TOP TEN TRIO KNOCKED OUT OF DUTCH DARTS MASTERS
TOP TEN STARS Raymond van Barneveld, Adrian Lewis and Dave Chisnall were all knocked out of the Dutch Darts Masters on Saturday, as Michael van Gerwen continued his bid to win a third European Tour title of 2013 with a second round victory over Ross Smith.
Dutch ace van Barneveld was sent packing from the event with a 6-3 reverse to Peter Wright, whose impressive form continued as he averaged 99 in silencing the home crowd.
Van Barneveld shared the game's first six legs, but missed his chance to lead in the seventh as Wright hit double one before pulling clear with a 14-dart leg and sealing the win with double 16.
World number three Adrian Lewis was also knocked out, as he lost 6-4 to Stoke rival Andy Hamilton, who hit back from 4-2 down to win four successive legs and progress to the Last 16.
World Grand Prix finalist Dave Chisnall was another second round casualty, as his bid to win a second European Tour title of the year was ended by Shropshire youngster David Pallett, who hit four 180s in a nerveless 6-3 victory.
Reigning Dutch Darts Masters champion Simon Whitlock found himself in danger of joining the big-name victims when he went 3-1 down to Mark Webster, but the Welshman missed five darts at double 16 to win the fifth leg as the Australian pounced to take the next five legs and progress.
World number two Michael van Gerwen joined Whitlock in Sunday's third round with a 6-3 victory over Ross Smith, as he looks to win his third European Tour title of the year, having been victorious in Dusseldorf and Wiener Neustadt earlier in 2013.
Van Gerwen will open Sunday's decisive final stages - with the third round in the afternoon session and the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in the evening session - when he plays Michael Barnard, who was a 6-4 winner against Kevin Painter.
World number five James Wade impressed with a 101.56 average as he saw off Northern Ireland's Daryl Gurney 6-1, and he now faces Finland's Jarkko Komula, who won by the same scoreline against Paul Nicholson.
Mervyn King, a two-time European Tour runner-up this year, won 6-4 against Colin Lloyd and will now play world number eight Wes Newton, who impressed in his 6-4 win over Ronny Huybrechts.
Kim Huybrechts will represent the Belgian family in Sunday's final stages after he came from 5-2 down to defeat Wayne Jones 6-5 in their clash, and he now plays Northern Irish ace Michael Mansell, who overcame Holland's Gino Vos 6-2.
Ronnie Baxter's narrow 6-5 win over Ian White means that he now takes on Wright, while Pallett will take on Brendan Dolan, who was a 6-5 winner against Gary Anderson.
Jamie Caven edged to a 6-5 win against Joe Cullen, who missed the bull for a 170 finish in the deciding leg of their second round contest, and the Derby ace will now meet Mark Cox, who had seen Campbell Jackson come from 5-0 down to level in their game before he regained his composure to take victory.