Grand Slam of Darts - Second Day, afternoon, Report and Statistics

ANDERSON BOOKS LAST 16 SPOT AT SINGHA BEER GRAND SLAM OF DARTS
GARY ANDERSON became the first player to secure qualification from the Group Stage of the SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts with a superb 5-3 win over Raymond van Barneveld on Sunday afternoon, as Phil Taylor, James Wade and Robert Thornton remained unbeaten.

PDC World Champion Anderson followed up Saturday's ruthless whitewash of Larry Butler with a sublime performance against 2012 Grand Slam winner van Barneveld. The Dutchman showed his class with a 105.93 average as he matched the Scot's four 180s, but crucially missed one dart at double 15 to lead 4-3 - with his rival hitting tops to take charge and a 121 finish to seal the win. Anderson had also finished 86 on the bull during the game and took out five doubles from seven attempts to leave van Barneveld facing a shoot-out against Butler on Monday night where the winner will move through to the last 16.

"It was a battle and Raymond always plays well against me so I'm always happy to win," said Anderson "Barney's a class act and he always has been. My scoring's coming back and in the last few months I've been taking out the big finishes. It would be nice to have three wins and I want to keep this going."

Butler had bounced back from his opening-game loss with a narrow 5-4 win over fellow qualifier Andy Boulton, who battled back from 4-1 down to send the game into a decider only to miss tops for the win in leg nine.
"I was up 4-1 but then Andy started playing some phenomenal darts, so it was good to get the last double," said Butler. "He played brilliant darts for those last four legs. I think I've got a shot of beating Raymond and I'm really looking forward that one, it's going to be very enjoyable. Raymond's a class act and a great dart player and I'm going to have fun, and something might happen."

Reigning Grand Slam of Darts champion Phil Taylor maintained his fine opening in Wolverhampton with a 5-2 defeat of Robbie Green, posting the event's highest average so far this year at 108.42. Green responded to finishes of 83 and 125 from Taylor by taking out 81 and double four to share the opening four legs, but the Stoke legend hit a 13-darter to move 3-2 up, broke with a superb 126 checkout and hit scores of 180 and 177 as he sealed the win.

"I think that will probably qualify me but I'm not going to rest on my laurels," said Taylor. "Robbie's a very strong player on his throw and he handled the pressure tremendously. I'm enjoying it and I want to go out there and set a little standard tomorrow. The 108 average now is an average average, that's going to be the norm so I want to keep pushing forward."

Taylor's two wins mean he has a foot into the second round ahead of his final group game on Monday against Rowby-John Rodriguez, who overcame Martin Phillips 5-2 in their second game. Phillips hit a 161 finish in the contest's second leg, but Rodriguez won the next three to take command before sealing two points with a 114 checkout as he bounced back from his opening defeat to Green.

"I played well yesterday but Robbie played well too, and I wanted to keep that going and it's good to win," said Rodriguez. "I practised on my doubles before the game and I felt good about that, and I finished well. It's a tough group but I'm looking forward to playing Phil and we'll see what happens tomorrow. He's a legend and it's probably the biggest game of my career so far, but I'll give it my best."

James Wade averaged 105.83 and hit five doubles from eight attempts in his superb 5-1 win over Mark Webster, as the 2010 runner-up remains unbeaten following his opening two matches. Webster hit two 180s in the first leg, but Wade punished one missed double before capitalising on five further misses to lead 2-0 before pulling away for an impressive win.

"This was a big game and I'm happy," said Wade. "Mark was so close to getting going but didn't quite manage it and I capitalised on that. I've added ten points to my average from yesterday but it wasn't about my average but about how it felt, and I felt I played well in patches. I've been practising hard to play well and that's starting to shine through. It would be nice to win my group, which I've never done here."

Keegan Brown claimed victory in the other Group F game as he overcame Dutchman Michel van der Horst 5-4 in a deciding leg. The World Youth Champion took out finishes of 103 and 136 and hit four 180s as he opened up a 4-2 lead, with the qualifier hitting back to force a decider only to miss the bull to snatch victory and allow Brown back in for a 115 checkout.

"The ton-plus checkouts saved me and the win's nice so it's a crunch game against James Wade now," said Brown. "Last year I lost my opening game and reached the quarter-finals, so I know I can do it and I'm looking forward to tomorrow now."

Robert Thornton remains unbeaten in Group G following his 5-2 win over Jonny Clayton, who was unable to repeat the heroics of his opening victory against Terry Jenkins. Thornton opened up a 3-0 lead before Clayton took out 100 and 96 to reduce the gap, but crucially the Welshman missed the bull to level as Thornton edged the sixth leg and then took out double eight for the victory.

"I'm pleased with that," said Thornton. "I'm doing okay so far and my finishing wasn't too bad there, and I'm happy that I'm hitting the 180s at the right time and with the way my game's going. You can't take anything for granted but I've got Terry tomorrow night and another win will put me through, so I'm not going up there to lose. Hopefully it's going to be a cracker of a match."

Jenkins bounced back from his opening defeat with a superb whitewash of Belgium's Geert De Vos, hitting two 180s and a 138 checkout in the 11-minute win to boost his hopes of qualification.

"That was a big win," said the 2007 runner-up. "Before I went up there I said that I've got to try and win 5-0 or 5-1 and not try and let him get too many legs to put me back up the table, but it's still all on for tomorrow. I can just get on with it tomorrow - you know where you stand with Robert, you've just got to get up there and whack them in because if you don't you're going to lose."


Statistics
Ave180sDoublesPlayervPlayer Ave180sDoubles
85.2545/15Brown 5:4 van der Horst81.5914/14
94.0605/10Rodriguez 5:2Phillips87.4302/4
90.3714/12Boulton 4:5Butler 88.3135/8
89.4625/15Jenkins 5:0de Vos87.1500/6
96.0825/12Thornton 5:2Clayton 88.4912/4
108.4215/9Taylor 5:2Green88.6702/6
105.8325/8Wade 5:1Webster 96.1121/7
103.3645/7Anderson 5:3v.Barneveld105.9343/7








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