Author: chrism
Michael van Gerwen believes that Thursday’s PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix match against Adrian Lewis could be ‘something special’.
The in-form Dutch star has produced some electrifying performances in 2012, including a sensational nine-dart finish at the World Matchplay in July. 
After seeing off seeing off Colin Lloyd on Monday evening, van Gerwen faces two-time and reigning World Champion Lewis for a place in the quarter-finals of the Dublin tournament, with the fast-throwing pair meeting for the first time on TV.
“I’m really looking forward to playing Adrian,” said ‘Mighty Mike’, whose impressive form has seen him win four PDC Pro Tour titles this year.
“I’ve never played him on stage before but it’s an exciting prospect.
“He is a fast player and I am too. If we both take our best game up there then it could be really special for the crowd and for TV.
“He is a top player. You do not become World Champion twice without being a brilliant dart player but my form is good and I’m feeling confident.”
van Gerwen and ‘Jackpot’ are expected to be on stage at around 9.30pm, with the winner taking on either Andy Hamilton or Steve Beaton in Friday’s quarter-finals.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Robert Thornton triumphed in a sensational PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix battle with ten-time winner Phil Taylor at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel on Wednesday.
The pair both produced top quality performances in a classic dual, which saw Thornton prevail in a dramatic deciding leg.
The Scotsman, who also inflicted defeat on the world number one last time they met – in the final of the UK Open in June – shocked ‘The Power’ again, as he progressed into the quarter-finals. 
‘The Thorn’ hit an incredible eight 180s on his way to a three sets to two triumph over the 15-time World Champion.
Both players averaged above 95, which is remarkably high in the unique double-start format, but it was Thornton who once again eliminated tournament favourite Taylor, who was punished for missing five match darts.
“Phil missed a few doubles but I never gave in,” said Thornton, who has now won 15 out of 16 matches in Dublin since Saturday, after reaching both finals of the weekend’s Pro Tour events, winning one.
“I’m playing really well at the moment and it’s all down to practice.
“I’m really focused and I have had great belief in myself since winning the UK Open.”
Thornton, who clinched his first PDC major title with his Bolton victory earlier this year, now faces Mervyn King in his quest for a second televised triumph.
King stormed past Dave Chisnall with an impressive display, in which he was particularly sharp on his starting doubles.
‘The King’ fired in four 180s on the way to a 3-1 success over Chisnall, to set up a last eight clash with Thornton, which will take place on Friday evening.
“It’s nice to be playing well again and I’m getting closer to my best game,” said King.
“I’ve been hitting my best in practice in the last few days, along with a couple of nine-darters.
“Robert has got back to his best during this year and maybe I’ll get there this week because it’s been a long while since I’ve been in a major quarter-final.”
Vincent van der Voort was unable to progress further than the last 16 stage, however, the Dutchman lost out to 2011 runner-up Brendan Dolan.
Thursday night sees the completion of the second round with Paul Nicholson taking on Colin Osborne and Michael van Gerwen facing two-time and reigning World Champion Adrian Lewis.
By Chris Murphy
Read the full match report on Robert Thornton’s sensational victory over Phil Taylor here.
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Michael van Gerwen made a strong start to his PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix campaign in Dublin, where Paul Nicholson also progressed into the last 16 on Tuesday evening.
van Gerwen booked his place in round two after producing an impressive fightback against 2004 winner Colin Lloyd. 
The Dutch star, who fell a set behind, threatened a nine-darter at one point, hitting six perfect darts in the leg that won him the second set.
He then won all three legs in the decider, taking out 101 to seal the victory.
van Gerwen now faces the mouthwatering prospect of a dual with World Champion Adrian Lewis on Thursday evening.
“I am pleased to get through the first game as Colin was always going to be a tough opponent,” said ‘Mighty Mike’.
“I can’t ever remember playing Adrian on TV but I am on form and he is a top player and we are both fast players.
“If we both bring our best games it will be great news for the crowd and viewers.”
Nicholson swept past Michael Mansell with a straight sets triumph.
‘The Asset’ produced a authoratitive display, showing real sharpness on doubles at both the beginning and end of most legs.
The Australian, who reached the final of the World Cup earlier in 2012, faces Colin Osborne on Thursday for a place in the quarter-finals.
Mark Webster suffered a first round defeat at the hands of Andy Hamilton, while James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld were also condemned to early exits.
Wade lost out to Osborne, before ‘Barney’ was beaten by the impressive Ian White.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Robert Thornton set up a last 16 showdown with Phil Taylor, while Mervyn King and Vincent van der Voort also claimed victories on the opening night of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix in Dublin.
Thornton continued his impressive form at the Citywest Hotel, as he progressed into the second round with a commanding victory over Mark Walsh. 
The Scotsman, who won a Players Championship event on Sunday, hit back from a set down to triumph, winning six legs in a row.
Thornton will now face ten-time winner Taylor in a repeat of June’s UK Open final, which saw ‘The Thorn’ clinch his first PDC major title.
King progressed to round two after coming out on top in a thrilling match against Terry Jenkins, which went to a last leg decider.
‘The King’ will take on Dave Chisnall on Wednesday evening for a place in the quarter-finals.
van der Voort also triumphed in a final leg shootout. The Dutchman saw off the valiant challenge of home favourite William O’Connor, to set up a last 16 tie against 2011 runner-up Brendan Dolan.
Recently-crowned European Champion Simon Whitlock had to put his quest for another major title on hold. ‘The Wizard’ suffered a 2-1 reverse at the hands of Justin Pipe.
Tuesday evening sees the completion of the first round, with James Wade beginning his bid to win the prestigious title for a third time.
‘The Machine’, who lifted the trophy in 2007 and 2010, faces Colin Osborne, while in-form Michael van Gerwen plays 2004 winner Colin Lloyd.
Mark Webster is up against 2012 World Championship runner-up Andy Hamilton, with Raymond van Barneveld and Paul Nicholson taking on Ian White and Michael Mansell respectively.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Robert Thornton completed a brilliant weekend by taking victory in Sunday’s Players Championship 14 in Dublin, having been runner-up in Saturday’s event.
The reigning UK Open champion defeated fellow Scotsman Gary Anderson 6-5 in the final to clinch the £6,000 first prize at the Citywest Hotel, averaging over 103 in a high quality battle. 
‘The Thorn’, who had been edged out by Michael van Gerwen in a last leg decider 24 hours earlier, is hoping to continue his good form when he faces Mark Walsh in the first round of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix on Monday evening.
He told the Official PDC Website: “I felt I was due a win as I’ve been there or thereabouts a fair few times recently.
“I’m over the moon. I was beaten yesterday against probably the most in-form player at the moment, but I should have won so I’m chuffed to bits to put it right today.
“I’m looking forward to my match tomorrow night. I’m definitely going to enjoy it up on that big stage again.”
Thornton began his route to victory with wins against Darren Johnson, Vincent van der voort and Scott Rand.
He then defeated Mervyn King 6-3 in the quarter-finals, before hitting six 180s in his last four success against Wez Newton.
The Scotsman then saw off Anderson in the final, which went to a deciding leg for the second consecutive day.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Michael van Gerwen clinched his fourth Pro Tour title of 2012, as he defeated Robert Thornton in the final of Players Championship 13 at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel on Saturday.
‘Mighty Mike’ continued his impressive form to claim the £6,000 first prize, edging past Thornton in an exciting deciding leg.
The Dutch youngster, who faces Colin Lloyd in the first round of the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix on Tuesday evening, kicked off with victories over Andrew Gilding and Dennis Smith, before defeating Paul Nicholson.
He then beat Joe Cullen in the quarter-finals before seeing off Arron Monk in the last four, producing a 170 checkout in the process.
van Gerwen came back from 4-1 and 5-3 down to snatch victory from Thornton in the final.
‘The Thorn’, who sensationally won the UK Open in June, had seen off Kevin McDine, Mike Veitch and Mervyn King to reach the last 16.
There he defeated Ian White 6-1 before hitting back from 5-2 down to triumph 6-5 against Denis Ovens.
The Scotsman again found himself 5-2 behind in the semi-final, but launched another brilliant comeback to reach the final at the expense of Scott Rand.
Former Under-21 World Champion Monk enjoyed his best Pro Tour performance to date, with a run to the last four.
The Hampshire youngster defeated Dennis Priestley and Mark Webster on his way to the semi-finals, where he lost out to eventual winner van Gerwen.
Webster enjoyed a run to the quarter-finals ahead of his World Grand Prix first round clash against Andy Hamilton on Tuesday evening.
Sunday sees the 14th Players Championship event take place at the Citywest Hotel, with the £350,000 World Grand Prix commencing on Monday.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
James Hubbard, Arron Monk and Andy Jenkins booked their places at the fifth European Tour event, after winning through the UK qualifier at Dublin’s Citywest hotel on Friday night. 
The trio were amongst the 20 qualifiers for the Dutch Darts Masters, which takes place in Holland later this month.
PDC Unicorn World Youth Champion Hubbard came through a tough draw to progress.
The Norfolk ace saw off Michael Mansell 6-2 before defeating local rival Darren Webster to qualify.
Monk, who currently tops the Youth Tour Order of Merit, triumphed over Shaun Griffiths and Joe Cullen to win his place in Holland, while Andy Jenkins sealed his spot with a 6-1 victory over Jamie Lewis.
The top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit who entered are placed directly into the first round draw, with the 20 UK Qualifiers joined by four players from a Home Nation Qualifier to be held on Rosmalen on Friday October 12 and eight players who will come from the European Qualifier in Bielefeld on Saturday October 13.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Michael van Gerwen hopes to build on a good year of progress when he plays in next week’s PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix in Dublin.
The young Dutch sensation, who burst onto the professional scene by winning the 2006 Winmau World Masters when he was just 17, has managed to find some consistency in his game in 2012.
‘Mighty Mike’ has won three ProTour titles this year and, after hitting a nine-darter en route to the quarter-finals of the World Matchplay in July, he is pleased to be finally taking his floor form onto the big stage. 
“I’m playing very well at the moment,” said the 23-year-old, who was knocked out of last month’s European Championships by compatriot Raymond van Barneveld in a thrilling match.
“I’m feeling very confident because I’m having a good year. I had a good couple of floor tournaments in Barnsley recently and I played well against Raymond in Germany.
“I lost 10-9 but I played really well in what was a great game.
“My TV form is getting better. It’s all to do with confidence. If your confidence is good then you play well. Mine is good and I’m playing well.
“I know that I can do even better but I need to do it step by step.”
van Gerwen faces 2004 winner Colin Lloyd in the opening round of the World Grand Prix on Tuesday, and the Dutchman is expecting a tough start to the tournament.
He said: “You never know with Colin. He’s a great player, who has won a lot more than I have but it doesn’t matter who I play really.
“There are so many good players. Everyone in the tournament is capable of winning it but you have to concentrate and play your best game from the first dart to the last, which is very hard.
“I need to play my own game and I know that, if I play well, I can beat Colin and then go on to do very well in this tournament.”
The £350,000 tournament, which takes place at Dublin’s Citywest Hotel from Monday 8 October, is unique for its double-start format, where players have to begin and end each leg with a double.
van Gerwen, who is currently ranked 25th in the PDC Order of Merit, believes that concentration could be the key to success.
He added: “I think it is the most difficult tournament of the year. The double-in, double-out rules mean that you must keep your concentration in every leg and every throw.
“It will be difficult but I hope to reach the quarter-finals again and then we will see how it goes from there.
“With a good run here and at the rest of the TV tournaments this year, there is a chance of me reaching the top 16, which is a big target of mine.”
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
Simon Whitlock claimed his first PDC major title, defeating Wez Newton 11-5 to be crowned as European Champion in Germany.
‘The Wizard’, who had been a losing finalist in three different tournaments previously, ended his wait for a televised triumph, as he clinched the £50,000 first prize at the Sporthalle in Mulheim. 
The Australian, who defeated Mark Walsh and Dave Chisnall to reach the quarter-finals, had to win three games on Sunday, beating Colin Lloyd, Kim Huybrechts and Newton to win the PartyPoker.net European Championship.
“I’m over the moon,” said an emotional Whitlock, who had clinched his first ProTour victory for almost two years just seven days earlier.
“I’ve been so close for a couple of years so I’m absolutely ecstatic to win.
“I got some great confidence from winning the floor event last week and I’ve managed to bring that to the stage. I’ve got tears in my eyes. I’m just so overwhelmed.”
Both players hit 180s in the opening leg, which Whitlock won, posting double eight to hold his throw.
Newton levelled before ‘The Wizard’ hit double seven to edge back in front, but Newton held again to restore parity.
A second maximum helped Whitlock take a 3-2 lead into the first break.
The Premier League runner-up hit double ten to take the next leg against the throw, before holding on double six to move three legs in front.
Newton pulled a leg back, before Whitlock’s third 180 helped him go 6-3 up.
‘The Warrior’ responded with an eleven dart leg to reduce the deficit to two at the second break.
‘The Wizard’ almost brought the house down, just missing the bull for a 170 before tidying up the remaining 25 to restore his three leg cushion.
He did produce a magical finish in the very next leg though, hitting a show-stopping 167 checkout for another break of throw.
The Australian ace then moved five legs clear, taking out 58 to make it 9-4, before Newton hit double top to pull one back.
Whitlock moved a leg away from the title, going bull, 12 double 16 to clean up 94 and moved into a 10-5 lead.
‘The Wizard’ wasted no time in sealing victory, hitting double eight for another break of throw, to take is maiden major success.
By Chris Murphy
Image courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
(Report from www.simonwhitlock.tv)
The draw for the PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix was made on Sunday evening after Simon Whitlock won the PartyPoker.net European Championship.
The 32 man field includes nine MODUS associated players, including ‘The Wizard’, who has been handed a first round tie against Justin Pipe.
James Wade, who is bidding to win the £100,000 title for the third time, has been drawn against Colin Osborne, while UK Open champion Robert Thornton will take on Mark Walsh.
Raymond van Barneveld, twice a runner-up in the Dublin tournament, will face Ian White, Mark Webster takes on Andy Hamilton and Michael van Gerwen will play 2004 winner Colin Lloyd.
Paul Nicholson has been drawn against Michael Mansell, Vincent van der Voort will take on William O’Connor and Mervyn King has been pitted against Terry Jenkins.
The PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix will be held from October 8-14 at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
PartyPoker.com World Grand Prix Draw Bracket – MODUS associated players in bold
Phil Taylor (1) v Michael Smith
Mark Walsh v Robert Thornton
Terry Jenkins (8) v Mervyn King
Dean Winstanley v Dave Chisnall
Simon Whitlock (5) v Justin Pipe
Kevin Painter v Kim Huybrechts
Gary Anderson (4) v Brendan Dolan
Vincent van der Voort v William O’Connor
Adrian Lewis (2) v Richie Burnett
Michael van Gerwen v Colin Lloyd
Andy Hamilton (7) v Mark Webster
Steve Beaton v Andy Smith
Wes Newton (6) v Ronnie Baxter
Raymond van Barneveld v Ian White
James Wade (3) v Colin Osborne
Michael Mansell v Paul Nicholson
By Chris Murphy
