PartyPoker.com Grand Slam - Day 2 Aft
ANASTASIA DOBROMYSLOVA came close to an historic win over Wayne Mardle on the second day of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
The Women^s World Champion battled back from the brink of defeat with finishes of 116 and 120 in levelling with Mardle, only to miss out in the deciding leg of the game.
The glamorous Russian, who lost to John Part on Saturday, needs the Canadian to defeat Kevin McDine on Sunday evening to stay mathematically in the tournament, before facing the youngster on Monday in her final group game.
"She was better than me and I got away with it," admitted Mardle. "I needed to win that because I^m slightly off form at the moment and that alone made it tough for me.
"It was always going to be hard anyway, Anastasia^s a great player and deservedly the Women^s World Champion, but I managed to hit some doubles when I needed to."
The second day of group games in the tournament saw 2007 semi-finalist Gary Anderson - the WDF number one - spark into life with a superb win over Kevin Painter.
Andersonlost to newcomer Paul Nicholson on Saturday but hit five doubles from seven attempts in a high-quality 5-2 win over Kevin Painter.
Simon Whitlock, Gary Mawson, Mark Webster and Adrian Lewis all bounced back from losses on the opening day with 5-0 whitewashes, while Vincent van der Voort was a 5-1 winner against Phill Nixon.
Terry Jenkins won his battle with Colin Lloyd in Group F with a 5-3 victory to leave the former World Matchplay champion^s hopes hanging by a thread.
The second day continues with the evening session at the Wolverhampton Civic, when Saturday^s winners face off, including defending champion Phil Taylor^s game with Andy Jenkins.
PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts
Sunday November 16
Afternoon Session (12pm-5pm)
Simon Whitlock 5-0 Brian Woods
Gary Mawson 5-0 Kirk Shepherd
Vincent van der Voort 5-1 Phill Nixon
Mark Webster 5-0 Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson 5-2 Kevin Painter
Terry Jenkins 5-3 Colin Lloyd
Adrian Lewis 5-0 Niels de Ruiter
Wayne Mardle 5-4 Anastasia Dobromyslova
Evening Session (7.30pm-12am)
Colin McGarry v Mervyn King
Andy Hamilton v Alan Tabern
Darryl Fitton v Paul Nicholson
Darin Young v Wes Newton
Phil Taylor v Andy Jenkins
Robert Thornton v Raymond van Barneveld
Denis Ovens v James Wade
John Part v Kevin McDine
SIMON WHITLOCK 5-0 BRIAN WOODS
AUSTRALIAN Simon Whitlock punished Brian Woods^ missed doubles to bounce back to winning ways in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts with a 5-0 win.
Whitlock had lost to Alan Tabern on the tournament^s opening night, but hit back with a whitewash that leaves Cumbrian Woods all but eliminated from the tournament.
Woods missed doubles in the opening two legs in allowing Whitlock into the lead, and the Australian landed a 180 before hitting double four to move 3-0 up.
Whitlock hit a second maximum in leg four but trailed following a slow start - only for nine further missed doubles from Woods to give the World Championship finalist a chance, which he took on double eight.
Woods hit back with a 180 in leg five, but misses at the bull and two darts at double eight once again proved costly, with Whitlock capitalising to seal the win on double 18.
"I was hitting the treble pretty well but had a nightmare with my doubles," said Woods. "Some days they go in and others they don^t.
"I could have won 5-0 if the doubles had gone in, but Simon hit his and deserved the win."
Whitlock now meets Andy Hamilton in the final group games, and said: "I^ll have to raise another gear against Andy.
"I won^t get as many chances against him but Brian was unlucky to miss so many doubles without any going in."
GARY MAWSON 5-0 KIRK SHEPHERD
GARY MAWSON piled on the misery for Kirk Shepherd to record a whitewash victory on day two of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
Shepherd was defeated 5-1 by Raymond van Barneveld on Saturday and suffered a second heavy loss to effectively end the youngster^s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stage.
Shepherd never got into his rhythm, allowing Mawson to recover from a slow start to take out 130 on the bull for the lead.
Double top and double 16 extended the American^s lead to 3-0, before Mawson hit a 180 and a two-dart 96 checkout for a 4-0 cushion.
Shepherd was then unable to take advantage of missed doubles in the next before Mawson stepped in to record a fine victory on double two.
"It^s a perfect win and I couldn^t have asked for any more," said Mawson. "I was slow at the beginning and couldn^t find anything for the first few throws but I^m very pleased how it came together.
"It^s still up for grabs who goes through from our group and hopefully I can carry this on to Tuesday when I play Raymond van Barneveld."
VINCENT VAN DER VOORT 5-1 PHILL NIXON
DUTCH ace Vincent van der Voort produced a classy display to see off Phill Nixon 5-1 in their second Group A game.
Van der Voort lost in a deciding leg to Andy Jenkins on Saturday, but grabbed two points in style to condemn Nixon to a second heavy loss.
The Dutchman took the first two legs comfortably before Nixon stepped in to get off the mark in the third on double four.
But a brace of double top finishes pushed van der Voort 4-1 up, and he sealed victory with an outstanding 146 checkout to end the match with an average of 99.98.
"It didn^t feel like such a high average," admitted van der Voort. "It was hard work but everything went well after going wrong for me against Andy Jenkins on Saturday.
"Phill^s a good player but he let me in and I took my chances. I^ve got Phil Taylor on Monday and I always look forward to playing him, I^ll prepare well and look to keep this form."
MARK WEBSTER 5-0 MICHAEL VAN GERWEN
MARK WEBSTER stormed to a confidence-boosting whitewash victory over Michael van Gerwen on day two of the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
The Welshman suffered a disappointing loss to Colin McGarry on Saturday, but bounced back in style against the young Dutchman.
Webster - the BDO World Champion - never gave van Gerwen a chance after a superb start, hitting 180s in the first two legs and a pair of double top finishes to take charge.
Double six put him 3-0 up, before missed doubles from van Gerwen allowed Webster to move a leg away from the win.
Webster returned from the break with throws of 123 and 140, and sealed victory in 14 darts.
"I needed to play well to get back some confidence and self-belief, and I did that," said Webster, who hit five from eight attempts at a double.
"I didn^t expect to win 5-0 but it^s a relief for me and I^ve lots to play for on Monday now when I play Mervyn King.
"He^s a brilliant player and I^m looking to keep this up because I have to win to go through."
GARY ANDERSON 5-2 KEVIN PAINTER
GARY ANDERSON kick-started his PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts challenge with a high-quality 5-2 win over Kevin Painter.
The Scot, a semi-finalist in Wolverhampton last year, suffered a 5-4 loss to newcomer Paul Nicholson on the opening day but hit back with a 97 average and five doubles from seven attempts against Painter.
The two met twice in last year^s event, and shared another high-scoring contest, with Painter taking the opening leg before Anderson took out 116 on double 18 to level, with his opponent waiting on a finish.
Double top put Anderson in front, and the Scottish star then landed maximums in the next two legs before continuing his impeccable record on the doubles to lead 4-1.
Painter took out double top to break throw, but missed eight darts at a double in leg seven to give Anderson his chance for the win, which he took on double top.
"I started well and was pleased because it was much better than my first game," said Anderson.
"It^s always hard against Kevin but he missed a few doubles and I stepped in."
Painter admitted: "Gary took out some good shots under pressure and the 116 was important. I felt better than my first game and scored well but my finishing was poor again and a player like Gary will punish you."
TERRY JENKINS 5-3 COLIN LLOYD
VICTORY for Terry Jenkins over Colin Lloyd in the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts left Group F wide open.
Defeats for the higher seeded duo - both ranked in the PDC^s top ten - on the opening day saw them battling to stay in the tournament, with Lloyd^s chances now relying on a Wes Newton victory against Darin Young.
Jenkins started the better of the two, hitting 180s in the opening two legs in taking a 2-0 lead as the pair began nervously.
Lloyd stepped in to take out double top in the third and then levelled on double 18, and the next two were shared to leave the pair locked at three-all.
Lloyd, though, missed two darts at double top to nick the seventh leg, with Jenkins having responded to a 171 score with a 180 before landing double ten.
The Ledbury man then sealed victory on double top, setting up his clash with Newton on Tuesday as a potential winner-takes all contest.
"I hit three 180s at crucial times and it kept me in the game," said Jenkins. "There was a lot of pressure on both of us and it showed, but I^ve got control of my own destiny now."
Lloyd admitted: "It was always going to be a tough game but I^ve had two bites at the cherry now and I shouldn^t need to rely on other games.
"Terry took the lead and I got it back but I missed doubles late on and he took his chances. But I threw some half-decent darts and will be confident for Darin Young on Tuesday."
ADRIAN LEWIS 5-0 NIELS DE RUITER
ADRIAN LEWIS stormed back to top form with a 5-0 whitewash of Niels de Ruiter.
Lewis was disappointing in a loss to Denis Ovens on Saturday, but saw off the Dutch youngster with ease.
Double nine gave him the first leg, and two double top finishes put him 3-0 up.
Lewis then landed back-to-back 180s in the next to leave 41, with a maximum from de Ruiter in reply not enough to prevent the Stoke star taking out double 16 for an 11-darter.
Lewis missed his doubles in the next, but a missed chance at the bull from de Ruiter gave him a second chance for the win, which he eventually took on double one.
"I didn^t play brilliant darts but I did what I had to do," said Lewis. "We were both patchy but I was pleased with the 11-darter.
"I feel I^ve got more in me and I^m happy with the win, but I^ll have to step it up against James Wade on Tuesday."
WAYNE MARDLE 5-4 ANASTASIA DOBROMYSLOVA
ANASTASIA DOBROMYSLOVA came within a whisker of becoming the first female to win a televised darts match, coming from 4-0 down to take Wayne Mardle to a deciding leg in their second group game at the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts.
The Women^s World Champion battled back from the brink of defeat with finishes of 116 and 120 in levelling with Mardle, only to miss out in the deciding leg of the game.
The glamorous Russian, who lost to John Part on Saturday, needs the Canadian to defeat Kevin McDine on Sunday evening to stay mathematically in the tournament, before facing the youngster on Monday in her final group game.
"It was a brilliant game," said Dobromyslova. "The crowd were great and got behind me when I started coming back.
"I lost 5-1 and now 5-4 so I^m getting better, and maybe I^ll win my next match!"
Mardle stepped in to win the opening leg after the Russian failed to set up a double, and a 106 finish put him 2-0 up.
Dobromyslova was first to the finish in the next two, but misses allowed Mardle in twice on double top to move to the brink of victory.
But Dobromyslova returned from the break with a 15-darter and landed double ten to reduce the arrears to 4-2.
A 116 checkout, finishing on double top, put her within a leg before a 120 finish saw her send the contest into a decider.
But Mardle was first to the double, with Dobromyslova leaving 16 but never getting a chance as the Essex star hit double 16 for the win.
"She was better than me and I got away with it," said Mardle. "I needed to win that because I^m slightly off form at the moment and that alone made it tough for me.
"It was always going to be hard anyway, Anastasia^s a great player and deservedly the Women^s World Champion, but I managed to hit some doubles when I needed to.
"I put myself in trouble by losing 5-0 to Kevin but all I can do is keep winning and hopefully I can do enough to go through."