Sky Poker World Grand Prix - Night 2
PHIL TAYLOR erased the demons of last year^s first round defeat in the Sky Poker World Grand Prix with a brilliant 2-0 demolition of Ronnie Baxter on Tuesday night.
Taylor slumped to a straight sets loss to qualifier Adrian Gray at the Citywest Hotel 12 months ago, but produced the event^s highest average so far this year of 96.72 in a fine display.
He hit four 180s in seeing off Blackpool^s Baxter, and hit six darts of a potential nine-darter in moving into the last 16.
"I^m relieved and very pleased to get through that," said Taylor. "Last year I was crying behind the stage after the first round, this year I^m smiling!"
Taylor now meets Colin Osborne in round two on Thursday, after the Derby man edged out 67-year-old Northern Ireland ace John MaGowan 2-1.
World Champion John Part began his challenge with a 2-0 win over Chris Mason, and takes on Dublin lorry driver Jacko Barry in round two.
Barry delighted his home following with a final-leg victory over Northern Ireland^s Brendan Dolan, but there was disappointment for another Dubliner, Mick McGowan, who lost 2-0 to Terry Jenkins.
Jenkins, the runner-up for the past two years, will face Mark Walsh on Thursday, after the former UK Open finalist defeated ex-World Champion Steve Beaton 2-0.
Scotland^s Robert Thornton enjoyed a superb World Grand Prix debut with a straight sets victory over Peter Manley, while Andy Hamilton defeated Andy Smith 2-1.
Wednesday^s second round games include world number two Raymond van Barneveld against Stoke star Adrian Lewis.
Wayne Mardle meets two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley, Tony Eccles - who knocked out defending champion James Wade on Monday - faces Mervyn King and 2004 World Grand Prix winner Colin Lloyd takes on Kevin Painter.
Tuesday October 7
First Round
Mark Walsh 2-1 Steve Beaton
Andy Hamilton 2-1 Andy Smith
John Part 2-0 Chris Mason
Jacko Barry 2-1 Brendan Dolan
Phil Taylor 2-0 Ronnie Baxter
Robert Thornton 2-0 Peter Manley
Terry Jenkins 2-0 Mick McGowan
Colin Osborne 2-1 John MaGowan
Wednesday October 8 (7pm)
Second Round
Colin Lloyd v Kevin Painter
Tony Eccles v Mervyn King
Raymond van Barneveld v Adrian Lewis
Wayne Mardle v Dennis Priestley
Best of five sets
MARK WALSH 2-1 STEVE BEATON
(3-0, 1-3, 3-1)
MARK WALSH survived Steve Beaton^s fightback to book his place in round two of the Sky Poker World Grand Prix with a 2-1 victory.
Walsh looked set for a comfortable win in the second day^s opening match after winning the opening set without reply, only for Beaton to fight back and force the game into a decider.
However, Walsh regained his range to sweep through the final set 3-1 and seal victory.
He made a confidence start on double top, punishing missed doubles from Beaton in the opening leg, then taking out double 18 in the second and a 105 checkout to secure the first set.
He also landed a maximum in the second set^s opener before a third double top finish of the game put him 1-0 up.
But misses in the next allowed Beaton to level on double ten, with both players trading 180s in leg three.
Beaton^s left him with 42, and three missed doubles from Walsh enabled him to return for double 16.
A finish on the same bed saw Beaton wrap up the set 3-1, only for Walsh to hit double top and then double six to lead 2-0 in the decider.
Beaton hit back on double eight, but Walsh recovered from three missed doubles to start the next with a 160 opening score and double top to seal victory.
ANDY HAMILTON 2-1 ANDY SMITH
(3-2, 1-3, 3-1)
ANDY HAMILTON made Andy Smith pay for missed doubles to sneak a tight first round contest at the Sky Poker World Grand Prix.
Hamilton set up a last 16 clash with Peter Manley or Robert Thornton, after taking a deciding set win over Smith.
Hamilton edged the first set in a fifth leg, with Smith having included a 120 "Shanghai" finish in leg two but missed two darts at double 16 for the set, with Hamilton taking out double four for the lead.
A 100 checkout from Smith put him ahead in the second set, with the Stoke star responding by opening the next with a 152 start before taking out double ten to level.
Smith defied a 180 to win the third leg, and landed a maximum of his own before taking out double top for the set.
He misses one dart at double 16 as Hamilton led in the deciding set, before three misses from the Stoke man allowed him to level.
Smith hit back-to-back 180s in the third leg, with Hamilton also hitting a maximum before a wired double 18 from Smith let the world number eight back to move 2-1 up.
And a missed double 19 from Smith allowed Hamilton his chance for victory, taking out 112 on double 16 for the match.
JOHN PART 2-0 CHRIS MASON
(3-2, 3-1)
WORLD CHAMPION John Part made a storming start to his Sky Poker World Grand Prix campaign with a straight sets win over Chris Mason.
The Canadian dropped just three legs to book his place in the last 16, although it took a determined finish to the first set to break Mason^s resistance.
Mason led 1-0 and 2-1 in the opener, before Part took out double 16 to level and then won the set on double top.
Mason punished four missed doubles from the World Champion to lead in the second set, but could only watch whilst waiting on 40 as Part levelled on double four.
Double eight put Part to the brink of victory, and he sealed the win under little pressure in the next on double six.
"That was a very copacetic start to the tournament," said Part. "I felt I played pretty well there in patches and it^s pleasing to be through to the last 16."
JACKO BARRY 2-1 BRENDAN DOLAN
(2-3, 3-2, 3-2)
LOCAL HERO Jacko Barry won a final-leg thriller against Brendan Dolan to reach round two of the Sky Poker World Grand Prix.
The Dubliner was trailing for much of a tight contest before sneaking through in the deciding leg, hitting double six to send a packed Citywest Hotel crowd into raptures.
Barry now meets World Champion John Part in the last 16 on Thursday, which he admits will be the biggest occasion of his career.
"I didn^t settle down in the first set and early on I couldn^t get going," said Barry, a lorry driver by trade.
"It^s my first win on television and hopefully it will settle me down now. If I can get a good start against John I could pull off a shock.
"I was just delighted to get the winning double - there was a lot of expectation on me with having 250 fans out there just to support me - they sounded like 2,500!"
Dolan made a fine start, coming from 2-1 down to win the first set in a deciding leg after Barry missed five darts to lead.
Barry led in the second set before back-to-back legs from Northern Ireland ace Dolan put him 2-1 up.
Barry landed a key 180 in the next to leave 24, with Dolan missing double 16 for a 109 finish as the local star levelled.
He then took out a sensational 144 checkout to take the set and send the match into a decider.
Dolan responded with a 149 finish to kick off set three, before Barry hit back on double two before paying for a missed dart at the bullseye allowed the Northern Irelander to take out double 16.
Barry landed double top in leg four to send the game into the final leg, and then sealed a remarkable win on double six.
PHIL TAYLOR 2-0 RONNIE BAXTER
(3-1, 3-1)
PHIL TAYLOR erased the demons of last year^s first round defeat in the Sky Poker World Grand Prix with a brilliant 2-0 demolition of Ronnie Baxter.
Taylor slumped to a straight sets loss to qualifier Adrian Gray at the Citywest Hotel 12 months ago, but produced the event^s highest average so far this year of 96.72 in a fine display.
He hit four 180s in seeing off Blackpool^s Baxter, and hit six darts of a potential nine-darter in moving into the last 16.
Taylor opened the game with a 13-darter, with Baxter levelling on double top.
A second maximum of the game pushed him clear in leg three before he took out double top to lead 2-1, and after opening the next with 160 and 180 to open the next, he responded to a possible nine-darter going begging by taking the set on double 16.
Baxter punished five missed doubles to lead in the second set, but a 14-darter from Taylor levelled, and two missed doubles allowed the world number one to move a leg away from the win.
Taylor then wrapped up victory on double 16 to remain on course for an eighth win in the double-start event.
"I^m relieved and very pleased to get through that," said Taylor. "Last year I was crying behind the stage after the first round, this year I^m smiling.
"I can relax a bit now because the format^s a bit longer. Every player in the first round is nervous and I was no different."
ROBERT THORNTON 2-0 PETER MANLEY
(3-0, 3-2)
ROBERT THORNTON celebrated his Sky Poker World Grand Prix debut in style with a straight sets win over Peter Manley.
The Scotsman booked a second round date with Andy Hamilton on Thursday following a confident win over the five-time World Grand Prix semi-finalist.
Thornton powered through to win the first set without reply, hitting 180s in the first two legs and punishing missed doubles from Manley in the first two before double eight gave him the advantage in leg three.
A 76 checkout put him ahead in the second set, before Manley took out double ten to level.
A brilliant 140 checkout took him a leg away from the win before Manley landed double four to stay alive.
But his stay of execution was short-lived, with Thornton eventually scrambling over the finishing line on double one.
TERRY JENKINS 2-0 MICK McGOWAN
(3-1, 3-2)
TERRY JENKINS overcame the spirited challenge of Ireland^s Mick McGowan to move into the second round of the Sky Poker World Grand Prix.
Jenkins has been the runner-up in the last two Citywest Hotel events, and made a confident start to this year^s challenge with a straight sets win.
He took the first two legs to assume command in the opening set, with local star McGowan making a nervy start on his debut in the double-start event.
The Irish number one landed a maximum on his way to the third leg, but Jenkins replied with a 180 of his own before hitting double eight for the set.
McGowan, to the delight of his army of fans, took the second set^s opener on double ten before Jenkins won back-to-back legs to move a leg away from the win.
Jenkins was punished for forgetting to open the next with a double as McGowan took out a sparkling 125 to stay in the game, but the Irish star^s struggles to get away in the decider gave Jenkins his chance to pull clear and seal the win on double top.
COLIN OSBORNE 2-1 JOHN MaGOWAN
(2-3, 3-0, 3-1)
COLIN OSBORNE set up a clash with Phil Taylor in the second round of the Sky Poker World Grand Prix with a narrow victory over John MaGowan at the Citywest Hotel.
MaGowan, a 67-year-old from Northern Ireland, stunned Osborne to win the first set and threatened to take the game all the way in the decider before falling to defeat.
Osborne opened the game confidently with a 14-darter, and also led 2-1 before missed doubles allowed MaGowan in to level, with the veteran then hitting a 180 and taking out double 11 in the deciding leg.
A 165 score from MaGowan left him 40 in the second set^s opener, but Osborne led with a two-dart 78 finish and then took out double 16 in the next two legs to take the set and square the game.
A 126 checkout, finishing on the bullseye, put Osborne ahead in the next, but when he failed to get away until his eighth dart at an opening double the 2005 quarter-finalist levelled the set on double ten.
Double 16 gave Osborne the third leg, and sloppy scoring from MaGowan in the next allowed Osborne to recover from a slow start to seal the win on double 12.