Author: chrism
Simon Whitlock and Michael van Gerwen both grabbed their second victories of the weekend, while James Wade also triumphed on day two of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts in Wolverhampton.
Whitlock edged a deciding leg to see off Kevin Painter, a win which moved him two points clear at the top of Group C.
“I scraped through there and I’m over the moon to win that one,” said Whitlock, the European Champion.
“I’m in good form but there is still a lot of room for improvement.
“I’m not safe yet and I’ll be going all out to win my next match.”
van Gerwen came out on top in a battle of in form players, with the World Grand Prix winner triumphing 5-3 over UK Open champion Robert Thornton.
“It wasn’t an easy game,” admitted van Gerwen.
“I started off well and then I started missing darts at doubles and it hurt me.
“It meant a lot to win that match because I had to work very hard for it.”
Wade produced a strong performance to see off Holland’s Jan Dekker, with the world number three running out a 5-1 victor.
“I did enough to win,” said Wade, who is back playing competitive darts for the first time since the World Grand Prix last month.
“This week is all about building for the future. The last few weeks have been a very important time since the Grand Prix.
“I’m in a good place, I’m happy and I’m looking forward to playing good darts again.”
Mervyn King all but booked his place in the knockout stage after a 5-3 victory over Arron Monk.
‘The Machine’ and King meet on Tuesday evening, when Monk takes on Dekker in the final round of games in Group D.
Both Wade and Monk still have the chance to qualify for the last 16.
Mark Webster’s bid for a last 16 place is still very much alive despite a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Phil Taylor in Group A.
The Welsh ace takes on Co Stompe on Tuesday evening in his final group game.
Stompe suffered his second defeat of the tournament, losing out to 2010 champion Scott Waites, while James Hubbard was denied a first senior TV victory by Dean Winstanley
Raymond van Barneveld made the perfect start to his Grand Slam campaign.
The Dutch legend defeated Mark Walsh 5-0 in the afternoon session to top Group H after the first round of games.
‘Barney’, who hit a fabulous 141 checkout in the opening leg of his triumph, faces reigning BDO World Champion Christian Kist on Monday.
Paul Nicholson will be looking for a win against Barrie Bates on Monday evening, after ‘The Asset’ was beaten by Brendan Dolan.
By Chris Murphy
Click the links to read full match reports on the following results:-
Raymond van Barneveld 5-0 Mark Walsh
Simon Whitlock 5-4 Kevin Painter
Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Robert Thornton
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Mark Webster, Michael van Gerwen, Simon Whitlock and Robert Thornton all grabbed opening night victories at the Grand Slam of Darts, while Arron Monk and Mervyn King also got off to winning starts in Wolverhampton.
Webster hit finishes of 131 and 104 in a 5-3 success over 2010 champion Scott Waites in Group A.
The Welsh star, who has struggled to find his form this year, faces Phil Taylor in his second group game on Sunday evening.
“Maybe that can be the turning point now,” said Webster.
“I’ve got a bit more confidence just from winning that game.”
van Gerwen stormed to a 5-2 triumph over Steve Beaton in Group B.
‘Mighty Mike’, who averaged over 103, will face Thornton on Saturday night, after the Scotsman whitewashed Ted Hankey 5-0.
“To win the first game is very hard and also very important,” said van Gerwen.
“I’m looking forward to tomorrow night. Both Robert and I are fast players and it is always a good game between us.”
Thornton said: “I was confident of winning but to beat Ted 5-0 is a big boost.
“I enjoyed the win and I’ll rest up now ready for tomorrow night.”
Whitlock enjoyed a 5-2 victory against the impressive James Hubbard in Group C.
‘The Wizard’ faces Kevin Painter in his second match on Saturday evening, while Hubbard will take on Dean Winstanley.
He said: “James is a great player. I practise with him sometimes and I’m very proud of him so I’m pleased with that result.
“Kevin is always tough to play and we always have good games but hopefully I can get the better of him.”
Monk and King will face each other in the second round of matches in Group D after opening night triumphs.
Monk defeated James Wade 5-1, while King saw off Jan Dekker by the same scoreline.
Wade will face Dekker on Sunday night.
Sunday afternoon sees Groups E to H play out their first round of matches, with Paul Nicholson and Raymond van Barneveld both in action.
‘The Asset’ is up against Brendan Dolan, with ‘Barney’ facing Mark Walsh.
By Chris Murphy
Click the links for full match reports on the following results:-
Robert Thornton 5-0 Ted Hankey
Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Steve Beaton
Simon Whitlock 5-2 James Hubbard
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
The draw for the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts was made on Monday evening as the eight groups for the £400,000 event at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall from November 10-18 were decided.
Mark Webster and Co Stompe were drawn in Group A with the previous two winners of the tournament, Phil Taylor and Scott Waites.
In from pair Michael van Gerwen and Robert Thornton, who have both won maiden PDC major titles this year, will compete in Group B alongside Ted Hankey and Steve Beaton.
Simon Whitlock, who has also won his first PDC premier event in 2012, heads Group C, which includes PDC Unicorn World Youth Champion James Hubbard, Kevin Painter and Dean Winstanley.
Group D sees James Wade, Mervyn King and Arron Monk pitted together, along with Jan Dekker.
Paul Nicholson will face Andy Hamilton, Brendan Dolan and Barrie Bates in Group F.
Raymond van Barneveld was drawn in Group H with Christian Kist, Wayne Jones and Mark Walsh.
Group A
Phil Taylor
Scott Waites
Mark Webster
Co Stompe
Group B
Michael van Gerwen
Robert Thornton
Ted Hankey
Steve Beaton
Group C
Simon Whitlock
Kevin Painter
Dean Winstanley
James Hubbard
Group D
James Wade
Jan Dekker
Mervyn King
Arron Monk
Group E
Adrian Lewis
Gary Anderson
John Part
Tony O’Shea
Group F
Andy Hamilton
Paul Nicholson
Brendan Dolan
Barrie Bates
Group G
Wes Newton
Terry Jenkins
Wesley Harms
Martin Phillips
Group H
Christian Kist
Raymond van Barneveld
Mark Walsh
Wayne Jones
By Chris Murphy
Arron Monk finished top of the 2012 PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit, after winning six of the 20 tournaments staged during the year.
The former World Youth Champion claimed £4,900 throughout the year, as he saw off the challenge of five-time winner Michael Smith, who picked up £3,925 in prize money.
Monk’s success, which he sealed by completing a brilliant double in Crawley at the weekend, means he has grabbed the final qualifying spot for the Grand Slam of Darts, which kicks off in Wolverhampton next weekend.
The 22-year-old defeated Chris Aubrey in Saturday’s final, when his ranking lead became unassailable, and Matthew Dennant 24 hours later to end the Youth Tour season in style.
The top 32 players from the final PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit will qualify automatically for the last 64 of the PDC Unicorn World Youth Championship next spring.
Reigning World Youth Champion James Hubbard finished the year third in the rankings, while Aubrey was placed fifth in the final Order of Merit.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of PDC
Final PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit
| 1 | Monk, Arron | £4,900 | |
| 2 | Smith, Michael | £3,925 | |
| 3 | Hubbard, James | £2,850 | |
| 4 | Lewis,Jamie | £2,125 | |
| 5 | Aubrey,Chris | £1,675 |
Simon Whitlock and Michael van Gerwen each won a Players Championship in Crawley, while Arron Monk sealed a sensational Youth Tour double at the K2 Centre.
Whitlock defeated Dennis Priestley in Saturday’s final to claim his fourth PDC title in less than two months.
“It feels fantastic,” said the reigning European Champion.
“I’m looking forward to every single time I play at the moment. I love winning and I’ve got to keep trying to win more and more.”
‘The Wizard’, who was also runner-up in Championship League Darts on Thursday, went on to reach the semi-finals of Sunday’s event, which was won by van Gerwen.
The Dutch ace, who had reached the last four on Saturday, came back from 4-0 down to defeat Ian White 6-5 in the final, clinching his sixth Pro Tour success of 2012.
“It’s amazing for me and it’s probably the most difficult Pro Tour event I’ve won,” said van Gerwen, who recently won his first PDC major at the World Grand Prix.
“This will give me even more confidence for the Grand Slam of Darts next week and I’m looking forward to Wolverhampton. I’m playing very well and I want to continue this.”
Monk finished top of the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Order of Merit by winning the final two events of the year.
Saturday’s final victory against Chris Aubrey saw the 22-year-old star seal his place at next week’s Grand Slam of Darts, as his lead at the top of the rankings became unassailable.
The former Under-21 World Champion went on to take his sixth Youth Tour title of 2012, defeating Matthew Dennant 4-0 in Sunday’s final, in a tournament which saw him whitewash three more opponents, including Michael Smith, who finished second to Monk in the Order of Merit.
“It feels amazing,” said Monk.
“Thanks to the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour, I’ve now qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts and made sure of my World Championship place, so I’ve got a good couple of months ahead of me.”
Whitlock, van Gerwen and Monk will all compete in the Grand Slam of Darts which kicks off next weekend in Wolverhampton.
By Chris Murphy
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Arron Monk sealed his place at the Grand Slam of Darts in style, winning Saturday’s PDC Unicorn Youth Tour Event in Crawley to ensure that he will top this year’s Order of Merit.
The 22-year-old ace defeated Chris Aubrey 4-1 in the final to claim his fifth Youth Tour victory of 2012.
The youngster had lead Michael Smith by just £50 at the top of the rankings ahead of this weekend’s events, the final two of the year.
But Monk’s latest success gives him an unassailable lead before Sunday’s event, with a place at the prestigious Grand Slam his reward.
“It feels amazing,” Monk told the PDC’s official website after his triumph, which also guarantees him a place in the World Championships.
“It’s been a great year on the Youth Tour and at one stage I was quite a way ahead of Michael Smith but then he won £1,200 in Wigan and caught me right up.
“Luckily enough I’ve done the business this weekend and it would be a great bonus to win Sunday’s event too.
“Michael van Gerwen has said that his success on the Youth Tour last year helped his confidence and it’s brought my confidence along as well this year.”
“Thanks to the PDC Unicorn Youth Tour, I’ve now qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts and made sure of my World Championship place, so I’ve got a good couple of months ahead of me.
“The Grand Slam’s taught me a lot in the last two years because it’s a short format and I need to start off well this time. In the last two years I’ve not done that, but this could be my year.”
Monk had also defeated Scott Pearson, Cain Unwin, Ryan Harrington, Jake Patchett and Matthew Dicken before seeing off Aubrey in the decider to clinch the £500 first prize.
He will compete in the final Youth Tour event on Sunday before the Grand Slam of Darts kicks off in Wolverhampton next weekend.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Simon Whitlock won the PDC’s fifth and final European Tour event of 2012, defeating Australian World Cup teammate Paul Nicholson in the final of the Dutch Darts Masters on Sunday evening.
‘The Wizard’, who recently won his first major title when he was crowned European Champion in Germany, triumphed 6-1 against Nicholson to clinch the £15,000 first prize.
The world number six, who had seen off Per Laursen and Alan Tabern to reach Sunday’s last 16, began the day with a 6-1 victory over Ian White.
He then saw off Johnny Haines 6-2, before producing a brilliant semi-final performance to beat Kim Huybrechts 6-1.
Whitlock then made sure he claimed his third PDC title in less than two months, when he defeated ‘The Asset’ by the same scoreline.
“It feels fantastic and I’m over the moon to win,” Whitlock told the PDC’s official website.
“It’s brilliant for two Australians to be in the final and Paul’s done really well this weekend.
“I seem to perform well on the Continent and to follow up the European Championship win with this is great.
“I can’t wait for the World Championship now and hopefully I’ll be holding the trophy at the end of that too!
“Paul’s a very good friend of mine and we’re World Cup pairs partners, so it was tough playing him and I’m just happy to get the win.”
Nicholson, who was competing in the final day of a European Tour event for the first time, kicked off his Sunday with a 6-1 success over Max Hopp in the last 16, having beaten Ross Smith and Michael van Gerwen to reach that stage. 
The 2010 Players Championship Finals winner saw off Arron Monk, who reached his first European Tour quarter-final, before producing a fabulous display to defeat Wayne Jones in the semis, with the aid of a 101.02 average.
Nicholson said: “It’s been a huge weekend for me. This year has been up and down but this weekend has proved to me that all the hard work really has been worth it.
“I’ve had some really tough games and played some great darts. By the time the final came around I was shattered and ran out of steam but Simon’s been used to getting this far in tournaments this year and I haven’t. He’s had a bit more darts fitness than me and I give him all the credit.
“I’m so privileged to have been part of the first all-Aussie final on the Pro Tour and I’m proud of myself to have got this far. Before this week, nobody had any expectation of me and I’m thrilled to have been in the final.”
By Chris Murphy
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Arron Monk reached his first European Tour quarter-final with an impressive win over Andy Hamilton, while Australian pair Paul Nicholson and Simon Whitlock also won through to the last eight of the Dutch Darts Masters on Sunday afternoon.
Monk, the former under-21 World Champion, claimed a 6-4 victory against the world number seven in Nuland, setting up a quarter-final clash with Nicholson.
‘The Asset’ ended the run of German teenager Max Hopp with a 6-1 success, while Whitlock defeated Ian White by the same scoreline, posting a 102.5 average in a brilliant performance.
Sunday evening sees the £82,100 tournament reach its conclusion, with the remaining eight players competing for the £15,000 first prize.
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor v Wayne Jones
Paul Nicholson v Arron Monk
Simon Whitlock v Johnny Haines
Kim Huybrechts v Mark Walsh
Semi-Finals
Taylor/Jones v Nicholson/Monk
Whitlock/Haines v Huybrechts/Walsh
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Paul Nicholson hailed the influence of Michael van Gerwen’s recent rise to form after defeating the home favourite in the second round of the Dutch Darts Masters in Nuland, while Simon Whitlock, Arron Monk and Andy Jenkins also won through to the last 16 on Saturday.
Nicholson triumphed 6-4 against the newly-crowned World Grand Prix champion, who has won six PDC events in total so far this year, setting up a third round clash with German teenager Max Hopp on Sunday afternoon.
“I’m delighted to have won because this is the first time in the five European Tour events this year that I’ve made it to the Sunday,” Nicholson told the PDC’s official website.
“I came into the game with no pressure because Michael is in such great form and I relaxed and enjoyed the match.
“Michael is inspiring people to play better at the moment, including me, and he’s also taking Dutch darts forward. He’s a great example for all young players coming into the game.
“It will be the other way around when I play Max because all the pressure is on me, but Max is what German darts has been looking for now for a number of years, a future superstar, and I’m excited to be playing him.”
Hampshire youngster Monk will face Andy Hamilton in the last 16 after the former under-21 World Champion defeated Vincent van der Voort 6-5, producing a 13 dart finish in the deciding leg.
Australian star Whitlock, the reigning European Champion, eased through with a 6-2 win over Alan Tabern, while Jenkins continued to make his mark on the £82,100 tournament with a 6-4 success over James Hubbard.
‘The Wizard’ will take on Ian White in the last 16, while Jenkins faces Wayne Jones.
Dutch pair Raymond van Barneveld and Co Stompe were eliminated from the tournament though, despite the latter hitting a maximum 170 checkout against world number one Phil Taylor.
The remaining 16 players will battle it our for the £15,000 first prize over two sessions on Sunday, with the third round taking place in the afternoon before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are played out in the evening.
Sunday October 28
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Third Round
Phil Taylor v Andy Smith
Andy Jenkins v Wayne Jones
Max Hopp v Paul Nicholson
Andy Hamilton v Arron Monk
Simon Whitlock v Ian White
Johnny Haines v Jamie Caven
Kim Huybrechts v Colin Osborne
Steve Brown v Mark Walsh
Evening Session (7pm-11pm)
Quarter-Finals
Taylor/Smith v Jenkins/Jones
Hopp/Nicholson v Hamilton/Monk
Whitlock/White v Haines/Caven
Huybrechts/Osborne v Brown/Walsh
Semi-Finals
Final
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Michael van Gerwen, Raymond van Barneveld, Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe all delighted their home crowd with victories in the first round of the Dutch Darts Masters on Friday.
Mervyn King, Andy Jenkins, Paul Nicholson, Simon Whitlock, James Hubbard and Arron Monk all also progressed to the last 32 of the PDC’s fifth and final European Tour event of the year in Nuland.
van Gerwen, who won his first PDC major title at the World Grand Prix a fortnight ago, enjoyed a 6-4 triumph over Peter Hudson.
The world number eight will face Paul Nicholson on Saturday after ‘The Asset’ saw off Ross Smith 6-3.
“It was a difficult game because this is my first tournament in Holland for a year and there was a bit more pressure than normal on me,” van Gerwen told the PDC’s official website.
“I wasn’t nervous but I wanted to show everyone in Holland what I can do and how well I’ve been playing in the last few weeks.
“I’m happy to win the game but it wasn’t easy because Peter is a good player. I wasn’t brilliant in every leg, but a win is a win and I’m looking forward to playing against Paul.
“I know him very well and he’s a very good guy, but tomorrow he’s my enemy! If I can go all the way and win this weekend too it would be fantastic and my confidence is high at the moment but I will just play my game and take each game one at a time.”
van Barneveld came back from 3-1 down to record a 6-3 victory against Mick Todd.
The five-time World Champion will take on Johnny Haines on Saturday evening.
van der Voort faces Monk after the ‘Dutch Destroyer’ whitewashed Bernd Roith, while Monk claimed an impressive triumph over John Part, defeating the three-time World Champion 6-4.
Stompe set up a second round clash against world number one Phil Taylor, after a 6-2 win against Terry Temple on Friday afternoon.
King, who will play Ian White on Saturday, stormed past Ronny Huybrechts with a 6-1 victory, while Jenkins claimed a notable success over Justin Pipe, beating the world number eleven 6-2.
‘Rocky’ will face Hubbard in the last 32, after the World Youth Champion defeated Denis Ovens by the same scoreline.
European Champion Whitlock was a 6-4 victor against Denmark’s Per Laursen. ‘The Wizard’ faces Alan Tabern in the second round.
Saturday sees round two take place over two sessions, as the field chasing the £15,000 first prize is reduced to 16.
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)
Mark Walsh v Brendan Dolan
Andy Jenkins v James Hubbard
Gino Vos v Jamie Caven
Andy Smith v Scott Rand
Mervyn King v Ian White
Kevin Painter v Wayne Jones
Andy Hamilton v Davyd Venken
Simon Whitlock v Alan Tabern
Max Hopp v Steve Beaton
Vincent van der Voort v Arron Monk
Paul Nicholson v Michael van Gerwen
Raymond van Barneveld v Johnny Haines
Mark Jones v Kim Huybrechts
Phil Taylor v Co Stompe
Ronnie Baxter v Colin Osborne
Wes Newton v Steve Brown
By Chris Murphy
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
