Gerwyn Price was forced to contend with a hostile reception on his Alexandra Palace return, as the world No 1 recovered from a tentative start to begin his World Darts Championship title defence with an impressive 3-1 victory over Ritchie Edhouse.
Continue reading “Price survives opening night scare as Lewis sets up Anderson showdown”
Daryl Gurney defeated Ricky Evans 8-6 to seal German Darts Championship glory and clinch his maiden European Tour title on a thrilling day of action in Hildesheim on Sunday evening.
Continue reading “Gurney seals German Darts Championship glory!”
Ricky Evans may boast the record for hitting the quickest 180 in darting history, but he’s more than just a quick-fire thrower; he’s a top class talent making serious strides in the game. ‘Rapid Ricky’ is into the world’s top 50 after some terrific performances over the last 12 months and with new darts and potentially a new walk-on in 2019, he’s bidding to enjoy his best year yet. Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: Evans vows to prove he’s a ‘world class darter’”
Home favourite Max Hopp created history by becoming the first German player to reach the quarter-finals of a PDC televised major on a dramatic night of darts in Dortmund, as James Wade, Gerwyn Price and Darren Webster also secured their places in Sunday’s quarter-finals. Continue reading “European Championship Day Three Report!”
Steve West recorded the biggest victory of his career to end Michael van Gerwen’s four-year reign as European Champion, as Peter Wright, Mensur Suljovic, Daryl Gurney, Michael Smith and Adrian Lewis were all dumped out on an astonishing day of darts in Dortmund. Continue reading “European Championship Day Two Report!”
Ricky Evans and Vincent van der Voort fired in ton-topping averages on the opening day of the European Darts Trophy in Gottingen, as Steve Beaton edged out Kim Huybrechts in a dramatic last-leg decider on Friday evening.
Ricky Evans produced the performance of the opening-round at the Lokhalle to dismantle Andrew Gilding 6-1 and set up a meeting with Darren Webster on Saturday evening. ‘Rapid’ averaged 104.73, registered four maximums and converted 60% of his attempts at double to cap off a wonderful display against ‘Goldfinger’.
Vincent van der Voort also produced a vintage display to keep his slender hopes of European Championship qualification alive. The Dutchman averaged 103.96 and posted five maximums to defeat Simon Stevenson 6-3, kicking off the contest with legs of 13, 13 and 11 darts, which he’ll need to replicate in round-two against Michael van Gerwen.
Toni Alcinas defied EIGHT maximums from Danny Noppert to close out a gripping deciding-leg win in the last match of Friday’s marathon double-session. ‘Noppie’ produced a blistering display of scoring but it wasn’t enough to defeat the spirited Spaniard, who averaged 97.51 and converted 41% of his darts at double to prevail.
Steve Beaton fended off an inspired fightback from Kim Huybrechts in a battle of the former European Tour winners. Beaton stormed into a 5-1 lead but the Belgian fought back to force a decider- only to miss one dart at the bull for victory, and ‘The Bronzed Adonis’ held his nerve to complete a clinical 78 kill and triumph with a 93.91 average.
Krzysztof Ratajski also survived one match dart in his first-round tussle against Steve West. ‘The Polish Eagle’ averaged 93.94 and hit 35% of his double attempts, but West missed one dart at D12 in the decider to snatch victory, which enabled Ratajski to convert D8 and set up a second-round meeting with home favourite Max Hopp.
Jeffrey de Zwaan will lock horns with world champion Rob Cross in an intriguing second-round tussle after seeing off host-nation qualifier Stefan Siepmann in his opener. De Zwaan wasn’t at his brilliant best but his combination finishing proved decisive, as he converted finishes of 73, 76, 88 and 120 to stave off any threat of an upset.
Martin Schindler delighted the home crowd with a hard-fought 6-3 win over Luke Woodhouse. ‘The Wall’ spurned ten darts at a double during the contest, but averaged 91.44 and registered four maximums to seal his place in the last 32, where he’ll take on the veteran Mervyn King.
Jelle Klaasen celebrated the birth of his second child this week, and he had more reasons to be cheerful after seeing off Maik Langendorf 6-4. Both players were below-par but Klaasen resisted a late fightback from the host-nation qualifier to prevail with an 88.51 average, two maximums and a 35% checkout conversion rate.
John Henderson came through a last-leg shootout against Mark Wilson to secure his spot in round-two, where he’ll take on Dutch Darts Champion Ian White. ‘The Highlander’ averaged 94.48 to Wilson’s 85.79, but the Scot was forced to conjure up a 14-dart leg in the decider to seal his progression.
2017 Development Tour winner Luke Humphries continued his bid to qualify for this month’s European Championship with a 6-4 win over Keegan Brown in the tournament’s curtain-raiser. Humphries averaged ten points more than the former World-Youth champion; prevailing with a 96.56 average, two 180’s and a 50% conversion rate.
Ryan Joyce maintained his 100% success rate in the first-round of European Tour events in 2018 with a comprehensive 6-1 win over Jermaine Wattimena. ‘Relentless’ wasn’t anywhere his best, but still breezed to victory against the off-colour Dutchman with an 88.37 average and a 46% checkout success rate.
Mickey Mansell set up a second-round clash with former Lakeside champion Stephen Bunting, after recording an emphatic 6-2 win over George Killington. Killington opened up an early 2-1 lead, but then was afforded just one more dart at a double, with Mansell reeling off five consecutive legs to triumph with an 87.76 average.
However, Mansell’s compatriot Brendan Dolan fell to a first-round defeat against host-nation qualifier Gabriel Clemens. The German averaged 92.30, crashed in three maximums and took out a fine 118 finish en route to victory over the former World Grand Prix finalist.
Matthew Edgar secured his first European Tour victory for three years with an impressive 6-3 win over Dutchman Jeffrey de Graaf. ‘Prime Time’ averaged 89.62, fired in four maximums and boasted a 50% checkout conversion rate to set up a second-round showdown against Joe Cullen.
Marko Kantele will play Premier League finalist Michael Smith for a place in the last 16, after seeing off qualifier Robert Marijanovic in round-one. The Finland World Cup veteran fired in five maximums in a powerful display of scoring; before rounding-off a 6-3 win with an 88.16 average and a 43% checkout success rate.
Richard North kept his hopes of European Championship qualification alive with a scrappy 6-3 win over host-nation qualifier Christian Bunse. The German outscored North for large periods, but missed 13 darts at double, as North limped to victory with a 79.04 average.
Photo Credit: Lawrence Lustig/PDC
2018 European Darts Trophy (ET13)
Schedule of Play
Friday October 12
First Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Luke Humphries 6-4 Keegan Brown
Matthew Edgar 6-3 Jeffrey de Graaf
Mickey Mansell 6-2 George Killington
John Henderson 6-5 Mark Wilson
Gabriel Clemens 6-3 Brendan Dolan
Marko Kantele 6-3 Robert Marijanovic
Ryan Joyce 6-1 Jermaine Wattimena
Krzysztof Ratajski 6-5 Steve West
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Richard North 6-3 Christian Bunse
Ricky Evans 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Martin Schindler 6-3 Luke Woodhouse
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Simon Stevenson
Jelle Klaasen 6-4 Maik Langendorf
Steve Beaton 6-5 Kim Huybrechts
Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-3 Steffen Siepmann
Toni Alcinas 6-5 Danny Noppert
Saturday October 13
Second Round
Afternoon Session (1pm local time, 12pm BST)
Joe Cullen v Matthew Edgar
Michael Smith v Marko Kantele
Dave Chisnall v Ryan Joyce
Stephen Bunting v Mickey Mansell
Daryl Gurney v Luke Humphries
Simon Whitlock v Richard North
Ian White v John Henderson
Jonny Clayton v Gabriel Clemens
Evening Session (7.15pm local time, 6.15pm BST)
Mervyn King v Martin Schindler
Gerwyn Price v Steve Beaton
Darren Webster v Ricky Evans
Michael van Gerwen v Vincent van der Voort
Peter Wright v Jelle Klaasen
James Wade v Toni Alcinas
Max Hopp v Krzysztof Ratajski
Rob Cross v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Ian White claimed his first ever European Tour title at the Dutch Darts Championship after recording an 8-5 victory over Ricky Evans on a dramatic day of action in Maastricht on Sunday evening. Continue reading “Delight for White at Dutch Darts Championship!”
Raymond van Barneveld and Adrian Lewis were among the eighteen players to secure qualification for next month’s German Darts Masters on Friday evening. The former world champions both came through the 83-man field at the UK Qualifiers in Milton Keynes, to seal their spots in the second European Tour event of the season in Jena. Continue reading “Barney & Lewis among qualifiers for German Darts Masters!”
Peter Wright survived a valiant fightback from Adrian Lewis to clinch victory in the first UK Open qualifying event of the season at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan on Friday afternoon.
There were almost 250 players battling it out for the £10,000 winner’s cheque in the first of three UK Open qualifying events to be played this weekend, ahead of the UK Open in March.
Lewis won the first UK Open qualifier twelve months ago and appeared poised to repeat the feat after coming from 4-1 behind to level proceedings at 4-4. The two-time world champion also had the advantage of throw, but Wright held his nerve to seal the triumph and kick off his Pro Tour campaign in sensational style.
The final began in blistering fashion, as Wright converted a 96 finish to break throw inside 12 darts. Lewis levelled moments later after producing a brilliant 99 checkout which culminated with two successive tops, but the topsy-turvy nature of the contest continued as ‘Snakebite’ dispatched a 76 kill for the third successive break of throw. Continue reading “UK Open Qualifier One Report!”
Former World Championship finalists Kevin Painter & Andy Hamilton head the list of entrants for Monday’s William Hill World Darts Championship PDPA qualifier, which takes place at the Robin Park Tennis Centre in Wigan.
Painter has appeared in 15 consecutive World Championships since switching to the PDC from the BDO back in 2001, although ‘The Artist’ is in real danger of missing out on this year’s event after falling outside the world’s top 32.
Painter featured in the 2005 World Championship Final at the Circus Tavern when he was beaten 7-6 by Phil Taylor in a captivating tussle, but after slipping to 44th on the PDC Order of Merit, the former Players Championship Finals winner faces an uphill task to qualify for this year’s event.
Another high-profile name set to miss the cut is 2012 World Championship finalist Andy Hamilton. ‘The Hammer’ was beaten by his fellow Stoke star Adrian Lewis at the Alexandra Palace almost five years ago but has endured a miserable slump over the past two years, which has seen him plummet to 40th in the world. Continue reading “PDPA World Championship Qualifier- Entries Confirmed!”
Michael van Gerwen completed an unprecedented hat-trick of Players Championship titles this week with a thrilling deciding leg victory over Steve West on an astonishing day of action which saw THREE nine-darters hit at the Barnsley Metrodome on Thursday afternoon.
Van Gerwen, who defeated Mensur Suljovic and James Wilson on the previous two days of Pro Tour action, continued to break new ground on Thursday. For the second day in succession, ‘The Green Machine’ fired in a 9-darter, before edging out West to clinch his 19th ranking title of the year, already surpassing last year’s tally.
However, whilst Van Gerwen will deservedly receive the plaudits, it was a magnificent day for West, who by virtue of reaching his first ever PDC final, secured a spot at next month’s World Grand-Prix in Dublin at the expense of Vincent van der Voort.
West made a strong start to Thursday’s final by holding throw on tops, before Van Gerwen levelled up with a regulation 67 kill after the pair had traded maximums. However, the Dutchman secured a precious break in leg three, converting a brutal 164 checkout on the bullseye, after West had spurned two darts at double to hold throw.
The next two legs also went against the throw as both players were guilty of profligacy on the doubles, before Van Gerwen secured a two-leg lead at 4-2 after pinning D10.In the seventh leg, the Boxtel ace spurned two darts at tops to move within a leg of victory, and West exploited this by reducing the arrears to 4-3. Continue reading “Van Gerwen completes historic Players Championship hat-trick, whilst THREE nine-darters are hit in Barnsley!”
Phil Taylor began his pursuit of a 17th World Title with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Japanese qualifier Keita Ono, whilst Ricky Evans produced a miraculous comeback to stun former-World finalist Simon Whitlock on Saturday night at the Alexandra Palace.
Whitlock and Evans contested arguably one of the best first-round matches in the tournament’s history, but a lot of the focus was on Taylor changing his equipment prior to his World Championship campaign. Taylor has altered his darts from 26g to 22g, although he was never seriously tested by Ono, dropping just one leg.
Earlier in the evening, Ono comprehensively defeated Alex Tagarao 2-0 in the preliminary tie, dropping just one leg in the process. The Japanese soft-tip star averaged a very respectable 91.79, hitting a tremendous 75% on his doubles. Unfortunately, Keita wasn’t able to replicate his performance against Phil.
Continue reading “‘Rapid’ Ricky stuns Whitlock, as Taylor breezes through!”
Ricky Evans and Andy Boulton sealed the final two places at this year’s World Championships at the Alexandra Palace, after progressing through the PDPA qualifier at the Ricoh Arena, in Coventry.
Evans beat Boulton 5-4 in today’s final, sealing victory on D20, which means that the Kettering ace will now meet Simon Whitlock in the first-round of this year’s tournament.
Boulton will have to progress through his preliminary clash against Per Laursen, with a first-round meeting against reigning World Champion Gary Anderson lying in wait for the victor.
Continue reading “Evans and Boulton seal Ally Pally Spots, as big names miss out!”
One of the PDC’s finest young prospects was the victim of a unprovoked attack on his way home from a game of snooker yesterday.
Ricky Evans, known as ‘rapid’ due to his quick throwing action, sustained a black eye and heavy bruising after the sinister and cowardly assault. The culprit has yet to be identified.
Continue reading “‘Rapid’ Ricky Evans Victim of Brutal Attack”