PDC World Championship - Match Reports 3. Day, Evening
Steve Beaton 3:2 Magnus Caris
(0-3, 1-3, 3-2, 3-0, 4-2)
Steve Beaton came back from 2-0 down to claim a remarkable first round victory against Magnus Caris at the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
Beaton produced an under-par display in the first two sets and looked set for a first round exit at Alexandra Palace for a second consecutive year.
But Caris missed three darts to seal a straight sets victory and Beaton, with enthusiastic support from the Alexandra Palace crowd, won the next two with the aid of eight straight legs to force deciding set, which he won in a tie-breaker.
Caris made a good start to the match by holding throw on double 12 to win the first leg and hit double top after Beaton missed two darts at doubles. The Swede, making his third successove appearance at Alexandra Palace, then won the set in the third leg with an excellent 107 checkout.
Caris also made a positive start to the second set by breaking throw to win the first leg before hitting double top for the second consecutive leg to put Beaton under immense pressure. Caris was off-target with five attempts at doubles to win the set in the third leg and Beaton managed to hit double ten to take his first leg of the match. Caris had the advantage of throw in the fourth leg and he hit double top for the third time in the set to double his lead.
The Swede began the third set with an accomplished 13-dart finish before Beaton landed double nine to win just his second leg of the match. Both players held throw in the next two legs before a dramatic decider saw Caris miss three darts to win the match and Beaton held his nerve to land double four to keep the match alive.
The start of the fourth set saw opportunities missed by both men to claim the leg before Beaton won it on double four. The 1996 Lakeside Champion then won his fifth leg in a row by taking out 65 in two darts before hitting double 16 to set up a final-set decider.
Caris won his first leg in nine at the start of the set, with a two-dart 83 finish, before Beaton won the second by taking out 62. Caris won the third leg to move one away from the match for a second time, after his opponent missed two chances at double 16. Beaton hit double 16 to level at 2-2 and then took the fifth leg with an excellent 100 finish to break throw. That proved to be vital as the former World Champion took out 61 to win the sixth leg and end an incredible match.
Kevin Münch 4:2 Lee Choon Peng
Kevin Münch secured a 4-2 victory over Malaysia's Lee Choon Peng to set up a first round clash against Denis Ovens later on Saturday evening.Choon Peng hit double two to win the first leg before the 23-year-old produced a superb 12-dart leg, completed with a 155 checkout, to take the second. Munch secured a break of throw by hitting double ten to win the third leg and hit the same double in the next to increase his lead to 3-1. Choon Peng held throw to win the fifth leg before Munch landed double two in the sixth to end the contest.
Vincent van der Voort 3:2 Mark Hylton
(3-1, 2-3, 3-1, 2-3, 3-0) Vincent van der Voort came through A five-set first round thriller at the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship with victory over Mark Hylton.The Dutchman led the match on two occasions only to be pegged back by his opponent before taking the final set to end Hylton's hopes of another good run at Alexandra Palace.
"I've been struggling for form in the last few events, but the crowd lifted me and I produced some good darts," said van der Voort, who hit 11 180s in the match. "The crowd were so supportive towards me and that was a major factor in me coming on top against Mark, who is a quality player."
Van der Voort hit an 83 finish to win the opening leg of the match before both players registered maximums in the second. Hylton won it on double top before the Dutchman, who enjoyed an excellent run to the last 16 a year ago, hit a superb 134 checkout to take the third. The fourth leg saw Hylton guilty of missing three darts at doubles and van der Voort cashed in by landing double eight to win the first set.
Hylton started the second set well by breaking throw with the aid of a maximum and the second also fell the way of the man from Rugeley, after both players missed previous attempts at doubles. In the third leg, Hylton missed three darts to win the set and van der Voort stepped in to hit double 14 and took the fourth by converting an 80 finish. Hylton threw first in the deciding leg and managed to land a pressure double six with his last dart to level the match at one set apiece.
Van der Voort held throw at the start of the third set and then hit a 14-dart finish to win the second leg after both players had hit 180s. Hylton hit double top to win the third, but missed two darts at the bed to take the fourth and that proved expensive as van der Voort took out 75 to win the set and lead for the second time.
Van der Voort hit his ninth maximum of the game at the start of the fourth set, but missed three darts at double top and Hylton hit the same bed to take the leg. The second leg proved to be role reversal of the first as Hylton missed chances for a 2-0 lead, allowing Van der Voort to level. Hylton won the third leg with a 13-darter but missed three chances to win the set in the next and Van der Voort took the leg by hitting tops. The Dutchman hit another maximum in the deciding leg but Hylton won it with an excellent two-dart 72 finish to force a fifth set.
Van der Voort started the decider in confident fashion with a 12-dart finish followed by double eight to establish a 2-0 lead. The third leg also fell the way of the Dutchman as he hit double top at the first time of asking to seal a place in the second round.
Paul Nicholson 3:1 Mensur Suljovic
(3-1, 2-3, 3-1, 3-2)
Paul Nicholson was made to work hard before seeing off Mensur Suljovic in four sets to seal a place in the last 32 of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace.
Suljovic had chances to take the match the full distance, but five missed darts at doubles allowed Nicholson to close out the match and set up a clash against Alan Tabern on December 27.
The match started with Nicholson missing six darts at doubles, but Suljovic missed five chances of his own to claim an early break of throw. Nicholson won it on double one and then hit an excellent 110 checkout to win the second leg against the darts. Suljovic won the third with a clinical two-dart 80 finish before Nicholson took the next in 14 darts to claim an early lead.
Nicholson made a winning start to set two by hitting double 16 before Suljovic hit-back to take the second with a two-dart 85 finish. Nicholson regained the lead by hitting double four but the Austrian pegged back again by taking out 78 in two darts. Suljovic produced some excellent darts in the deciding leg as he hit a 180, followed by a 121 checkout, completed on the bullseye, to win the set in superb fashion.
The Austrian, who defeated James Wade in last year's tournament, dominated the opening leg of the third set, but three missed darts at doubles proved costly as Nicholson landed double 16 to break. Nicholson hit double eight to take the second but missed two chances to wrap up the set in the third leg and Suljovic stepped in on double top. The number nine seed made no mistake in the fourth leg to win the set and then won the first leg of set four against the darts with a two-dart 88 finish.
Suljovic took the second with an accomplished 108 checkout and then won the third on double ten after Nicholson missed a dart at double 18 for a 144 checkout. Nicholson won the fourth leg against the throw with an excellent 13-dart finish and won the decider on double top with his third dart after Suljovic missed five darts to force a fifth set.
"It was a real struggle and something didn't click for me, but the main thing was that I won," said Nicholson. "Something is about to happen with my game and I'm starting to find it. It was a gritty game and I was happy to get through."
Kevin Münch bye - Denis Ovens retired through injury
(3-0, Ovens retired following first set)
Kevin Münch received a bye into the second round of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship after Denis Ovens was forced to retire from the match after the first set.
Ovens came into the contest complaining of a trapped nerve in his back and the problem forced him to concede.
The 23-year-old German, making his debut at the World Championship, beat Lee Choon Peng 4-2 in his Preliminary Round game earlier in the evening, to book a clash against Ovens. He will now face Steve Farmer for a place in the last 16 of the competition after the Telford player defeated Ronnie Baxter earlier in the day.
"I didn't want to give up but there was too much pain when I was throwing," admitted Ovens. "I was in bed for two days after injuring my back. "It's gone before because I work in building, and I thought it was getting better but on Saturday I had shooting pains down my right arm."