William O’Connor stunned Michael van Gerwen on a dramatic day of second-round action at the Dutch Darts Championship, recording a stunning 6-1 win victory over the world number one on Saturday evening in Maastricht.
‘The Green Machine’ had thrashed O’Connor 8-2 in the final of the European Darts Matchplay earlier this year, but the tables were turned in sensational style, as O’Connor capitalised on a below-par display from MvG to dump him out on home soil.
The Dutchman averaged a miserly 87.91 and converted just one of his twelve attempts at double and O’Connor was clinical; averaging 95.97 and boasting a sensational 86% checkout success rate; reeling off the final five legs to secure one of the biggest wins of his career.
Eight-time major winner James Wade was another high-profile second-round casualty as he suffered a surprise 6-4 defeat to Ritchie Edhouse. ‘The Machine’ fired in five maximums but was uncharacteristically profligate in the finishing department.
Wade led 4-3, but Edhouse levelled with a 16-darter on D10, before conjuring up a sublime 121 checkout on the bullseye to seize control. He then squandered a number of opportunities to close out victory, but Wade spurned five darts to force a decider which allowed Edhouse to eventually seal his progression on D1.
Edhouse will now take on Ross Smith for a place in the quarter-finals, after Smith recovered from 5-1 behind to record a remarkable victory over former World Youth champion Max Hopp. Smith averaged 98.09 and took out a classy 147 kill to begin the fightback, before rounding-off the win with a spectacular 160 outshot.
World number two Peter Wright claimed a comprehensive 6-2 win over Kevin Painter, despite Painter firing in four maximums and averaging two points more than ‘Snakebite’. The Scot will now take on Dave Chisnall in the last 16, after ‘Chizzy’ won four of the final five legs in his second-round clash against Austria’s Rowby-John Rodriguez.
World Grand Prix champion Daryl Gurney survived two match darts as he edged out Ryan Searle in a dramatic deciding-leg. Both players averaged over 100, with Gurney registering five maximums in a high-quality affair. However, Searle spurned two darts at D16 for victory, before ‘Super-Chin’ sank D8 to keep his campaign alive.
Ian White also impressed as he reeled off four consecutive legs to defeat Arron Monk 6-4. Monk averaged a very respectable 99.81 but ‘The Diamond’ produced the goods when it mattered; averaging 102.26 and converting 66% of his double attempts to set up a third-round tie against Mervyn King, who eased past Darius Labanauskus 6-2.
The Australian duo of Kyle Anderson and Simon Whitlock both prevailed in the final matches of Saturday’s double-session. Anderson defeated Austrian Darts Open winner Jonny Clayton 6-3, whilst Whitlock dispatched an off-colour Cristo Reyes 6-1 to breeze through to Sunday’s final day.
‘The Wizard’ will take on Darren Johnson for a place in the last eight, after Johnson survived three match darts to edge out Gerwyn Price in a nervy last-leg decider. Meanwhile, Anderson will take on the last remaining Dutchman Jeffrey de Graaf, who averaged 97.02 en route to defeating former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting 6-3.
Two-time world champion Adrian Lewis eased through to round-three with a commanding 6-1 victory over the veteran Wayne Jones. The Wolverhampton ace kicked off proceedings with a sumptuous 164 finish, before ‘Jackpot’ reeled off six successive legs to set up a last 16 tussle against an in-form Josh Payne.
Payne secured his spot in the third-round courtesy of a fine 6-3 win against 11th seed Darren Webster. ‘The Demolition Man’ missed 11 darts at a double and Payne took full advantage; producing classy 126 and 106 finishes to move through to the final day in Maastricht.
Joe Cullen continued his tremendous consistency on the European Tour in 2018; defeating a spirited Barrie Bates 6-4 to progress through to the final day of action for the tenth time on the Euro Tour this year. Meanwhile, in the day’s opening tie, Ricky Evans edged out Steve West in a last-leg decider thanks to a fine 122 finish on the bullseye.
Photo Credit: Kelly Deckers/PDC Europe
2018 Dutch Darts Championship
Schedule of Play
Saturday September 8
Second Round
Afternoon Session
Ricky Evans 6-5 Steve West
Mervyn King 6-2 Darius Labanauskas
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Rowby-John Rodriguez
Joe Cullen 6-4 Barrie Bates
Josh Payne 6-3 Darren Webster
Darren Johnson 6-5 Gerwyn Price
Jeffrey de Graaf 6-3 Stephen Bunting
Adrian Lewis 6-1 Wayne Jones
Evening Session
Ross Smith 6-5 Max Hopp
Ian White 6-4 Arron Monk
Ritchie Edhouse 6-4 James Wade
Daryl Gurney 6-5 Ryan Searle
Peter Wright 6-2 Kevin Painter
William O’Connor 6-1 Michael van Gerwen
Kyle Anderson 6-3 Jonny Clayton
Simon Whitlock v Cristo Reyes
Sunday September 9
Third Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
William O’Connor v Ricky Evans
Joe Cullen v Daryl Gurney
Ritchie Edhouse v Ross Smith
Kyle Anderson v Jeffrey de Graaf
Peter Wright v Dave Chisnall
Whitlock/Reyes v Darren Johnson
Adrian Lewis v Josh Payne
Ian White v Mervyn King
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