Las-vegas-desert-classic tagged darts articles

  • Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 4

    THE world’s top four players will contest the semi-finals and final of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII on Sunday. Phil Taylor, James Wade, Raymond van Barneveld and John Part progressed to the last four of the Desert Classic with victories in Saturday’s quarter-finals at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Taylor, the defending champion, overcame a strong challenge from Gary Anderson to book his semi-final spot with a 10-6 victory. Scottish qualifier Anderson led 3-1 early on, but a relentless Taylor performance saw him pull through for victory by winning four of the final five legs, averaging almost 104 in the process. Taylor will face 2006 champion John Part in the first semi-final, after the Canadian saw off Terry Jenkins 10-8. Jenkins battled back from 7-2 down to trail only 8-7 before Part sealed victory with a strong performance. Raymond van Barneveld stormed past Mervyn King 10-1 to book his last four spot and remain on course to repeat his victory of 2007, hitting a 103 average in a sensational display.

    Van Barneveld meets world number two James Wade in Sunday’s other semi, with the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion seeing off Adrian Lewis 10-6. The results mean that, for the first time in the history of the PDC, the top four seeds from an event will contest the semi-finals, while Sunday’s champion will walk away with £30,000 prize money. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII Quarter-Finals John Part 10-8 Terry Jenkins Raymond van Barneveld 10-1 Mervyn King Phil Taylor 10-6 Gary Anderson James Wade 10-6 Adrian Lewis Sunday July 5 – 11am start Semi-Finals (best of 21 legs) Phil Taylor v John Part James Wade v Raymond van Barneveld followed by Final (best of 25 legs) JOHN PART 10-8 TERRY JENKINS JOHN PART’S quest for a second PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title continued with a gritty 10-8 win over Terry Jenkins to send him into Sunday’s semi-finals. The Canadian continued his strong form at the Mandalay Bay Resort to progress to the last four despite a strong comeback from Jenkins. The 2007 runner-up trailed 7-2 before hitting back to 8-7 down, only for Part to jump over the finishing line. Part stated his intentions in the opening leg, taking out a fine 112 finish to break throw immediately before posting a 78 checkout and double 18 for a 14-darter to move 3-0 up. Jenkins took out 88 in the fourth to get off the mark, and double top pulled him back to 3-2 without either player having missed a dart at a double. Part returned from the break to reel off four successive legs, twice punishing misses from Jenkins as well as hitting maximums in three legs. An 11-darter ensured a 7-2 cushion, although Jenkins landed a 13-darter to stall the momentum and then hit a 180 and a 121 finish in pulling back to 7-4. Double four from Part gave him the 12th leg, but Jenkins took out 92 in the next and then set up double top with a timely 140 in the 14th. The pair traded 180s in the next, but a missed double 16 from Part allowed Jenkins to continue his fightback and reduce the gap to one leg. This time it was Part who found an extra gear, hitting 168 to leave 16, which he took out to move a leg away from victory. Jenkins posted his fifth maximum of the game in taking the next leg to pull back to 9-8, but Part’s sixth 180 proved crucial in helping him set up double four for victory. “It’s been a good week so far and I’m really looking forward to Sunday,” said Part. “My form have been up and down at times but I have to not kick myself when I’m down, and I’m doing that at the moment. “I got out to 7-2 but Terry was like a dog chasing a bone, but the lead I got was just too much for him to overcome in the end.” RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 10-1 MERVYN KING RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD stormed into the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-1 destruction of Mervyn King at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The Dutchman’s bid to win the Desert Classic for a second time in three years continued with a sweeping victory to condemn King to a quarter-final exit for the second successive year. Van Barneveld produced the highest average of the tournament so far at 103.23, and restricted King to just one leg with a stunning display. He secured two breaks of throw immediately in the match with 13-darters as he established a 3-0 lead, with King twice missing the bullseye early on in his first chances. Van Barneveld landed a 180 and double top to take the fourth leg, with double six giving him a fifth before further misses from King allowed the Dutch star to post double 16 for a 6-0 cushion. Scores of 134 and 180 pulled King clear in leg seven, and he landed double 16 for a 13-darter in getting off the mark. He also left 40 after 12 darts in the next, but van Barenveld took out 56 for a 14-darter to move 7-1 up. Two further 14-darters shattered King’s comeback hopes and took van Barneveld to the brink of victory, which was sealed in 13 darts with a fourth 180 of the game and double eight. “In the first couple of legs Mervyn had a few chances and I took mine to go 5-0 up,” said van Barneveld. “10-1 was a great result but I never thought it would be that easy. I’m happy with this win and hopefully I can play well again on Sunday.” PHIL TAYLOR 10-6 GARY ANDERSON PHIL TAYLOR survived a fright against Gary Anderson before securing his semi-final spot at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-6 win. The Scot showed his quality by taking a 3-1 lead against the defending champion at the Mandalay Bay Resort, only to eventually succumb to a relentless Taylor performance. Taylor kicked off the match with a 180, winning the opening leg in 13 darts only for Anderson to reply with a maximum of his own in taking the second. Anderson then punished two missed darts at double top to break throw in the third, and took out 106 for a 3-1 cushion. Taylor replied with a 12-darter, sealed with a 92 finish, before breaking back to level and then land double top for a 4-3 advantage. Anderson stepped in to square the match at four-all after Taylor failed to leave himself a double, taking out 84 on double 11. Taylor recovered to land double ten for the ninth leg, in 13 darts, before defying another Anderson 180 to break throw and take a key 6-4 lead. Two further narrow misses on double top from Taylor gave Anderson a chance in leg 11, which he took in 12 darts, before paying the penalty for two wayward doubles of his own in the next. Taylor hit back immediately on double eight and landed the same bed for an 8-5 lead to finally gain breathing space. Anderson produced a two-dart 84 checkout to reduce the gap, and set up a potential 61 finish in the next with a 180 – only for Taylor to fire in a 14-darter to go a leg away from victory. Both players landed 180s in the next, but a further 140 from Taylor edged him ahead and he landed double top for a place in the semis against John Part. “Gary’s a great player,” said Taylor. “He’s getting fed up of losing and I think he’s going to be a big force. “If there’s one chink in his armour, his scoring is great but he misses some darts at doubles sometimes and if he puts that right he can be a cracking player. “I had to put him under pressure and match him score for score. You have to raise your game to beat these players and I did that against Gary.” Taylor is hoping to claim a fifth Desert Classic title on Sunday, and added: “The main thing is being in the semi-finals but John has come through well this week and I’ll look forward to it. “He’s a fantastic finisher but I’ll get stuck in tomorrow and hopefully I can come out of the day with another title.” JAMES WADE 10-6 ADRIAN LEWIS JAMES WADE won through to the semi-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 10-6 win over Adrian Lewis. The world number two remains on course for a second successive Desert Classic final following the victory against his fellow young gun. Lewis had produced his best displays this year to defeat Vincent van der Voort and Peter Manley and reach the quarters, but was failed by missed doubles at crucial stages. Wade kicked off the game with a 104 finish to break Lewis’ throw and then doubled his lead on double ten. A 121 bullseye finish got Lewis off the mark, with Wade going 3-1 up in 13 darts as the pair traded 180s before the Stoke star posted another maximum in winning leg five. Wade took out double top to win two of the next three legs, but Lewis landed two 180s in an 11-darter to pull back to 5-4. Wade denied him the chance to level with another tops finish to move 6-4 up, before they once more traded maximums in the 11th leg, which Lewis edged on double eight. It was, though, to be as close as he would get as Wade took the next two legs on double ten and then punished Lewis’ misses to take out double six for a 9-5 cushion. Double 19 from Lewis kept him in the game, but Wade was too strong in the next and took out double ten to progress to a last four clash with Raymond van Barneveld. “It wasn’t a vintage performance but Adrian missed a lot of doubles,” said Wade. “It was a battle and I came through it. “I can’t wait to play Raymond, it will be a good game and also a tough game.”

    July 5 2009, 2:37am

  • Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 3

    PHIL TAYLOR produced the first whitewash of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic, defeating Dennis Priestley in booking a quarter-final spot at the Mandalay Bay Resort. Defending champion Taylor showed no mercy against his great rival to restrict Priestley to only two darts at a double in a superb showing. He will now take on Gary Anderson in Saturday’s quarter-finals, with the Scot seeing off Wes Newton to continue his strong Desert Classic debut. Raymond van Barneveld, the 2007 champion, defeated Co Stompe 8-2 in their all-Dutch battle and narrowly missed double 12 for a nine-darter in a fine display. The Dutchman will meet number six seed Mervyn King in the last eight, with the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts runner-up producing a 13-darter to win the deciding leg of his clash with Kevin Painter. Two ten-darters were not enough for Andy Hamilton to overcome world number two James Wade, who progressed to the quarters with an 8-4 victory in their clash.

    Wade will take on Adrian Lewis in an exciting quarter-final battle, after the youngster gained revenge for defeats to Peter Manley in Las Vegas over the last two years with a professional 8-1 victory. Canadian John Part remains on course for a second Desert Classic title after an 8-7 win over Jelle Klaasen in a game which saw the lead change hands four times, and he will meet Terry Jenkins on Saturday. Jenkins showed the form which took him to the 2007 final in Las Vegas with a 102.6 average in seeing off Colin Lloyd 8-3. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII Second Round James Wade 8-4 Andy Hamilton Phil Taylor 8-0 Dennis Priestley Adrian Lewis 8-1 Peter Manley John Part 8-7 Jelle Klaasen Gary Anderson 8-3 Wes Newton Raymond van Barneveld 8-2 Co Stompe Terry Jenkins 8-3 Colin Lloyd Mervyn King 8-7 Kevin Painter Quarter-Finals Saturday, 11am start (7pm BST) John Part v Terry Jenkins Raymond van Barneveld v Mervyn King Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson James Wade v Adrian Lewis Best of 19 legs JAMES WADE 8-4 ANDY HAMILTON JAMES WADE powered through to the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic, seeing off Andy Hamilton 8-4 at the Mandalay Bay Resort. The world number two followed up his win over Phillip Hazel on Thursday with a strong performance to overcome Hamilton, who hit two ten-dart legs but fell to defeat. Hamilton started well, kicking off the match with a 180 and holding his throw for a 2-1 lead before Wade landed double top for the second time in the game to level. The left-hander then found another gear, producing a superb 11-darter to break throw and then also win the next two legs to push 5-2 up with maximums in three successive legs. Hamilton responded with a ten-darter in leg eight and another in the tenth to reduce the gap to 6-4 – but crucially missed four darts at a double in the next. Wade stepped in once more on tops to lead 7-4, before wrapping up victory and a last eight spot with a 13-darter on double 14. “Andy missed a few shots and I took advantage,” said Wade. “I think I can play better and know I’ll have to if I’m going to win this but I’m enjoying the event and looking forward to my next game.” PHIL TAYLOR 8-0 DENNIS PRIESTLEY PHIL TAYLOR ruthlessly whitewashed Dennis Priestley at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic – and was left in tears following the emotional victory. The pair have enjoyed a great rivalry over 20 years at the top of the sport, but Taylor showed no sentiment in destroying Priestley’s hopes in the event. Taylor only allowed Priestley to have two darts at a double in the contest as he remained on course for a fifth Desert Classic title. “I didn’t feel comfortable but I had to do it,” said a tearful Taylor. “Dennis didn’t play as well as he could do and I don’t like beating him like that. “He’d have done the same to me and I had a job to do, but it is very difficult to beat a fellow pro 8-0. He’s a great guy and I feel for him.” Taylor landed a 180 with his second visit to the oche, and took the first leg on double 16 before landing two 13-darters to move 3-0 up. Opening scores of 140 and 180 in the fourth sent him clear, with double top extending the lead before he took advantage of a missed dart from Priestley at the same bed in the next to lead 5-0. Priestley fired in a 180 in the sixth leg, but Taylor denied him a chance to get off the mark by landing double four, and another 14-dart leg sent the Stoke legend to the brink of victory. Back-to-back 137 scores from Taylor set him up on double 16 in the next, which he landed at the second time of asking to ensure his quarter-final berth. ADRIAN LEWIS 8-1 PETER MANLEY ADRIAN LEWIS stormed past Peter Manley 8-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. Manley had defeated Lewis in the past two years of the Desert Classic, but the youngster showed maturity and class in a professional display. He hit five maximums and reeled off eight successive legs to seal victory, after Manley had made the ideal start. The 2003 champion punished two missed doubles from Lewis to take the first leg against the throw on his favoured double top. He also had a chance to take the second, but missed tops before Lewis took out 121 on the bullseye to level. Lewis kicked off the third with a maximum and landed double top to lead 2-1, before matching that in the next leg to break Manley’s throw and move two legs clear. He also posted a 180 in a third successive leg before punishing a missed double top – for a 118 finish – from Manley to go 4-1 up. Two further misses from Manley allowed Lewis to take out double eight for a 5-1 lead, and a fine two-dart 83 checkout further extended his cushion. Lewis moved a leg away from victory with a 14-darter in the next, and landed a fifth 180 and double five to wrap up the win. JOHN PART 8-7 JELLE KLAASEN JOHN PART won a final-leg shoot-out with Jelle Klaasen to remain on course for a second PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title. The 2006 champion prevailed in the deciding leg of an epic at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, with the lead changing hands four times in a see-saw battle. Part edged the early legs to lead 2-1, before Klaasen took the fourth on double 16 and then secured the game’s first break of throw with a two-dart 76 finish. Double four moved the Dutchman 4-2 up, but four missed doubles in the next allowed Part to step in on double nine. He then kicked off the next leg with a 180 and took out 100 to level the game in 12 darts, before double 18 moved him 5-4 up. Klaasen took the next two, including a two-dart 96 finish, to edge back in front, only for a missed bullseye to allow Part to level once more. A 14-darter put the Canadian 7-6 up, but Klaasen took leg 14 on double two to send the tie into a decider. Klaasen landed two 140s to edge ahead, but missed the bullseye for an 84 checkout to win the match and Part stepped up to take out 80 on double ten to progress. “It was very tough, a great match,” said Part. “It’s always hard to play against him and the game was very even all the way through – I’m lucky he didn’t hit the bull! “He hits big finishes and I thought he would get the bull, but fortunately he missed and I took my chance.” GARY ANDERSON 8-3 WES NEWTON GARY ANDERSON set up a tasty quarter-final with Phil Taylor at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with an 8-3 victory over Wes Newton. The Scottish star followed up Wednesday’s win over Wayne Mardle by picking up a strong victory against Newton, who never recovered from going 4-0 down. Anderson kicked off the match with a 110 checkout, and moved 3-0 up with a trio of double 18 finishes in establishing an early cushion. Scores of 140 and 180 pushed him clear in leg four, before he landed double 12 for a 13-darter in taking another leg. He also missed six darts to go 5-0 up, with Newton eventually taking out double eight to get his name on the scoresheet. Double top saw Anderson restore a four-leg lead, and he landed a 180 in the next leg before hitting double two to edge clear. The pair traded maximum in the eighth leg, but it was Anderson to took out 90 in two darts for an 11-dart finish and a 7-1 cushion. Newton won the next two legs to maintain hope of a comeback, but three missed doubles in the 11th leg gave Anderson his chance for victory, which he took on tops. “It wasn’t a great game and we were both a bit scrappy but I’m glad to get through,” said Anderson. “Wes missed a few doubles and I took my chances. “I can’t wait to play Phil on Saturday now. He sets the standard and I know I’ll have to take whatever chances I get against him too.” RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 8-2 CO STOMPE RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD narrowly missed a nine-darter during an 8-2 win over Co Stompe in the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. The 2007 champion progressed to the quarter-finals with a comprehensive win over his fellow countryman, which almost featured his third televised perfect leg. He led 5-2 before opening the eighth leg with back-to-back 180s, before landing treble 20 and treble 19 – only to land his dart at double 12 just on the wrong side of the wire. Although that denied him a £10,000 bonus, he went on to seal victory and remain on course to challenge for the £30,000 title on Sunday. “I hit the nine-darter in the World Championship and have done another this year too so it would have been nice to have one,” said van Barneveld. “It would have been great but I’m just happy to get the win.” He made an electric start, opening the match with a 180 and taking out 113 for the first leg, before kicking off leg two with another maximum. Both players wasted a host of chances to take the leg before van Barneveld landed double two, and a double 16 finish in the next put him 3-0 up. Stompe took out double top for a 13-darter in getting off the mark, only for van Barneveld to reply with a fourth maximum and then a two-dart 76 finish. Stompe hit a 180 and an 84 finish in cutting the deficit to 4-2, only to then miss five darts to win leg seven as van Barneveld edged away. Although the nine-darter went begging in the next, van Barneveld took out double three for an 11-dart finish, and double eight put him a leg away from the win. He then landed another 14-darter on double 16 to wrap up the win and a quarter-final spot. “Co is a great player but he missed a couple of doubles and let me in and I’m happy with the win,” added van Barneveld. “I’m my own worst enemy sometimes but if I can nearly hit a nine-darter, and if I can believe in myself, there’s no reason I can’t win this event.” TERRY JENKINS 8-3 COLIN LLOYD TERRY JENKINS booked a quarter-final berth at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a fine 8-3 win over Colin Lloyd. Jenkins showed the form which took him to the 2007 Desert Classic final with a 102 average to see off the former world number one. Jenkins kicked off the match with a 180 and a 13-dart finish, and then broke Lloyd’s throw on double ten before taking out 124 on the bullseye for a 3-0 lead. He also missed two darts for the fourth leg as Lloyd landed double four to get off the mark, but he was left waiting on a finish once again as double top put Jenkins 4-1 up. Lloyd landed tops to take the next two legs, but his hopes of levelling the game were shattered by a brilliant change of gear by Jenkins. He landed two 180s in an 11-darter to lead 5-3, and then took out 135 on double 12 for the ninth leg. Lloyd landed a 180 in the next, but a 71 finish edged Jenkins 7-3 up, and he then landed double eight for the victory. MERVYN KING 8-7 KEVIN PAINTER MERVYN KING edged out Kevin Painter in a deciding leg thriller to reach the last eight of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. The Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts runner-up continued his bid for the Desert Classic title with the narrowest of wins – denying Painter a dart for victory in a see-saw contest. King started brilliantly, taking out 131 against the throw in the opening leg and then finishes of double 16 and double eight to lead 3-0. He missed three darts at double top to extend that further, with Painter getting on the scoreboard on double four. He then took out a brilliant 146 finish and a 13-darter to level, before punishing five misses from King to lead for the first time at 4-3. King levelled on double ten and landed a maximum in the next, with double 16 edging him back in front. He then replied to a 180 from Painter to land a 171 that set up double 16 in the next for a 6-4 cushion, only for Painter to hit back in 14 darts with an 82 finish. A third maximum of the game from King helped him into a 7-5 lead and to the brink of a second successive Desert Classic quarter-final. Painter, battling for his status in the competition, took out 84 for a 14-darter and then 120 to level and send the match into a decider. With the throw he opened with a 140, but three ton-plus scores from King set him up for the finish, and he landed double top for a 13-darter and victory as Painter waited on 40.

    Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 3

    July 4 2009, 3:26am

  • Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 2

    RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD and James Wade began their PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic campaigns with victories on Thursday, while Adrian Lewis edged an epic against Vincent van der Voort. Van Barneveld, the 2007 Desert Classic champion, produced an assured display to see off American Bill Davis 6-2 at the Mandalay Bay Resort. He will now take on Co Stompe in an all-Dutch second round clash on Friday, while Wade meets Andy Hamilton. World number two Wade, the reigning Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion, opened his title challenge with a nervy 6-3 win over New Zealander Phillip Hazel. Wade led 2-0 before the rookie levelled, but the left-hander pulled clear from three-all to take victory. The game of the day saw Adrian Lewis defeat Vincent van der Voort 6-5 in a thriller, with the young Stoke ace taking out 164 in the deciding leg to snatch victory. Lewis faces Peter Manley for a third successive year in Las Vegas on Friday, after the 2003 champion overcame in-form Mark Walsh 6-4.

    Walsh was joined in exiting the competition by Colin Osborne, who reached the final of the Blue Square UK Open in June but went down 6-4 to Stompe. Premier League runner-up Mervyn King overcame debutant Louis Blundell 6-3, with a 6-2 win for Kevin Painter against Darin Young ensuring they meet in round two. The remaining American hopes in the tournament were ended on Thursday, with California’s Chris White following Davis and Young out of the event with a 6-1 loss to Hamilton. The second round takes place on Friday, including the clash between defending champion Phil Taylor and long-term rival Dennis Priestley. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic First Round Mervyn King 6-3 Louis Blundell Andy Hamilton 6-1 Chris White Peter Manley 6-4 Mark Walsh Co Stompe 6-4 Colin Osborne Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Bill Davis James Wade 6-3 Phillip Hazel Adrian Lewis 6-5 Vincent van der Voort Kevin Painter 6-2 Darin Young Second Round Order of Play James Wade v Andy Hamilton Phil Taylor v Dennis Priestley Adrian Lewis v Peter Manley John Part v Jelle Klaasen Wes Newton v Gary Anderson Raymond van Barneveld v Co Stompe Terry Jenkins v Colin Lloyd Mervyn King v Kevin Painter Best of 15 legs Play begins at 10.30am local time (6.30pm BST) MERVYN KING 6-3 LOUIS BLUNDELL MERVYN KING ended the hopes of rookie Louis Blundell at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 6-3 first round victory. King, beginning his third Desert Classic campaign, overcame some early nerves on the doubles to progress to the last 16 at the Mandalay Bay Resort. He missed two darts to take the first leg against the throw, before debutant Blundell landed double 16 to get off the mark. King also missed at double 16 in the second leg before hitting the same bed to level, and matched that in the fourth to level once more as the next two legs went with throw. King also missed three darts to take leg five, with Blundell going into the break 3-2 up. King levelled once more, and then secured the game’s first break by stepping in on double 16. That was crucially followed by an 11-dart leg as King pushed 5-3 up, before he punished three further misses from Blundell to secure victory on double four. ANDY HAMILTON 6-1 CHRIS WHITE ANDY HAMILTON kicked off his PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic challenge with a 6-1 win over American ace Chris White. Hamilton, a quarter-finalist in last year’s Desert Classic, never looked in trouble after the California-based qualifier let him take a 4-0 lead. Hamilton broke throw in the opening leg on double 16, and punished a missed double top in the second to take out double four. Stoke star Hamilton then posted a 180 in winning the third, and double eight put him four legs clear. White stepped in to get off the mark in the next, following three misses from Hamilton, although the Englishman won leg six to move 5-1 up. He then secured his second round spot on double ten, after White allowed four darts to continue the comeback slip away. PETER MANLEY 6-4 MARK WALSH PETER MANLEY celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary in style with a 6-4 win over Mark Walsh at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. Manley married wife Crissy in Las Vegas back in 2004, and progression to the last 16 of this year’s event proved an ideal present as he picked up a key victory. Walsh has recently replaced Manley in the top 16, forcing the 2003 Desert Classic champion to come through the qualifiers just to win a place in the main event. However, he gained revenge over Walsh with a fine display, living up to his “One Dart” nickname with some clinical finishing. He took out 100 to break Walsh’s throw in the opening leg, although the in-form Hertforshire star took out a superb 150 finish of treble 20, bullseye and double top to level. Walsh also landed a 180 and a two-dart 68 finish to lead 2-1, only for Manley to produce a 106 checkout and a bullseye finish when on 90 to push himself ahead. Double top moved Manley 4-2 up, and he also took led eight on double 12 to push a leg away from victory. Manley landed a maximum to set up a finish in the next leg, only for Walsh to land double top and stay in the contest. However, a superb 171 from Manley left him 24, and he landed double 12 to progress to the second round. “It’s hard having to qualify but I’m really happy to win,” said Manley. “I’m enjoying this event and looking forward to the second round. “I love darts and everything it’s given to me, every player can make a good living out of the game and it’s great to be a part of it.” CO STOMPE 6-4 COLIN OSBORNE CO STOMPE upset Colin Osborne 6-4 to move into the second round of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. Osborne recently reached the final of the Blue Square UK Open and also won a Players Championship, but never found that form in stuttering to defeat. Stompe had won through the qualifiers for a second successive year, and set up an all-Dutch round two match on Friday against Raymond van Barneveld. The game’s first two legs were shared before Stompe followed up a double 12 finish by landing double ten to punish four misses from Osborne and take a 3-1 lead. Osborne stepped in to win the next against the throw before levelling, before the duo shared legs seven and eight to remain locked at four-all. A 171 from Stompe edged him clear in leg nine, with a 180 from Osborne setting up a finish too late as the Dutchman took out double eight. Derby star Osborne set up a potential nine-darter in the next, hitting successive 180s only to miss the seventh dart and let Stompe in to seal the win with a 13-darter on double eight. RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 6-2 Bill Davis RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD made a polished start to his bid for a second PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title with a 6-2 win over Bill Davis. The Dutchman has looked out of sorts for much of 2009, but swept aside the American’s challenge at Mandalay Bay. He took the first leg comfortably and then landed a 110 finish in doubling the advantage. Davis landed scores of 140 and 180 on his way to leg three, which he won on double ten, only to miss a dart at double 16 to level. Van Barneveld stepped in to hit double four, and then moved 4-1 on double 16 before a missed double 11 in the next – for a 124 finish – allowed Davis to reduce the arrears. However, the Dutchman kicked off leg seven with a maximum and moved a leg away from the win on double 16, and punished misses from the American to send himself into the next round on double nine. JAMES WADE 6-3 PHILLIP HAZEL JAMES WADE survived a scare against rookie Phillip Hazel before second his place in round two of the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic. World number two Wade, the recent Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts champion, roared out of the blocks with 180s in the first two legs before allowing qualifier Hazel to level and provide him with nervous moments before securing a 6-3 win. Wade kicked off the match with a 13-darter, and landed a second 180 in the next as he established a 2-0 cushion. Missed doubles in the next allowed Hazel to get off the mark on double 18, and the Kiwi hit a 180 in taking the fourth to square the game. Wade fired in a 14-darter to edge the fifth, but a missed double top allowed Hazel in to level matters again on double eight. Wade, last year’s runner-up, landed two double top finishes to move clear at 5-3, and landed a 180 in the next before sealing the win on double nine. ADRIAN LEWIS 6-5 VINCENT VAN DER VOORT ADRIAN LEWIS produced the shot of his career to take out 164 in the deciding leg of his thrilling PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic first round clash with Vincent van der Voort. In a match which fully lived up to the pre-game hype, the quick-fire duo went all the way to an 11th leg at the Mandalay Bay Resort. Van der Voort looked to have taken control when he left 92 after 12 darts with his opponent on 164 – only for Lewis to produce two treble 19s and a bullseye finish. He now takes on Peter Manley in round two on Friday, with the pair meeting for a third successive year in the event, and Lewis admits he will be on a high. “That was the best shot of my career, without a doubt,” said Lewis. “Vincent was sat on 92 so to take out 164 under that pressure is brilliant. “I’m feeling really confident and if I can play like that throughout the week there’s no reason I can’t win this. “It was an amazing last leg and a really good game. Vincent played really well and I was pleased with my grouping around the treble 20 as well as my finishing.” The game’s first four legs all went with the throw before Lewis took out double top in the fifth to edge 3-2 up. Van der Voort landed maximums in the next two to edge himself back ahead, only for Lewis to level on double 16 and go 5-4 up on tops. He missed two match darts in the tenth, with a superb 101 finish from the Dutchman sending the game into a decider. Lewis landed his first maximum of the contest in leg 11, before producing his sensational showpiece to snatch victory. KEVIN PAINTER 6-2 DARIN YOUNG KEVIN PAINTER ended American hopes at the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic with a 6-2 win over Darin Young. Painter set up a tasty second round clash against Mervyn King at the Mandalay Bay Resort with a polished display. Young kicked off the match with two 180s in an 11-darter, only for Painter to reply in 13 darts to break back and then take the third leg on tops. Young defied a Painter 180 to win the fourth, but Painter took out double five to regain the lead and then tops to move 4-2 up. Both players traded further maximums in leg seven, but Painter’s double eight crucially moved him a leg away from victory. Young had his chances in the next, but four missed doubles allowed Painter to land 174 in setting up a double 16 game shot.

    Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Day 2

    July 3 2009, 5:02am

  • Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Preview

    The PDC circus hits Las Vegas on Wednesday with the Desert Classic held at the Mandalay Resort and Casino, more famous for its Shark Reef Aquarium than arrowsmiths. Screened live on Sky from 7pm UK time it kicks off early morning local time and is a far cry from the raucous Premier League experience. A much flatter show, think Budweiser which has been lying too long in a hot beer garden. As for the crowd, try to envisage the Rocky Horror show add in some Vegas eccentricity and you will be close. This is the last year the tournament will run on Sky, not too much of a surprise as many view it as the least enticing proposition on the Sky darting calendar. Overseas costs have played a part as many leading global companies tighten their belts. As I write, around 190 players have just battled it out for 12 qualifying places to join the PDC’s top 16 in the Order of Merit and 4 North American Order of Merit qualifiers. Look for players fighting to stay in the top 16 or attempting to get into the lucrative top 16 as in past years it has been known for one or two players not to be 100% motivated at the tournament, some spending more time on the casino tables than on the practice board. Never a winning strategy with an 11am start. Round one matches are over the lightning quick best of eleven legs, leaving favourites susceptible to shocks. In 2006 – six of the world’s top ten players crashed out at this stage, leaving favourite layers in clover on the exchanges. There are shocks every year in the Desert Classic and the best approach for the opening 16 matches is to look for vulnerable favourites. Much will depend on the draw, though seeded players who may be worth opposing look to be the likes of John Part, Terry Jenkins, Colin Lloyd and Wayne Mardle. Part has a good record in this event, taking the title in 2006 and getting to the final in 2003. The bonus for the big Canadian is the closer proximity of this event rather than the arduous travel time he has to endure on the UK circuit. Unfortunately Part has to arrest a slide in form if he is to hold his position in the upper echelons of the PDC Order of Merit. Terry Jenkins has admitted himself he often finds the first game of any tournament particularly difficult and he could be prone to an upset. Colin Lloyd has really struggled in televised tournaments over the last couple of years although his game has been in pretty good shape on the floor recently. Wayne Mardle is a player you could not trust with counterfeit dollars and his game will have to pick up if he is to retain his rank among the world’s elite. The first round with the race to six legs is also where the “Guvnor” Phil Taylor has most likelihood of a shock defeat. From the qualifiers, the players whom the top 16 will be looking to avoid will be Gary Anderson, who should be in the top 5 of the Order of Merit, sooner rather than later. Simon Whitlock, Louis Blundell and an on fire Jamie Caven. Throw in any of those dangerous unseeded players against any of the aforementioned vulnerable top 16 players and you may have a bet. Keep stakes on the small side for Rounds 1 and 2, and up them accordingly as the format lengthens from the quarter-final onwards. With the draw still to be made, it is unclear how many subsidiary markets such as most match 180s, highest checkout etc will be available, so we will have a look at the outright market. The big question for punters to decide is whether they are a Taylor backer or layer. There are reports that he has been suffering from a back injury but he has won this tournament four out of the seven occasions on which it has been played and in the recent UK Open he was simply untouchable. He is a best priced 4-6 for the tournament. Raymond van Barneveld was originally a standout 16-1 with Coral’s, the biggest odds seen for the Dutchman for years for any event though he has now been trimmed to 12-1. He won the tournament in 2006 and reached the final in 2007 but there are many questions to be asked about his game, from constant changing of darts to holding his head in his hands after defeat. Should he find the form he is capable of, you should have a free back to lay bet running for you in the latter stages. Other players who must have a shout are Gary Anderson (14-1), James Wade (8-1) and Mark Walsh (28-1). Anderson is a serial tournament winner waiting to happen. Firstly he has to overcome the massive hurdle that is Taylor and also prove that he can win a TV major on his new circuit. The Scotsman is also not known to be too fond of an early alarm call. Wade has been quiet of late with regards to playing time and probably quiet on the practice front too, but he showed with winning the Premier League after not picking up a dart for several weeks that there is no substitute for natural talent. Mark Walsh is simply exuding confidence at present, has a rock-solid throw and has already beaten the world’s best players this year. One thing’s for sure with the standard of players lining up in Las Vegas, this will be one hot betting heat.

    July 1 2009, 6:30am

  • Party Poker Desert Classic 09 Draw

    PHIL TAYLOR will begin the defence of his PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title against Jamie Caven on Wednesday. Number one seed Taylor, who picked up the Desert Classic trophy for a fourth time in 2008, drew in-form Derby star Caven for his first round clash at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. Two-time World Champion Dennis Priestley will kick off the tournament when he takes on Colin Monk, who was one of the 12 qualifiers to come through two days of heats on Sunday and Monday. Tuesday’s Las Vegas Players Championship winner Ronnie Baxter, who defeated Taylor 6-2 in the final, will meet Dutch ace Jelle Klaasen, while Colin Lloyd drew Lowestoft-based qualifier Peter Wright – a player with dyed pink hair nicknamed “Snakebite”. John Part, the 2006 Desert Classic winner, will take on California’s Scott Burnett in an all-north American battle, while two-time semi-finalist Wes Newton drew Alan Tabern. Australia’s Simon Whitlock takes on number five seed Terry Jenkins, while Wayne Mardle drew Scottish qualifier Gary Anderson.

    Thursday will see the remaining eight first round games take place, including 2007 winner Raymond van Barneveld against American Bill Davis. 2003 Desert Classic champion Peter Manley meets in-form Mark Walsh, while world number two James Wade drew New Zealander Phillip Hazel. Colin Osborne, recently the Blue Square UK Open runner-up, faces Holland’s Co Stompe, while another Dutch qualifier, Vincent van der Voort, meets Adrian Lewis. Mervyn King will open Thursday’s games, taking on Chorley-based rookie Louis Blundell, while Andy Hamilton faces California’s Chris White. Kevin Painter’s meeting with top USA star Darin Young will complete the first round games. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic VIII Tournament Draw Bracket Phil Taylor (1) v Jamie Caven Dennis Priestley v Colin Monk Alan Tabern (8) v Wes Newton Wayne Mardle v Gary Anderson John Part (4) v Scott Burnett Ronnie Baxter v Jelle Klaasen Terry Jenkins (5) v Simon Whitlock Colin Lloyd v Peter Wright James Wade (2) v Phillip Hazel Andy Hamilton v Chris White Adrian Lewis (7) v Vincent van der Voort Mark Walsh v Peter Manley Raymond van Barneveld (3) v Bill Davis Colin Osborne v Co Stompe Mervyn King (6) v Louis Blundell Kevin Painter v Darin Young First Round Schedule of Play Wednesday July 1 (11am start, 7pm BST) Dennis Priestley v Colin Monk Alan Tabern v Wes Newton Colin Lloyd v Peter Wright Ronnie Baxter v Jelle Klaasen Terry Jenkins v Simon Whitlock Phil Taylor v Jamie Caven Wayne Mardle v Gary Anderson John Part v Scott Burnett Thursday July 2 (11am start, 7pm BST) Mervyn King v Louis Blundell Andy Hamilton v Chris White Mark Walsh v Peter Manley Colin Osborne v Co Stompe Raymond van Barneveld v Bill Davis James Wade v Phillip Hazel Adrian Lewis v Vincent van der Voort Kevin Painter v Darin Young All games are the best of 11 legs

    July 1 2009, 3:29am

  • Desert Classic Monday Qualifiers

    FORMER champion Peter Manley was amongst the final six qualifiers for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic on Monday. Manley, the 2003 winner, had to enter the qualifiers at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas after dropping outside the world’s top 16 recently. However, he bounced back from the disappointment of a defeat to Shane O’Connor on Sunday by winning through 24 hours later. His victories on Monday included a revenge win over O’Connor, at the semi-final stage, before he whitewashed Holland’s Bryan de Hoog to win his place in the first round draw. Wes Newton, twice a Desert Classic semi-finalist, booked his spot in this year’s event with a 5-1 defeat of Roland Scholten in his deciding game.

    Newton also saw off Graham Warburton, Mark Carter and Paul Lim on the day, with the latter pushing the Fleetwood ace all the way to a deciding leg. Scotland’s Gary Anderson secured a Desert Classic debut, overcoming Sam Rooney 5-1 in the final and also knocking out number four seed Mark Dudbridge. Colin Monk responded to a second round exit on Sunday to win his first Desert Classic appearance with a 5-3 defeat of Canadian Ken MacNeil. He also defeated John Murray, Kevin Dowling and Denis Ovens to earn his place in the main event, just weeks after hitting a nine-darter in a Players Championship in Barnsley. New Zealander Phillip Hazel will make his first-ever televised appearance after condemning Barrie Bates to defeat in the final game for a second successive day. Bates lost to Australian Simon Whitlock on Sunday and went down 5-2 to Hazel a day later, as the 53-year-old joiner from Napier progressed to the big stage. Another player to ensure a first full appearance in front of the Sky Sports cameras is Chorley’s Louis Blundell, whose only other televised event was the UK Open in Bolton last month. Blundell was a 5-3 winner against Mark Lawrence in his deciding game to secure a spot in the Desert Classic. American Ray Carver took out 108 to defeat former Lakeside Champion Mark Webster in a deciding leg, only to lose a nine-leg clash with Blundell in the semi-finals. The draw for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic will be made on Tuesday evening, while a £30,000 Las Vegas Players Championship event will be held during Tuesday. The first round of the Desert Classic, which begins on Wednesday, sees the PDC’s top 16 drawn against the 12 qualifiers from Sunday and Monday and four leading north Americans. The event will then progress in a bracket format, with the top eight players seeded. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic Monday Qualifier First Round Board One Peter Manley (1) Bye David Flowers Bye James Barton 5-2 Ron Peppers Chris Cooper 5-0 Geoff Daniels Board Two Steve Brown (24) Bye Shane O’Connor 5-2 Jon Archer John Kuczynski 5-0 Joe Formica Dan Zimmerman 5-4 Gary Barnett Board Three Andy Smith (7) Bye Kevin Harris 5-0 Neil McKnight Bryan de Hoog 5-0 Andy Bradbury Ben Burton 5-0 Andy Askey Board Four Jan van der Rassel (18) Bye Joachim Koessler 5-0 Preston Fox Daz Horler 5-1 Mark Nielsen Brian Rowe 5-4 Chris Goodband Board Five Robert Thornton (2) Bye Anthony Eugenia Bye Mark Stephenson 5-1 Pat Breithaupt Andy Fordham 5-2 Gregory Coburn Board Six Jason Clark (23) Bye Larry Butler 5-1 Robert Race Phillip Hazel 5-0 Chris White Aaron Turner 5-4 Robert Heckman Board Seven Barrie Bates (8) Bye Lee Williams 5-2 Steve Gooch John Quantock 5-0 Adrian W Lewis Steve Hine 5-1 Bernard Prenter Board Eight Gary Mawson (17) Bye Steve Hogan 5-4 Steve Carey Robbie Newland 5-2 Gary Storey Scott Henning 5-4 Pete Riehl Board Nine Denis Ovens (3) Bye Mark W Robinson 5-4 Brad Hann Gordon Morrison 5-1 David Goodchild Dave Ladley 5-2 Michael Putz Board Ten Colin Monk (22) Bye John Murray 5-0 Anne Gustafsson Tony Ayres 5-1 Corey Donham Kevin Dowling 5-2 Pete Galloway Board 11 Tony Eccles (9) Bye Joe Cullen 5-0 Kevin Hill Darren Johnson 5-3 Ian Jopling Paul Knighton 5-3 David Fatum Board 12 Steve Maish (16) Bye Andreas Waldenmaier 5-0 Roger England Ken MacNeil 5-1 Andy Mason John Denich 5-2 Stephen Osborne Board 13 Mark Dudbridge (4) Bye Gary Anderson 5-0 Drazen Severin Joe DaVanti 5-4 Patrick Thernstrom Allan Snabel 5-3 Sato Fumihiro Board 14 Jacko Barry (21) Bye Stuart Holden 5-0 Dale A Slamon Karl Loiseau 5-0 Paul DiCecca Matt Jackson 5-2 Davey Mansell Board 15 Michael van Gerwen (10) Bye Jeff Hubbard 5-4 Mark Venable Sean Palfrey 5-0 Mark Tiller Jules Budd 5-2 John Jenkinson Board 16 Matt Clark (15) Bye Gerry Convery 5-0 John Dawes Morihiro Hashimoto 5-0 Pete Allsopp Sam Rooney 5-4 Timmy Nicoll Board 17 Roland Scholten (5) Bye Dan Butler 5-3 Sara Rose Alan Taylor 5-1 John Latchic Darren Latham 5-1 Mark K Robinson Board 18 Mick McGowan (20) Bye Brian Jones 5-2 Adam Young Nick Fullwell 5-0 Kevin Fletcher Stephen Panuncialman 5-3 Par Riihonen Board 19 Andy Jenkins (11) Bye Paul Lim 5-0 Paul Walker Brian Griffiths 5-2 Marc Garcia Jim Newman 5-0 Bill Grubb Board 20 Wes Newton (14) Bye Graham Warburton 5-0 Stephen Grant Mark Carter 5-3 Gregor Cruickshank Scott Clifford 5-0 Piki Morrison Board 21 Kirk Shepherd (6) Bye David Ansell 5-2 Neil Dickson Dieter Schutsch 5-1 Chris Duff Mark Lawrence 5-0 Jeff Angione Board 22 Dennis Smith (19) Bye Martyn Turner 5-4 Scott Robertson Nikash Patel 5-1 Eddie Lawrence Steve Grubb 5-0 Simon Craven Board 23 Kevin McDine (12) Bye Louis Blundell 5-0 Jim McKevitt Chuck Pankow 5-4 Tom Wilson Rocco Maes 5-4 Dan Lauby Board 24 Steve Beaton (13) Bye Ray Carver 5-0 Davis Snider Mark Webster 5-0 Andrew Bennett Anthony Thompson 5-2 Martin S Rodda Second Round Peter Manley 5-0 David Flowers James Barton 5-4 Chris Cooper Shane O’Connor 5-3 Steve Brown John Kuczynski 5-2 Dan Zimmerman Andy Smith 5-1 Kevin Harris Bryan de Hoog 5-3 Ben Burton Jan van der Rassel 5-0 Joachim Koessler Daz Horler 5-1 Brian Rowe Robert Thornton 5-0 Anthony Eugenia Mark Stephenson 5-1 Andy Fordham Jason Clark 5-1 Larry Butler Phillip Hazel 5-3 Aaron Turner Barrie Bates 5-3 Lee Williams Steve Hine 5-1 John Quantock Gary Mawson 5-1 Steve Hogan Scott Henning 5-1 Robbie Newland Denis Ovens 5-2 Mark W Robinson Dave Ladley 5-4 Gordon Morrison Colin Monk 5-0 John Murray Kevin Dowling 5-4 Tony Ayres Tony Eccles 5-4 Joe Cullen Paul Knighton 5-4 Darren Johnson Steve Maish 5-0 Andreas Waldenmaier Ken MacNeil 5-0 John Denich Gary Anderson 5-1 Mark Dudbridge Joe DaVanti 5-3 Allan Snabel Jacko Barry 5-2 Stuart Holden Matt Jackson 5-0 Karl Loiseau Michael van Gerwen 5-0 Jeff Hubbard Sean Palfrey 5-2 Jules Budd Gerry Convery 5-4 Matt Clark Sam Rooney 5-0 Morihiro Hashimoto Roland Scholten 5-0 Dan Butler Darren Latham 5-3 Alan Taylor Mick McGowan 5-0 Brian Jones Nick Fullwell 5-3 Stephen Panuncialman Paul Lim 5-3 Andy Jenkins Jim Newman 5-2 Brian Griffiths Wes Newton 5-0 Graham Warburton Mark Carter 5-0 Scott Clifford Kirk Shepherd 5-0 Dave Ansell Mark Lawrence 5-3 Dieter Schutsch Martyn Turner 5-1 Dennis Smith Steve Grubb 5-1 Nikash Patel Louis Blundell 5-3 Kevin McDine Chuck Pankow 5-4 Rocco Maes Ray Carver 5-3 Steve Beaton Mark Webster 5-2 Anthony Thompson Third Round Peter Manley 5-3 James Barton Shane O’Connor 5-4 John Kuczynski Bryan de Hoog 5-4 Andy Smith Daz Horler 5-2 Jan van der Rassel Mark Stephenson 5-3 Robert Thornton Phillip Hazel 5-3 Jason Clark Barrie Bates 5-4 Steve Hine Gary Mawson 5-0 Scott Henning Denis Ovens 5-2 Dave Ladley Colin Monk 5-3 Kevin Dowling Paul Knighton 5-3 Tony Eccles Ken MacNeil 5-2 Steve Maish Gary Anderson 5-1 Joe DaVanti Jacko Barry 5-4 Matt Jackson Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Sean Palfrey Sam Rooney 5-3 Gerry Convery Roland Scholten 5-1 Darren Latham Mick McGowan 5-2 Nick Fullwell Paul Lim 5-4 Jim Newman Wes Newton 5-3 Mark Carter Mark Lawrence 5-3 Kirk Shepherd Steve Grubb 5-4 Martyn Turner Louis Blundell 5-2 Chuck Pankow Ray Carver 5-4 Mark Webster Fourth Round Peter Manley 5-3 Shane O’Connor Bryan de Hoog 5-1 Daz Horler Phillip Hazel 5-0 Mark Stephenson Barrie Bates 5-1 Gary Mawson Colin Monk 5-2 Denis Ovens Ken MacNeil 5-1 Paul Knighton Gary Anderson 5-1 Jacko Barry Sam Rooney 5-1 Michael van Gerwen Roland Scholten 5-4 Mick McGowan Wes Newton 5-4 Paul Lim Mark Lawrence 5-4 Steve Grubb Louis Blundell 5-4 Ray Carver Losers £250 Fifth Round Peter Manley 5-0 Bryan de Hoog Phillip Hazel 5-2 Barrie Bates Colin Monk 5-3 Ken MacNeil Gary Anderson 5-1 Sam Rooney Wes Newton 5-1 Roland Scholten Louis Blundell 5-3 Mark Lawrence Winners – Place in PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic Losers £1,000 Qualifiers Peter Manley Phillip Hazel Colin Monk Gary Anderson Wes Newton Louis Blundell PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic – Complete Field PDC Top 16 Qualifiers Phil Taylor (seed 1) James Wade (2) Raymond van Barneveld (3) John Part (4) Terry Jenkins (5) Mervyn King (6) Adrian Lewis (7) Alan Tabern (8) Dennis Priestley Ronnie Baxter Colin Lloyd Wayne Mardle Colin Osborne Kevin Painter Andy Hamilton Mark Walsh North American Order of Merit Qualifiers Darin Young Scott Burnett Chris White Bill Davis Qualifiers Gary Anderson Louis Blundell Jamie Caven Phillip Hazel Jelle Klaasen Peter Manley Colin Monk Wes Newton Co Stompe Vincent van der Voort Simon Whitlock Peter Wright

    June 30 2009, 3:35pm

  • Desert Classic Qualifiers

    DUTCH trio Jelle Klaasen, Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe were amongst the first six qualifiers for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday. Almost 200 players travelled to the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas in a bid to win the 12 qualifying places in the main Desert Classic event, which begins on Wednesday. Three of the first six players will join Raymond van Barneveld as Dutch representatives in the Desert Classic, with Klaasen, van der Voort and Stompe all winning through a tough field on Sunday. Klaasen had to take on former World Champion Mark Webster in the first round, winning 5-2, and later edged out James Barton 5-4 before seeing off Smith in his deciding game, taking out 146 and 149 in the final two legs to seal the narrowest of victories.

    Van der Voort was a 5-3 winner against Tony Eccles in his final match, having previously overcome Louis Blundell, Ian Jopling and Ken MacNeil. Stompe qualified for a second successive year with a whitewash of Nick Fullwell in his decider. He was a narrow 5-4 winner against Michael van Gerwen in his semi-final, and also produced two earlier 5-0 wins in a strong performance on the day. Lowestoft’s Peter Wright, who has climbed into the world’s top 100 this year, defeated Andy Smith 5-3 to earn his Desert Classic debut. Simon Whitlock celebrated his return to the PDC circuit by qualifying for the Desert Classic, winning his first three games without dropping a leg before defeating Mark Dudbridge and Barrie Bates to earn his spot. The Queenslander is undefeated on the DartPlayers Australia circuit this season and maintained that form to earn a place in the main Desert Classic. Jamie Caven’s recent run of form continued as he defeated Ireland’s Shane O’Connor 5-4 in his final match, hitting winning legs of 14, 11 and 13 darts to come from 4-2 down and sneak victory. Sunday’s losing players will return on Monday for the second qualifier, which will produce the final six players for the main event. The PDC’s top 16 and four North Americans have pre-qualified for the Desert Classic, with the televised stages beginning on Wednesday and screened live on Sky Sports in the UK. PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic Sunday Qualifier First Round Board One Peter Manley (1) Bye Mark Venable 5-1 Martin S Rodda Jim Newman 5-1 Jeff Angione Kevin Hill 5-2 Stephen MacAulay Board Two Mick McGowan (24) 5-4 David Fatum Nikash Patel 5-1 Scott Clifford Anthony Thompson 5-1 Michael Putz Shane O’Connor 5-1 Joe DaVanti Board Three Kirk Shepherd (7) Bye John Latchic 5-4 Pete Galloway Jim McKevitt 5-1 Dave Fearn Mark Lawrence 5-1 Robert Tafuri Board Four Jamie Caven (18) 5-0 Ghislain Tremblay Matt Jackson 5-2 Davey Mansell Paul Knighton 5-4 Pete Riehl Rocco Maes 5-0 Mark Davis Board Five Robert Thornton (2) Bye Davis Snider 5-0 Adam Young Scott Henning 5-2 Paul Hawkett Marc Garcia 5-1 Preston Fox Board Six Dennis Smith (23) 5-4 Mark Carter Kevin Dowling 5-0 Joe Formica Chris Cooper 5-4 Gordon Morrison Mark Tiller 5-3 Joe Cullen Board Seven Jelle Klaasen (8) 5-2 Mark Webster Dan Butler 5-0 Kevin Fletcher James Barton 5-4 Lee Williams Colin Monk 5-4 Bryan de Hoog Board Eight Wes Newton (17) 5-2 Darren Starr Tony Ayres 5-0 Steve Carey Kevin Harris 5-4 Steve Brown Stephen Panuncialman 5-1 Darren Johnson Board Nine Denis Ovens (3) Bye John Quantock 5-0 Robert Race Allan Snabel 5-3 Daz Horler Mark Nielsen 5-2 Jules Budd Board Ten Jan van der Rassel (22) 5-1 Gregory Coburn Robbie Newland 5-4 Sara Rose Peter Wright 5-0 Morihiro Hashimoto James Stephenson 5-1 Andy Bradbury Board 11 Andy Smith (9) 5-2 Brian Griffiths Darren Latham 5-1 Brian Jones Andy Mason 5-3 Stephen Grant Gary Anderson 5-0 Paul DiCecca Board 12 Steve Beaton (16) 5-2 Steve Grubb John Dawes 5-0 Piki Morrison Mark Stephenson 5-0 Bill Grubb Larry Butler 5-3 Tyler Hayne Board 13 Mark Dudbridge (4) Bye Simon Craven 5-3 Dan Zimmerman Alan Taylor 5-1 Paul Walker Timmy Nicoll 5-2 Sam Rooney Board 14 Gary Mawson (21) 5-0 Patrick Thernstrom John Murray 5-4 Gary Storey Simon Whitlock 5-0Chris Edwards Bernard Prenter 5-4 Mark K Robinson Board 15 Barrie Bates (10) 5-2 Joachim Koessler Gerry Convery 5-1 Ben Burton Ron Peppers 5-3 Chris Duff Bertrand Lajoie 5-4 David Flowers Board 16 Kevin McDine (15) 5-1 Stephen Osborne Chuck Pankow 5-2 Alan Green Paul Lim 5-4 Dan Lauby Andy Fordham 5-3 Jon Archer Board 17 Vincent van der Voort (5) Bye Louis Blundell 5-1 Eddie Lawrence Stuart Holden 5-4 Phillip Hazell Ian Jopling 5-1 Sean Palfrey Board 18 Steve Maish (20) 5-2 Andreas Waldenmaier Aaron Turner 5-0 Neil Dickson Jeff Hubbard 5-3 David Ansell Ken MacNeil 5-0 Sato Fumihiro Board 19 Tony Eccles (11) 5-1 Ray Carver Karl Loiseau 5-2 Graham Warburton Par Riihonen 5-2 John Worthington Gary Barnett 5-4 John Denich Board 20 Andy Jenkins (14) 5-1 Drazen Severin John Jenkinson 5-2 Chris White Brian Rowe 5-1 Adrian W Lewis Robert Heckman 5-0 Andy Askey Board 21 Roland Scholten (6) Bye Mark W Robinson 5-1 Andrew Bent Brad Hann 5-1 Geoff Daniels Tom Wilson 5-1 Cory Donham Board 22 Matt Clark (19) 5-3 Scott Robertson Pete Allsopp 5-2 Steve Gooch Nick Fullwell 5-0 John Loew Neil McKnight 5-3 Dale A Slamon Board 23 Michael van Gerwen (12) 5-3 Dave Ladley Jason Clark 5-1 David Goodchild Martyn Turner 5-0 Martin Hulme Steve Hine 5-2 Dieter Schutsch Board 24 Co Stompe (13) 5-0 Chris Goodband John Kuczynski 5-0 Cyril Pearce Jacko Barry 5-3 Ryan Vander Weit Anne Gustafsson 5-1 Roger England Second Round Peter Manley 5-1 Mark Venable Jim Newman 5-2 Kevin Hill Nikash Patel 5-4 Mick McGowan Shane O’Connor 5-0 Anthony Thompson Kirk Shepherd 5-0 John Latchic Mark Lawrence 5-0 Jim McKevitt Jamie Caven 5-0 Matt Jackson Rocco Maes 5-3 Paul Knighton Davis Snider 5-3 Robert Thornton Scott Henning 5-4 Marc Garcia Dennis Smith 5-2 Kevin Dowling Chris Cooper 5-2 Mark Tiller Jelle Klaasen 5-1 Dan Butler James Barton 5-2 Colin Monk Wes Newton 5-4 Tony Ayres Kevin Harris 5-4 Stephen Panuncialman John Quantock 5-4 Denis Ovens Mark Nielsen 5-2 Allan Snabel Jan van der Rassel 5-1 Robbie Newland Peter Wright 5-2 James Stephenson Andy Smith 5-0 Darren Latham Gary Anderson 5-0 Andy Mason Steve Beaton 5-0 John Dawes Larry Butler 5-1 Mark Stephenson Mark Dudbridge 5-2 Simon Craven Timmy Nicoll 5-2 Alan Taylor Gary Mawson 5-4 John Murray Simon Whitlock 5-0 Bernard Prenter Barrie Bates 5-3 Gerry Convery Bertrand Lajoie 5-4 Ron Peppers Kevin McDine 5-2 Chuck Pankow Paul Lim 5-3 Andy Fordham Vincent van der Voort 5-1 Louis Blundell Ian Jopling 5-1 Stuart Holden Aaron Turner 5-4 Steve Maish Ken MacNeil 5-1 Jeff Hubbard Tony Eccles 5-0 Karl Loiseau Par Riihonen 5-2 Gary Barnett Andy Jenkins 5-1 John Jenkinson Robert Heckman 5-0 Brian Rowe Mark W Robinson 5-3 Roland Scholten Tom Wilson 5-0 Brad Hann Matt Clark 5-1 Pete Allsopp Nick Fullwell 5-2 Neil McKnight Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Jason Clark Martyn Turner 5-3 Steve Hine Co Stompe 5-0 John Kuczynski Jacko Barry 5-0 Anne Gustafsson Third Round Peter Manley 5-4 Jim Newman Shane O’Connor 5-4 Nikash Patel Kirk Shepherd 5-4 Mark Lawrence Jamie Caven 5-1 Rocco Maes Davis Snider 5-1 Scott Henning Dennis Smith 5-2 Chris Cooper Jelle Klaasen 5-4 James Barton Kevin Harris 5-4 Wes Newton John Quantock 5-2 Mark Nielsen Peter Wright 5-0 Jan van der Rassel Andy Smith 5-3 Gary Anderson Larry Butler 5-4 Steve Beaton Mark Dudbridge 5-2 Timmy Nicoll Simon Whitlock 5-0 Gary Mawson Barrie Bates 5-0 Bertrand Lajoie Kevin McDine 5-2 Paul Lim Vincent van der Voort 5-4 Ian Jopling Ken MacNeil 5-1 Aaron Turner Tony Eccles 5-2 Par Riihonen Andy Jenkins 5-1 Robert Heckman Mark Robinson 5-2 Tom Wilson Nick Fullwell 5-2 Matt Clark Michael van Gerwen 5-4 Martyn Turner Co Stompe 5-2 Jacko Barry Fourth Round Shane O’Connor 5-3 Peter Manley Jamie Caven 5-1 Kirk Shepherd Dennis Smith 5-2 Davis Snider Jelle Klaasen 5-2 Kevin Harris Peter Wright 5-1 John Quantock Andy Smith 5-4 Larry Butler Simon Whitlock 5-3 Mark Dudbridge Barrie Bates 5-3 Kevin McDine Vincent van der Voort 5-2 Ken MacNeil Tony Eccles 5-1 Andy Jenkins Nick Fullwell 5-2 Mark Robinson Co Stompe 5-4 Michael van Gerwen Losers £250 Fifth Round Jamie Caven 5-4 Shane O’Connor Jelle Klaasen 5-4 Dennis Smith Peter Wright 5-3 Andy Smith Simon Whitlock 5-2 Barrie Bates Vincent van der Voort 5-3 Tony Eccles Co Stompe 5-0 Nick Fullwell Winners – Place in PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic Losers £1,000 Qualifiers Jamie Caven Jelle Klaasen Peter Wright Simon Whitlock Vincent van der Voort Co Stompe

    June 29 2009, 12:46pm

  • Dutch Trio Headed to Las Vegas: Klaasen, van der Voort, and Stompe Through Desert Classic Qualifier

    DUTCH trio Jelle Klaasen, Vincent van der Voort and Co Stompe were amongst the first six qualifiers for the PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic on Sunday. Almost 200 players travelled to the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas in a bid to win the 12 qualifying places in the main Desert Classic event, which begins on [...]

    Dutch Trio Headed to Las Vegas: Klaasen, van der Voort, and Stompe Through Desert Classic Qualifier

    June 28 2009, 7:40pm

  • Las Vegas Desert Classic Tickets on sale on Wednesday May 13.

    This year’s summer spectacular at the Mandalay Bay Resort will be played from July 1-5 in front of the Sky Sports cameras, with 32 stars competing for £200,000 prize money. The PDC’s top 16 will be joined by four leading North Americans and 12 qualifiers - who will come from events held on Sunday 28 and [...]

    Las Vegas Desert Classic Tickets on sale on Wednesday May 13.

    May 12 2009, 9:47pm