WADE SNEAKS THROUGH BUNTING TEST AS KING SWEEPS PAST HANKEY ON SPEEDY SERVICES UK OPEN^S OPENING NIGHT
REIGNING CHAMPION James Wade overcame a major scare against Stephen Bunting on the opening night of the Speedy Services UK Open in Bolton on Thursday, as Ted Hankey exited the event to Mervyn King.
World number three Wade stared defeat in the face against Merseyside^s Bunting, one of the 64 amateur qualifiers who are competing alongside the sport^s top names in the £200,000 event.
Bunting hit four 180s and averaged over 101, but missed four match darts to defeat Wade, as the left-hander hit back from 3-2 down to edge to a 4-3 win.
"I rode my luck a bit there," admitted Wade. "Stephen played really well and had his chances, so it^s a big relief to be through to Friday night."
Another top left-hander, last year^s semi-finalist Mark Webster, also had to come from behind to win 4-3 in his clash with Swindon^s Johnny Haines, who paid for missing one dart at the bull to take victory in their game.
Denis Ovens, who has reached the semi-finals in Bolton for the past two years, won three matches on the night to progress to the last 64, defeating Craig MacCaskill, John Nelson and local favourite Joe Murnan.
Ted Hankey, the two-time Lakeside Champion making his first UK Open appearance since joining the PDC in January, defeated Leeds^ qualifier Danny Dutson and experienced Andy Jenkins to reach round two, but lost out 4-1 to Mervyn King.
Hankey led King 1-0 but saw the Norfolk star hit back to take four straight legs for the win, as he moves into the third round on Friday.
"I was expecting a harder task than I was presented with because I know how good Ted is," said King. "We go back a long way and he^s very hard to beat, but maybe after playing the first two matches he ran out of steam a little bit."
2004 UK Open champion Roland Scholten progressed with a narrow 4-3 win over Welshman Steve Evans, while 2009 runner-up Colin Osborne moved into the third round with a 4-2 defeat of Scotland^s John Henderson.
There was disappointment, though, for two other previous UK Open finalists, Mark Walsh and Shayne Burgess, who were defeated by Jason Crawley and Liam Kelly respectively.
Former World Champion Steve Beaton crashed out in the preliminary round to amateur qualifier Jon Jukes, a bin man from Oxford, while Alan Tabern needed only ten minutes to defeat Dutchman Co Stompe 4-0.
Paul Nicholson, who knocked out Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor in reaching the quarter-finals last year, overcame youngster Harry Miles and amateur qualifier Tony Cooper to reach the third round.
Former Under-21 World Champion Arron Monk, Leamington Spa undertaker Nigel Heydon, Northamptonshire^s Kevin McDine, York^s Terry Temple and amateurs Scott Robertson, Mark Layton, Paul Amos David Dodds and Dean Stewart all won three matches on the night to move into the last 64.
The third round also features the top 32 players following the eight Speedy Services UK Open qualifiers held earlier this year, with Phil Taylor beginning his challenge for a fifth Bolton title against Scholten on Friday night.
Raymond van Barneveld, the 2006 and 2007 champion, meets Jelle Klaasen in an all-Dutch affair, while Wade^s tilt to retain the title sees him face former world number one Colin Lloyd.
Scotland^s Gary Anderson, the 2010 runner-up, plays Northumberland amateur Dodds in the third round, while last year^s beaten finalist Wes Newton drew youngster Shaun Griffiths.
Webster will play Scotland^s Robert Thornton, three-time World Champion John Part meets colourful Peter Wright, Kevin Painter plays Monk in a repeat of their clash in the World Championship six months ago and World Champion Adrian Lewis faces McDine.
2007 finalist Vincent van der Voort will play Paul Amos, Nicholson drew Northern Ireland^s Michael Mansell, King^s reward for his win over Hankey is a clash with newcomer Gareth Cousins and emerging South African Devon Petersen plays Blackpool^s Ronnie Baxter.
Dean Winstanley will make his UK Open debut against Jason Crawley, the Hampshire youngster who had been joined by his father Bob in the early rounds on Thursday.
New World Youth Champion James Hubbard meets Terry Jenkins in a tasty clash, with young duo Michael Smith and Joe Cullen coming into the event alongside him with clashes against Darren Webster and Jim Walker respectively.
Australian ace Simon Whitlock drew Temple, St Helens^ Dave Chisnall plays Welshman Layton, Andy Hamilton meets Essex newcomer Richie Howson and Holland^s Michael van Gerwen plays Irish ace William O^Connor.
Play continues from 7pm on Friday with the third round games at the Premier Suite in the De Vere Whites Hotel and Bolton^s Reebok Stadium.
Speedy Services UK Open
Premier Suite, De Vere Whites, Bolton
Thursday June 7
Preliminary Round
Michael Burgoine 4-2 Tony West
Jon Jukes 4-2 Steve Beaton
Arron Monk 4-3 Paul Boulton
Steve Brown 4-2 Michael Barnard
Gino Vos 4-3 Paul Harvey
Ted Hankey 4-0 Danny Dutson
Denis Ovens 4-1 Craig MacCaskill
Jamie Lewis 4-1 Steve Farmer
Andy Jenkins 4-2 Gus Santana
John Bowles 4-3 Andrew Cornwall
John Henderson Bye (Lee Bryant disqualified)
Stephen Bunting 4-0 Glen Durrant
Steve Hine 4-3 Jamie Hughes
Adam Smith-Neale 4-3 Rob Hawker
Dean Stewart 4-3 Andy Parsons
Damien Sherwood 4-1 Steve Service
Brian Woods 4-2 John Scott
John Nelson 4-3 Ross Smith
Andy Murray Bye (Connie Finnan withdrawn)
Jamie Robinson 4-1 Mark Lawrence
Mark Barilli 4-0 Steve Werrett
David Dodds 4-1 Alan Casey
Dyson Parody 4-0 Steve Mason
Mark Layton 4-2 Michael Wiles
Bernd Roith 4-1 Jason Wilson
Steve Evans 4-3 Adrian Gray
Paul Amos 4-0 Gary Ettridge
Nigel Heydon 4-0 Paul Critchley
Kevin Rimmer 4-3 Ian Gleeson
Stuart Daniels 4-0 Ben Johnson
Joey Palfreyman 4-3 Tom Gregory
Stephen Hardy 4-3 Marc Dewsbury
Jerry Hendriks 4-2 David Pallett
Harry Miles 4-0 Andy Melling
Josh Jones 4-0 Mark Spencer
Gareth Cousins 4-0 Ben Burton
Geoff Heath 4-0 Darrin Pugh
Steve Maish 4-2 Dave Solly
Kevin McDine 4-0 Kirk Gordon
Scott Robertson 4-1 Mick Todd
Sam Hill 4-1 Jamie Ellam
Tony Cooper 4-3 Tony Broughton
Tony Littleton 4-2 Nicky Denoon
Kevin Simm 4-0 Mick Hayward
Mark Frost 4-1 Glen Miller
Joe Murnan 4-2 Stuart Anderson
Terry Temple 4-2 Matt Clark
Dan Russell 4-2 Toon Greebe
Lee Russell 4-1 Scott Taylor
Liam Kelly 4-0 Dave Ladley
First Round
Wayne Jones 4-2 Bernd Roith
Jamie Lewis 4-1 Mark Stephenson
Paul Nicholson 4-2 Harry Miles
Adam Hunt 4-2 Steve Maish
Steve Evans 4-2 Paul Whitworth
Terry Temple 4-0 Mark Kelly
Jon Bott 4-2 Josh Jones
Ted Hankey 4-1 Andy Jenkins
Scott Robertson 4-1 Sam Hill
David Dodds 4-3 Jon Jukes
Gareth Cousins 4-2 Michael Burgoine
Paul Amos 4-3 Geoff Heath
Stephen Hardy 4-2 Ryan Murray
Tony Cooper 4-1 Mark Frost
Nigel Heydon 4-1 Lee Russell
Denis Ovens 4-1 John Nelson
Arron Monk 4-3 Jerry Hendriks
Andy Murray 4-1 Damien Sherwood
Liam Kelly 4-2 Shayne Burgess
John Henderson 4-3 Joey Palfreyman
Joe Murnan 4-1 Dan Russell
Kevin McDine 4-2 Steve Brown
Stephen Bunting 4-2 Jamie Robinson
Adam Smith-Neale 4-0 Stuart Daniels
Mark Barilli 4-3 Bob Crawley
John Bowles 4-3 Andy Roberts
Dean Stewart 4-1 Brian Woods
Mark Layton 4-3 Gino Vos
Steve Hine 4-0 Tommy Sanwell
Dyson Parody 4-2 Kevin Rimmer
Anthony Littleton 4-2 John Farmer
Jason Crawley 4-1 Kevin Simm
Second Round
Mark Hylton 4-0 Antonio Alcinas
Mark Webster 4-3 Johnny Haines
James Wade 4-3 Stephen Bunting
Jim Walker 4-1 James Richardson
Mervyn King 4-1 Ted Hankey
Alan Tabern 4-0 Co Stompe
David Dodds 4-2 Stuart White
Jelle Klaasen 4-3 Dyson Parody
Jason Crawley 4-3 Mark Walsh
Peter Wright 4-0 Andy Brown
Kevin McDine 4-0 Matthew Edgar
Nigel Heydon 4-1 John Bowles
Ronnie Baxter 4-2 Jon Bott
Scott Robertson 4-3 Keith Stephen
Peter Hudson 4-1 Jamie Lewis
Dean Stewart 4-1 Adam Smith-Neale
Mark Layton 4-3 Tony Littleton
William O^Connor 4-1 Stephen Hardy
Shaun Griffiths 4-2 Mareno Michels
Gareth Cousins 4-2 Alex Roy
Roland Scholten 4-3 Steve Evans
Scott Rand 4-3 Andy Murray
Stuart Kellett 4-1 Liam Kelly
Colin Osborne 4-2 John Henderson
Terry Temple 4-1 Steve Hine
Devon Petersen 4-0 Andrew Gilding
Arron Monk 4-1 Adam Hunt
Denis Ovens 4-1 Joe Murnan
Michael Mansell 4-0 Darren Johnson
Mark Barilli 4-2 Prakash Jiwa
Paul Nicholson 4-3 Tony Cooper
Paul Amos 4-3 Wayne Jones
Friday June 8 (7pm start)
Third Round Draw
All games the best of 17 legs
Board One
Gary Anderson v David Dodds
Roland Scholten v Phil Taylor
Raymond van Barneveld v Jelle Klaasen
James Wade v Colin Lloyd
Board Two
Mark Webster v Robert Thornton
Wes Newton v Shaun Griffiths
Kevin Painter v Arron Monk
Peter Wright John Part
Board Three
Andy Smith v Scott Rand
Ronnie Baxter v Devon Petersen
Kevin McDine v Adrian Lewis
Mervyn King v Gareth Cousins
Board Four
Paul Amos v Vincent van der Voort
Kevin Dowling v Dennis Priestley
Paul Nicholson v Michael Mansell
William O^Connor v Michael van Gerwen
Board Five
Mark Jones v Dennis Smith
Jason Crawley v Dean Winstanley
Michael Smith v Darren Webster
James Hubbard v Terry Jenkins
Board Six
Scott Robertson v Justin Pipe
Peter Hudson v Kim Huybrechts
Jamie Caven v Alan Tabern
Jim Walker v Joe Cullen
Board Seven
Dean Stewart v Denis Ovens
Dave Chisnall v Mark Layton
Mark Hylton v Stuart Kellett
Richie Howson v Andy Hamilton
Board Eight
Nigel Heydon v Colin Osborne
Ian White v Richie Burnett
Terry Temple v Simon Whitlock
Mark Barilli v Brendan Dolan