William Hill Grand Slam Day Five

HANKEY STUNS WHITLOCK WITH AMAZING WILLIAM HILL GRAND SLAM COMEBACK
 

TED HANKEY made a remarkable comeback from 6-1 down against Simon Whitlock to win through to the William Hill Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals on Wednesday night, as Scott Waites, Robert Thornton and Tony O'Shea joined him in the last eight.

Hankey continued his return to form at the Wolves Civic with one of the most memorable fightbacks in the event's history as he won through to the last eight for a second time.

The Telford ace, a two-time Lakeside Champion, had suffered a minor stroke in Wolverhampton 12 months ago and has struggled to get to grips with diabetes since, but confirmed his return to darts' big-time in a dramatic contest.

Whitlock opened the match with a 104 checkout and won six of the first seven legs to leave Hankey reeling - only for the game to turn around as he clawed back into the game as the Australian faltered.

Hankey won four successive legs to pull back to 6-5, and though Whitlock edged away with double ten, his opponent first in double five, tops and double 11 to move ahead for the first time at 8-7.

Whitlock levelled by taking out 96 for a 12-darter, and the pair shared the next two legs to force a decider, but two tons helped Hankey to be first to a finish before he landed tops at the first time of asking to complete an amazing triumph.

"I can't believe that I won that game," admitted an emotional Hankey afterwards. "I felt so good before I went on stage and all of a sudden I was 6-1 down.

"Simon played brilliantly but I knew I could play better. I was pathetic in the first session and to be honest I started telling myself off - I took my aggression out on myself and I got so wound up that I found a place that I went into, and I was alright then.

"All of a sudden I found myself 8-7 up and I just had to hold my throw, and I thought that my finishing in the second half of the game was great. In the final leg I had the throw and against a great player like Simon you'd expect to lose it, but he didn't seem to hit anything and the 58 was two of the biggest darts I've ever thrown.

"For once in my life I wanted to hit the big 18 and see tops go in with the first dart, and I did it.

"It's been a rough 18 months for me but I know I can play the game and I'm looking forward to the quarter-finals now - it's like I've been given a new lease of life and this can kick-start my career."

Hankey now plays 2010 Grand Slam of Darts champion Waites in Friday's quarter-finals, after the Lakeside Champion continued his love affair with the Wolves Civic with a fine 10-6 defeat of Mark Webster to open the second round.

Webster held leads of 2-1 and 5-4 early in their game, with the pair sharing the first 12 legs before Waites pulled away with 180s in successive legs and then sealed victory with a 13-dart finish.

"It's a good win and anything can happen now," said Waites. "I felt a bit nervous tonight because I find it tough playing a mate like Mark, and that showed on stage - I didn't have that really bad killer instinct that you need.

"Neither of us could hold throw early on and it was quite a strange game, so I'm glad to get through it.

"I said after the group stage that I was going to go and practice my scoring, but I didn't seem to practice my doubles, so I need to get some sort of balance between my scoring and doubles for the quarter-finals.

"If I can score like I did tonight and finish like I did through the group stages then I've got a great chance."

Former UK Open champion Robert Thornton and three-time Lakeside Championship runner-up Tony O'Shea will also meet in the quarter-finals on Friday night, after they overcame Mervyn King and Andy Hamilton in titanic struggles.

Thornton had burst into a 4-1 lead in his clash with King, who hit back with five successive legs - including two 12-darters and a 121 finish - to move 6-4 up.

The Scot responded with a 13-darter in levelling and shared the next four before taking a 9-8 cushion and completing victory with a 161 checkout.

"It was a battle and I'm delighted to have won," said Thornton. "I won the first session 4-1 but Mervyn came back out and caught fire!

"I went into the second break trying to figure out what had happened because I wasn't playing badly, but Mervyn didn't miss a thing.

"I'll have another battle with Tony on Friday. He's been playing steady darts but I know that if I can play some of the darts that I've shown during this competition then I can hopefully come through it."

Stockport's O'Shea enjoyed a 10-7 victory against Andy Hamilton in their second round contest, with the 2007 finalist hitting eight 180s and a 136 finish but unable to overhaul his opponent, whose tally of seven maximums was accompanied by 16 scores of 140 or more.

The pair had shared the first six legs, but O'Shea hit a key 13-darter in a run of three legs as he established a cushion which he would never lose.

"It was a great game and a close game and I'm so chuffed to have won that," said O'Shea. "We're very similar characters as well as similar darts players; he's a great player and to win against him is fantastic.

"The 180s are brilliant and they look great on TV, but 140s are the groundwork and if you hit plenty of them then you're not going to be far off - and when I had the throw it felt like I was hitting two 140s in every leg."

O'Shea has lost in seven televised finals during his career, but said: "I keep falling just short in big competitions but I feel as if I'm hitting form at the right time and I'll be giving it my all to try and win a major."

The second round concludes with the remaining four games on Thursday night, including Phil Taylor's meeting with Gary Anderson in a repeat of the 2011 final.

Michael van Gerwen, last year's beaten finalist, plays European Champion Adrian Lewis, while seven-time major winner James Wade takes on former Players Championship Finals winner Paul Nicholson and Belgian brothers Kim and Ronny Huybrechts will make history as they face each other for a place in the quarter-finals.

Tickets for Thursday's William Hill Grand Slam of Darts are still available at the Wolves Civic Box Office or by calling 0870 320 7000.

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.

Get Involved
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
Wednesday November 13
Second Round
Scott Waites 10-6 Mark Webster - Scott Waites Video
Tony O'Shea 10-7 Andy Hamilton - Tony O'Shea Video
Robert Thornton 10-8 Mervyn King - Robert Thornton Video
Simon Whitlock 9-10 Ted Hankey - Ted Hankey Video
Best of 19 legs

Match Information
Scott Waites v Mark Webster
0-1 - Waites hits a nerve-settling 180 but misses four darts at double 12, six and three to allow Webster in to finish double five for an immediate break.
1-1 - Waites opens with a 180 but again misses two darts at a double, only for Webster to miss a pair of doubles himself as the former champion returns on double one to level.
1-2 - Waites' double troubles continue as he misses a total of six darts at double 18 and nine, and Webster capitalises on tops after initially looking to have blown his chance in his previous visit when he missed a single 20 to leave tops when needing 78.
2-2 - Waites levels by landing double 18 at the first time of asking, securing the game's fourth successive break of throw.
3-2 - The Yorkshireman moves ahead for the first time
3-3 - The pair trade 180s, with Webster initially missing double 19 to finish 116 only to be given a let-off as Waites misses the bull to finish 132, allowing the Welsh ace in on double ten.
4-3 - Double 19 from Waites sees him regain the lead.
4-4 - Waites hits his fifth 180 of the game, but Webster takes out 96 in two darts to square the contest.
4-5 - Webster misses double 12 for a 141 finish, but returns to land double six after Waites is unable to hit the bull to finish a 95 combination.
5-5 - Webster is unable to hit a second double top to hit a showpiece 100 finish, and Waites capitalises by breaking back by finishing 72 on double nine.
6-5 - Waites hits a 180 only to see Webster reply with two of his own - but the left-hander misses double 12 and allows his opponent in to hit the same bed in taking out 84 to regain the lead.
6-6 - Webster lands his fourth maximum of the match to set up double top as he levels again.
7-6 - Waites posts a seventh maximum, and lands double two to take his seventh leg with room to spare as Webster fails to leave a finish.
8-6 - The Lakeside Champion opens with a 180 and breaks throw on double eight to move two legs away from the quarter-finals.
9-6 - Waites hits double nine with his third dart to move to the brink of victory.
10-6 - Waites seals his place in the quarter-finals in style with a 13-dart leg, finishing on double 16.

Match Stats

Tony O'Shea v Andy Hamilton
1-0 - O'Shea lands double 16 at the third time of asking to edge the opening leg.
2-0 - O'Shea hits a 180 and double four to double his advantage.
2-1 - Hamilton replies with a 180 before opening his account on double eight.
3-1 - O'Shea posts a maximum, with Hamilton adding another 180 of his own before double four sees the Stockport ace regain his cushion.
3-2 - O'Shea hits a third 180, but misses a dart at tops to allow Hamilton in to hit the same bed to hit back.
3-3 - The players trade 180s, with Hamilton hitting double seven to square the contest.
4-3 - O'Shea hits a fifth 180 of the game, meaning that a fourth maximum from Hamilton comes in vain as his opponent pins double eight for a 14-darter to hold throw.
5-3 - O'Shea fires in another maximum, and finishes double eight for a 13-darter as he breaks to regain his two-leg cushion.
6-3 - Hamilton misses three darts at double 16, and O'Shea punishes him by taking out 60 on tops.
6-4 - Hamilton fires in his sixth 180 as he leaves eight, and double two sees him hit back to win his first leg in four.
7-4 - O'Shea hits a 180 and finishes 81 on the bull to win his seventh leg.
7-5 - The three-time Lakeside Championship finalist misses his chance to move two legs from victory as Hamilton hits back.
8-5 - Double ten sees O'Shea win his eighth leg of the match.
8-6 - Hamilton hits a 180 and double 16 as he responds.
9-6 - O'Shea moves to the brink of a quarter-final place with double 16.
9-7 - Hamilton hits his eighth maximum of the game before taking out 136 to brilliantly keep his hopes alive.
10-7 - O'Shea initially misses three match darts at double top and ten, before sealing his place in the quarter-finals for a second time by hitting double ten.

Match Stats

Robert Thornton v Mervyn King
1-0 - Thornton hits a 180 and finishes 132 to make a brilliant start to the game.
1-1 - Both players show some nerves on the double as Thornton misses four darts at doubles - across three visits - and King misses two before returning on double eight to level.
2-1 - Thornton hits a 180 and finishes double six to move back ahead.
3-1 - The Scot opens with a 177 as he breaks to move two legs clear.
4-1 - Thornton finishes 92 on the bull to move three legs clear.
4-2 - King takes out 121 on double 18 to reply.
4-3 - King hits a 180 and double six to break throw.
4-4 - King's revival continues as he hits a 180 and double nine to level the contest.
4-5 - Thornton misses tops for a 104 finish, and King steps in to hit the same bed to lead for the first time.
4-6 - King finishes 62 on double 16 to win a fifth successive leg and move two clear of the Scot.
5-6 - King hits a 180, but Thornton replies to win his first leg in six on tops.
6-6 - Thornton lands a maximum before levelling on double 12.
7-6 - Tops sees the former UK Open champion hit the front once more.
7-7 - King hits a 180 and finishes a 14-darter on double ten to square the game.
8-7 - Double two from Thornton sees him edge back ahead.
8-8 - Tops sees King finish 54 to level the contest.
9-8 - Thornton also lands tops as he moves a leg away from the win.
10-8 - The Scot seals his place in the final in brilliant fashion by completing a 12-darter with a 161 checkout.

Match Stats

Simon Whitlock v Ted Hankey
1-0 - Whitlock makes a confident start with a 104 finish.
2-0 - The Australian fires in a 180 and wins the leg on double one, with Hankey missing two darts at tops to level as Whitlock initially misses his chance to take the leg.
2-1 - Hankey hits a 180 and finishes 25 to respond
3-1 - Hankey misses the bull and darts at double 12 and six to level, allowing Whitlock in on tops.
4-1 - Whitlock pins double 18 to move three legs clear.
5-1 - Whitlock hits double five to win a third successive leg.
6-1 - The Australian's charge continues as he breaks throw to establish a five-leg cushion.
6-2 - Whitlock hits a 180, but misses tops for a 120 finish as Hankey hits the same bed to finish 64 and reply.
6-3 - Whitlock misses two darts at double 15, and Hankey steps in to finish double six.
6-4 - Hankey's fightback continues as he lands double three for a third straight leg.
6-5 - Whitlock hits a 180, but double five sees Hankey move to within a leg.
7-5 - Whitlock posts double ten to edge away from the two-time Lakeside Champion.
7-6 - Double five from Hankey sees him reply again.
7-7 - Hankey finishes 76 on tops to level the contest.
7-8 - Hankey holds throw to move in front for the first time by landing double 11.
8-8 - Whitlock opens with a 180 and finishes 96 on double eight to square the game.
8-9 - Whitlock misses two darts at tops and two at double ten to break, as Hankey finishes double ten to move a leg away from the quarter-finals.
9-9 - Hankey leaves 22, but can only watch on as Whitlock pins double 12 to force a decider.
9-10 - Hankey is first to a finish in a tense deciding leg, and hits tops to complete a remarkable triumph.

Match Stats