DUBLIN DELIGHT FOR FINNAN WITH DEBUT TRIUMPH
IRISH debutant Connie Finnan stunned two-time finalist Terry Jenkins with a thrilling 2-0 partypoker.com World Grand Prix victory on Monday night, as former champions Phil Taylor and James Wade joined the Limerick ace in round two of the double-start event.
World number 74 Finnan, from Garryowen, produced the performance of his life to thrill his home crowd at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
The 51-year-old came from a leg down to win the opening set 3-1, and though Jenkins kicked off the second set with a 152 finish, Finnan took the next two to move to the brink of victory.
Jenkins hit back to take the set into a deciding leg with a 14-darter, but Finnan was first to a finish as he landed double eight to complete the biggest triumph of his career.
Finnan, who is already guaranteed to be back at the Citywest Hotel on Sunday nigh when he competes for the leading domestic honour in the Tom Kirby Memorial Irish Matchplay final against Colin McGarry, will now take on two-time World Grand Prix champion in Wednesday's second round.
However, he revealed the he will have to ask for time off from his day job in a factory in Shannon making plastic bag closures to return to Dublin for his last 16 contest.
Wade, the 2007 and 2010 World Grand Prix champion, came close to suffering a second successive first round exit before he edged out Steve Beaton in a dramatic deciding leg.
The world number five won the game's opening set in a deciding leg with a brilliant 12-darter, only for Beaton to level by hitting a 120 finish in the fifth leg of the second.
The final set also went to the last leg, with Wade initially missing three match darts only to be given a reprieve when Beaton missed double 12 for a 101 finish, allowing the left-hander to peg double five to progress.
Australian star Simon Whitlock also came through a nerve-wracking decider as he sneaked past Northern Irish left-hander Michael Mansell, who came from a set down to level but missed three match darts in a dramatic sudden-death leg.
Ten-time champion Phil Taylor was another 2-1 winner as he overcame Jamie Caven, although the Stoke legend won both of his sets without reply with some scintillating darts.
Taylor kicked off the game with scores of 160 and 180 to set up a possible nine-darter, and although he missed out on that achievement the 53-year-old won the opening set 3-0 with a 115 average.
Caven hit back to win the second set 3-2, producing some fine darts, but was punished as Taylor found another gear to take the deciding set without reply as he moved through to a second round meeting with Paul Nicholson on Wednesday.
Nicholson also averaged 99 in his impressive 2-1 comeback win over Robert Thornton, as the former Players Championship Finals winner hit 64 percent of his opening doubles and 57 percent of his finishing doubles in the game.
Thornton took the game's first two legs and won the opening set 3-2, but Nicholson took the next six legs without reply to surge into the last 16.
Whitlock's second round opponent will be Ronnie Baxter, who was a straight sets winner over 2004 champion Colin Lloyd in the night's opening fixture.
Gary Anderson produced the performance of the night, averaging 104.86 in a two-set whitewash of Dutchman Jelle Klaasen which took just ten minutes.
The Scot was in scintillating form as he swept through the first set before finishing 84, 100 and a 12-darter in the second to complete his best-ever performance in the double-start format, without giving Klaasen a dart at a double.
The Scot now plays number eight seed Wes Newton, who defeated Peter Wright in straight sets with some clinical finishing to book his spot in the last 16.
The first round concludes on Tuesday with the remaining eight games, including reigning champion Michael van Gerwen's clash with three-time World Champion John Part.
Fellow Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld takes on debutant Stuart Kellett, while European Champion Adrian Lewis - the number three seed - faces 2011 runner-up Brendan Dolan, the Northern Irish favourite who also reached last year's semi-finals.
Andy Hamilton faces Belgian Kim Huybrechts, Dave Chisnall meets Ian White, Justin Pipe takes on three-time quarter-finalist Andy Smith, Kevin Painter plays Richie Burnett and 2012 runner-up Mervyn King opens up against Wayne Jones.
partypoker.com World Grand Prix
Monday October 7 (7pm)
First Round
Ronnie Baxter 2-0 Colin Lloyd
Wes Newton 2-0 Peter Wright
Paul Nicholson 2-1 Robert Thornton
Simon Whitlock 2-1 Michael Mansell
James Wade 2-1 Steve Beaton
Phil Taylor 2-1 Jamie Caven
Gary Anderson 2-0 Jelle Klaasen
Connie Finnan 2-0 Terry Jenkins
Tuesday October 8 (7pm)
First Round
Wayne Jones v Mervyn King
Justin Pipe v Andy Smith
Kevin Painter v Richie Burnett
Dave Chisnall v Ian White
Andy Hamilton v Kim Huybrechts
Stuart Kellett v Raymond van Barneveld
Michael van Gerwen v John Part
Adrian Lewis v Brendan Dolan
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