PHIL TAYLOR avoided a scare from Barrie Bates before starting the defence of his StanJames.com World Matchplay title with a 10-5 defeat of the Welshman at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

The ten-time World Matchplay winner trailed Bates 5-4 after missing a host of doubles in the early legs.

However, he reeled off five straight legs to assume command of the match, and closed out victory with a tournament record average of 114.99.

"I couldn't seem to break his throw early on and then I was missing doubles," said Taylor. "His finishing was superb and he put me under pressure.

"At five-all I had to hold my darts and I did that, broke Barrie and pulled through for the win. It was a really good game to be involved in, the crowd enjoyed it, Barrie played well and pushed me hard."

Taylor now meets Steve Beaton in the second round on Thursday, after the former World Champion swept aside Blackpool debutant Paul Nicholson 10-3 in his opener.

The night had begun with one of the finest comebacks ever seen on the Winter Gardens stage, as Kevin Painter came from 8-2 down to defeat 2005 champion Colin Lloyd 11-9.

Painter included checkouts of 105 and 104 in pulling back into the game, before punishing one missed match dart from Lloyd to take out 94 under pressure to level at nine-all, and then took the next two for a remarkable win.

"When you're playing someone like Colin and you're 9-5 down in a first to ten game, you're virtually gone," said Painter. "At 9-5 down a lot of players would have lost 10-5 but I never give up and I kept going, hoping that he'd give me a couple of chances."

Painter now meets Mark Walsh in the second round, after the number eight seed avoided a scare against Mark Dudbridge.

Dudbridge, the 2004 finalist in Blackpool, hit back from 5-0 down to lead 10-9, but failed to close out the win as Walsh edged through.

The second round begins on Wednesday, with Raymond van Barneveld looking to follow up Saturday's nine-darter with victory in his clash with Alan Tabern.

Blackpool's Ronnie Baxter meets Wayne Jones, while left-handers James Wade and Mark Webster meet Dutch pair Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe.

StanJames.com World Matchplay
Tuesday July 20
First Round
Colin Lloyd 9-11 Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh 12-10 Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor 10-6 Barrie Bates
Paul Nicholson 3-10 Steve Beaton


Second Round
Wednesday July 21 (7pm)
Wayne Jones v Ronnie Baxter
Co Stompe v Mark Webster
Vincent van der Voort v James Wade
Alan Tabern v Raymond van Barneveld

Thursday July 22 (7pm)
Gary Anderson v Jelle Klaasen
Kevin Painter v Mark Walsh
Steve Beaton v Phil Taylor
Simon Whitlock v Steve Brown

DAY THREE REPORT
GARY ANDERSON produced the first whitewash for six years at the StanJames.com World Matchplay with a 10-0 thumping of fellow Scot Robert Thornton on Monday night.

Anderson, the UK Open runner-up a month ago, showed Thornton no mercy with an impressive start to the £400,000 event in Blackpool to power into the last 16.

His performance bettered Simon Whitlock's 10-1 defeat of Tony Eccles earlier in the evening, and he admitted: "It was heartbreaking to do that to Robert because he's a good friend but I had a job to do and I did it well.

"My finishing was excellent and it showed that the hard work I've done in practice recently paid off, and I'm hoping to have a good run this week."

Anderson takes on Jelle Klaasen in the second round, after the young Dutchman produced his best televised performance for 18 months to defeat Mervyn King 10-4.

Number four seed King led 4-2 early on, but Klaasen reeled off eight successive legs to take victory in a game which lasted less than half an hour, sealing the win with a 121 checkout.

"My doubles have let me down many times in the last couple of years but I've worked hard on that recently and it showed," said Klaasen. "I have got Gary Anderson next and he's a quick player like me, so it will be a nice match, because he's playing well."

Whitlock will now face Bristol-based plasterer Steve Brown in the second round on Thursday, after the newcomer enjoyed a dream debut with a 10-6 defeat of world number five Terry Jenkins.

"Steve played quite well against Terry and it should be a good match, because both won well on our first games here," said Whitlock, the World Championship runner-up who was also making his first world Matchplay appearance.

"Being in the Premier League has helped me a lot in terms of coping with the stages, TV and crowds and that should help me for my next match, but Steve's a quality player."

The first round concludes with four games on Tuesday night, including reigning champion Phil Taylor opening his bid for an 11th World Matchplay title against Barrie Bates.

Essex-born pair Colin Lloyd - the 2004 winner - and Kevin Painter clash in the night's opening game, while Mark Walsh faces Mark Dudbridge and Paul Nicholson faces Steve Beaton.

StanJames.com World Matchplay
First Round
Monday
Terry Jenkins 6-10 Steve Brown
Simon Whitlock 10-1 Tony Eccles
Robert Thornton 0-10 Gary Anderson
Mervyn King 4-10 Jelle Klaasen

Tuesday (7pm)
Colin Lloyd v Kevin Painter
Mark Walsh v Mark Dudbridge
Phil Taylor v Barrie Bates
Paul Nicholson v Steve Beaton

DAY TWO REPORT
FORMER champion James Wade escaped a dramatic early exit in the StanJames.com World Matchplay on Sunday night, battling back from behind to defeat Andy Smith at the Winter Gardens.

The 2007 World Matchplay winner looked set to suffer an early defeat when Smith, aided by checkouts of 151 and 116, took leads of 7-5 and 8-7.

However, Smith paid the price for nine missed doubles for a 9-7 cushion, with Wade levelling before producing two superb legs to kill off his challenge, sealing victory with an 11-dart leg.

"I'll take the win but I'm not happy with my performance," said Wade. "Everything I did didn't seem to work - I was throwing low of the treble and high of the treble - and Andy probably should have beaten me.

"What I did in the last two legs I probably expected to do for 15 to 20 legs and it's puzzling, but I've got three days to try and put it right now."

Wade now faces Holland's Vincent van der Voort in the second round on Wednesday, while Co Stompe and Mark Webster also battled through tight contests to set up a round two meeting.

Stompe hit back from behind twice before defeating Andy Hamilton 12-10, while Webster defeated Adrian Lewis 11-9 in a thriller.

Webster, on his Winter Gardens debut, led 4-1 and 8-5 before Lewis won four in a row to lead 9-8 - only for the left-hander to win the next three for victory.

"I think back to last year when I was sat watching it on TV and I wasn't even close to qualifying, and I didn't like that," said Webster. "This year I made it my priority to get here, and I got here and am now in the second round.

"It was a really tough game but I think I made it hard on myself. I had the game wrapped up and then I thought I was defeated, but I did enough to win the game."

Fleetwood's Wes Newton suffered first round heartbreak in his home event for a fourth time, losing 12-10 to Alan Tabern in another tight battle.

Tabern led 6-1 and 9-6 before Newton hit back to level, only for finishes of 110 and 101 to send the left-hander into a second round meeting with Saturday's nine-dart hero Raymond van Barneveld.

The first round continues on Monday night, with two-time runner-up Terry Jenkins in action against debutant Steve Brown, World Championship finalist Simon Whitlock meeting Tony Eccles, Mervyn King coming up against Jelle Klaasen and Gary Anderson facing Robert Thornton in an all-Scottish battle.

StanJames.com World Matchplay
Sunday July 18
First Round
Andy Hamilton 10-12 Co Stompe, Adrian Lewis 9-11 Mark Webster, James Wade 10-8 Andy Smith, Alan Tabern 12-10 Wes Newton
Monday July 19 (7pm)
Terry Jenkins v Steve Brown, Simon Whitlock v Tony Eccles, Robert Thornton v Gary Anderson, Mervyn King v Jelle Klaasen

DAY ONE REPORT
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD produced another piece of history with a sensational nine-darter at the StanJames.com World Matchplay on Saturday night.

The Dutchman fired in a perfect leg during his 10-1 victory over Denis Ovens on the opening night of the £400,000 tournament - emulating Phil Taylor's achievement in landing the event's only previous nine-dart finish in 2002.

Van Barneveld has enjoyed a two-month break from darts since the end of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts in May - an event which also featured a nine-dart finish from the Dutchman.

And, inspired by watching Holland compete in football's World Cup final in Johannesburg last Sunday, van Barneveld delighted a 2,000-strong crowd at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool with his nine-dart finish.

The achievement came in the tenth leg of the match, as he posted back-to-back 180s and then took out 141 with treble 20, treble 19 and double 12.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," said van Barneveld. "I wasn't playing too well in the first part of the game, in the first five or six legs I couldn't find the treble 20.

"I don't know where the nine-darter came but I'm so happy to have hit it. The feeling gets better every time.

"Its amazing. It's only one leg, but it really helps you out to hit that nine-darter and see the crowd and feel that energy from them."

Van Barneveld was joined in the second round by fellow countryman Vincent van der Voort, who spoiled Dennis Priestley's 60th birthday celebrations with a 10-6 win over the three-time World Matchplay finalist.

Priestley had reached the landmark age on Friday, but paid for some costly missed doubles as van der Voort powered home checkouts of 120, 106 and 157 on his way to the win.

Blackpool-based Ronnie Baxter showed his support for the town's Premier League-bound football team by sporting an orange shirt for his 10-7 victory over Jamie Caven.

The 1998 World Matchplay finalist benefitted from a mid-game surge to break from four-all to lead 7-4, before holding out to set up a second round clash with Wayne Jones on Wednesday.

Wolverhampton's Jones tasted victory at the World Matchplay for the first time in four attempts with a gritty 10-8 win over Colin Osborne.

The first round continues on Sunday, with the four matches including 2007 champion James Wade up against Andy Smith, local favourite Wes Newton facing Alan Tabern, Andy Hamilton's meeting with Co Stompe and Adrian Lewis against debutant Mark Webster.

StanJames.com World Matchplay
Saturday July 17
First Round
Dennis Priestley 6-10 Vincent van der Voort
Colin Osborne 8-10 Wayne Jones
Raymond van Barneveld 10-1 Denis Ovens - Raymond van Barneveld hits nine-darter!
Ronnie Baxter 10-7 Jamie Caven

Sunday July 18 (7pm start)
First Round
Andy Hamilton v Co Stompe
Adrian Lewis v Mark Webster
James Wade v Andy Smith
Alan Tabern v Wes Newton

Date posted: July 18, 2010

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