European Championship 2013 - Second Round, Statistics

SIMON WHITLOCK remains on course to retain his partypoker.net European Championship title following a second round win over Colin Lloyd on Saturday afternoon, and he was joined in the quarter-finals by Andy Hamilton, Jelle Klaasen and Jamie Caven. PHIL TAYLOR and Raymond van Barneveld were knocked out of the partypoker.net European Championship in two amazing second round games with Ronny Huybrechts and Robert Thornton.

Reigning champion Whitlock moved into the last eight at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim by defeating Lloyd 10-6 in an entertaining battle. The pair shared the first eight legs before Whitlock took the game's first break with a 13-darter as he took command, and he ended the game with six maximums and a near-100 average following a strong performance.

"I'm like a dog with a bone and I don't want to let go of this title," smiled Whitlock. "I won't be giving this up easily and I'm really pleased with this win. It was a hard game and Colin played very well. There weren't many chances there to break him so it was important that I took my chances on those two occasions, and I thought I was pretty consistent today and I took my doubles well."
Whitlock now meets Jamie Caven in the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon, after the Derby ace swept past world number four James Wade 10-2.

Caven had whitewashed Dave Chisnall 6-0 in the first round and won the opening four legs against Wade, and was on hand to punish the left-hander for his missed doubles as he took six successive legs in reaching his fourth major quarter-final.

"I'm absolutely delighted," said Caven. "James didn't play like he can but I felt that I didn't let him in the early part of the game either "To beat a player of James' calibre 10-2 is phenomenal for me but I was confident I'd get the job done. I tried to get on with my darts and not think about other things or get distracted. I'm enjoying myself and feeling confident, focused and relaxed. I've had some good battles with Simon before and who knows what will happen on Sunday."

Holland's Jelle Klaasen won through to his first major quarter-final for three years with a 10-6 victory over world number ten Justin Pipe, hitting five 180s and four ton-plus finishes in a brilliant display as he averaged 103.76 in the victory.
He took out 121 and 110 in taking a 4-3 lead before Pipe edged ahead at 6-5, but Klaasen later took out 167 and 106 and an 11-darter in a five-leg burst as he swept into the last eight.

"It took me a while to get into my own rhythm in this game, but after the tenth leg I felt good and that showed," said Klaasen. "The 167 was a good finish at the right moment and my finishing was very good - probably the difference there. I was probably more focused during this game than I have been in other games recently, but if I can play my game like this then I could do well this weekend. In the last five years I've been playing well but not well enough in the big tournaments, but I've changed my darts this year and changed by throw and it's coming together now."

Andy Hamilton also won through to the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon, continuing his run of reaching the last eight of every major tournament in the past 12 months with a 10-8 win over Paul Nicholson.
After the first six legs were shared, Nicholson took the next three for a 6-3 lead and also held a 7-4 cushion before Hamilton, fired up by a 13-darter, turned the game on its head by taking the next five legs. Nicholson hit back to 9-8 as he continued to battle, but Hamilton landed a sixth 180 of the game in a 14-darter which sealed the win.

"It was a great battle," said Hamilton. "Paul played some good darts but I hung in there and fought like I do, and came out on top at the end. The 130 finish to pull back to 6-4 was important, and without that Paul might have gone on to win, but I got the momentum. I'm played well, my focus is good and I want to go on and win my first major now."
Hamilton will take on Stoke rival Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals, after the world number three produced a superb display to defeat Kevin Painter 10-4.

Painter led 2-1 before Lewis took command with finishes of 158 and 103, and the two-time World Champion pulled clear from being 5-4 up to take five successive legs in sweeping to victory, landing an 11-darter and taking his tally of 180s to six for the match.

"Kevin played well but I picked off a couple of good finishes at the right time," said Lewis. "I've been playing well for the last couple of months and I feel like I'm getting there. I'm not here to make up the numbers and it would be great to go all the way on Sunday - but there will be no easy games so I'll concentrate on getting read for Andy Hamilton."

Painter conceded: "I felt quite good but it didn't quite go for me tonight and I was beaten by a class player. I wasn't really at the races but Adrian's getting back to his old form and he's looking good. He outscored me all the way through and had a couple of lovely checkouts."

World Champion and four-time European Champion Taylor went down 10-5 to Ronny Huybrechts, as the Belgian produced the biggest victory of his career.
After Taylor took the game's opening leg, Huybrechts punished a string of misses from the world number one to win five successive legs in moving 5-1 up. Taylor, inspired by his third 180 of the game, hit back to win three successive legs in pulling back to 5-4, but the Belgian turned the game back in his own favour with a pair of 14-dart finishes and a 96 checkout to lead 8-4.
Taylor landed a 174 score and tops to win a fifth leg, but crucially missed three darts at double 14 to continue his fightback as Huybrechts landed double ten to lead 9-5 before the Belgian took out 104 on double 16 for a famous victory.

"It's the best win I've ever had," admitted Huybrechts - who had been whitewashed 9-0 by Taylor in the UK Open last month. "Whenever you come into darts, it's Phil who you dream of beating and my dream came true today "I didn't play my best ever game, but I had to keep believing and when he missed his doubles, I hit the ones that mattered. I was so nervous at the end but I wanted to take that chance on 104 and I did. I'll relax now and prepare for the quarter-finals because it's a new day tomorrow."
Huybrechts will now play Robert Thornton in the last eight, after the Scot also caused a sensation with a thrilling 10-9 win over number eight seed Raymond van Barneveld - who had never previously lost to the former UK Open champion.

The match proved a tight one, with the lead changing hands four times as the pair shared the opening 12 legs, before Thornton took out 133, 64 and 142 to move 9-6 up and to the brink of victory. Van Barneveld took out 164 to hit back, and when Thornton wobbled at the finishing line the Dutch ace hit back to force a deciding leg, in which he crucially missed two match darts at tops to allow the Scot in to finally seal victory on double five.

"It was a crazy match and I'm so happy to have won," said Thornton. "I thought had Raymond beaten at 9-7, but I always seem to make it tough for myself and do it the hard way! He had the momentum going into the last leg and I know he rarely misses in a situation like that, so I knew how important it was when he gave me a second chance. It's the first time I've ever beaten Raymond and I'm over the moon to be through to the final day, and hopefully I can improve on this and go all the way now."

A fantastic second round at the RWE Sporthalle also saw world number two Michael van Gerwen average almost 105 in a superb 10-3 win over Mervyn King, as he took out a pair of 136 finishes and a 130 checkout on the bull in a crowd-pleasing performance.

"I wasn't at my best in the first round against Kurt Van De Rijck and I wanted to improve today, so I'm very happy with that performance," said van Gerwen. I played very well and had some good finishing. Mervyn's a brilliant player so I'm very proud to beat him."
King admitted: "Michael played really well and I've got no complaints there. I didn't score as well as I normally do and Michael made me pay, but he was superb and I can't criticise my own game - I went up there and gave my all but it wasn't good enough today."
Van Gerwen will now play fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in the quarter-finals on Sunday.



Statistics
Ave180sDoublesPlayervPlayer Ave180sDoubles
103.76510/19Klaasen 10:6Pipe98.0126/13
89.74310/28Hamilton 10:8 Nicholson87.1928/27
99.52210/18Whitlock 10:6 Lloyd92.6906/10
92.7812/9Wade 2:10 Caven99.44510/18
100.34410/21Lewis 10:4 Painter90.3614/10
95.5739/20V.Barneveld 9:10Thornton93.42310/31
95.5115/14Taylor 5:10 Huybrechts95.54410/21
104.87310/19v.Gerwen 10:3King91.4103/90








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