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Grand Slam Day Two

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD, Alan Norris and Dave Chisnall won through to the knockout stage of the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts on Sunday afternoon, but Adrian Lewis, Robert Thornton and Scott Waites were eliminated in Wolverhampton.

Dutch star van Barneveld, the 2012 Grand Slam champion, picked up his second victory of the Group Stage at the Wolves Civic with a dramatic 5-4 win over Vincent van der Voort. The former UK Open champion had led 4-3 in their clash, and though van Barneveld hit back to force a deciding leg, a 180 helped van der Voort push clear to be first to a finish. However, van der Voort missed seven match darts at doubles across three visits as van Barneveld clawed his way back to hit double 16 for the win. With van Barneveld having also defeated Robbie Green on Saturday, he has now secured his place in the knockout last 16, with van der Voort now facing a crucial clash against Green on Monday night which will see the winner progress.

"Vincent deserved to win but he gave me one chance and I took it," said van Barneveld. "If someone misses doubles like that you are a bit lucky, but this game is all about hitting your doubles. I've got two wins now but I rode my luck a little bit today and I know I still have to improve."

Green had kick-started his challenge in the event with a fine 5-2 win over Robert Thornton, which saw last year's runner-up eliminated in the Group Stage ahead of his game with van Barneveld on Monday.

Grand Slam debutant Alan Norris hit finishes of 161, 154 and 124 in a superb 5-1 win over Terry Jenkins as he ensured progression to the knockout stage.

"I treat every game as a knockout anyway but this was a better performance than my first game and I'm really pleased with the win," said Norris. "I hit him hard but I had to because Terry's got so much experience."

The afternoon's other Group B game saw Ronny Huybrechts edge out Scott Waites 5-4 with a result which eliminates the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts champion and leaves the Belgian facing a winner-takes-all clash with Jenkins on Monday night.
Waites had come back from 4-1 down to force a decider, but Huybrechts proved too strong as he claimed a key win, saying: "I thought I'd let it go there so I'm glad I won in the end. I'm not really happy with how I played, but I got the win and that is the most important thing. My form and confident aren't quite there, but I'll do my best on Monday."

Two-time World Champion Adrian Lewis was the other player to be eliminated on Sunday afternoon, as he lost out 5-1 to World Youth Champion Keegan Brown to follow up his defeat by the same scoreline to Rowby-John Rodriguez 24 hours earlier.

Dave Chisnall's later 5-1 win over Rodriguez - in a strong display - secured his second round place, and leaves Brown to face the young Austrian on Monday night in a repeat of May's World Youth Championship final to decide who joins him in progressing from Group C.

The qualifiers from Group A will only be decided on Monday night, despite PDC World Champion Michael van Gerwen winning his second successive game as he overcame Kim Huybrechts 5-2. With Jan Dekker defeating Darren Webster by the same scoreline earlier in the day, van Gerwen has one foot into the knockout stage going into Monday's meeting with Dekker, while Huybrechts takes on Webster in the group's other decider.

Van Gerwen had come from behind to defeat Webster on Saturday, and admitted: "I'm quite happy. I did a very good job here and this win will give me a lot more confidence because I was better today and did what I needed to do. It wasn't easy, but I'm trying so hard because I really want to win this group and then go on to the last 16."
Dekker will take on his compatriot van Gerwen on Monday, and said: "I know Michael really well and I'll try my best to beat him. It will be hard but I want to enjoy it."

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