SCOTT WAITES became the first player to win through to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts second round with a fine victory over Michael Smith on Sunday afternoon, and was later joined in progressing to the last 16 by Phil Taylor, James Wade and Ronny Huybrechts in Wolverhampton.
Yorkshireman Waites, the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts champion, followed up Saturday's opening win over Hankey with another brilliant performance as he ensured passage from Group H in the event.
Waites, the reigning Lakeside Champion, overcame emerging star Michael Smith 5-2 in their second round-robin contest, leaving the PDC Unicorn World Youth Champion now facing an all-or-nothing clash with Hankey on Monday to decide who joins him in the last 16.
Chisnall, though, was eliminated as Hankey produced a fine display to come from 3-1 down to claim a fine 5-3 triumph from their contest.
Chisnall took the first two legs and also hit an 11-darter, but Hankey hit back to level before taking out a 170 checkout, and then landed a 177 in the eighth leg as the two-time Lakeside Champion went on to complete the win with a fourth successive leg.
Reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld picked up his second successive Group E victory, edging out Tony O'Shea 5-4 in a nine-leg thriller.
After trailing 2-0 early on, Stockport's O'Shea hit back to lead 3-2, but saw van Barneveld level as the pair headed to a deciding leg, which the Dutchman won with a 72 finish.
Mervyn King's high-quality 5-2 win over Ricky Evans in the day's other Group E game means that there is still all to play for going into Monday's final matches.
Van Barneveld would qualify with a win over King, with O'Shea and Evans also still able to win through to the knockout stage of the event in the final set of games.
Australian star Simon Whitlock won his second match in Group G in impressive style, averaging 108.78 in a 5-1 victory against Mark Webster, hitting four 180s and missing only one dart at a double.
He is now in pole position ahead of Monday's final game with Wes Newton, who was a 5-2 winner against Ross Smith earlier on Sunday afternoon as he joined Webster on two points.
Robert Thornton maintained his 100 percent record as he followed up Saturday's whitewash of Mark Walsh with a 5-2 win over Justin Pipe, taking out a key 152 checkout in the victory.
Walsh's 5-1 defeat to Andy Hamilton saw the Stoke star kick-start his challenge in Group F ahead of his key clash with Thornton on Monday night.
Sunday's evening session saw Taylor, Wade and Ronny Huybrechts secure qualification for the second round with victories in their second group matches.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Taylor followed up Saturday's opening whitewash of Stuart Kellett by dropping only one leg in a brilliant 5-1 defeat of Paul Nicholson 24 hours later.
The result means that Taylor - who averaged 104.51 in Sunday's win - will now qualify from Group A at the Wolves Civic, as he continues his bid to win a seventh major televised title of 2013.
Nicholson now faces a crucial battle on Tuesday night with Kellett which will see the winner progress alongside Taylor to the knockout stages, after the Cheshire ace defeated Painter 5-4 in his second game.
Painter led 4-2 at one stage, but was punished for missing two match darts in the seventh leg as the debutant hit back to level before winning the decider in 14 darts.
2010 Grand Slam of Darts finalist Wade continued his strong start to this year's event as he followed up his opening win over Peter Wright with a clinical 5-3 defeat of Gary Anderson to seal
his last 16 spot, which included finishes of 120 and 110.
Anderson will now take on Wright for a place in the last 16, with the UK Open semi-finalist having earlier won 5-2 in his clash with Dutchman Wesley Harms, who cannot qualify after suffering a second successive defeat.
Belgian ace Ronny Huybrechts continued his dream debut in Wolverhampton by picking up a superb 5-3 comeback win over Adrian Lewis, a result which followed his triumph over former Lakeside Champion Christian Kist 24 hours earlier.
Lewis looked set to storm to a second successive win when he established a 3-1 cushion at an average of 110, but the newcomer hit an 11-darter to reply, punished three misses at tops from the Stoke ace to level before winning the next two legs to secure passage into the second round.
Lewis now takes on Kist to decide who joins the older Huybrechts brother in qualifying from Group C, after the Dutchman picked up a 5-2 win over another new face, Richie George, in their second game of the event.
There is, though, still plenty to play for in Group D after Michael van Gerwen won his second successive game by sweeping past Dean Winstanley 5-1 and Kim Huybrechts whitewashed Vincent van der Voort.
Huybrechts and van Gerwen now meet on Tuesday night, while Winstanley faces van der Voort in the group's other final match on a night in which both results could affect the qualifiers.
Monday night seeds Groups E-H play their final round-robin games, with only Scott Waites definitely assured of progression to the knockout stage, while Ted Hankey and Michael Smith face a key battle in which the winner joins the 2010 champion in qualifying.
Reigning champion Raymond van Barneveld is joined by Robert Thornton and Simon Whitlock on four points but not yet safe as they go into games with Mervyn King, Andy Hamilton and Wes Newton respectively.
William Hill Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 10
Afternoon Session
Groups E-H Second Games
Mervyn King 5-2 Ricky Evans (E)
Andy Hamilton 5-1 Mark Walsh (F)
Wes Newton 5-2 Ross Smith (G)
Dave Chisnall 3-5 Ted Hankey (H)
Robert Thornton 5-2 Justin Pipe (F)
Scott Waites 5-2 Michael Smith (H)
Raymond van Barneveld 5-4 Tony O'Shea (E)
Simon Whitlock 5-1 Mark Webster (G)
League Tables
Group E
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| R v Barneveld |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+4
|
4
|
| Mervyn King |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+2
|
2
|
| Tony O’Shea |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Ricky Evans |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-6
|
0
|
Group F
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| Robert Thornton |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+8
|
4
|
| Andy Hamilton |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+1
|
2
|
| Justin Pipe |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Mark Walsh |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-9
|
0
|
Group G
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| Simon Whitlock |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+7
|
4
|
| Wes Newton |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Mark Webster |
2
|
1
|
1
|
-1
|
2
|
| Ross Smith |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-6
|
0
|
Group H
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| Scott Waites |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+5
|
4
|
| Ted Hankey |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Michael Smith |
2
|
1
|
1
|
-1
|
2
|
| Dave Chisnall |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-4
|
0
|
Evening Session
Groups A-D Second Games
Christian Kist 5-2 Richie George (C)
Wesley Harms 2-5 Peter Wright (B)
Kevin Painter 4-5 Stuart Kellett (A)
Kim Huybrechts 5-0 Vincent van der Voort (D)
Adrian Lewis 3-5 Ronny Huybrechts (C)
Phil Taylor 5-1 Paul Nicholson (A)
James Wade 5-3 Gary Anderson (B)
Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dean Winstanley (D)
Group A
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| Phil Taylor |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+9
|
4
|
| Paul Nicholson |
2
|
1
|
1
|
-1
|
2
|
| Stuart Kellett |
2
|
1
|
1
|
-4
|
2
|
| Kevin Painter |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-4
|
0
|
Group B
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| James Wade |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+5
|
4
|
| Gary Anderson |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+2
|
2
|
| Peter Wright |
2
|
1
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
| Wesley Harms |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-7
|
0
|
Group C
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| Ronny Huybrechts |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+4
|
4
|
| Adrian Lewis |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+1
|
2
|
| Christian Kist |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+1
|
2
|
| Richie George |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-6
|
0
|
Group D
P
|
W
|
L
|
+/-
|
Pts
| |
| M v Gerwen |
2
|
2
|
0
|
+6
|
4
|
| Kim Huybrechts |
2
|
1
|
1
|
+2
|
2
|
| Dean Winstanley |
2
|
1
|
1
|
-1
|
2
|
| V van der Voort |
2
|
0
|
2
|
-7
|
0
|
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