PDC World Championship - Match Reports Second Day, Evening
TAYLOR RACES PAST MANSELL AS PART PROGRESSES IN OPENER
FORMER Ladbrokes World Darts Championship winners Phil Taylor and John Part eased into the second round of the 2013 tournament with victories over Michael Mansell and Joe Cullen at Alexandra Palace Taylor swept aside the challenge of Northern Ireland's Michael Mansell with a straight sets victory, dropping only one leg and finishing over 50 percent of his chances at a double. The 15-time World Champion will now play Dutch debutant Jerry Hendriks in the second round next Friday.Three-time World Champion John Part also moved into the last 32 without dropping a set in his contest with youngster Joe Cullen, hitting three ton-plus checkouts as he set up a second round clash with Terry Jenkins.
Dave Chisnall, who knocked out Taylor in the second round of last year's World Championship, was another 3-0 winner as he overcame Australian Shane Tichowitsch, who hit finishes of 144 and 161
Denis Ovens was the other player to progress to the second round on Saturday night, as he defeated German prospect Max Hopp 3-2 to set up a clash next weekend with reigning champion Adrian Lewis.
Hopp, a 16-year-old debutant, impressed with a 4-1 preliminary round win over South African qualifier Charl Pietersen, and threatened an upset against the veteran professional when he led 2-1 in sets. Ovens, though, took the last six legs without reply to progress, erasing the memory of his disappointment when he had to withdrawn during his first round clash with another German, Kevin Munch, a year ago due to back spasms.
Dave Chisnall 3-0 Shane Tichowitsch
(3-2, 3-2, 3-1)DAVE CHISNALL set up a last 32 clash against Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney courtesy of a straight-sets victory over s Shane Tichowitsch in the first round of the 2013 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
The scoreline did not tell the whole story of the match as the Australian left-hander produced a fine performance which included checkouts of 144 and 161. Chisnall, however, hit the vital doubles to edge the first two sets before ending the Australian's hopes of progression.
Tichowitsch, making his second appearance at Alexandra Palace, won the first leg against the darts before Chisnall immediately broke back by hitting double 12. Both players produced high-quality darts in the third leg as they began with 180s, and Tichowitsch left 28 after 12 darts only to see Chisnall convert an excellent 93 finish. The St Helens ace kicked-off leg four with another maximum, but two missed darts at double top to win the set proved costly as the Australian managed to hit double ten. Chisnall, who was conqueror of Phil Taylor in last year's event, made no mistake in the deciding leg as he completed a 13-dart finish on double 18 to secure an early advantage.
Tichowitsch fired in a superb 144 checkout to begin the second set before Chisnall levelled by taking the second leg on double nine. Chisnall finished 65 in two darts to win the third leg, before Tichowitsch produced more fantastic finishing by taking out a 161 checkout to force a deciding leg. The Australian held the advantage of throw in the fifth leg, but Chisnall gained the initiative and a successful attempt at double 18 put the number 12 seed two sets clear.
Chisnall defied a 180 from Tichowitsch to win the first leg of the third set on double four before the Australian levelled by hitting tops at the first time of asking. Chisnall completed an 85 finish on the bullseye to move a leg away from victory, which was duly secured as he hit double eight at the first attempt to progress to round two.
"Shane played a really good game tonight, and I had to dig in and play well to come through it," said Chisnall. "The 161 checkout he produced was brilliant and he probably deserved more than he got, but I'm happy to get the win and I'll look forward to playing Daryl in the next round."
Max Hopp 4-1 Charl Pietersen
MAX HOPP produced an eye-catching debut performance in the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship with a 4-1 victory over South Africa's Charl Pietersen in their preliminary round.The German teenager, who impressed at the Dutch Darts Masters in October by knocking out Terry Jenkins and Steve Beaton, started confidently by winning the first leg on double four. The second soon followed with the aid of a 180 before Pietersen reduced the deficit to 2-1 by landing double five. Hopp hit double 16 to move a leg away from victory and then capitalised on two missed darts at double top from South African as he converted a 96 finish to win the match in style.
"I'm delighted that I won with a good performance, considering it's my first time here," said Hopp, who will now face Denis Ovens in the first round later on Saturday evening. "I really enjoyed the whole experience and coming out on to a stage like this is incredible. I'm looking forward to taking on Denis Ovens now and I'll enjoy it, whatever happens."
John Part 3-0 Joe Cullen
(3-1, 3-2, 3-1)
JOHN PART overcame talented youngster Joe Cullen with a 3-0 victory in the first round of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, and will now face Terry Jenkins for a place in the last 16 at Alexandra Palace.
The three-time World Champion produced some clinical finishing throughout the game and recorded three ton-plus checkouts as he made a strong start to his challenge.
"Joe outscored me tonight and hit more 180s but my finishing has been my strength recently, as I showed in the Grand Slam of Darts," said the Canadian. "I'll look forward to playing Terry in the last 32. We've played each other numerous times in the past and no doubt the game next Friday will be a good one. "He's playing very well right now, but I've got a lot of experience in televised tournaments and know how to get the job done."
Part started well by breaking his opponent's throw at the first opportunity with an accurate dart at double 16. Cullen secured an immediate break back by hitting double eight before Part regained the advantage with a 108 finish. The fourth leg saw Cullen guilty of missing six opportunities at doubles, and in typical fashion Part took the chance to claim the opening set by hitting double eight.
Cullen fired in a 180 in the first leg of set two before Part won the opener with a superb 127 checkout to continue his fine start. The youngster levelled by landing double 16 after Part failed with three darts at doubles, before returning to form by taking out 85 in two-darts to win the third leg. Cullen hit double 19 to force a deciding leg, but Part posted double four to complete a 64 finish and increase his lead to 2-0.
The Bradford thrower hit his third 180 of the game at the start of set three, but a missed dart at double ten proved costly as Part continued his clinical finishing by taking out 70 in two darts. Part hit double ten to move a leg away from victory, before Cullen landed double 16 at the first attempt to keep the match alive. Cullen produced the better scoring in the fourth leg, but a missed dart at double top allowed Part a chance of a 108 finish, which he duly converted for the second time in the game to seal victory in style.
Phil Taylor 3-0 Michael Mansell
(3-1, 3-0, 3-0)
PHIL TAYLOR made smooth progress through to round two of the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship with a straight-sets victory over Northern Ireland's Michael Mansell.
The 15-time World Champion dropped just one leg in the contest and will now face Dutch youngster Jerry Hendriks, who recorded an impressive victory against Wayne Jones, in the second round next Friday.
"I wasn't very pleased with my game tonight, but I got the 3-0 win and that's what matters," admitted Taylor. "I think I was under-par but Michael was struggling quite a lot, and I'm into the tournament now so I can up my performance for the next round."
Taylor hit double one to claim the opening after struggling to find the winning double, before Mansell won the second with an 82 finish to level. The world number one secured a second a break of throw by hitting double ten and then hit the same double to seal an early advantage by wrapping up the first set.
Taylor hit double 12 to make a winning start to the second set before stepping up a gear in the next leg as he hit a 180 followed by a two-dart 63 finish and then took out 76 for the set.
Taylor continued to pile the pressure on Mansell as he hit a 13-darter win the first leg of set three, before hitting double top at the first attempt after the Northern Irishman was off-target with two attempts at double ten. The end was swift for Mansell, as Taylor converted a 68 finish in two-darts to progress to the last 32, ending the game with a 53 percent checkout percentage.
Denis Ovens 3-2 Max Hopp
(2-3, 3-2, 1-3, 3-0, 3-0)DENIS OVENS came from behind on two occasions to end the hopes of exciting German youngster Max Hopp with a five-set victory in the first round of the 2013 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship.
The three-time UK Open semi-finalist, the older of the two players by almost 40 years, had seen his Alexandra Palace challenge end 12 months earlier when he had to withdraw due to back spasms during his clash with another German, Kevin Munch. And Hopp threatened to add further agony for the veteran when he won two of the first three sets to put himself within touching distance of a last 32 spot. Ovens, though. used his years of experience to put together a run of six straight legs to win the final two sets without reply and set up a second round clash against reigning champion Adrian Lewis.
Both players held their throw in the opening two legs of the contest before Ovens secured a break of throw thanks to landing double 16. Hopp hit double eight to force a deciding leg, which the German teenager won on double two to draw first blood.
Ovens won the opening leg of set two before Hopp landed double 12 in the second, despite a 180 from his opponent. Ovens hit double 16 to win the third leg, but missed a dart at the same double to win the set and Hopp stepped in to force a deciding leg. The Stevenage thrower then produced his best darts of the match as he hit scores of 140 and 135, followed a two-dart 62 finish to level the match at one set apiece.
Ovens converted a 91 finish to make a winning start to the third set, before Hopp hit back to win the second leg on double eight. Hopp hit double top to win the third leg and then repeated the trick in the next to the lead the match for the second time, after Ovens missed one dart at the same bed.
Ovens hit a 180 at the start of set four and won the first leg on double four before breaking the German's throw in the next, with an accurate attempt at double 18. Two missed darts at doubles from Hopp in the next leg allowed Ovens an opportunity to take out 80, which he duly converted to send the match into a deciding set.
Ovens broke Hopp's throw at the start of the final set by landing double eight and followed that by hitting tops in the next, to win his fifth leg in a row, before wrapping up the match in the next by landing double 18.
"A week before last year's World Championship I was playing the best darts of my life but then my back went and I've been struggling with thoracic outlet syndrome since," he said. "It's a struggle but I'm pleased to get through and I'll look forward to playing Adrian next. All the pressure's on him because he's the reigning champion."
Pictures with kind permission from Lawrence Lustig, PDC