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CLINICAL ANDERSON SEES OFF BEATON IN BLACKPOOL

RUTHLESS Gary Anderson marched into the second round of the BetVictor World Matchplay with a 10-4 win over Steve Beaton on Sunday night, as James Wade, Brendan Dolan and Mensur Suljovic picked up Winter Gardens victories.

Anderson is aiming to add the prestigious World Matchplay title to the World Matchplay, Premier League and Players Championship Finals trophies he has scooped in the past 12 months, and began that challenge in style in Blackpool. While Anderson's scoring was not at its explosive best, his finishing was clinical as he landed ten doubles from 21 attempts - punishing 20 misses from Beaton in the process.
The Scot broke throw in the opening leg and then took out 79 and 113 to move three legs up before Beaton got off the mark. Anderson also took four more legs without reply as he took a 7-1 cushion, and though Beaton won three of the next five legs to stay in the contest, the number three seed fired in his third 180 of the game before sealing the win with a 118 checkout.

"I'm always pleased to get through the first round and I was shaking like a leaf throughout the game because Steve's been a bit of a bogey player for me and I know what he can do," said Anderson, who now meets Suljovic in round two. "My finishing was alright by my scoring wasn't what I wanted it to be. I was a bit rusty but Steve missed a lot of doubles and I hit mine tonight so I'm happy with that. The three-ton plus finishes were important because I think he'd had shots at a double."

Austria's Suljovic, making his second Blackpool appearance, knocked out two-time World Matchplay finalist Terry Jenkins with a thrilling 11-9 victory in the first game of this year's event to head into a tie-break.
A see-saw game saw Suljovic finish 128 to level at two-all before Jenkins took out a brilliant 140 checkout to move 5-2 up - only for the gritty Austrian to take the next four and move ahead. Double six saw Jenkins level at six-all and he landed two 180s in the next leg, only to fall at the doubling end of the leg as Suljovic regained the lead and took the next two for a 9-6 cushion. The game took another turn as Suljovic missed the bull for victory in the next leg, with Jenkins hitting back with three in a row to level the game - but double two edged the qualifier 10-9 up and double 16 sealed victory.

"I'm very proud to win this game," said Suljovic. "Terry is a superb player but he wasn't at his best in this game and I played really well. This is my second time playing in Blackpool and to win past the first round is one of the greatest moments of my career, up with when I've won games at the World Championship. I'm standing in the stars at the moment - to get through to the second round is a bonus really but I will do my best again."

2007 World Matchplay champion James Wade edged out Australian debutant Kyle Anderson 10-7 in a thriller to begin his bid to reach a sixth Blackpool final. A brilliant contest saw the pair locked together for 15 legs before a crucial break of throw for Wade helped him secure victory following a titanic struggle.
Australian ace Anderson had held throw in two of the opening four legs with finishes of 84 and an 11-darter, before breaking to lead 3-2. He also led 4-3 following a 12-dart finish, and bettered Wade's 121 finish in the next with a 124 checkout to move 5-4 up. Wade levelled before holding to move 6-5 up as the pair continued to trade legs, but the crucial moment came with the number six seed 8-7 up as Anderson missed four darts at doubles. The left-hander stepped in on double five to break for a 9-7 lead before landing a key 180 in the next as he sealed a high-quality victory with an 11-darter, ending with a 103.59 average. despite nine 180s from the Australian ace.

"It was nerve-wracking for me so I'm a happy bunny to come out of the game as the winner," said Wade, who now meets Brendan Dolan in Wednesday's second round. "I didn't realise that the standard of the game was as high as it was and the comforting thing for me is that I didn't think I played that well. I knew it would be a case of waiting for a miss from Kyle, and I did that but I'm so happy to have won. That game was a real nervy one for me and I was so nervous going into it because I knew it was a big game for me.

Northern Irish ace Dolan defied a near-nine-darter from Vincent van der Voort to take a 10-6 win over the Dutchman and move into the last 16.
Van der Voort opened the match in brilliant style with two 180s before wiring double 12 for an incredible nine-dart finish which would have raised the Winter Gardens roof. The Dutchman went on to take that opening leg, but Dolan won the next four to take command and also led 6-2 before the Dutchman took three out of four to reduce the gap to 7-5. The 13th leg, though, proved costly as he missed his chances to reduce the gap to one leg, allowing Dolan to restore his breathing space and pull away for the victory.

"I'm pleased to have got over the finishing line but there's a lot to improve on in my performance," said Dolan. "When you're playing one-on-one it's all about getting over the line and I did that. Vincent missed a few doubles and I cashed in, and I've got a chance now to get better in the second round and produce the goods. I'm knocking on the door of the top ten and I have to produce on TV what I produce in the floor tournaments."

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