Grand Slam of Darts - Match Reports 2. Day, Evening
Terry Jenkins 5:3 Dave Chisnall
Terry Jenkins came out on top against Dave Chisnall at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-3 win in a heavy-scoring clash.Jenkins' performance was a vast improvement to the one that saw him defeated by Justin Pipe on the first night of the competition, and leaves him with a fighting chance of qualification from Group D.
< Chisnall broke throw at the start of the match by hitting double 17 but he missed two darts at doubles to increase his advantage and Jenkins made him pay taking out 121 on the bullseye to level. Jenkins then suddenly clicked into gear as he hit back-to-back maximums in an 11-darter to win the third leg, and a 102 finish gave the man from Ledbury the fourth and a 3-1 lead. The world number ten continued that form by finishing 84 to win the fifth leg, defying a 180 from his opponent.
Chisnall missed seven darts at doubles in the sixth leg, but Jenkins missed three chances to win the match and the St Helens man returned to hit double one and keep the match alive. Chisnall, who was edged out by James Wade in his first match, produced some excellent scoring to leave just 16 after 12 darts thrown in the next. However, he missed three darts at doubles only for Jenkins to miss a fourth dart for the match on double 15, and Chisnall returned to land double four. The eighth leg saw both players fire their fourth 180s of the match but Jenkins finally sealed victory by taking out an excellent 126 to end a high-quality contest.
/ "I played well to get a good lead after dropping the first leg," said Jenkins. "But then it started to become very hard and I had to fight really hard to win in the end. "I don't think that would have happened a few years ago when I was firing on all cylinders. If I can beat James in my final group game then that would give a lot of confidence."
Gary Anderson 5:1 Brendan Dolan
Gary Anderson got his William Hill Grand Slam of Darts campaign back on track with a 5-1 victory over Northern Ireland's Brendan Dolan at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.Anderson put the disappointment of a first game defeat to Nigel Heydon behind him as he recorded a three-dart average of 104.60 on the way to victory against the World Grand Prix finalist.
Anderson began the match by holding throw with a 14-dart finish before landing double top in the second leg to break, despite a 180 from Dolan. The Premier League Darts champion then stepped up a gear as he took out a superb 138 checkout to move 3-0 ahead before Dolan managed to reduce his arrears when he hit double top to win the fourth leg. Anderson was in complete command in leg five, but he missed three darts at double 12 and Dolan nearly capitalised - only to miss double top to complete a 120 finish.
That allowed to Anderson to return and hit double six for the second time in the match for a 4-1 lead, and the end was swift as the Scotsman recorded an 11-darter to seal victory.
"My performance was much better tonight, compared to that against Nigel," said Anderson, who now plays Wayne Jones in his final group match on Tuesday evening. "It's put me back in contention in the group and it will be an interesting game against Wayne, especially with the home crowd all behind him."
Tony O'Shea 5:4 Scott Waites
Tony O'Shea produced a fantastic comeback at the William Grand Slam of Darts at the Wolverhampton Civic with nail-biting final leg win over Scott Waites - knocking the reigning champion out of the tournament in the process.
O'Shea was 4-1 down but put together a run of four successive legs - surviving six missed match darts from his opponent in the process - to claim a remarkable win. The defeat for Waites followed his loss to Michael van Gerwen on the opening night of the tournament, and Mark Walsh's later win over the Dutchman means he cannot now qualify for the knockout phase.
O'Shea started the match superbly as he recorded 180s with his first two visits to the board in setting up a potential nine-darter in the opening leg. Those hopes were extinguished after the seventh dart landed just above the treble 20, but the leg was won in 11 darts for an early lead. Waites hit a maximum of his own in a 12-darter to level and then broke his opponent's throw with a clinical 107 finish.
The defending champion then moved two legs clear when he landed double 16 after O'Shea missed double for a 106 finish. Waites missed three darts at doubles in the next leg but again O'Shea was unable to capitalise and the Yorkshireman returned to hit double one with his last dart. O'Shea won the sixth leg in 14 darts and took the next in just 13 as he hit double top for the second successive leg to reduce the deficit to 4-3. A dramatic eighth leg saw Waites miss six darts for the match, and O'Shea stole in by hitting double eight with his last dart to force a decider, in which he made the advantage of throw pay dividends to record a remarkable win.
"I had great start to the match, but Scott soon took over," said O'Shea. "I stuck in well when the pressure when was really on and I'm thrilled to get over the winning line."
Dean Winstanley 5:4 Ian White
Dean Winstanley backed up his excellent victory over Ted Hankey with a final-leg win over Ian White to seal his second round place in the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts.Winstanley was 3-1 and 4-3 down but managed to win the final two legs of the contest to keep up his 100 percent record on his debut appearance in Wolverhampton.
White, who defeated Raymond van Barneveld on Saturday evening, started the match excellently with a 112 checkout before Winstanley levelled in 14 darts. White regained the lead by winning the third leg with the aid of a maximum and he won the fourth on double six after Winstanley missed four darts at doubles. That gave White a 3-1 lead, but Winstanley took out an excellent 98 finish with his opponent waiting on double 12 to reduce the deficit.
Winstanley then won the sixth leg by hitting double five, but White held throw in the next by landing double 12 to lead 4-3. Winstanley, who defeated Ted Hankey 5-0 in his first match, recorded back-to-back maximums at the start of the eighth leg. The seventh dart at the treble 20 was off-target, but the leg was won with comfort by the Lakeside Championship finalist to force a decider. A tense final leg saw Winstanley hit a 180 to see him to a finish first. He missed two darts at doubles to win the match but White could not capitalise as his one dart at double top to win the match was off-target, and Winstanley returned to the oche and hit double five and put himself into the last 16.
Ted Hankey 5:2 Raymond van Barneveld
Ted Hankey knocked five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld out of the 2011 William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-2 victory in their second Group B game.
The win reignites Hankey's challenge in the tournament after a disappointing 5-0 defeat at the hands of Dean Winstanley in his first group game, as he now faces Ian White in a winner-progresses contest on Tuesday.
"There was a lot of pressure on tonight's game and I didn't feel like Raymond was himself," said Hankey. "I'm very happy to be still in with a fighting chance of qualification and I know that I have to beat Ian White in final group match on Tuesday night, so it's down to me."
Van Barneveld missed three chances for an early break of throw and Hankey took the first leg with a clinical 90 finish. The five-time World Champion hit back with a 76 finish but Hankey landed double four to lead for the second time in the contest. Van Barneveld, who lost to Ian White in a deciding leg in his opening group match, levelled in the fourth leg with an excellent two-dart 80 finish. Hankey won the fifth after van Barneveld was guilty of missing two darts at double top and the two-time World Champion then hit a superb 121 checkout to break throw and lead 4-2.
That left Hankey requiring just more leg to win the match and he duly sealed victory in the next by hitting double ten with his last dart and end van Barneveld's hopes.
James Wade 5:4 Justin Pipe
James Wade earned his second Group D win at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a deciding-leg victory Justin Pipe.Wade defeated Pipe in the group stages of last year's competition on his way to the final, but this time around the margin was much tighter as the in-form Taunton ace came within a whisker of victory.
Wade won the opening leg with an accurate attempt at double top with his third dart, and then hit double eight to break throw after Pipe missed a dart at double 16. Pipe managed to get on the scoreboard by hitting double ten to win the third leg and then hit double 16 to take the fourth and square the match at two apiece. Wade hit a maximum in the process of the winning the fifth, but Pipe won the next in style courtesy of a 160 checkout.
Pipe's scoring deserted him in the seventh leg as Wade took seven attempts to hit the winning double and take a 4-3 lead. Pipe recovered to hold throw in 13 darts and set up a dramatic deciding leg, which saw both players miss have chances to win the match before Wade slotted double ten to earn the win.
"Neither me or Justin really got going at any stage tonight," admitted Wade. "I was pleased that I stuck in there and scrapped it out and it eventually paid dividends."
Wayne Jones 5:3 Nigel Heydon
Home favourit Wayne Jones won his second group game at the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-3 triumph over Nigel Heydon.
Jones, who defeated Brendan Dolan in the opening match of the competition on Saturday, is now in a strong position to advance to the last 16 and will take on Gary Anderson in his final group game on Tuesday.
Heydon, who enjoyed a superb win against Anderson 24 hours earlier, started well by breaking Jones' throw courtesy of landing double 19. Jones hit back quickly by converting a 105 finish to take the second leg and then held throw in the next to lead 2-1. Heydon hit a 180 in the process of taking the fourth leg but Jones edged ahead once again with a 14-dart finish.
Jones had an opportunity to move further clear in the sixth leg, but his attempt at double top for a 157 checkout was just above the target and Heydon stepped in with a 68 finish to level at 3-3. The local hero then stepped up a gear in the next as he hit a 180 in a 14-dart finish to take leg seven, and sealed victory in the next with a successful attempt at double 18.
"I'm very pleased to get another win, although I feel like I didn't play well enough to average over 98," said Jones. "It was a close game all the way and I knew that I had to break Nigel's throw if I was going to win."
Mark Walsh 5:3 Michael van Gerwen
Mark Walsh sealed his place in the last 16 of the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts with a tight 5-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen.
The win for Walsh also confirms that the defending Scott Waites has been knocked out of the competition, and leaves van Gerwen playing Tony O'Shea on Tuesday for a spot in the second round.
Walsh held throw on double ten to take the opening leg but missed four opportunities to take a 2-0 advantage and van Gerwen stepped in to hit double 16. The next two legs were shared to leave the game finely balanced at two-all, and that sequence continued as Walsh landed his favourite double top to lead the game for the third time. Van Gerwen hit double top as well to level at three-all before Walsh hit a 14-darter to move 4-3 ahead.
That put Walsh one leg away from victory, and consistent high scoring saw the world number 12 secure the only break of the match as he hit double five to win the match.
"I've managed to secure another victory, but I'm still not satisfied with my performances so far," admitted Walsh. "The important thing at this stage of the tournament is just to win games and that is exactly what I'm doing."