WORLD CHAMPION Michael van Gerwen overcame a scare against Steve Maish before booking his place in the third round of the Dutch Darts Masters on Saturday, but reigning champion Kim Huybrechts, Simon Whitlock and Peter Wright were all knocked out in Veldhoven.
Dutch star van Gerwen, playing effectively on home soil at the NH Hotel Koningshof, faced the threat of elimination against qualifier Maish as a string of missed doubles allowed the Essex ace to share the opening six legs of their second round clash.
A 13-darter put van Gerwen 4-3 up before he missed a further ten darts at doubles in the eighth leg, only for Maish to miss his chance with four darts to steal the leg as van Gerwen escaped on double one.
Although Maish punished two missed match darts in the next to pull back to 5-4, van Gerwen regained his range on the doubles by finishing 96 for a 14-darter as he secured a third round place.
Van Gerwen now takes on Kevin Painter in the last 16, with the former Players Championship Finals winner also receiving a let-off for missed doubles in his narrow 6-5 win over Christian Kist.
Painter looked to have squandered his chance for victory with one dart at the bull for a 6-4 win as Kist - the former Lakeside Champion making his European Tour debut after joining the PDC circuit - forced a decider.
The Dutchman then hit a 180 to be first to a finish in the final leg, but missed three match darts of his own to allow Painter a let-off as he hit tops to progress.
World Championship finalist Peter Wright, though, paid the price for missing two match darts in the deciding leg of his thriller with Richie Burnett, who hit a 177 to leave 32 as he finished double 16 for a 13-darter to claim the win.
World number three Simon Whitlock was also punished for missed doubles as he went down 6-3 to Stuart Kellett, while last October's Dutch Darts Masters Champion, Kim Huybrechts, went down 6-4 to Northern Ireland's Michael Mansell.
The Belgian's older brother Ronny also exited the event on Saturday, as he went down 6-4 to Brendan Dolan as the former World Grand Prix finalist claimed victory with a brilliant 167 checkout.
Welsh youngster Jamie Lewis also took out a 167 finish on Saturday, but went on to lose his clash with namesake Adrian Lewis 6-3.
Lewis now plays number two seed Dave Chisnall in the last 16, with the world number five having seen off Andy Smith 6-2 in their second round contest.
Joe Cullen impressed with a 100.59 average in a 6-1 win over three-time World Champion John Part as he set up a last 16 clash with Mansell, while Dolan now meets Finland's Jarkko Komula, who saw off Paul Nicholson 6-4 to repeat his October win over the same opponent in Veldhoven.
Dean Winstanley was unable to repeat the brilliant form which had seen him average almost 107 in Friday's first round as he went down 6-1 to Wes Newton, who now meets Kellett in the last 16.
Mervyn King produced arguably the performance of the day with a 103.66 average in a ruthless whitewash of young Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh, and his reward is a clash with emerging Welshman Kevin Thomas, who edged out Steve Beaton 6-5 after the former World Champion missed three match darts in the tenth leg of their game.
Another 11-leg thriller saw Vincent van der Voort end Gary Anderson's hopes of a second successive European Tour victory, as the Dutchman finished 138 to claim the deciding leg of their game.
Darren Webster won three of the final four legs in his clash with Jamie Caven as he picked up a 6-5 victory to set up a third round game with Ian White, who enjoyed a 6-3 win over Terry Jenkins in a high-quality contest.
Dutch Darts Masters
European Tour Event Two
Saturday February 15
Second Round
Afternoon Session
Steve Beaton 5-6 Kevin Thomas
Mervyn King 6-0 Dimitri van den Bergh
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Andy Smith
Jamie Caven 5-6 Darren Webster
Paul Nicholson 4-6 Jarkko Komula
John Part 1-6 Joe Cullen
Kim Huybrechts 4-6 Michael Mansell
Wes Newton 6-1 Dean Winstanley
Evening Session
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Ronny Huybrechts
Ian White 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Gary Anderson 5-6 Vincent van der Voort
Kevin Painter 6-5 Christian Kist
Simon Whitlock 3-6 Stuart Kellett
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Steve Maish
Peter Wright 5-6 Richie Burnett
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Jamie Lewis
All games are the best of 11 legs.
Match Information
Afternoon Session
Kevin Thomas booked his place in the last 16 of the Dutch Darts Masters with a 6-5 win over the number seven seed, Steve Beaton. Both players held their throw in the opening four legs of the match before Beaton took an early advantage breaking the Thomas throw in the fifth leg. The Welshman, who saw off Wayne Jones 6-1 in the first round, bounced straight back in the sixth leg breaking the Beaton throw and then powered on to take a 4-3 lead in the next. Beaton, who hit four 180s in the match, missed three match darts in the tenth leg, but it was Thomas who went on to win the final two legs and book his place in the next round.
Mervyn King powered his place into the third round of the Dutch Darts Masters with a 6-0 whitewash of the young Belgian Dimitri van den Bergh. King opened the match with a perfect three darts and then never looked back hitting a further two maximums in the match and finished with an average of 103.66. King now meets the Welshman Kevin Thomas in the next round.
Dave Chisnall overcame Andy Smith 6-2 to progress through to the last 16 of the Dutch Darts Masters. Chisnall took the opening two legs of the match to take an early lead before Smith broke straight back. The Pieman then failed to hold his throw in the fourth leg, with the Premier League debutant, Chisnall going on to take the next two legs to extend his lead to 4-1. The St Helens man never let up, going on to record three maximums in the match and winning the final two legs to progress through to the next round.
Darren Webster edged out the number six seed Jamie Caven 6-5 to book his place in the last 16 of the Dutch Masters. In a story of missed doubles for Caven, Webster held his nerve to win in the deciding leg. The Norwich man took the opening two legs of the match to race into an early lead, before Caven won four of the next five legs to take a 4-3 lead in the match. Webster then bounced back winning three of the final four legs to progress through to the last 16.
Jarkko Komula eliminated Paul Nicholson for a second time in two years at the Dutch Darts Masters with a 6-4 victory. Nicholson took the opening two legs, but then failed to build on that missing crucial doubles. Komula took the third and fourth leg to level the match at two-all and then went on to win four of the next six legs to overcome the 13th seed.
Joe Cullen put in a very impressive second round performance at the Dutch Darts Masters to beat the three-time World Champion John Part 6-1. The Yorkshireman, who averaged 100.59 didn't give Part a sniff at victory winning the final five legs of the match in style including hitting two maximums and 110 checkout.
Mickey Mansell survived a late comeback from Kim Huybrechts to eliminated the reigning Dutch Masters champion 6-4 to book his place in the last 16. The Clonoe Cyclone broke Huybrechts in the third leg to take an early 2-1 lead only to be broken himself in the fourth leg with a 145 checkout for Huybrechts. Mansell then went on to win the next two legs, including a 154 checkout in the sixth leg, before securing victory in the tenth leg.
Wes Newton followed up his Betway Premier League Darts victory on Thursday with an impressive 6-1 victory over Dean Winstanley in the Dutch Darts Masters. The Warrior broke the throw of Winstanley with a 12-dart leg in the first leg and then went on to race into a 4-0 lead. Winstanley took the fifth leg only for the Warrior to claim the next two to progress through to the last 16.
Evening Session
Brendan Dolan won through to the Dutch Darts Masters third round with a 6-4 win over Ronny Huybrechts, who hit four 180s and a 177 but was punished for missed doubles as the former World Grand Prix finalist progressed. Dolan hit tops to win the opening two legs before a brilliant 11-darter got the Belgian off the mark, only for Dolan to reply in 14 darts for a 3-1 lead.The next four legs were shared as Dolan moved 5-3 up, with Huybrechts hitting a 180 to set up an 80 finish in the ninth only to miss his chance to force a decider, allowing Dolan in to take out a stunning 167 for the win.
Ian White came from 2-0 down to win 6-3 against Terry Jenkins with a fine display. Jenkins opened superbly, hitting tops to win the opening leg and landing two 180s in the second as an 11-darter doubled his lead, but despite posting another maximum to open the third, two missed doubles allowed White to finish 87 on the bull to get off the mark. White also took the next two to move 3-2 up, before punishing four misses from Jenkins with a 102 finish to lead 4-2. Jenkins posted two 180s in a leg for the second time in the game as he hit back with a 12-darter to win the seventh leg, but White edged the next before defying a 171 from Jenkins to seal victory in the next.
Gary Anderson's hopes of winning a second successive European Tour event were ended by Vincent van der Voort as the Host Nation Qualifier edged a 6-5 victory. Anderson, the German Darts Championship winner a fortnight ago, won the first two legs before the Dutch ace took four in a row to move 4-2 up. Anderson hit back to level, and the next two were shared to send the game into a decider, which the Scot opened with a 140 and a 180 only for van der Voort to finish 138 on double nine for victory.
Kevin Painter snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in another 11-leg thriller, as he ended Christian Kist's European Tour debut in the second round. Kist held an early 2-1 advantage before Painter won three successive legs to take command at 4-2. The Dutchman levelled, before Painter moved 5-4 up in a tense ninth leg before missing the bull for the match on a 123 finish in the next, as Kist forced a decider on double ten. The Dutchman was first to a finish in the final leg, landing a 180, but missed two darts at tops and one at double ten to allow Painter back to this time claim the win on tops.
Stuart Kellett sent world number three Simon Whitlock crashing out of the Dutch Darts Masters with a superb 6-3 win over the Australian. Whitlock hit a 180 as he won the opening leg, before Kellett replied in kind to level and then broke after three missed doubles from the former European Champion. Whitlock took out 108 to level and traded 180s with Kellett as he moved 3-2 up, but the Cheshire ace levelled on double 18 - after more missed doubles from the Australian - and a pair of 13-darters put him into a 5-3 lead before tops secured the win.
Number one seed Michael van Gerwen overcame a doubling nightmare to claim a 6-4 win over Steve Maish and reach the third round of the Dutch Darts Masters. Van Gerwen hit a 180 in the opening leg, only to miss the bull and two darts at double eight to allow Maish to finish 116, but the World Champion levelled with a 13-darter and then broke by finishing 87 on the bullseye, with his opponent waiting on 40. Double four put the home favourite 3-1 up, but he missed two darts at tops in the next to punish four misses from Maish, who returned to post double two to pull back to 3-2. Maish then levelled despite missing five darts at a double in the next, with van Gerwen off-target with four further missed doubles to let the Essex ace in. A 13-darter from van Gerwen settled his nerves, as he hit double 18 at the first time of asking - only to miss ten darts at a double in the next, but Maish missed four darts to level in allowing the world number one back in to hit double one, with his third dart, to move to the brink of victory at 5-3. Maish punished two missed match darts from van Gerwen at double eight in the next as he hit the same bed to stay in the game, but the Dutch star sealed the win in style with a 14-darter, hitting a 180 and a 96 finish.
Richie Burnett knocked number three seed Peter Wright out of the Dutch Darts Masters in a dramatic finale as the Premier League star missed two match darts in the deciding leg of an 11-leg thriller. Wright took out 120 and 116 to win two of the first three legs, but was punished for missed doubles in the fourth as Burnett traded 180s with his opponent and then hit double five to level. Wright took the fifth with a 13-darter, despite a 180 from Burnett, before the Welshman hit tops to level and then punished two misses from the World Championship finalist by breaking on double five for a 4-3 lead. The tables were turned in the next as Burnett wired tops and Wright finished 76 in two darts to break back, before an 84 finish put the Scot 5-4 up despite Burnett opening the ninth leg with five treble 20s. Burnett took the game into a decider with a 14-darter, and snatched victory in dramatic circumstances with a 13-dart finish, hitting a 177 to leave 32 before punishing misses from Wright at double 18 and nine for the game by landing double 16 for the win.
Adrian Lewis overcame namesake Jamie Lewis with a 6-3 victory as he began his challenge at the Dutch Darts Masters in winning fashion. The opening two legs went against the throw before the Stoke ace hit a 180 and finished 77 for a 14-darter to move 2-1 up, but he was punished for a missed double in the next as the Welsh ace hit a 180 and finished tops to level. The youngster then produced a brilliant 167 checkout to move 3-2 up in the fifth, with the world number four hitting a 180 to leave 130 only to be punished for failing to give himself a dart at a double. He broke back on double five in the next, and moved ahead in leg seven as a 180 gave him the breathing space to initially miss four darts at doubles before hitting double five to lead 4-3. A 124 bullseye finish put the reigning European Champion 5-3 up, and when the youngster was unable to finish double five for an 89 finish in the next, tops secured his place in the last 16.
Third Round Michael van Gerwen v Kevin Painter
Wes Newton v Stuart Kellett
Michael Mansell v Joe Cullen
Brendan Dolan v Jarkko Komula
Dave Chisnall v Adrian Lewis
Kevin Thomas v Mervyn King
Darren Webster v Ian White
Richie Burnett v Vincent van der Voort
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