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Australia 3 – 1 Belgium

Australia progressed into the semi-finals of the World Cup in Hamburg when Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson produced a stunning display in the doubles to dump Belgium out of the tournament.

Whitlock beat Kurt van de Rijck in straight legs before Nicholson suffered a defeat, meaning that the match would be decided by the doubles game.

Australia were sensational in the decider, and are looking like the team to beat after another convincing win.

SIMON WHITLOCK 4 – 0 Kurt van de Rijck

Simon Whitlock whitewashed Kurt van de Rijck to put Australia a point ahead in the quarter-final. ‘The Wizard’ produced a clinical display in his singles match in Hamburg, which he completed in double quick time.

Photo: Lawrence Lustig/PDC

Whitlock hit double ten to win both of the first two legs. ‘The Wizard’ hit double top to take the third leg with a tidy thirteen darter. He then responded to a 180 from his opponent by hammering in two of his own as he completed a convincing victory.

PAUL NICHOLSON 2 – 4 Kim Huybrechts

Paul Nicholson was beaten by Kim Huybrechts in the second singles match of the quarter-final against Belgium, meaning the match would be decided by the pairs match.

Huybrechts hit the bull to take the lead but ‘The Asset’ hit straight back. He hit double nine to level things up before slotting in his first maximum. Huybrechts took out 111 and then 129 to take a 3-1 lead. Nicholson then hit double 18 to keep himself in the match, before hammering home another maximum under pressure. But it was Huybrechts who won the leg, to draw Belgium level on points.

WHITLOCK & NICHOLSON 4 – 2 van de Rijck & Huybrechts

Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson finished off their opponents in a high quality doubles match. The Australian pair produced a stunning display of relentless scoring and sharp finishing to progress to the semi-finals.

Whitlock opened with a maximum and went on to hit double eight to give Australia the lead. Nicholson hit his first 180 in leg two before ‘The Wizard’ hit his second, setting up his teammate to take out 41.

Belgium pulled a leg back before Whitlock hit double top to move a leg away from the semi-finals. Huybrechts hit double ten to keep Belgium in the match and then applied the pressure on the Aussies with a 180. Nicholson hit back with high scoring though and Whitlock hit double top to seal the victory.

By Chris Murphy

World Cup of Darts: Round 2: The Netherlands 3 – 1 Austria

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD & VINCENT VAN DER VOORT 5 – 2 Dietmar Burger & Mensur Suljovic

Raymond van Barneveld and Vincent van der Voort joined forces to produce a solid display as they progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

The Dutch pair, defending their nation’s title, saw off the challenge of Austria with apparent ease.

Van der Voort got the ball rolling by hitting double one to win a tense opening leg. ‘The Dutch Destroyer’ then hit double top to move Holland into a 2-0 lead. He then took out 44 to complete an eleven dart leg for the Dutch team.

Mensur Suljovic pulled a leg back for Austria with a 121 checkout before van Barneveld hit double ten to move within a leg of victory. Austria grabbed a lifeline by winning the next leg but ‘Barney’ wrapped up the match with a smooth 76 checkout.

The Netherlands will take on Northern Ireland tonight as they bid to move a step closer to claiming their second consecutive World Cup title.

By Chris Murphy

World Cup of Darts: Round 2: Wales 4 – 0 Croatia

MARK WEBSTER & Richie Burnett 5 – 1 Tonci Restovic & Boris Krcmar

Mark Webster put in another strong performance as Wales brushed off the challenge of Croatia in convincing fashion.

‘Spider’ continued his brilliant form in the competition that he won 14 months ago. Webster and his partner Richie Burnett had both won their singles games yesterday, and victory in the pairs means they advance to the quarter finals with a 4-0 points win.

Croatia took the lead when Boris Krcmar checked out 135 before Burnett levelled for Wales. The Prince of Wales hit double ten to put his country in front. Webster then stepped forward and turned on the style, hitting a 117 finish to double the advantage.

Burnett hit double four to make it 4-1 to the 2010 finalists. Webster then hammered home two 180’s before Burnett hit double sixteen to complete the rout.

Wales will face either Scotland or South Africa in this evening’s quarter-final.

By Chris Murphy

World Cup of Darts: Round 2: Australia 4 – 0 Republic of Ireland          

SIMON WHITLOCK & PAUL NICHOLSON 5 – 2 Mick McGowan & William O’Connor

Australia put on a convincing display in the pairs, as they booked their place in the quarter-finals with a 5-2 triumph over the Republic of Ireland on Saturday afternoon.

Having both won their singles games yesterday, Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson completed the task by claiming two more points for winning the doubles, meaning they won the match 4-0 overall.

Australia won the first leg when Nicholson recovered from a stray shot a double top, by hitting double nineteen. It was Whitlock who turned on the style in leg two. He hit the first 180 of the match before finding the double eight bed to increase the lead.

Ireland pulled a leg back before Nicholson took out a neat 68 finish to restore a two leg advantage. Mick McGowan took out 102 to reduce the deficit again. Australia responded in kind when Whitlock checked out 78. Nicholson stuck in a maximum in the final leg, and ‘The Wizard’ stepped forward to finish the job by hitting double sixteen.

Nicholson said: “Today we just went up there and played darts. We played as a team and did a very professional job. We are building up a lot of confidence by getting the job done in that fashion. It was all about the team and we are both very pleased with how it went.”

Australia will face Belgium in tonight’s quarter-final and Nicholson believes it will be a tough test.

He added: “Tonight’s game will probably be the hardest that Simon I have ever had to play as a pair. Belgium is a great team and we are going to have to pull out our ‘A-game’ to beat them.  Once we know when we are scheduled to play, we will sit down and formulate a game plan and make sure we are prepared right. Simon and I are working towards the same goals. There are no personal agendas; we just want to win for Australia.”

By Chris Murphy

World Cup of Darts: Round 2: Wales v Croatia

MARK WEBSTER 4 – 0 Tonci Restovic

Mark Webster started the World Cup in style, completing a 4 – 0 whitewash over Tonci Restovic in double quick time.

He reached the final of the inaugural tournament in 2010 and looks set to continue that stunning form 14 months on, as he put in a polished second round performance.

Webster said: “I’m really happy with my performance, I felt quite relaxed up there and I got the job done. Now we have to finish it off tomorrow.”

Webster took the first two legs, hitting a 180 in the process. ‘Spider’ then hit two more maximums in leg three, before hitting double ten to race into a three leg lead.

The Welshman took out 80 to complete the rout in the blink of an eye.

Webster’s teammate Richie Burnett won his game 4-3 to give Wales a 2-0 lead going into the doubles matches on Saturday. Victory in the pairs will book their place in the quarter finals.

Webster added: “It’s a format that we are not used to but Richie and I are playing really well, we are in great form and it was a shame that we ran into each other at the World Championship. We  are expecting to do really well in the tournament but we have to make sure we see the job through in the pairs. We don’t want to be going to a sudden death leg if we can help it, tonight was comfortable and we need to make sure tomorrow afternoon is the same.”

By Chris Murphy

World Cup of Darts: Round 2: Australia v Republic of Ireland

Australia moved a step closer to the last eight of the World Cup of Darts with two comprehensive singles victories over the Republic of Ireland in Hamburg.

SIMON WHITLOCK 4 – 1 Mick McGowan

Simon Whitlock cruised through his first singles game at the World Cup of Darts in Hamburg. The World Championship semi-finalist put on a stylish display to sweep aside Irishman Mick McGowan.

Whitlock said: “It was good out there tonight. The crowd were really noisy and they got behind me, which was great. It’s good to get off to a winning start, even though I wasn’t at my best.”

The Wizard hit double four to win the first leg and then quickly doubled his lead, hitting the first maximum of the match in the process. Mcgowan pulled a leg back before Whitlock took out 50 to leave himself within a leg of victory.

The Australian wasted no time in wrapping up the match, taking out 90 to get the job done in style.

PAUL NICHOLSON 4 – 0 William O’Connor

Paul Nicholson was in typically ruthless form in his first singles match at the World Cup. He completed a 4-0 whitewash over Irishman William O’Connor in Hamburg, winning every single leg against the throw.

The win gave Australia a 2-0 lead ahead of tomorrows pairs match. The Asset believes that him and his partner got their preparation right before their individual games and will need to do the same tomorrow.

He said: “We had a bit of a practise together today but also did some on our own. Tomorrow we will do all our practising together because it’s pairs. We need to make sure we leave the right doubles for each other, get a rhythm between us and get some camaraderie going. We have to beat what is put in front of us before we start to worry about the quarter-finals. I think the fact that we’ve played together before is a massive advantage over other pairs.”

Nicholson punished his opponent for missed doubles in the opening leg by checking out 64 in two darts. The Asset hammered in his first 180 in leg two before doubling his advantage. He then surged into a three leg lead by hitting double four. Nicholson completed the rout when he hit double eight.

Nicholson and Whitlock more than justified Australia’s tag as one of the front-runners for the tournament. They will be back in action tomorrow afternoon as they take on the same opponents in the pairs. Victory will see them progress into the quarter-finals.

Whitlock said: “I’m actually more of a pairs person so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. Paul played really well tonight. I think we can make it through to the final.”

Nicholson added: “Tonight we have done half of the job, and the format means that we have to go and finish it tomorrow. From a confidence point of view it’s fantastic that we both won. Simon and I are quite happy with how we played and are really looking forward to tomorrow.”

By Chris Murphy

24 nations are ready to battle for the World Cup of Darts in Hamburg later today, and some of MODUS’ superstars are widely expected to be challenging for the title.

Seven players from the MODUS stable are in action over the three day event, including three all-MODUS pairings in the Dutch, Australian and Spanish teams.

Raymond van Barneveld won the inaugural tournament with Co Stompe, and he is aiming to defend his title for the Netherlands. ‘Barney’ will be partnered by Vincent van der Voort for this year’s event.

That win in 2010 remains the Dutchman’s only televised title in over four years but he is sure he will add to his impressive haul of 15 majors, starting in Germany this weekend.

He said: “I haven’t practised enough recently and that’s why I haven’t been winning. I’m practising everyday now and I feel fantastic. I think some people have written me off prematurely but I know I haven’t lost my ability. I’m not far from being back to the old ‘Barney’, trust me. I was very proud to win a title for my country when I won it with Co last time, so I hope that Vincent and I can do it again.”

Van der Voort is delighted to be representing his homeland with five-time world champion van Barneveld. He said: “Raymond is the reason why darts is so big in Holland and he is a great friend of mine, which is important when playing as a pair. It is a new tournament for me and I’m sure we can win it.”

The Netherlands are seeded third for the tournament, one seed below the Australian pairing of Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson.

‘The Wizard’ and ‘The Asset’ return to the tournament after reaching the semi-final in 2010 and are aiming to go all the way this time around.

Whitlock reached the semi-final of the world championship to cap off another solid year but he is desperate to win his first major title this weekend.

He said: “I want to win a major this year; hopefully it will happen in Hamburg. I have reached a lot of semi’s but not enough finals so we will be looking to go two steps further than last time and win the World Cup. Paul is great player, he has been playing consistently well for a while now. I feel good too so I’m sure we can win it.”

Australia’s seeding of second means they could meet an England team consisting of the two highest ranked players in the world in an ‘Ashes’ style final. Nicholson is excited at that prospect.

He said: “Everybody wants to see an Australia versus England final, including me, but we will have to work very hard to get there. There are some brilliant teams in the competition this year, none more so than Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis but Simon and I have a great relationship and I think we have both got the attributes to go all the way.”

Australia lost out in the 2010 semi-final when they ran into Wales and a rampant Mark Webster. ‘Spider’ was in blistering form throughout the tournament but lost in the final despite winning both of his singles matches. He believes that he and his new teammate Richie Burnett can help Wales upset the odds once again.

He said: “Barrie Bates and I surprised a few people in 2010 and achieved a lot more than was expected of us. I’m really looking forward to playing with Richie and I think we have a really good chance. Everyone will be expecting England to win but if we get a chance we will we take it.”

England had been expected to win the first World Cup tournament but were subjected to a shock exit at the hands of Spain. Antonio Alcinas and Carlos Rodriguez reached the semi-final in 2010 and the pair will be back in action this afternoon when they take on South Africa for the chance to play Scotland in the second round.

The seeded countries will begin their respective campaigns in round two, which will be spread across this evening and tomorrow afternoon’s sessions. The Netherlands will face the winners of Austria versus New Zealand, Australia will play either Malaysia or Republic of Ireland, and Wales will take on Finland or Croatia.

The quarter-finals will be played on Saturday afternoon, with the semis and final taking place on Sunday.

MODUS.darts.tv will provide updates and reports throughout the tournament.

By Chris Murphy

Former World Champion Andy Fordham turns 50 today and all at MODUS would like to wish ‘The Viking’ many happy returns.

Fordham will be playing in PDC events in 2012 as an associate member of the Professional Darts Players Association.

PDPA associate members can enter UK Open qualifiers, qualifiers for European Tour events and non-UK Players Championships.

‘The Viking’ won the BDO World Championship at Lakeside in 2004. He was also crowned as World Master in 1999.

Once again, all at MODUS would like to wish Fordham a very happy 50^th birthday and all the best for his efforts in 2012.

By Chris Murphy

Simon Whitlock is travelling to Germany for the World Cup of Darts with every intention of claiming his first major title.

The Wizard will team up with Paul Nicholson to represent Australia in Hamburg. The pair reached the semi-finals in 2010 and Whitlock believes that they have what it takes to go even further this weekend.

He said: “Hopefully we won’t go just one better than last time, but two. We want to win it and that’s what we are aiming for. Paul has been playing consistently well for a while now. He is a great player. I like playing in pairs tournaments, having played a lot of them back home. If anything it’s less pressure because it’s not all down to one person. My form is picking up nicely too, so I’m sure we can go all the way.”

The world number five refused to let a broken ankle prevent him from reaching the semi-finals of the World Championship and is happy to be on the mend.

He said: “My leg is getting better slowly; everything is starting feel more comfortable. It did ache a little bit after playing in Benidorm last weekend but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was in December. I got through that quite well though so I’m not worried about that anymore, I know I can go up there and play well despite my injury.”

Australia are seeded second for the tournament behind an England team consisting of the two highest ranked players in the world, Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis. The Wizard would be happy to take them on in an ‘Ashes’ style showdown in the final.

He said: “It would be nice if it pans out that way, as long as we beat them but there are a lot of good teams and anything can happen in a knockout format. I’m very proud to pull on the Australian shirt and represent my country and I’ll be giving everything I’ve got against whoever we play.”

Whitlock hopes that a good performance in Hamburg, followed by a winning start in the Premier League next week will be the catalyst for a fantastic year ahead.

He added: “I want to win a major this year, hopefully that will happen this weekend. I also want to win a few floor tournaments and do well in the Premier League. I didn’t do too bad last year but I lost in a lot of semi-finals. I need to make more finals in 2012 and win some tournaments. I’m delighted to have been selected to play in the Premier League again. It means everything to me and I’m really looking forward to the season.”

By Chris Murphy