Darts thread 2009

[Panda]

Christmas is getting near and that means it's time for the World Darts Championships!

The big names of the PDC are up first, with their championship starting tomorrow. The BDO version begins on January 3rd.

Draw for the PDC World Championship:

Preliminary Round
Hannes Schnier (Aut) v Shi Yongsheng (Chn)
David Fatum (USA) v Shane O'Connor (Ire)
Warren French (NZ) v Akihiro Nagakawa (Jap)
Marko Kantele (Fin) v Lourence Ilagan (Phi)
Charles Losper (SA) v Sudesh Fitzgerald (Guy)
Remco van Eijden (Ned) v Anastasia Dobromyslova (Rus)

First Round
Phil Taylor 1 v Steve Grubb
Michael van Gerwen 32 (Ned) v Darin Young (US)
Roland Scholten 16 (Ned) v Carlos Rodriguez (Spa)
Kevin Painter 17 v Matt Clark
Wayne Mardle 8 v Fatum/O'Connor
Wayne Jones 25 v Robert Thornton (Sco)
Alan Tabern 9 v Steve Beaton
Andy Jenkins 24 v Co Stompe (Ned)
Terry Jenkins 5 v Dennis Smith
Alex Roy 28 v Kevin McDine
Mervyn King 12 v Schnier/Yongsheng
Mark Walsh 21 v Jamie Caven
John Part 4 (Can) v Bill Davis (US)
Barrie Bates 29 (Wal) v Felix McBrearty (NI)
Peter Manley 13 v Mensur Suljovic (Aut)
Mark Dudbridge 20 v Nick Fullwell
Raymond van Barneveld 2 (Ned) v Mark Stephenson
Wes Newton 31 v Per Laursen (Den)
Ronnie Baxter 15 v Kantele/Ilagan
Denis Ovens 18 v Steve Maish
Andy Hamilton 7 v Michael Barnard
Andy Smith 26 v Tony Ayres
Colin Lloyd 10 v Jelle Klaasen (Ned)
Kirk Shepherd 23 v Jan van der Rassel (Ned)
Adrian Lewis 6 v Russell Stewart (Aus)
Adrian Gray 27 v Paul Nicholson (Aus)
Dennis Priestley 11 v French/Nagakawa
Chris Mason 22 v John MaGowan (NI)
James Wade 3 v Brendan Dolan (NI)
Tony Eccles 30 v Van Eijden/Dobromyslova
Colin Osborne 14 v Losper/Fitzgerald
Vincent van der Voort 19 (Ned) v Nandor Bezzeg (Hun)

[-Big Dan-]

It's going to take someone very special to stop Phil Taylor from winning a 14th world title.

[Paddy]

Raymond van Barneveld ?
Mervyn King?

[Panda]

I just don't think King's good enough. He couldn't even win the BDO title.

Barney can match Taylor on his day but hasn't had a great year.

I think James Wade could be Taylor's main threat.

[Elmer]

This is the only Darts I watch all year so I tend to lose track on the form players by the time it gets around.

It's always a great occasion though at this time of year.

[Panda]

The PDC championship has reached the quarter-final stage. A few surprises along the way but those expected to challenge for the title are still there.

The biggest shock was John Part's first round exit against Bill Davis. Last year's runner-up Kirk Shepherd also went out in the first round and has said he may return to his old job to make money and switch to playing in the BDO. Terry Jenkins and Colin Lloyd also went out in the first round.

Quarter-final line-up:
Phil Taylor (1) v Co Stompe
Mervyn King (12) v Barrie Bates (29)
Raymond van Barneveld (2) v Jelle Klaasen
Paul Nicholson v James Wade (3)

Stompe has done very well in his first PDC World Championship. King has made the most of the other big names in his quarter of the draw going out early. Barneveld v Klaasen is a repeat of the 2006 BDO final, which Klaasen won. Nicholson is an Australian Geordie who has been booed by the crowd all week. Oh, and apparently James Wade is going out with Helen Chamberlain from Soccer AM.

[-Big Dan-]

The Barneveld/Baxter match was unbelievable, one of the best matches I've seen in years.

[vastar iner]

Baxter = Bottle Rocket.

Wade has underachieved but is getting better. Barney seems to be getting worse. Maybe it's Klaasen in the final? Should be a quick one then...

[vastar iner]

I think I should claim a share in Barney's 20k for the nine-darter, I obviously encouraged him.

[Panda]

Taylor might be slightly gutted at that. I bet he thought he'd be the first to get one at the PDC World Championship.

Two cracking semi-finals tomorrow:
Taylor v King
Wade v Barneveld



The BDO World Championship starts tomorrow.

First round draw:
SAT.JAN 3: 2.40PM SEED 16 EDDY SIMS (AUS) v ROBERT HUGHES (WAL)

SAT.JAN 3: 1.00PM SEED 1 GARY ANDERSON (SCOT) v ROBERT WAGNER (NOR)

SAT.JAN 3: 3.30PM SEED 9 TONY O’SHEA (ENG) v DANIEL LARSSON (SWE)

SAT.JAN 3: 6.50PM SEED 8 EDWIN MAX (NETH) v KRZYSZTOF RATAJSKI (POL)

SAT.JAN 3: 1.50PM SEED 12 SIMON WHITLOCK (AUS) v MARK BARILLI (SCOT)

SAT.JAN 3: 6.00PM SEED 5 DARRYL FITTON (ENG) v MARK SALMON (WAL)

SUN.JAN 4: 3.30PM SEED 13 STEVE WEST (ENG) v ALAN NORRIS (SWE)

SUN.JAN 4; 1.50PM SEED 4 SCOTT WAITES (ENG) v ROSS SMITH (ENG)

SUN.JAN 4: 2.40PM SEED15 JOHN WALTON (ENG) v SHAUN GREATBATCH (ENG)

SUN.JAN 4: 1.00PM SEED 2 MARK WEBSTER (WAL) v WILLY VAN DE WIEL (NETH)

MON.JAN 5: 7.50PM SEED 10 ROSS MONTGOMERY (SCOT) v MARTIN PHILLIPS (WAL)

SUN.JAN 4: 5.30PM SEED 7 TED HANKEY (ENG) v BRIAN WOODS (ENG)

MON.JAN 5: 5.45PM SEED 11 MARTIN ATKINS (ENG) v JOEY TEN BERGE (NETH)

SUN.JAN 4: 6.20PM SEED 6 GARY ROBSON (ENG) v STEPHEN BUNTING (ENG)

MON.JAN 5: 8.40PM SEED 14 GARRY THOMPSON (ENG) v DARYL GURNEY (N.IRE)

MON.JAN 5: 7.00PM SEED 3 MARTIN ADAMS (ENG) v DAVE CHISNALL (ENG)

[vastar iner]

Taylor had a 10 darter a couple of rounds ago. You think the semis will be cracking? I think they will be embarrassingly one sided.

About time Anderson got it together in the BDO. Too much underachievement.

[Panda]

Jan 3, 2009 0:29:35 GMT 1 vastar iner said:

About time Anderson got it together in the BDO. Too much underachievement.

And he nearly choked again today. Scraped through 3-2. Simon Whitlock looked good in his match.


We should get a Haven betting syndicate going. Between us in this thread, we picked the last 4 for the PDC championship...

[vastar iner]

Well, one cracking semi, after Wade rediscovered his form, but when you have three darts at double 4 to win a set to drop the first into 13 is CRIMINAL. That probably cost him a place in the final, he would have been 3-1 up instead of at 2-2.

[Panda]

So another Taylor-Barney final...

And the run continues - no player has ever won the PDC title without having previously won the BDO version.

[-Big Dan-]

Phil Taylor blitzes Raymond Van Barneveld 7-1 to claim his 14th world title. He also broke the record for the highest 3-dart average in a major final.

[Panda]

A close one for Wolfie last night, winning 5-3 in the final set.

No real shocks so far, with only 3 seeded players going out in the first round. Don't remember the last time there were so few casualties early on.

First round results:
Eddy Sims (16) 2-3 Robert Hughes
Gary Anderson (1) 3-2 Robert Wagner
Tony O'Shea (9) 3-0 Daniel Larsson
Edwin Max (8) 3-2 Krzysztof Ratajski
Simon Whitlock (12) 3-0 Mark Barilli
Darryl Fitton (5) 3-0 Mark Salmon
Steve West (13) 0-3 Alan Norris
Scott Waites (4) 3-0 Ross Fisher
John Walton (15) 3-0 Shaun Greatbatch
Mark Webster (2) 3-0 Wily van der Wiel
Ross Montgomery (10) 3-1 Martin Phillips
Ted Hankey (7) 3-0 Brian Woods
Martin Atkins (11) 3-2 Joey Ten Berge
Gary Robson (6) 3-1 Stephen Bunting
Garry Thompson (14) 1-3 Daryl Gurney
Martin Adams (3) 3-2 Dave Chisnall

2nd round:
Robert Hughes v Gary Anderson
Tony O'Shea v Edwin Max
Simon Whitlock v Darryl Fitton
Alan Norris v Scott Waites
John Walton v Mark Webster
Ross Montgomery v Ted Hankey
Martin Atkins v Gary Robson
Daryl Gurney v Martin Adams

[vastar iner]

And you'd think the first round, with less room for error and shorter games, is the one where you'd be most likely to see shocks, a la Part.

[Panda]

Yesterday's results:
Robert Hughes 2-4 Gary Anderson
Tony O'Shea 4-0 Edwin Max
Simon Whitlock 2-4 Darryl Fitton
Alan Norris 0-4 Scott Waites

With Whitlock going out, it means we are guaranteed a first-time finalist in the top half of the draw. There are 4 past champions in the bottom half.

[-Big Dan-]

John Walton is looking very much like whitewashing Mark Webster in their 2nd round match.

And indeed he has! A great 126 finish on the bull has sent the reigning World Champion packing.

[Panda]

Easily the shock of the championship and it throws the draw wide open. That was the best I've seen John Boy play for years.

Quarter-finals:
Gary Anderson v Tony O'Shea
Scott Waites v Darryl Fitton
John Walton v Ted Hankey
Martin Adams v Gary Robson