins had stared down the barrel of defeat against Kim Huybrechts in the first round of the tournament on Saturday night, and after finding himself 8-6 down to the Dutchman showed his battling qualities once again.
The two-time Winter Gardens finalist won seven of the next nine legs to claim a fine victory, which sees him progress to Friday's quarter-finals against Adrian Lewis.

Jenkins began the game in style by taking out 96 for an 11-darter, and the pair shared the first four legs before van Barneveld finished 109 on double 16 to break throw. Jenkins broke back immediately by hitting a 180 and double 12, and double 11 in the next moved him back ahead before missed doubles allowed van Barneveld to finish 85 to break back and level at four-all. Jenkins hit double ten to win the ninth, but the Dutchman then landed a 180 and tops to level before finishing 66 on double 18 to break and move back ahead and 104 - after the pair traded maximums - to lead 7-5. The 13th leg, though, proved key as van Barneveld landed another 180 only to miss four darts at a double, as Jenkins landed double three with his third dart to pull back to within a leg.
Van Barneveld posted double five to win his eighth leg, but Jenkins kick-started his challenge by taking out 80 and then punished nine missed doubles from the Dutchman to level. Jenkins found another gear to regain the lead, opening with a 180 and finishing 74, before then taking out 96 to take a 10-8 cushion before van Barneveld won the next by taking out 81 on double 13. A missed double 18 from the five-time World Champion to level allowed Jenkins in to finish a key 110 checkout and move 11-9 up, and double 18 from the Ledbury ace moved him to the brink of victory. Double 12 kept van Barneveld in the game, and he then posted a 180, but Jenkins finished 93 on tops to seal a fine victory.

"I took some good finishes out when I needed to so I'm happy," said Jenkins. "It was nip and tuck but I've got through and that's all that matters. "It was a bit scrappy and we struggled a bit at times but we had a few good legs - we couldn't seem to keep the good standard going. When I'm behind I grit my teeth, and I'm a fighter." "I've had a few good runs in this tournament and I like the longer format. I would really like to win a major, that would cap my career off but if it doesn't happen then it doesn't happen - but a lot of players would swap players with me because I've been in seven major finals."



Adrian Lewis 13:7 Andy Smith
Adrian Lewis overcame a mid-game fightback from Andy Smith before securing his place in the Betfair World Matchplay quarter-finals with a 13-7 triumph at the Winter Gardens on Wednesday.
The World Champion followed up his first round whitewash of Robert Thornton by winning the first seven legs without reply to move half-way towards victory before Smith hit back to 10-6 at one stage.
However, Lewis regained his range to avert the threat of a stunning comeback and book his place in the quarter-finals, where he will play Terry Jenkins on Friday.

"Andy didn't start very well and I took advantage but I've got to knuckle down and concentrate better because I let him back in too many times," admitted Lewis. "I was in the wrong frame of mind, thinking it was more like an exhibition game than the last 16 of the World Matchplay, but I got the job done and I'll have to be better in the quarter-finals. "I know I've got a tough game next against Terry Jenkins and he's a fantastic player."

The game began with Smith missing two darts to take the opening leg, which Lewis took on double eight, before the Stoke star finished 91 and 116 to take command, before two more double top finishes pushed him five legs clear. Lewis then landed his first 180 of the game and posted double eight to win the sixth, before setting up double 16 with a 174 in the seventh. Lewis could also have won an eighth leg, but missed double 18 for a 113 finish to allow Smith in to land tops to finally get off the mark. The ninth leg saw both players burst to life again, with Lewis hitting a 171 to leave 138 and Smith firing in a 180 but only able to watch as the world number two finished the combination on double nine to move 8-1 up.
Smith posted a 180 and double 16 to win the tenth leg and also landed a maximum in the next before Lewis fired in a 162 in setting up an 80 finish as he took a 9-2 cushion. Smith finished 100 with two double tops in the next, and after Lewis fired in double eight the Studley thrower took the next three legs in his best spell of the game, hitting a 13-darter in the middle to break before a two-dart 64 pulled him back to 10-6 behind. Lewis powered in a 149 checkout to stem the tide, but Smith replied with his fourth 180 of the game before taking out 80 for a second time as he won a seventh leg to keep his opponent on edge. Lewis, though, finished double four after firing in his fifth maximum as he moved to the brink of victory, and he secured the victory with a 14-dart finish, missing the bull for a showpiece 170 checkout before returning to land double eight.







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