Tag: van Gerwen
Raymond van Barneveld was denied a place in the UK Open final after losing a dramatic last-leg decider against Andy Hamilton, who was defeated in the final as Phil Taylor won the Bolton tournament for the fifth time.
James Wade and Michael van Gerwen had their title hopes ended in the quarter-finals on Sunday afternoon, losing out to Taylor and Hamilton respectively.
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In-form Michael van Gerwen and two-time UK Open champion James Wade stormed into the last 16 with comfortable wins on Saturday afternoon, while Scottish pair Robert Thornton and John Henderson also reached the fifth round in Bolton.
Wade swept past Dave Chisnall, winning 9-2 to keep alive his hopes of winning a third UK Open title.
But the 2008 and 2011 winner, who has won five games to reach the last 16, insisted he is not thinking that far ahead.
He said: “I’m looking forward to my next game, whoever it is against, and that is all I’m going to concentrate on at the moment.
“It’s not about this tournament or any individual tournament for me. It is all about getting things right for a good future in the modern era of darts.
“I’m happy with my results so far and if I step my performance levels up a little bit I can beat anyone.”
Wade will take on Henderson in the evening session for a place in Sunday’s quarter-finals after the Scotsman fought back from 8-6 down to defeat Kevin McDine in a deciding leg.
“It’s a massive win for me,” said Henderson.
“It was very tense at the end and we both missed darts for the match but I was over moon when the last one went in.
“I’m really enjoying this tournament and it is onwards an upwards for me now.”
van Gerwen will face Terry Jenkins in round five after the Dutchman saw off Northern Ireland’s Michael Mansell 9-3.
And the world number two is targeting an improved performance.
“I’m not too happy with how I played in the first two games,” said van Gerwen, who had beaten Mervyn King on Friday.
“I have to concentrate better tonight. Terry is a great player and hopefully that will bring out the best in me.”
Defending champion Robert Thornton won the last four legs to claim a 9-5 win over Kirk Shepherd.
The Premier League star, who will face Raymond van Barneveld on Saturday night admitted he had to work hard for the win.
Thornton said: “Kirk is one of those players who will throw a brilliant leg and then a bad leg so when he puts a run together you can be in trouble.
“I dug in and got the job done though. I played fairly well and I’m happy to be through.
“My game is there and so is my confidence and I’m actually playing better than I did when I won it last year.”
van Barneveld won his fourth round match comfortably, defeating Joey Palfreyman 9-3.
By Chris Murphy
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Former champions James Wade and Robert Thornton progressed to round four of the UK Open on Friday evening in Bolton, with Dutch duo Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld joining them in the last 32.
Wade survived a late fight-back from Jamie Caven to eventually win 9-7 after he had led 8-4.
The two-time champion averaged over 100 in what was already his fourth win of the tournament so far, taking out a 141 finish and 85 to seal the victory.
“I played okay,” said Wade, who won the title in 2008 and 2011.
“Jamie’s form has picked up recently and there had been a few people tipping him to do well but I felt confident that I would win.
“I’m still going and it doesn’t matter at all to me who I play in the next round. I’ll take each game as it comes.”
Defending champion Thornton also averaged over 100 in his 9-7 success over Matthew Edgar despite trailing 6-4 at one stage.
“I knew Matt was a good player,” said Thornton, the world number eleven.
“I didn’t find out I was playing him until this morning because I was asleep and I’ll be doing the same while the draw is on tonight.
“I can’t get a run as hard as last year and I won it then so I’m not bothered about who I get. This tournament is there for anybody to win and if it is me holding the trophy again on Sunday, I’ll be a very happy man.”
Bookies favourite van Gerwen hit six 180s in an impressive 9-5 victory against Mervyn King and immediately set his sights on the £40,000 first prize.
“I really want to win this,” said the Premier League Champion, who has already won ten PDC titles in 2013.
“I didn’t play my best but I won and that is they way it has been going for me recently. In a way it gives me even more confidence.
“I’m on a great run and I want to keep that up for as long as I can. It was tough to take on Mervyn first but that is the way this tournament is and I am happy to play whoever I come up against because you have to beat good players to win things.”
van Barneveld missed double twelve for a nine-dart finish in his thrilling match against Michael Smith, which the Dutchman edged 9-8.
Scotsman John Henderson reached the fourth round for the first time in his career with a 9-7 victory against Scott Rand.
Henderson, who had never previously defeated Rand, had trailed 4-1 and didn’t take the lead until leg 15 but went on to secure an impressive win.
“I’m over the moon with that,” admitted the 40-year-old. “It is a personal achievement for me and emotion took over when the winning double went in.
“I’m not one to celebrate but I couldn’t stop myself then. Scott is a great player and it was a fantastic win for me.
“I take a lot of inspiration from what Robert Thornton did hear last year. I’m not saying that I’m going to do that but I’m delighted tonight and it is a huge confidence boost.”
There was disappointment for Australian pair Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson, however. ‘The Wizard’ lost out to Wes Newton while ‘The Asset’ suffered defeat at the hands of John Bowles.
Andy Jenkins was beaten by Stephen Bunting, while Mark Webster was knocked out by Welsh World Cup team-mate Richie Burnett.
The draw for the fourth round will take place on the completion of Friday’s play.
By Chris Murphy
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Robert Thornton is preparing to defend the title that reignited his career twelve months ago, while 2008 and 2011 champion James Wade is chasing a trio of UK Open triumphs when the tournament dubbed ‘the FA Cup of darts’ gets underway on Thursday evening in Bolton.
Thornton provided the magic in 2012 as he ended 18 months of turmoil by clinching his first PDC major, despite entering the tournament as a 250-1 outsider.
The Scotsman had been recovering from a broken hand and a devastating bout of pneumonia before producing a string of fantastic performances to knock out a whole host of tournament favourites, culminating in a sensational final victory over Phil Taylor.
And Thornton, who has been in fantastic form ever since, admitted it was a special weekend for him.
“It is a time I will never forget,” said Thornton, who is now eleventh in the PDC Order of Merit and was selected for the 2013 Premier League.
“To have even been in that tournament after the previous 18 months was an achievement but to go and win it was a dream come true.
“It started up my career again and I’m looking forward to going back. I’ve got fabulous memories but more importantly, a title to defend.”
Thornton will begin his defence of the £40,000 first prize in Friday’s third round, having being amongst the top 32 qualifiers alongside Simon Whitlock, Michael van Gerwen, Paul Nicholson, Mark Webster and Raymond van Barneveld.
Wade is in action on Thursday after being drawn in a preliminary round clash against Robbie Green in the tournament’s curtain raiser.
Major titles have been elusive for the 30-year-old since his Bolton success in 2011 but ‘The Machine’ believes that the wait could be over.
He said: Winning it a couple of years ago is a great memory for me. I’ve been getting closer to my best over the last few months. I’m in a good place and I feel like it is a matter of when I start winning tournaments again, not if.
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The PDC’s elite will compete in the inaugural Sydney Darts Masters in August, it has been announced today.
The Australian event is the second leg in the new World Series of Darts, which kicked off in Dubai last month.
The tournament will be held at Luna Park in Sydney from August 29-31.
The PDC’s top eight from the Order of Merit, including James Wade, Michael van Gerwen and Australia’s Simon Whitlock, will make up half of the 16-strong field for the three-day event.
Whitlock’s World Cup team-mate Paul Nicholson will also be on show along with the top three players from the DPA rankings, three home nation qualifiers and a qualifier from New Zealand.
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Michael van Gerwen’s 2013 success story continued as he picked up his tenth PDC title of the year with a final victory over Mervyn King in the Austrian Darts Open on Sunday.
The Dutchman’s sensational form saw him win his fifth successive tournament as he scooped the £20,000 first prize in Wiener Neustadt.
FULL STORY AT MICHAELVANGERWEN.TV
The visit of top PDC darts stars to Millwall Football Club has been moved to a new date.
Premier League Darts aces James Wade and Michael van Gerwen are still heading to do battle in Millwall, but will appear a couple of weeks later than originally planned.
The Millwall Masters will now take place on 12 September, and will feature world number two van Gerwen and Wade, who is ranked fourth, alongside three more top players.
Also on show are the charismatic trio of former World Champions Ted Hankey and Andy Fordham and former Players Champion Paul Nicholson.
Wade is the second most successful player in PDC history, having won seven major titles, while van Gerwen, the 2013 Premier League champion, is widely tipped to be a dominant force in darts for years to come.
The event will see four local qualifiers given the chance to take on the professionals. Details of how to qualify will be announced in due course.
World Grand Prix winner van Gerwen, who was a guest of honour at a Millwall home game last season, said: “I’m really looking forward to this event.
“I’m a big football fan and enjoyed visiting the club. I’m looking forward to coming back to show everyone what I do best in what is going to be a great night.
“The line-up for the event is fantastic. We are all players that would expect to meet in the quarters and semi-finals of major tournaments so fans are in for a treat.
“We will put on a good show and I hope the qualifiers will be ready because we will all be out to win!”
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Michael van Gerwen won the first ever Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters, completing an amazing week with an excellent 11-7 final victory over Raymond van Barneveld on Thursday evening.
‘Mighty Mike’, who has also triumphed in the Premier League and European Masters in the last eight days, produced stunning finishes of 164 and 170 to cap a fine string of performances.
The Dutch ace had defeated Wes Newton and Andy Hamilton to set up a last two clash with compatriot van Barneveld.
“There was a little payback there because Raymond beat me in the Grand Slam, but I always enjoy playing him and it was a great final,” van Gerwen told the PDC’s official website.
“I think, with all the conditions, I played very well and put in some great averages and hit the 170 finish and 164 finish at good moments in the final so that was important to make me the champion.”
James Wade had become the first PDC player to win a professional game outdoors when he defeated Simon Whitlock in a thrilling quarter-final match on Thursday.
But ‘The Machine’ was denied a place in the final by ‘Barney’.
PDC Chairman Barry Hearn has revealed that the tournament will return to Dubai in 2014.
He said: “We’re looking forward to building on this because the crowd have created a fantastic atmosphere.
“We’ve had over 5,000 fans visit the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium for the tournament and millions watching around the world, and I’m sure we can sell out next year’s event.”
By Chris Murphy
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Michael van Gerwen’s sensational run of success continued on Sunday evening as he won the European Darts Open in Dusseldorf with a 6-2 final victory over Simon Whitlock.
The 24-year-old Dutch star, who was crowned as Premier League Darts Champion on Thursday, followed it up by claiming his eight PDC title of 2013.
‘Mighty Mike’ defeated Andre Welge, Wayne Jones, Terry Jenkins, Gary Anderson and Peter Wright to reach the final, where he saw off ‘The Wizard’ to clinch the £20,000 first prize.
“It’s been a brilliant few days,” van Gerwen told the PDC’s official website.
“I’m a bit tired at the moment but winning is the most important thing, and I’m very glad I saved my best game for the final.
“Simon beat me the last time we played in a final and I knew I needed to play a proper game to beat him, and I think I showed my class with a very good performance tonight.”
The highlight of Whitlock’s charge to the final was a dazzling display in his last eight triumph over Justin Pipe, when the Australian hit eight 180s and took out a 170 finish.
van Gerwen and Whitlock will join the likes of James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld in Dubai next week as the top eight player in world darts compete in the inaugural Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters.
By Chris Murphy
Michael van Gerwen defeated Phil Taylor to win the McCoy’s Premier League at London’s O2 Arena on Thursday, while James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld bowed out at the semi-final stage.
Dutch ace van Gerwen avenged January’s World Championship final defeat to ‘The Power’ with a thrilling victory over the world number one.
The 24-year-old prevailed by ten legs to eight and sealed the biggest win of his career with a spectacular 132 finish, completing the three-dart combination on the bull.
“I’m so happy to win this Premier League and it is a dream come true,” said ‘Mighty Mike’, who clinched his second PDC major title after winning October’s World Grand Prix.
“It was important for me to get this win after losing to Phil at the World Championships. I was a bit sick about that but this was my night, my tournament.
“I think I deserved to win it and Phil played really well so I had to show my class. It is my best moment and I hope there will be many more like this.”
van Gerwen trailed six-time and defending champion Taylor 5-2 before putting together a brilliant run of five consecutive legs to take charge of the final.
The 16-time World Champion hit back though as he broke van Gerwen’s throw before the youngster declined a shot at the bull, only for Taylor to produce a stunning 160 checkout.
With parity restored at seven legs apiece, world number two van Gerwen responded with one of his nine 180s before pegging double top to edge back ahead.
He then broke Taylor’s throw to close in on victory but missed two match darts at double eight in the following leg, allowing his opponent to keep the match alive.
But van Gerwen ensured victory before the prospect of a deciding leg when he produced a sensational 132 finish to clinch the £150,00 first prize and title of 2013 Premier League Champion.
He added: “Phil started off really well but being 5-2 down probably took a little bit of pressure off me and I settled down after the break.
“I was gutted when I missed the two darts at double eight but that didn’t matter when I hit that bull to win.
“I’m so proud. I have loved every minute of this Premier League and to win it like that, by beating the greatest player ever in the final, is very special.”
It was the first time that Taylor had lost in the final of the £520,000 tournament and he was chasing his seventh victory when he saw off van Barneveld in the last four.
van Gerwen had ended 2009 champion Wade’s chances of winning his eighth major title with an 8-4 semi-final success over ‘The Machine’.
Wade said after the defeat: “I wasn’t good enough and Michael was. That’s the story of it.
“I missed too many doubles and he punished me for being messy.”
By Chris Murphy
Images courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC
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