partypoker.net Euro Champs - Day Two

VAN GERWEN & LEWIS PROGRESS IN PARTYPOKER.NET EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP AS NICHOLSON ENDS HOPP HOPES
 

MICHAEL VAN GERWEN and Adrian Lewis both won through to the second round of the partypoker.net European Championship with victories on Friday night, but 2012 runner-up Wes Newton was dumped out of the event by Jelle Klaasen in Muelheim and Paul Nicholson ended German hopes by seeing off Max Hopp.

World number two van Gerwen, the tournament favourite, dropped only one leg in a 6-1 defeat of Belgium's Kurt Van De Rijck as he swept into the last 16.

However, the Dutchman admitted that he must improve if he is to claim the £50,000 first prize on Sunday night after missing 16 darts at a double during the contest.

"I didn't play well but I did enough to get the win and 6-1 is a good result," said van Gerwen. "I knew Kurt wasn't at his best and it affected me, and I lost some of my concentration so I know I must improve.

"I want to do well this weekend and I know I'm going to have a tough game against Mervyn King in the second round, so I'll have to prepare myself for that."

King had earlier booked his second round place with a narrow 6-5 defeat of Ronnie Baxter, saving his only 180 of the game for the deciding leg before sealing victory on tops.

"Ronnie's a great stalwart of the game and a great competitor, so I'm really pleased to have come through that game," said King. "He played a typical Ronnie Baxter game and didn't give me many opportunities.

"You know you've got to take your chances against him and I'm delighted that I managed to do that in the final leg."

Number three seed Adrian Lewis, meanwhile, came from 3-1 down to defeat Austrian number one Mensur Suljovic 6-4 in their first round clash at the RWE Sporthalle.

Suljovic took command early on but missed his chance to take a 4-1 lead as Lewis stepped in with a key 80 finish, and the two-time World Champion won four of the next five legs to progress.

"Mensur started well and took his chances but the 80 was massive and it was the big moment in the game," said Lewis. "I hit some sloppy scores but the important thing was getting through."

Lewis now plays Kevin Painter, after the former Players Championship Finals winner defeated John Part 6-4 in a tight battle.

Painter took an early 4-1 lead before Part, aided by a 170 checkout, hit back to level the game with three successive legs.

However, Part missed the bullseye for another maximum finish as Painter hit double 12 to lead 5-4 before sealing the win on double eight.

"We always seem to have great games and this was another battle," said Painter. "I thought I had it wrapped up at 4-1 but John came back well and had me sweating there - if he'd hit that second 170 I'd have probably walked off stage and gone home!

"I had to hold myself together and make sure I didn't make any mistakes on my throw in the latter stages, and I did that well so I'm delighted to get the win."

Part admitted: "The 170 got me going and I felt it hit Kevin hard, but he played a really good game. He made a great start and deserved it - I gave it a good go but didn't quite do enough to win."

Justin Pipe, meanwhile, dedicated his 6-4 win over Finland's Jani Haavisto to the memory of his late brother Mark, who passed away suddenly last weekend while the world number ten was competing in the Gibraltar Darts Trophy.

Pipe had led 5-1 against the Finnish number one before Haavisto hit back to win the next two legs, but he regained his composure to secure passage to the second round in Muelheim.

"I'm so proud to have won that because it's probably the toughest match I've ever had," said Pipe. "It's been such a tough week for all my family and that win's for them - although I was beginning to worry at one stage.

"I probably felt the winning line coming and that was when I missed a few doubles, so it's a huge relief to have finally got the winning double. It would be amazing to win again on Saturday and to get through to Sunday, but it's just a relief to have come through this match."

Pipe now takes on Jelle Klaasen in Saturday's opening second round clash, after the Dutchman enjoyed a brilliant 6-4 comeback win over Wes Newton, last year's European Championship finalist.

Newton hit back from 2-0 down to lead 4-2, hitting an 11-darter in the process, but Klaasen levelled before taking out 129 and 112 in successive legs to grab victory.

"After Wes got back level at two-all, I missed a few chances and that got in my head but I stayed calm and the big finishes were important at the end," said Klaasen.

"The 129 finish was special and I knew that I'd try to go for treble 19 and two double 18s because that's my favourite double, and the 112 was nice as well.

"It was good enough to win tonight but not really good, and normally if my scoring's better I wouldn't need the big finishes."

Paul Nicholson ended home hopes in the tournament with a battling 6-4 win over 16-year-old Frankfurt-based prodigy Max Hopp, who led 3-1 and 4-3 before being overhauled.

"It's a very big win because I knew it would be a really tough match in Max's home country, and I was a bit nervous in the early legs," admitted Nicholson. "Under pressure I play my best darts and that's what I did in the second half of the game.

"Max is a young kid who's done exceptionally well in the last year and I know he's got a big future, but I had to go up there and do a job and beat him, so I'm ecstatic to do that."

Nicholson's win earns him a last 16 tie with world number six Andy Hamilton, who edged out Terry Jenkins 6-5 in a thriller.

The second round will be split across two sessions on Saturday. at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany, with reigning champion Simon Whitlock facing Colin Lloyd in the afternoon session before world number four James Wade meets Jamie Caven.

Saturday's evening session sees four-time champion Phil Taylor taking on Belgium's Ronny Huybrechts and five-time World Champion Raymond van Barneveld up against Robert Thornton, with Lewis facing Painter and van Gerwen meeting King.

TV Coverage
The tournament is being screened live in its entirety in the UK & Ireland online through www.LIVEPDC.TV. Coverage is also being broadcast from all evening sessions live on ITV4.

The partypoker.net European Championship is also being shown worldwide through RTL7 in the Netherlands, Sport1 in Germany, Fox Sports in Australia and via Sky New Zealand.

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partypoker.net European Championship
Friday July 4
8pm-12pm Local Time (7pm-11pm UK Time)
First Round x8
Jani Haavisto 3-6 Justin Pipe
Max Hopp 4-6 Paul Nicholson
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Terry Jenkins
Ronnie Baxter 5-6 Mervyn King
Wes Newton 4-6 Jelle Klaasen
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Kurt Van De Rijck
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Mensur Suljovic
Kevin Painter 6-4 John Part

Match Information
Jani Haavisto v Justin Pipe
1-0 - Haavisto makes a superb start to the night, landing double 12 for a 138 checkout to complete a 12-darter.
1-1 - The Finn misses two darts at double 14 for an 88 finish, and Pipe makes him pay by finishing a 70 combination on double 16.
1-2 - Pipe scores 171 to leave 32, and lands double 16 to move ahead.
1-3 - Pipe takes out 120 for another break of throw as he picks up a two-leg lead.
1-4 - Pipe moves three legs clear by hitting double 16 once more.
1-5 - Haavisto is first to a finish, but misses the bull for an 83 finish and further darts at double eight and four, and Pipe makes him pay once more by landing, almost inevitably, double 16.
2-5 - Pipe misses double 13 for a 146 finish and also sees two further match darts slip away, and Haavisto posts double two to break throw and hit back.
3-5 - Pipe misses three more match darts, with one at at double top and two at double ten, and tops sees the Finn continue his revival.
3-6 - Pipe misses double eight for a 136 finish, and also sees three more match darts slip away before he posts double two to finally take victory.

Max Hopp v Paul Nicholson
0-1 - Nicholson hits double 16 to win the opening leg, momentarily silencing Hopp's home support.
1-1 - Hopp initially misses his chance to level with three darts at doubles, but Nicholson misses double top and ten and the 16-year-old posts double ten to level.
2-1 - Hopp breaks throw on double six to move ahead, much to the delight of the German crowd at the RWE Sporthalle.
3-1 - Hopp finishes 58 on tops to take a two-leg cushion.
3-2 - Nicholson hits back, initially missing six darts at doubles before finishing double seven to win his first leg in four.
3-3 - Nicholson levels the game by landing double 16.
4-3 - Hopp breaks throw by taking out 76 on tops, roaring with delight as he moves back ahead.
4-4 - Nicholson takes out 65 on double top for a 14-darter to break back, silencing the Hopp support.
4-5 - Tops is once again the winning double, as Nicholson regains the lead to move a leg away from victory.
4-6 - Hopp lands a superb 177 to leave 24, but misses double 12 and two darts at double six, and Nicholson finishes tops for a 13-darter to seal victory.

Andy Hamilton v Terry Jenkins
0-1 - Jenkins breaks throw immediately, with Hamilton missing the bull for a 170 finish and further darts at double 16 and eight to allow the Ledbury ace in on double ten.
1-1 - Hamilton levels by landing double four to punish a sloppy leg from Jenkins.
2-1 - Hamilton hits a 180 and finishes 92 in two darts to move ahead.
2-2 - Jenkins initially misses his chance to win the leg, but has the cushion to return and pin double ten to level.
2-3 - Jenkins lands two maximums, and again has the breathing space to initially miss tops but return on double ten to move back ahead.
2-4 - Jenkins wins a third successive leg to move two clear of his opponent.
3-4 - Hamilton hits a 180 and takes out 112 to hit back.
4-4 - Jenkins lands a 180, but Hamilton pins double 16 to level the game.
5-4 - Jenkins again hits a maximum but can only watch on as his opponent hits double 16 once more to regain the lead and move to the brink of victory.
5-5 - Jenkins posts tops to sent the game into a deciding leg.
6-5 - Jenkins fires in his sixth maximum of the game, with Hamilton initially missing double 16 for a 106 finish before his opponent allows him back when he is unable to take out 112, and the Stoke ace makes no mistake on double eight to progress.

Ronnie Baxter v Mervyn King
0-1 - King posts double 16 at the first time of asking to win the opening leg.
1-1 - Baxter eventually lands double eight to level, with King missing the bull to punish three earlier misses from the Blackpool ace.
1-2 - King is first to a finish, initially missing double 16 for a 106 finish before returning to hit the bed to move back ahead.
2-2 - Baxter initially misses two darts at tops, but King is unable to capitalise with three darts at doubles to allow his opponent back in on double ten.
2-3 - King finishes 64 on double eight to move back in front.
3-3 - Baxter fires in a 180 and lands tops to level.
3-4 - King takes out 73 on tops to edge ahead.
4-4 - King misses the bull for a 110 finish to secure the game's first break of throw, and Baxter lands double ten to square the contest.
4-5 - Baxter lands a second 180 of the game, but misses tops to break throw and King returns to land double ten to move a leg away from the second round.
5-5 - Baxter takes out 120 to send the game into a decider.
5-6 - King produces his first maximum of the game at the right time, although he initially misses three match darts at tops before Baxter misses double 11 for a 124 checkout, allowing his opponent back in on tops for the win.

Wes Newton v Jelle Klaasen
0-1 - Klaasen wins the opening leg on double nine.
0-2 - Klaasen hits a 180 and double 18 to break throw.
1-2 - Double four sees Newton hit back.
2-2 - Newton lands double 18 for a 96 finish to complete a superb 11-darter.
3-2 - Klaasen hits a 180 but misses two darts at tops, and Newton scrambles home double one to win a third successive leg.
4-2 - The Dutch ace breaks throw to reduce the gap to two legs and win his first leg in five.
4-3 - Klaasen posts double 18 to continue his fightback.
4-4 - Another break of throw, on double 18, sees Klaasen level another tight contest.
4-5 - Newton hits a 180 but misses two darts at tops and one at double ten, and Klaasen finishes an outstanding 129 by hitting treble 19 and two double 18s.
4-6 - Newton lands another maximum as he bids to send the game into a decider, but Klaasen wins a fourth successive leg with a superb 112 checkout to seal a fine comeback win.

Michael van Gerwen v Kurt Van De Rijck
1-0 - van Gerwen is first to a finish, initially missing his chance in two visits to the oche before returning - after Van De Rijck misses tops to steal the leg - to hit double one for the opener.
2-0 - van Gerwen misses double 13 to finish 146 but is able to return and land double four to double his lead.
3-0 - The players trade 180s, but Van De Rijck's maximum comes too late to prevent van Gerwen landing tops to win a third leg.
3-1 - Both players again land maximums, with the Dutchman missing four more darts at doubles to allow Van De Rijck in on double eight to win his opening leg.
4-1 - van Gerwen posts double 16 to move three legs clear once again.
5-1 - The world number two opens with a 180 and finishes double eight for a 13-darter to move a leg away from the win.
6-1 - van Gerwen misses two match darts, but Van De Rijck is off-target with three darts at double 18 to allow his opponent to seal the win on double four.

Adrian Lewis v Mensur Suljovic
0-1 - Suljovic makes a fine start by finishing 111 to win the opener.
1-1 - Lewis levels by posting double 12.
1-2 - Suljovic edges back in front on double eight.
1-3 - The Austrian breaks throw by finishing 58.
2-3 - Suljovic misses one dart for a three-leg lead, and Lewis takes out 80 to hit back.
3-3 - Lewis hits a 180 and lands double ten to level.
4-3 - Lewis moves ahead for the first time by hitting double 16.
4-4 - Suljovic breaks back immediately by taking out 60.
5-4 - Lewis hits tops to move ahead.
6-4 - Double 16 sees Lewis complete the comeback to claim the win.

Kevin Painter v John Part
1-0 - Painter makes a brilliant start, opening with two 180s and, although a nine-darter chance goes begging, he finishes tops to win the opener.
1-1 - Part lands a maximum and double 19 to hit back.
2-1 - Painter wins the third leg to regain the lead.
3-1 - Part hits a 180, but pays for five missed doubles as Painter breaks throw on double ten.
4-1 - Painter finishes 80 to win a third successive leg.
4-2 - Part hits back on double ten.
4-3 - Painter lands a 180 but misses four darts at doubles, and Part makes him pay with a sensational 170 maximum checkout.
4-4 - Double eight sees the Canadian level.
5-4 - Both players hit 180s, with Painter missing the bull for a 122 finish and Part then missing the bull for a second 170 checkout, allowing his opponent in on double 12 to move a leg away from the win.
6-4 - Painter seals victory on double eight as he wraps up the first round action in Muelheim.

Match Stats