VAN GERWEN & LEWIS SET UP TASTY GIBRALTAR DARTS TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL AS HUYBRECHTS & CHISNALL HIT TOP GEAR
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN'S bid to win a third successive European Tour title continued with a comfortable win over Colin Lloyd in the third round of the Gibraltar Darts Trophy on Sunday afternoon, and he will now meet Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals of the event.
Van Gerwen took victory in both Dusseldorf and Wiener Neustadt last month, and remains on course to pick up another £20,000 first prize after sweeping aside Lloyd 6-1 in only 13 minutes in their third round clash.
World number three Lewis, meanwhile, produced a fine display to defeat Jamie Caven 6-4, with the Stoke ace leading 3-0 before his opponent roared back with four successive legs to hit the front.
Lewis, though, showed the class of a two-time World Champion by taking the next three legs to move into the last eight.
"I finished really well and that's what got me through," said Lewis. "Jamie put together some great legs when he was 3-0 down but I'm really pleased to have come through with the win.
"It's exciting to be playing Michael and hopefully I can beat him and go all the way. I'll play my own game, and if I can score a little bit better and finish like I did this afternoon then it will be a great match."
Belgium's Kim Huybrechts and world number ten Dave Chisnall powered into the last eight with superb performances in Sunday afternoon's third round.
Huybrechts hit finishes of 132 - with a showpiece bullseye, bullseye, double 16 combination - and 119 and also hit seven perfect darts in his bid for a nine-darter in one leg of a high-quality game with Peter Wright, who joined the Belgian in averaging over 100.
Chisnall, meanwhile, twice hit back-to-back maximums in setting up possible nine-darters during a thrilling 6-3 defeat of Andy Hamilton as he hit eight 180s and averaged 111 in a sensational display.
Hamilton gave as good as he got in the early stages, landing an 11-darter as he shared the opening four legs, before Chisnall took the next three to take command, and though the UK Open finalist hit back with a 106 finish, the St Helens thrower proved too strong.
"It's a great win," said Chisnall. "It felt like I couldn't miss the treble 20 and when the first dart went in, the other two always seemed to follow - but every game's different and I'll have to get ready for another tough game against Kim in the quarter-finals."
World Champion Phil Taylor matched van Gerwen's 6-1 win as he soared past Leon De Geus in style, setting up a quarter-final against Steve Beaton, who was pushed all the way by John Henderson.
Beaton had also gone to a deciding leg against Connie Finnan in Saturday's second round, and hit back from 4-3 down against Scottish ace Henderson before edging through in leg 11, landing a key 180 and double four for the win.
Kevin Painter powered into the last eight with a fine 6-3 win over James Wade, who also hit seven perfect darts in his bid for a nine-darter during the loss, which was book-ended by finishes of 130 and 117 from the former Players Championship Finals winner.
Painter now meets Jamie Lewis in the other quarter-final, after the Welsh youngster reached the last eight for the first time on the PDC ProTour by whitewashing Steve Brown 6-0, hitting checkouts of 108 and 106 in a memorable performance.
The quarter-finals on Sunday evening will be followed by the semi-finals and final as the £100,000 European Tour event concludes at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar.
The tournament is being streamed live through www.LIVEPDC.TV and also through the William Hill website.
Live Streaming
The tournament will also streamed live online worldwide through www.LIVEPDC.TV and also through the William Hill website.
Live Scores
Fans can follow live scores from all matches in the event through the PDC Live Scores Website at http://live.dartsdata.com.
Get Involved
Stay in touch with the very latest from the Speedy Services UK Open throughout the weekend through the OfficialPDC Social Media Channels:
Twitter.com/OfficialPDC - use the #GibraltarDarts
Facebook.com/OfficialPDC
YouTube.com/OfficialPDC
Gibraltar Darts Trophy
European Tour Event Five
Sunday June 30
Third Round (1pm local time)
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Colin Lloyd
Jamie Caven 4-6 Adrian Lewis
Kevin Painter 6-3 James Wade
Jamie Lewis 6-0 Steve Brown
Steve Beaton 6-5 John Henderson
Leon De Geus 1-6 Phil Taylor
Kim Huybrechts 6-4 Peter Wright
Dave Chisnall 6-3 Andy Hamilton
Match Information
Michael van Gerwen needed only 13 minutes to race past Colin Lloyd 6-1 as he reached the Gibraltar Darts Trophy quarter-finals to remain on course for his third successive European Tour title. The Dutchman kicked off the game superbly with a 12-darter, before Lloyd levelled by taking out 77 on tops. The Essex ace had a chance to break in the third as van Gerwen missed five darts at doubles, but Lloyd missed three of his own to allow the world number two back in on double five, and van Gerwen made his opponent pay for two missed darts at tops in leg four as he took out 72 on double 12 for the game's first break in a key moment. He then landed double eight to move 4-1 up, finished 76 on the bull to win a fifth leg and then took out 95 on tops to seal his quarter-final spot.
Adrian Lewis won a see-saw battle with Jamie Caven to move into the Gibraltar Darts Trophy quarter-finals. Lewis edged the opener on double ten following misses from Caven, and the Stoke ace then took out 94 - with a classy single 18, double 18, double top combination - and 130 on double five to move three legs up. Caven hit a 180 and finished 81 on double six to get off the mark in leg four, and when Lewis missed the bull to finish 170 in the next he landed double ten to pull back to 3-2. Caven then finished 77 to level and 80 to win a fourth successive leg and move 4-3 up, but Lewis hit back on double five to win a crucial eighth leg. Lewis then hit a 180 and punished six missed doubles from his opponent to move 5-4 up, before landing tops to progress to the last eight.
Kevin Painter produced a fine display to defeat world number four James Wade 6-3 to reach the Gibraltar Darts Trophy quarter-finals. Painter took out 130 on the bull to take the opener, before Wade set up a possible nine-darter in the second, landing a 177 and a 180 before hitting the opening treble 20 of a 144 combination, but he missed the eighth dart of the finish, before returning to complete the leg and level. The next two were also shared, and though Wade hit a 180 in the fifth leg, Painter took out 64 to move 3-2 up before securing a key first break in the sixth by taking out 88 after Wade missed a dart at tops. Painter opened the seventh leg with a 180 before finishing double 16 for a 5-2 lead, and though Wade produced a sparkling 14-darter to keep his hopes alive - hitting a 171 and tops - the former Players Championship Finals winner sealed his quarter-final spot with a 117 checkout.
Jamie Lewis won through to his first PDC quarter-final with a resounding 6-0 whitewash of Steve Brown. After taking the game's opening leg, Lewis landed double four to edge the second and then finished a fine 108 to win the third leg. Brown was first to a finish in the fourth, but missed five darts at a double to allow Lewis in on tops for a 4-0 lead, and though the Bristol ace hit a 180 in the fifth it was the Welsh youngster who finished 84 on double six to move a leg away from the win. Lewis landed a maximum in the next leg, and when Brown missed tops for a 118 finish, he stepped in to complete the whitewash by taking out 106 on double 18.
Steve Beaton won through to a second successive European Tour quarter-final with a narrow 6-5 win over John Henderson. The game's opening two legs were shared before Beaton took out 78 to win the third, and Henderson landed a 180 as he levelled in the fourth. Beaton replied with a maximum in a 14-darter as he moved 3-2 up, but Henderson posted a 180 and tops to take the sixth before breaking for the first time on double five in the seventh to move 4-3 up, with Beaton having hit a 171 score to leave 16 only to be denied a dart at the double. Beaton broke back immediately with another 14-darter, and hit double two to move 5-4 up, and though Henderson forced a decider with a 14-dart leg of his own, the former World Champion powered in a maximum to be first to a finish before landing double four for the win.
Phil Taylor soared into the Gibraltar Darts Trophy with a 6-1 win over Holland's Leon De Geus. Taylor took command immediately by breaking throw on double 18 in the opening leg, and added a 68 finish to double his lead before taking out 98, after De Geus missed a dart at tops, to lead 3-0. De Geus took out 64 on double 16 to win the fourth leg, but paid the price for failing to set up a double when needing 88 in the next as Taylor pounced to lead 4-1. Taylor then took out 86 on double 16 before sealing the win in style by landing double 18 for a 13-darter.
Kim Huybrechts edge out Peter Wright 6-4 in a high-quality third round clash which saw both players average over 100 throughout the course of an entertaining contest. Wright finished 76 to win the opening leg before Huybrechts levelled courtesy of a showpiece 132 checkout of two bullseyes and double 16, although Wright then landed a 180 and took out 70 to break throw as he led 2-1 before traded 180s in the fourth with the Belgian, who could only watch on as his colourful opponent took out 118 to move two legs clear. Huybrechts defied a 174 score from Wright to hit back in the fifth before levelling in the next with a two-dart 86 finish. Huybrechts set up a potential nine-darter in leg seven, matching James Wade's attempt earlier in the day as he scored 177 and 180 and, needing 144, hitting the first treble 20 of the combination before missing the second - although he took the leg in 12 darts to hit the front for the first time. Wright replied with a 180 and double eight to level at four-all, but Huybrechts took out 119 to move 5-4 up before punishing a miss at tops from Wright by hitting the same bed to roar into the last eight.
Dave Chisnall marched into the Gibraltar Darts Trophy quarter-finals by hitting EIGHT 180s in a super 6-3 win over Andy Hamilton, with the St Helens thrower averaging 111. After the pair shared the opening two legs, Chisnall hit top gear by opening the next two legs with back-to-back 180s, although he was unable on both occasions to complete the 141 checkout as he firstly posted a 13-darter to move 2-1 up before Hamilton pounced to level with an 11-dart finish. Chisnall added another 180 as he took the fifth leg beforeposting a maximum and double four to break throw and lead 4-2. He repeated the finish to move a leg away from the win before Hamilton took out 106 to keep his hopes alive, but Chisnall landed an eighth 180 of the contest in leg nine before hitting double 16 to complete a fine victory.