William Hill Grand Slam Day Two

WAITES, TAYLOR, WADE & HUYBRECHTS SECURE SECOND ROUND SPOTS

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.

"I always knew it would be a tough game and it feels brilliant to be through," said Waites, who also reached the 2009 final at the Wolves Civic.

"I'm very happy to get up there and play as I did - when I played Ted it was difficult to get into a rhythm, but Michael is a fast, fluent player and it suited me more.

"Wolverhampton's always been good to me and I love getting up and playing well in front of that crowd. It's a fantastic venue and it seems to bring the best out of me.

"The hard work's done now, and I can relax and enjoy the game against Dave Chisnall on Monday and then look ahead to the second round."

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.

"It was so different to yesterday, and I'm very happy to get the win," said Hankey. "Scott played well yesterday but today I got things right, I went up on stage and played well.

"I felt pretty decent and it went well for me. I fed off the crowd and it helped me, I played my natural darts and the 170 was as sweet as a nut.

"I've had my health problems and I've been on the mend, and I know that when I can play I'm as good as anybody and I can do anything.

"I've just got to go out to win against Michael and hopefully I will do because I've got a lot more to offer, not just for myself but for this crown and this tournament."

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.

"I like the group format of this competition and the two wins have helped build my confidence," said van Barneveld. "I hope it will set me up well for the rest of the week.

"I don't ever make it easy for myself, but I managed to produce good finishes towards the end and get the win."

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.

"I had to win but I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself and I went out there to relax and enjoy it," said Hamilton. "I tried a bit too hard against Justin Pipe on Saturday but the doubles went in for me today.

"I can move forward now and look forward to my next game against Robert now. He's a solid player, but hopefully I can play like I did tomorrow and it will be a great game."

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.

"I'm delighted to be through because that was the first target tonight, and I'm pleased with my performance as well," said Taylor. "Paul played a lot better than the scoreline suggests and a lot of his darts were just on the wrong side of the wire.

"I like Paul and I try harder against him because you want to produce an A+ performance, and he brings the best out of me. I want to keep this form going now and I can enjoy the game against Kevin Painter on Tuesday, but I'll still treat it like a World Championship final."

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.

"It's a massive win for me," said Kellett, who had not previously won a game in front of the TV cameras since joining the PDC circuit almost two years ago.

"I've had some tough draws in my previous TV appearances this year, but I've learned a lot from those games. I showed a lot of bottle from 4-2 down and I dug in, and I'm so chuffed.

"Phil battered me last night but I had to brush that off and not worry about it. Phil was awesome but I had to forget it and move on, because the games against Kevin and Paul were always going to be the big games, and I've given myself a chance to get through."

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.

"The key to the win was taking advantage of Gary's errors on the finishing, and a couple of ton-plus finishes is always nice," said Wade, the PDC world number six. "I'm working very hard on my approach to matches at the moment and my mindset during games.

"I've confirmed my place in the knockout stages now but I want to be professional in my last game against Wesley Harms and go through with a 100 percent record."

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.

"It's great for me," said Huybrechts, whose younger brother Kim could also still qualify. "To beat Christian Kist, the World Champion of last year, and then Adrian Lewis, a two-time World Champion, and to be through before the last game is brilliant.

"It's a fantastic moment, a dream come true! For my first year in this event, everything's new for me but I love it. I'll just take one game at a time and see what happens.

"I hope Kim can qualify too, he's got a difficult game against Michael but it would be great for him."

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.

"It was an important win for me and the leg difference could be important," said Huybrechts. "Yesterday I thought I played better but I missed a lot of doubles, but today I didn't score as well and my doubles were crucial - every chance I had I took.

"It's always going to be tough when you lose your first game and I just have to beat Michael now, but I've got confidence I can do this. He's a really good player but I beat him in Holland recent and I know I can do it."

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.

Watch Live
The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts is live on Sky Sports HD.
Coverage is also live through RTL7 in the Netherlands, Sport1 in Germany, OSN across the Middle East, Fox Sports Australia and Sky New Zealand.
LIVEPDC.TV International Pass subscribers can also watch live at www.LIVEPDC.TV, with highlights available 24 hours after the relevant session.

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Join in the fun online with the PDC's social media channels:
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Merchandise
PDC Merchandise is available from the PDC Merchandise Stand inside the main foyer of the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, or online through www.burghleydarts.com.

Tickets
Tickets for some sessions are still available - for latest availability call the Wolves Civic Box Office on 0870 320 7000 or visit www.wolvescivic.co.uk.

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) - Andy Hamilton Video
Wes Newton 5-2 Ross Smith (G)
Dave Chisnall 3-5 Ted Hankey (H) - Ted Hankey Video
Robert Thornton 5-2 Justin Pipe (F)
Scott Waites 5-2 Michael Smith (H) - Scott Waites Video
Raymond van Barneveld 5-4 Tony O'Shea (E)
Simon Whitlock 5-1 Mark Webster (G)
Saturday's winning players meet each other, and Saturday's losing players meet each other.

League Tables
Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

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) - Stuart Kellett Video
Kim Huybrechts 5-0 Vincent van der Voort (D) - Kim Huybrechts Video
Adrian Lewis 3-5 Ronny Huybrechts (C) - Ronny Huybrechts Video
Phil Taylor 5-1 Paul Nicholson (A)
James Wade 5-3 Gary Anderson (B)
Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dean Winstanley (D)
Saturday's winning players meet each other, and Saturday's losing players meet each other.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Match Information
Mervyn King v Ricky Evans
1-0 - King starts well and wins the first leg with a two-dart 69 finish for a 14-darter.
1-1 - Evans hits double two to level the game after four previous missed attempts to win the leg.
2-1 - King fires in a 180 and lands double 16 to record his second 14-dart-finsh of the game.
2-2 - The Kettering youngster lands a 180 of his own and levels the game for a second time with a 14-darter of his own.
3-2 - The high standard continues as King hits double eight for another 14-dart-finish.
4-2 - One missed dart at tops from Evans proves costly as King converts a 141 checkout to break throw.
5-2 - King hits double top at the first attempt for a 13-darter to end a high-quality game.

Match Stats

Andy Hamilton v Mark Walsh
1-0 - Hamilton secures an early break of throw thanks to a clinical 120 finish.
2-0 - The Stoke star increases his lead by landing double five.
3-0 - Hamilton pulls further away from Walsh as he hits double seven for a 14-darter.
3-1 - Hamilton lets three chances for a 4-0 lead slip away and Walsh lands double top with a pressure third dart.
4-1 - An accurate shot at double 16 for a 64 finish restores Hamilton's three leg advantage.
5-1 - Hamilton closes out the match in style with a 124 checkout to get the two points in Group F.

Match Stats

Wes Newton v Ross Smith
1-0 - Newton struggles to find the winning double before finally landing double one.
2-0 - The Fleetwood man breaks Smith's throw at the first of asking thanks to a successful attempt at double four.
2-1 - Smith hits back as he hits double eight to break Newton's throw.
2-2 - Smith wins his second leg in a row as he levels the game on double eight. 
3-2 - Newton hits double ten towin the fifth leg and regain the lead.
4-2 - Newton takes advantage of the leg with a 177 to leave double 14 which he takes out at the first time of asking.
5-2 - The world number eight hits double ten to claim the two points and still keep qualification hopes alive.

Match Stats

Dave Chisnall v Ted Hankey
1-0 - Chisnall fires in a 180 with his first three darts and wins the leg on double ten.
2-0 - The world number records a second 180 before taking the leg against the darts.
2-1 - Hankey lands a 180 of his own before taking the leg on double ten with an accurate third dart.
3-1 - The high standard continues as Chisnall records two maximums before winning the leg in just 11-darts.
3-2 - Hankey lands the corner of the double 20 bed to break his opponent's throw.
3-3 - Hankey produces scores of 135, 140, 180 before hitting double ten for a 12-dart leg to level the contest.
3-4 - Hankey sends the Civic Hall crowd into the raptures with a sensational 170 checkout with Chisnall waiting on a double.
3-5 - The drama increases as Hankey lets three match darts slip away but Chisnall misses two chances of his own to force a deciding leg as Hankey returns to land double two for a great win.

Match Stats

Robert Thornton v Justin Pipe
0-1 - Thornton is unable to hit the bullseye and Pipe hits double seven to secure an early break of throw.
1-1 - Thornton is off-target with four attempts at doubles but Pipe misses six of his own and Thornton accepts the reprieve to land double eight.
2-1 - The former UK Open Champion lands a maximum and converts a 96 finish to lead for the first time.
3-1 - Pipe continues to struggle on the doubles as Thornton hits double four to win a third leg in a row.
4-1 - One missed dart at double 18 from Pipe is costly as Thornton hits a fantastic 152 checkout.
4-2 - Pipe hits double seven with a pressure third dart with Thornton waiting on double four for the match.
5-2 - Consistent scoring from Thornton sees him leave 40 after 12-darts and he hits double top at the first attempt to claim a second win in Group F.

Match Stats

Scott Waites v Ross Smith
1-0 - Waites starts confidently with a clinical 86 finish completed in just two-darts.
2-0 - Both players kick-off with 180s before Smith adds another to raise hopes of a nine-darter. It's not be and a missed shot at bullseye from the youngster proves costly as Waites hits double four. 
3-0 - Smith fails with six attempts to win the leg and Waites moves further clear by landing double ten.
3-1 - Smith lands double top with his third dart after Waites is off-target with one dart at double 11.
3-2 - Smith keeps up the fight as he hits double 15 after Waites misses his attempt at double 18.
4-2 - Waites lands a crucial double four with his third dart to go a leg away from victory.
5-2 - Smith misses two chances at double 11 and Waites takes out a two-dart 64 finish to win the match and secure his place in the second round.

Match Stats

Raymond van Barneveld v Tony O'Shea
1-0 - O'Shea hits two 140s but van Barneveld holds throw by hitting double 18.
2-0 - One missed dart at double 16 from O'Shea allows the Dutchman a shot at double four which he duly converts.
2-1 - O'Shea hits the bullseye to complete an excellent 121 checkout.
2-2 - van Barneveld misses tops for a 160 checkout and O'Shea hits double eight with his first dart to level the game.
2-3 - Two missed darts at tops from van Barneveld prove costly as O'Shea lands double 18 to win a third straight leg.
3-3 - O'Shea is guilty of wasting four chances to pull two legs clear and van Barneveld lands a vital double two with his third dart.
4-3 - O'Shea hits the first 180 of the game but van Barneveld hits a two-dart 96 finish with his opponent waiting on tops.
4-4 - The Stockport ace hits another maximum and hits double ten to force a deciding leg.
5-4 - van Barneveld takes out 72 with O'Shea waiting on a two-darter to maintain his 100% record in Group E.

Match Stats

Simon Whitlock v Mark Webster
1-0 - Whitlock holds throw by taking out 72 to win the first leg.
2-0 - The world number four hits the bullseye for a 122 checkout to break Webster's throw.
3-0 - Whitlock kicks-off with a 180 before landing double top to complete a 13-dart-finish.
3-1 - Webster stops Whitlock's winning run with an excellent 96 finish by landing double nine with his third dart.
4-1 - Whitlock fires in a second maximum to leave 81 which he takes out on double 13 to restore his three leg lead.
5-1 - Whitlock hits two 180s and lands a seventh treble 20 but a missed treble 19 ends nine-dart hopes. The Australian goes on to hit double ten to end with a brilliant 108.78 average.

Match Stats

Evening Session
Christian Kist v Richie George
1-0 - High-quality first leg sees both players hit 180s before Kist records an impressive 124 checkout.
2-0 - Kist takes out a 90 finish to double his lead with George waiting on tops.
3-0 - The former Lakeside Champion moves further clear of his opponent as hit hits double ten.
3-1 - Kist lands a second 180 to apply pressure but George hits double top at the first attempt to get a leg on the board.
4-1 - Kist restores his three-leg advantage with the aid of a clinical two-dart 80 finish.
4-2 - Kist misses three chances to close out the game and George lands double two with his third dart.
5-2 - The Dutchman hits double eight to revitalise his challenge of qualification for the knockout stages.

Match Stats

Wesley Harms v Peter Wright
0-1 - Wright hits two 140s and follows that with a 121 finish to make an excellent start to the game.
1-1 - The colourful Scotsman kicks-off with scores of 180 and 140 but two missed darts at double 16 prove costly as Harms hits double 20 for a 13-darter.
1-2 - Wright hits double 16 after four previous failed attempts to regain the lead.
1-3 - Harms misses double 16 for a 111 finish and Wright lands double 12 with his third dart.
2-3 - The Dutchman hits double four to keep in touch with his opponent.
2-4 - Wright records his third maximum of the game before taking out 50 to move within touching distance of victory.
2-5 - Wright lands double 16 to convert a 64 finish and seal the two points.

Match Stats

Kevin Painter v Stuart Kellett
1-0 - Painter is off-target with four shots at double eight but Kellett is unable to capitalise and Painter returns to secure an early lead.
1-1 - Kellett who came through the Wildcard Qualifier to play in this event levels the game on double 16.
1-2 - The Manchester thrower misses the bullseye for a 161 checkout but returns to hit double eight.
2-2 - Painter takes out an excellent 116 finish with his opponent waiting on 32.
3-2 - The former Players Championship Finals winner hits a second 180 before landing double eight.
4-2 - Kellett is off-target with two attempts to win the leg and Painter hits double ten to move a leg away from victory.
4-3 - Kellett wastes four opportunities at doubles only for Painter to miss two shots for the match. Kellett hits double six to keep his hopes alive.
4-4 - Kellett takes control of the leg with scores of 140 and 180 before hitting double 14 to force a deciding leg.
4-5 - The Manchester man hits a third 180 before taking out 60 in two-darts to win the match in style with a 14-darter.

Match Stats

Kim Huybrechts v Vincent van der Voort
1-0 - Huybrechts holds throw thanks to an accurate attempt at double 18.
2-0 - The Belgian ace hits double 18 for a second leg running to convert a 78 finish.
3-0 - Huybrechts hits double 16 to move further clear with his opponent waiting on the same double.
4-0 - Double 18 is landed for a third time in four legs by Huybrechts.
5-0 - Huybrechts completes the whitewash by landing double 16.

Match Stats