UK Masters - Report Second Day

WORLD'S TOP SIX REACH UK MASTERS THIRD ROUND WITH SUPER SATURDAY DISPLAYS
THE world's top six darts players all won through to the UK Masters third round with victories on Saturday at the Butlins Minehead Resort as Michael van Gerwen and James Wade set up a mouth-watering last 16 .
Van Gerwen and Wade will meet for the first time since the Dutchman overtook the left-hander to move into third place in the PDC Order of Merit a fortnight ago when they face off in Sunday's third round. That clash promises to be a thriller after van Gerwen dropped only one leg and averaged over 102 in his second round victory over Belgium's Kurt Van De Rijck on Saturday, while Wade also dropped only one leg as he swept past Mervyn King.
World Champion Phil Taylor was another 6-1 winner in his clash with Jamie Caven, as he averaged 106.97 and took out finishes of 124 and 130 in the win, while world number two Adrian Lewis hit six 180s in a 6-3 win over emerging youngster David Pallett.
European Champion Simon Whitlock whitewashed Wayne Jones in their clash, while Andy Hamilton's 6-4 win over Brendan Dolan means that the world's top six will all compete in Sunday's final stages.

With Raymond van Barneveld averaging a superb 107.45 in a 6-2 win over Kevin Painter, only Wes Newton of the world's top eight suffered defeat at the last 32 stage on Saturday, with the Fleetwood ace going down 6-3 to Mark Webster.
Former Premier League Darts champion Gary Anderson was also knocked out on Saturday, as he went down 6-3 to impressive John Part, who now plays Mensur Suljovic after the Austrian overcame Bernd Roith in a deciding leg.
Ronnie Baxter produced the day's highest average of 112.90 in a sensational display against Andy Smith, as he also hit five 180s in a 6-3 triumph to set up a clash with Whitlock in the third round.
UK Open champion Robert Thornton followed up Friday's whitewash of John Henderson by averaging 100.41 in his 6-4 win over Tony West, and he will now play Arron Monk after the former World Youth Champion defeated Mark Walsh 6-4, sealing the win with a 158 checkout.
Dave Chisnall's narrow 6-5 win over Nigel Heydon sets up a clash with Cheshire's Stuart Kellett, who hit three ton-plus checkouts in the first four legs of a 6-1 win over Colin Lloyd.
Richie Burnett was the day's other winner, impressing with a 6-2 victory over Terry Jenkins which puts him in line to face Taylor on Sunday afternoon.


Afternoon Session
Richie Burnett was the afternoon's first winner as he defeated Terry Jenkins 6-2. Burnett punished missed doubles from Jenkins to win the first two legs of the game before the seven-time major finalist hit back to level. Burnett finished 80 to regain the lead and also took out 107 in moving 5-2 up before landing double 16 for a fourth successive leg as he took the win to set up a third round clash with Phil Taylor on Sunday afternoon.

Austria's Mensur Suljovic edged out Germany's Bernd Roith 6-5 in the afternoon's second game. Roith opened the match with a 180 and took the first two legs, and he also led 3-1 before Suljovic hit back to level and then moved 5-4 up after the German's missed doubles. Roith took out 98 to force a decider, but Suljovic landed a maximum and hit tops to seal the win.

Arron Monk booked his third round place with a 6-4 defeat of Mark Walsh. Both players kicked off the game with 180s, and Monk took the game's first three legs before a brace of double top finishes saw Walsh cut the gap to 3-2. The next two legs were traded before Monk took out 106 to lead 5-3, and though Walsh finished 99 to stay in the game, the former World Youth Champion sealed victory in style with a 158 finish.

Stuart Kellett saw off former World Matchplay champion Colin Lloyd 6-1 with some impressive finishing to book his last 16 spot. The Cheshire ace hit finishes of 138, 120 and 103 in taking the game's first four legs, before punishing three missed doubles from Lloyd to win the fifth on double 16. Lloyd, who had landed two earlier 180s, hit a 174 and tops to get off the mark in the sixth, but missed two darts at double eight in the next as Kellett sealed the win on double two.

Ronnie Baxter averaged 112.90 in a brilliant display to defeat Andy Smith 6-3. Baxter won the opening leg in 11 darts with a 90 finish before Smith levelled with a superb 156 checkout and then hit tops to lead 2-1. Baxter followed a 180 with a 120 checkout to level before Smith posted a 121 finish to edge back ahead. Baxter lifted his average to 117 during the sixth leg as he posted another 180, and when Smith missed double 16 the Blackpool ace hit double five to level. Another 11-darter put him 4-3 up, and he landed tops to win the next before hitting a fifth 180 and double eight to seal an impressive win.

Michael van Gerwen raced past Kurt Van De Rijck 6-1 to book his third round place in the UK Masters. Van Gerwen made a lightning start, hitting 180s in the opening two legs and a 118 finish, before landing a brace of double top checkouts to lead 4-0. Van De Rijck landed a 177 to set up double 18 as he got off the mark in leg five, but van Gerwen added another 180 in the next leg and posted a pair of double 16 checkouts as he took victory with an average of 102.09.

Robert Thornton followed up yesterday's superb win over John Henderson with a 100.41 average in a 6-4 win over Tony West. Thornton made a fine start by winning the first three legs before West replied by taking the next two. Tops gave Thornton a 4-2 lead before the pair traded 180s in leg seven, with the UK Open champion finishing 120 to move a leg away from the win. Despite 180s from Thornton in the next two legs, West took out 108 and double six to keep his hopes alive at 5-4, but he missed three darts at doubles to force a decider, and the Scot finished 83 to close out the win.

Dave Chisnall edged out Nigel Heydon in a deciding leg to book his third round place in the UK Masters. Heydon hit back from 1-0 down to win the next two legs before Chisnall took out 81 to level and then won the next two legs to lead 4-2, hitting a 180 and an 85 checkout in the latter. Heydon hit back to level, and the pair traded the next two to set up a decider, which Chisnall took on double six.


Evening Session
Mark Webster opened the evening session with a 6-3 win over Wes Newton. Newton took the game's first two legs before Webster hit back to level, and though the Fleetwood ace moved 3-2 up on double ten, he had no answer as Webster, inspired by a 110 finish in leg six, swept to victory by landing double 16, tops and double ten.

Andy Hamilton saw off Brendan Dolan 6-4 to book his third round place. After sharing the first two legs, Hamilton hit tops to win the third and then finished 98 to move 3-1 up, only for Dolan to hit back with three straight legs to move ahead. Double ten saw Hamilton level, and he then hit a 180 and double eight to lead 5-4 before finishing 70 in two darts on double eight to seal victory, after Dolan mised double 16 to force a decider.

John Part set up a third round clash with Mensur Suljovic on Sunday afternoon with a 6-3 defeat of Gary Anderson. Part made the early running by winning the first three legs, hitting two 180s in the process, before Anderson took out 116 to get off the mark. Double ten put the Canadian 4-1 up before Anderson hit a 180 on his way to winning leg six and double ten to cut the gap to one leg. However, he missed two darts at tops to level the contest as Part took out 111 to lead 5-3, before two further misses from the Scot were punished as Part sealed the win with an 86 checkout.

James Wade raced past Mervyn King with a 6-1 win to set up a tasty third round clash with Michael van Gerwen in the UK Masters. Wade took the opening leg on double five and then finished 147 to double his lead, before hitting tops for a 3-0 cushion. King hit a 180 and double 16 to hit back, but Wade landed a maximum as he won leg five, a 177 in leg six and sealed the win on double five.

Phil Taylor powered into the third round of the UK Masters, averaging 106.97 in a superb 6-1 win over Jamie Caven. Taylor hit a 180 in taking the opening leg, before punishing a miss at double top from Caven by taking out 124 on the bull to double his lead. The World Champion then posted another maximum and double 16 to win leg three and finished 130 on the bull in the fourth to lift his average in-running to 117. Caven missed tops in the fifth leg as Taylor stepped in on double ten, before the Derby ace finally got off the mark in the next on double five - but his respite was short-lived as Taylor posted double 16 to complete the win.

Raymond van Barneveld continued his brilliant form with a 6-2 victory over Kevin Painter as he set up a third round contest with Andy Hamilton on Sunday afternoon. The McCoy's Premier League Darts leader opened the game with legs of 12 and 11 darts, and hit a third 180 as he took a 3-0 cushion. Painter replied to win the fourth, hitting a second maximum of the game and double four, and after van Barneveld took leg five on double 16 it was the Englishman who finished 71 to pull back to 4-2. Van Barneveld won the seventh, and when Painter missed six darts at doubles to keep his hopes alive, the Dutch ace finished double 16 to complete a fine victory with a 107.45 average.

Adrian Lewis' return to form continued as he swept into the UK Masters last 16 with a 6-3 win over emerging youngster David Pallett. The world number two hit three 140s as he won the opening leg in 12 darts, and added a maximum in the second before Pallett levelled with a 71 checkout. Lewis posted 180s in the next two legs as he moved 3-1 up before adding two maximums and double 13 to lead by three legs. Pallett finished 84 and 76 to win two of the next three legs, but Lewis hit a sixth maximum of the game before sealing the win on double five.

Simon Whitlock completed the UK Masters second round with a superb whitewash of Wayne Jones. The Australian opened the game with a 180 and took the first leg on double ten before doubling his lead with double four. He then took out 300 in six darts to complete a brilliant third leg, following a 180 with a 120 checkout, and finished 108 to move 4-0 up. Jones missed two darts at double 16 to win the fifth leg as double 18 gave the Australian another leg before he landed a 180 and took out 116 on tops to complete the whitewash.







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