Austrian Darts Open Day Three

Pipe's Dream Win Over Wade In European Tour Opener!

JUSTIN PIPE took victory in the PDC's inaugural European Tour event with a 6-3 defeat of James Wade in the Austrian Darts Open final on Sunday night.

Taunton's Pipe claimed the biggest victory of his career as he pocketed the £15,000 first prize at the Arena Nova in Wiener Neustadt, following up victories over top-ten stars Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld on Sunday by seeing off world number three Wade.

He had begun his challenge with a victory over Austria's home star Mensur Suljovic on Friday night and then defeated young Dutchman Gino Vos in round two before taking wins over Anderson, Joe Cullen, van Barneveld and Wade in Sunday's final stages.

The victory will also take Pipe into the world's top 16 for the first time, and he admitted: "It's a massive win for me and it's a fantastic feeling.

"To beat Mensur Suljovic on Friday night in front of his own fans was great, but I had another tough game against Gino Vos on Saturday, and there were four tough matches today - so it's quite a good day's work!

"If you're going to win any competition, you've got to beat the best players in the world and to beat Raymond was very special because he's a five-time World Champion.

"James Wade has a good record against me, I think he had won all five games previously so I was determined not to let him make it six! I'm honoured to be able to beat him in the final, and it's also a huge honour to win the first European Tour event.

"The format of the event is fantastic, similar to the ProTour events we play most weekends, and I've learned a lot this weekend and I hope it will stand me in good stead for the rest of the year."

He added: "Getting into the top 16 was my goal last year and hopefully that's achieved now. I've started this year as I left off last year so I'm over the moon."

Pipe produced a brilliant display to defeat van Barneveld with a 107 average in the semi-finals, sealing victory with an 11-darter after the Dutchman fired in a 170 checkout to threaten a fightback.

He continued that form in a high-quality final with Wade, who hit scores of 180 and 177 in the opening leg but missed two darts to lead as Pipe stepped in to take out 106.

The duo traded finishes of 78 and 72 to put Pipe 2-1 up before Wade landed a superb ten-darter to win leg four and then broke by landing double ten.

However, he was punished for four misses in the sixth as Pipe levelled, before the Taunton thrower fired in a 180 and finished 58 on double ten to move 4-3 up.

He also kicked off the eighth leg with a maximum before finishing double six at the third time of asking to move a leg away from the win.

Pipe was first to a finish in the ninth leg, but wired the bullseye for a 170 finish only to see Wade miss double 11 to take out 124 and allow him back in to hit double eight for the title.

Wade takes home £7,500 from the tournament as he prepares to continue his challenge for a McCoy's Premier League Darts Play-Off spot in Birmingham on Thursday after a confidence-boosting run in Wiener Neustadt.

Wade's run to the final began with a defeat of Prakash Jiwa on Friday night before he saw off Steve Beaton in Saturday's second round and Kim Huybrechts, Wes Newton and Dave Chisnall on Sunday.

Chisnall had produced some sensational darts in picking up wins over Kevin Painter and James Richardson earlier on Sunday as he reached the semi-finals, hitting eight 180s and a 113 average against Painter and five more maximums in seeing off Richardson.

Van Barneveld joined Chisnall in reaching the semi-finals, having shown his class with victories over two Welsh former World Champions, Mark Webster and Richie Burnett, earlier on Sunday.

Youngster Joe Cullen, who had defied a nine-darter from Simon Whitlock to knock the Australian out on Saturday, joined Burnett, Richarson and Newton in the quarter-finals when he saw off Mark Walsh in the last 16.

PDC Newcomer Dean Winstanley also reached the last 16, alongside Holland's Michael van Gerwen, Painter, Denis Ovens, Huybrechts, Anderson and Webster.

The £82,100 tournament is the first of five European Tour events being staged by the PDC in 2012, with further competitions being staged in Berlin, Dusseldorf, Stuttgart and Egmond-Aan-Zee later this year.

The PDC hope to be able to show selected recorded games in LIVEPDC.TV in due course.

Click here for the Austrian Darts Open Photo Gallery

Austrian Darts Open - European Tour Event One
Third Round
Afternoon Session
Richie Burnett 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Mark Webster 2-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Joe Cullen 6-4 Mark Walsh
Gary Anderson 2-6 Justin Pipe
James Richardson 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Kevin Painter
Wes Newton 6-3 Denis Ovens
James Wade 6-1 Kim Huybrechts

Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Richie Burnett 3-6 Raymond van Barneveld
Joe Cullen 4-6 Justin Pipe
James Richardson 3-6 Dave Chisnall
Wes Newton 5-6 James Wade

Semi-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 3-6 Justin Pipe
Dave Chisnall 2-6 James Wade

Final
Justin Pipe 6-3 James Wade

Match Reports & Stats
Third Round
Quarter-Final Round-Up
DAVE CHISNALL hit eight 180s and a 113 average as he moved into the quarter-finals of the Austrian Darts Open on Sunday afternoon, and he was joined in the last eight by James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld at the Arena Nova.

Chisnall produced arguably the display of the tournament so far with a 6-3 defeat of Kevin Painter, who shared the first four legs but could do little against a barrage of scoring from the St Helens man.

Chisnall will now meet James Richardson in the quarter-finals, after the Northamptonshire-based player asw off Michael van Gerwen 6-5.

Van Gerwen hit back from 4-1 down to take the game into a deciding leg, but Richardson finished 80 in two darts to progress.

Former World Champions Raymond van Barneveld and Richie Burnett set up a quarter-final with their victories over Mark Webster and Dean Winstanley respectively.

World number three James Wade swept aside Kim Huybrechts 6-1 and now plays Wes Newton, who was a 6-3 winner against Denis Ovens.

Justin Pipe knocked out world number four Gary Anderson with a 6-2 victory to set up a clash with youngster Joe Cullen, who followed up his second round win over Simon Whitlock by defeating Mark Walsh 6-4.

Match Reports
Third Round
Richie Burnett 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Richie Burnett became the first player to reach the Austrian Darts Open quarter-finals with a 6-3 win over Dean Winstanley.

The Welshman took charge of the game from the off, hitting a pair of double 18 finishes to win the first two legs before landing double top and ten to lead 4-0.

He also missed the bull for a 124 checkout in the fifth, with Winstanley taking out 140 to get off the mark.

The Yorkshireman then opened leg six with back-to-back 180s, and although he was unable to complete a nine-darter he won the leg in 12 before hitting double ten to pull back to 4-3.

Burnett hit a maximum in winning leg eight, and sealed victory in the next on double eight.

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Mark Webster
Raymond van Barneveld defeated Mark Webster 6-2 to set up a quarter-final against another Welsh former World Champion, Richie Burnett, in the Austrian Darts Open.

The Dutch ace won the game's first three legs, punishing Webster's misses in the opening leg before hitting legs of 13 and 12 darts to lead 3-0, finishing 121 in the latter.

Webster hit double ten to get off the mark in the fourth, but finishes of double 16 and double three moved van Barneveld to the brink of victory at 5-1.

Webster stepped in to keep the game alive by winning the seventh on double five, after van Barneveld missed three match darts, but the five-time World Champion sealed victory with double top for a 13-darter.

Match Stats

Joe Cullen 6-4 Mark Walsh
Joe Cullen won through to the Austrian Darts Open quarter-finals, defeating Mark Walsh 6-4 with a high-quality display.

The Bradford youngster kicked off the game with a 180, and although Walsh took the opening leg it was Cullen who took the next two to edge ahead, breaking with a 14-darter in the latter.

Walsh then took out 135 to level and he won the fifth to move 3-2 up courtesy of double eight, but could do little to halt a charge from Cullen, who won the next three legs to move to the brink of victory.

Cullen hit a 180 and finished 126 with a classy treble 20, bullseye and double eight combination, before landing another maximum in breaking throw and posting double 16 for a 13-darter as he took a 5-3 advantage.

Walsh hit tops to win the ninth, but Cullen was first to a finish in the next and posted double four to secure victory.

Match Stats

Justin Pipe 6-2 Gary Anderson
Justin Pipe swept past world number four Gary Anderson to reach the Austrian Darts Open quarter-finals, winning five straight legs on his way to a 6-2 triumph.

Anderson began the match with a 126 checkout to win the first leg, with Pipe levelling with a 14-darter before tops gave the Scot a 2-1 cushion.

Pipe levelled in the fourth and then took the game's first break of throw in the next, hitting two 180s in a 12-dart finish to lead for the first time.

Anderson was unable to take out 142 to break back and Pipe won the sixth leg on double 18 to move 4-2 up, before finishing double 16 and double 12 to complete the win, setting up a last eight clash with Joe Cullen.

Match Stats

James Richardson 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
James Richardson edged out Michael van Gerwen in an 11-leg battle to book his quarter-final place in the Austrian Darts Open in Wiener Neustadt.

Richardson seemed on course for a comfortable win when he took a 4-1 lead, only for van Gerwen to battle back and force a deciding leg

The Dutchman had won the game's opening leg, punishing misses from Richardson to take out 68 in two darts, but the English ace hit double 12 to take the next two, before hitting a 180 in a 13-darter to lead 3-1.

He also won the next on double 16 to move three legs clear, and after van Gerwen took leg six it was Richardson who took out 118 on double 19 to move a leg away from victory.

Van Gerwen hit back-to-back 14-darters to keep his hopes alive, and posted two 140s in the tenth before levelling on double five to force a decider.

The duo were neck-and-neck to the finish, with Richardson unable to take out 139 but allowed to return to the oche when van Gerwen failed to finish 138, and the Englishman took out 80 in two darts for the win.

Match Stats

Dave Chisnall 6-3 Kevin Painter
Dave Chisnall produced a scintillating display to defeat Kevin Painter 6-3 in the Austrian Darts Open third round, hitting eight 180s and a 113 average as he booked his quarter-final place in style.

Chisnall hit two 180s in taking the game's opening leg and landed another in the second, which Painter won by hitting the bull for an 86 checkout.

Chisnall landed a fourth maximum in the third leg, which he won with a 120 finished, before Painter levelled in the fourth despite another 180 from his opponent, replying with a 165 score to set up a 130 checkout.

The St Helens ace posted a further maximum before hitting double 19 to win the fifth, and broke for the first time in leg six, landing two 140s and double 18 for a 13-darter.

He bettered that with a 104 finish to lead 5-2 with a 12-darter, before Painter hit three ton-plus scores to combat another 180 from Chisnall as he landed tops for a 13-darter of his own to hit back at 5-3.

Chisnall, though, posted his eighth maximum of the game and two tons to be first to a finish in leg nine, and took out 121 on the bull to seal a brilliant win.

Dave Chisnall's winning legs were 14, 12, 13, 13, 12, 12.

Match Stats

Wes Newton 6-3 Denis Ovens
Wes Newton came from 2-1 down to take a 6-3 win over Denis Ovens and reach the quarter-finals of the Austrian Darts Open.

Ovens took the first leg against the throw with a 101 finish, before Newton hit a 180 and tops to level before the veteran ace landed a maximum of his own to break again in leg three and lead 2-1.

Newton punished misses from Ovens to level in the fourth before firing in another maximum and tops to take the lead for the first time in leg five.

Ovens took out double 16 to square the game, but double four restored Newton's lead before he produced a brilliant eighth leg to move 5-3 up, opening with back-to-back 180s and finishing tops for an 11-darter.

He then hit tops for the fourth time in the game in leg nine to seal the win and his quarter-final place.

Match Stats

James Wade 6-1 Kim Huybrechts
James Wade swept past Kim Huybrechts 6-1 to book his quarter-final place in the Austrian Darts Open at the Arena Nova.

Wade took command at the start of the game, punishing a slow start from the Belgian to win the opening leg before breaking throw with a 14-darter in the second, with both legs being won on tops.

He then hit a 180 in a scrappy third leg before breaking for a second time in the fourth, punishing Huybrechts' misses by hitting double five.

Another double top finish moved him to the brink of victory, but he was punished for seven missed match darts in the sixth - having earlier hit another 180 - as Huybrechts landed double ten to get on the scoreboard.

However, his fightback was short-lived as Wade sealed victory with another 14-dart finish, taking out 64 on tops to move into the last eight.

Match Stats

Quarter-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 Richie Burnett
Raymond van Barneveld held off Richie Burnett's spirited challenge to progress to the semi-finals of the Austrian Darts Open with a 6-3 triumph.

The Dutchman made the early running, opening with double eight before breaking throw in the second leg with a 13-darter, before hitting a 180 and tops to lead 3-0.

Burnett hit double ten to get off the mark in the fourth, and hit a 180 in a 14-darter as he broke back, before levelling the game with another double ten finish.

However, van Barneveld landed a 14-darter in reply to take leg seven, before breaking throw on double nine to lead 5-3.

He then landed another maximum and finished 70 on double four to secure passage into the last four.

Match Stats

Justin Pipe 6-4 Joe Cullen
Justin Pipe set up a semi-final with Raymond van Barneveld at the Austrian Darts Open with a 6-4 victory over Joe Cullen at the Arena Nova.

Cullen held the lead early on, defying 180s from Pipe in the first and third legs to land double 12 and double 16 in edging 2-1 up, with the Taunton thrower hitting a 108 finish to get off the mark in leg two.

Pipe levelled on double 12 in the fourth, and broke for the first time in a key fifth leg, with Cullen opening with a 180 but bursting his score when needing 16 - hitting double 16 instead of double eight - to allow Pipe in to break with a 14-darter.

Pipe then landed double six to move 4-2 up, with Cullen replying with a 14-darter before being punished for a missed double five for an 87 checkout in the eighth, as Pipe posted double 16 to move 5-3 up.

Double ten kept Cullen in the game, but he was unable to stop Pipe's charge in the tenth leg as the Taunton ace finished 72 for a 14-darter in sealing the win.

Match Stats

Dave Chisnall 6-3 James Richardson
Dave Chisnall's brilliant run in the Austrian Darts Open continued as he booked a semi-final place with a 6-3 win over James Richardson.

The St Helens ace continued the form which had seen him average 113 in his third round win over Kevin Painter earlier in the day by hitting four 180s in the game's first three legs.

He opened the match with a maximum, although missed doubles allowed Richardson in to lead before Chisnall hit back-to-back 180s at the start of the second, with Richardson adding one of his own before Chisnall finished 86 for a 12-darter.

Chisnall then opened leg three with a maximum and hit double eight to take the leg before breaking in the fourth on tops for a 14-darter and a 3-1 cushion.

He won the fifth on double 18 and broke again for a 5-1 lead by taking out 122 on the bull, before his opponent rallied to threaten a comeback, with Richardson taking the next two legs following missed match darts from Chisnall.

Chisnall, though, made no mistake in the ninth, finishing 72 on tops to book his semi-final berth.

Match Stats

James Wade 6-5 Wes Newton
James Wade survived a stirring comeback from Wes Newton before edging into the Austrian Darts Open semi-finals with a narrow 6-5 victory in a repeat of last year's UK Open final.

The left-hander kicked off the final with a 180 and took the first leg on double five, and after Newton levelled on tops it was Wade who took command with three successive legs.

He first landed back-to-back 84 finishes - including an 11-darter to break throw - and then hit a 66 checkout to lead 4-1.

Newton took the next three in reply to level the contest, following a double 16 checkout with two on double eight before Wade finished 70 to lead 5-4.

Wade would miss two match darts in leg ten as Newton forced a decider, but the world number three was first to a finish as he left 20, and although his opponent posted a 180 to leave 45, it would be the left-hander who finished double ten to seal the win.

Match Stats

Semi-Finals
Justin Pipe 6-3 Raymond van Barneveld
Justin Pipe produced a brilliant display to defeat Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 and book his place in the Austrian Darts Open final at the Arena Nova.

Pipe's fine tournament continued has he followed up wins over Mensur Suljovic, Gino Vos, Gary Anderson and Joe Cullen by averaging 107.42 against the five-time World Champion.

Pipe opened the game with two 140s before hitting double six to win the opening leg, with van Barneveld levelling with a classy 13-darter, which included a 180 and double 16.

Pipe hit a maximum of his own in winning leg three in 14 darts, and he then finished 104 to break and lead 3-1.

Van Barneveld broke back with a 13-darter, hitting a 180 to set up double 16, before Pipe took the sixth against the darts with a 14-dart finish.

He then landed double 16 for a 13-dart kill to move to the brink of victory, although van Barneveld kept his challenge alive with a 170 checkout which brought the Austrian crowd to its feet.

However, Pipe kicked off leg nine with a 180 and hit two 140s to leave 41 after nine darts, and although van Barneveld fired in a 180 of his own it was the Englishman who returned to hit double 16 and seal victory in 11 darts.

Match Stats

James Wade 6-2 Dave Chisnall
James Wade booked his place in the Austrian Darts Open final with a 6-2 win over Dave Chisnall in their semi-final contest.

Chisnall had been in brilliant form in his wins over Kevin Painter and James Richardson earlier on Sunday, but failed to reproduce his heavy scoring as the left-hander took full advantage.

After the pair had shared the first two legs with double two finishes, Wade pulled away with three successive legs, hitting double five to edge a tense third before breaking throw in the fourth with a two-dart 97 finish.

He then landed double ten to lead 4-1 before Chisnall punished three misses at double 18 from Wade to win the sixth on double one.

Wade replied with a 14-darter to move 5-2 up, and when Chisnall failed to finish 36 and 18 in two visits to the oche the world number three nailed double ten to move into the final against Justin Pipe.

Match Stats

Final
Justin Pipe 6-3 James Wade
1-0 - Wade begins with 180, 140 and 177 but misses double two and then bursts his score on double one, and Pipe takes out 106 for a 12-darter to break.
1-1 - Wade levels with a 78 finish.
2-1 - Pipe finishes 72 to win the third leg.
2-2 - Wade hits scores of 140, 180 and 141 to set up tops for a ten-darter, with Pipe replying with a maximum in vain.
2-3 - Wade breaks throw for the first time to take the lead.
3-3 - Wade misses tops for an 82 finish and also three further darts to win the leg, allowing Pipe in on double two to break.
4-3 - Pipe opens with a 180 and finishes 58 to move back in front.
5-3 - Pipe hits another maximum and finishes 12 at the third time of asking to move to the brink of victory.
6-3 - Pipe misses the bull for a 170 finish, but Wade misses double 11 to finish 124 and double eight seals victory for the Taunton ace.

Match Stats

Click here for the Austrian Darts Open Photo Gallery