WRIGHT CLAIMS SECOND CAREER TITLE WITH CRAWLEY TRIUMPH
PETER WRIGHT produced a fantastic display of darts at the K2 Centre in Crawley to win his second ranking title thanks to a 6-1 victory over Wes Newton in Saturday^s Players Championship 5 final.
Wright, who reached the semi-finals of the Speedy Services UK Open in Bolton a fortnight ago, began his memorable day with wins over Kirk Shepherd, Steve West and Keegan Brown to reach the last 16 stage by continuing his fine form.
There he edged out James Richardson with a deciding leg victory before producing an astonishing 118.66 average in a ten minute demolition of Gary Anderson to reach the last four.
Wright followed up that whitewash win over the former Premier League champion by denying Kevin Painter a place in the final - overcoming the former World Championship finalist with a 6-3 triumph.
Wright continued the fine form as he started the final brilliantly against Newton, as he won the opening three legs of the contest to establish complete command.
Newton stemmed the tide by hitting double 18 to win the fourth leg before Wright hit the same double to regain his cushion at 4-1.
Wright broke his opponent^s throw to win the sixth leg and recorded consecutive 180s in the next, before landing double eight to round off a superb performance.
Newton, who was the nine-dart hero at the UK Open, began his run to a second final of the year with a 6-4 win over Finland^s Veijo Viinikka before overcoming the challenges of Ryan Harrington and Nigel Heydon.
The put the world number seven through to the last 16, where he defeated Mensur Suljovic by a 6-1 margin before coming from 5-4 down to edge out Dave Chisnall in a last leg thriller in the quarter-finals.
Newton then put together an excellent display to defeat Michael van Gerwen with a 6-4 semi-final win but was powerless to stop the brilliant Wright in the decider.
Dutch ace van Gerwen was once again in superb form as he beat Joe Cullen with a 104 average before disposing of Terry Jenkins in the last eight with a 110.72 average before falling to Newton in the last four.
Kevin Painter reached his second semi-final on the PDC ProTour in 2013, which included excellent wins over Jamie Caven and Adrian Lewis before losing to Wright in the last four, as the Lowestoft thrower averaged over 106 to end his hopes.
Top 16 stars Dave Chisnall, Gary Anderson and Terry Jenkins all produced good runs to the quarter-final stage along with York^s Terry Temple, who also put together an excellent performance at the UK Open, where he reached the last 16, before picking up a further £1,500 prize money in Crawley.
Adrian Lewis knocked out top four rival James Wade on the way to last 16 stage, where he lost to Painter, and Simon Whitlock also fell at the same stage after missing a total of six match darts in the deciding leg of his clash against Anderson.
Phil Taylor comfortably beat Matthew Edgar in his opening game but had to come from 5-3 down to defeat Sweden^s Magnus Caris in a deciding leg to reach the last 32, and the world number^s one luck run out in the third round as he lost 6-3 to Anderson in a high-quality encounter in which both players averaged 103.
Bristol^s Steve Brown hit a fantastic nine-dart finish in the second leg of his second round clash against Ireland^s Connie Finnan, but was brought back to earth with a bump as he suffered a 6-0 defeat in his next game to Bradford^s Joe Cullen.
Sunday sees a second Players Championship contested at the K2 Centre in Crawley, which marks the cut-off point for qualification into the PartyPoker.net European Championships, taking place in Mulheim, Germany, next month.
Players Championship 5
K2 Centre, Crawley
Saturday June 22
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Dennis Smith
Wayne Jones (32) 6-1 Gino Vos
John Bowles 6-2 Jim Walker
Steve Brown 6-4 Andy Hamilton (16)
Connie Finnan 6-4 Michael Barnard
Colin Lloyd (17) 6-1 Mark Hylton
Joe Cullen 6-5 Darren Webster
John Part (8) 6-3 Scott Rand
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Tomas Seyler
Terry Jenkins (25) 6-5 Vernon Sheppard
John Henderson 6-1 Richie Howson
Johnny Haines 6-2 Mervyn King (9)
David Pallett 6-2 Joe Murnan
Peter Hudson 6-0 Andy Smith (24)
Ricky Sudale 6-3 Prakash Jiwa
Wes Newton (5) 6-4 Veijo Viinika
Ryan Harrington 6-3 Jerry Hendriks
Arron Monk (28) 6-5 Michael Smith
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Colin Fowler
Paul Nicholson (12) 6-2 James Hubbard
Jamie Lewis 6-2 Antonio Alcinas
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Brendan Dolan (21)
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Matthew Dicken
Dave Chisnall (4) 6-0 Josh Payne
Matt Clark 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Lee Palfreyman 6-4 Richie Burnett (29)
Michael Mansell 6-5 Gaz Cousins
Ian White (13) 6-3 John Scott
Alex Roy 6-5 Dan Russell
Justin Pipe (20) 6-2 Keith Stephen
Ross Smith 6-1 Ted Hankey
Simon Whitlock (2) Bye
Roland Scholten 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Colin Osborne (31) 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Ryan De Vreede
Phil Taylor (15) 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Magnus Caris 6-3 Mark Jones
Gary Anderson (18) 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Michael Blake
Adrian Gray 6-0 Kim Huybrechts (7)
Nick Fullwell 6-2 Darren Johnson
James Richardson 6-2 Mark Walsh (26)
Kevin McDine 6-5 William O^Connor
Peter Wright (10) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Steve West 6-5 Martyn Turner
Steve Beaton (23) 6-3 Leon de Geus
Keegan Brown 6-2 Darren Whittingham
Jamie Caven (6) 6-2 Steve Grubb
Co Stompe 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Kevin Painter (27) 6-0 Paul Barham
Paul Amos 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Adrian Lewis (11) 6-2 Ricky Evans
Jon Jukes 6-2 Alan Tabern
James Wade (22) 6-3 Kevin Dowling
Jarkko Komula 6-3 Steve Hine
Robert Thornton (3) 6-1 Mark Dudbridge
Mark Frost 6-3 David Dodds
Mark Webster (30) 6-1 Darron Brown
Joey Palfreyman 6-2 Reece Robinson
Steve Farmer 6-4 Ronnie Baxter (14)
Terry Temple 6-5 Andy Jenkins
Stuart Kellett (19) 6-2 Mark Cox
Jani Haavisto 6-5 Tony West
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
John Bowles 6-5 Wayne Jones
Steve Brown 6-2 Connie Finnan - Steve Brown hits nine-dart finish
Joe Cullen 6-4 Colin Lloyd
John Part 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Terry Jenkins 6-0 John Henderson
David Pallett 6-2 Johnny Haines
Ricky Sudale 6-2 Peter Hudson
Wes Newton 6-1 Ryan Harrington
Nigel Heydon 6-3 Arron Monk
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Jamie Lewis
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Matt Clark
Michael Mansell 6-3 Lee Palfreyman
Ian White 6-2 Alex Roy
Justin Pipe 6-5 Ross Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Roland Scholten
Colin Osborne 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Phil Taylor 6-5 Magnus Caris
Gary Anderson 6-2 Chris Aubrey
Adrian Gray 6-3 Nick Fullwell
James Richardson 6-2 Kevin McDine
Peter Wright 6-4 Steve West
Keegan Brown 6-2 Steve Beaton
Jamie Caven 6-1 Co Stompe
Kevin Painter 6-5 Paul Amos
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Jon Jukes
James Wade 6-1 Jarkko Komula
Robert Thornton 6-2 Mark Frost
Joey Palfreyman 6-3 Mark Webster
Terry Temple 6-2 Steve Farmer
Stuart Kellett 6-1 Jani Haavisto
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 John Bowles
Joe Cullen 6-0 Steve Brown
Terry Jenkins 6-3 John Part
David Pallett 6-4 Ricky Sudale
Wes Newton 6-4 Nigel Heydon
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Michael Mansell
Ian White 6-4 Justin Pipe
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Colin Osborne
Gary Anderson 6-3 Phil Taylor
James Richardson 6-2 Adrian Gray
Peter Wright 6-1 Keegan Brown
Kevin Painter 6-2 Jamie Caven
Adrian Lewis 6-3 James Wade
Joey Palfreyman 6-5 Robert Thornton
Terry Temple 6-2 Stuart Kellett
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Joe Cullen
Terry Jenkins 6-3 David Pallett
Wes Newton 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Ian White
Gary Anderson 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Peter Wright 6-5 James Richardson
Kevin Painter 6-4 Adrian Lewis
Terry Temple 6-0 Joey Palfreyman
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Wes Newton 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Peter Wright 6-0 Gary Anderson
Kevin Painter 6-2 Terry Temple
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Wes Newton 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 6-3 Kevin Painter
Losers £2,500
Final
Peter Wright 6-1 Wes Newton
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
Wes Newton v Peter Wright
0-0 - Wright wins the bullseye and throws first
0-1 - Wright starts the final confidently with a brace of 140 scores before landing double 12 to win the first leg.
0-2 - Wright kicks-off with a 180 and wins the leg by converting a 64 finish after Newton is off-target with one dart at double top.
0-3 - The Scotsman holds throw with a 15-dart finish to take command of the contest.
1-3 - Newton hits double 18 to get a leg on the board and reduce the gap to his opponent.
1-4 - Wright restores his three leg advantage as he hits a 170 score before returning to land double 18 at the first attempt.
1-5 - Wright breaks Newton^s throw for a second time with the aid of four ton plus scores.
1-6 - Wright storms to victory in style as he hits back-to-back 180s before hitting double eight to win the title.
ENDS
VAN GERWEN ENDS HAMILTON HOPES WITH PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN defeated Andy Hamilton 6-1 in the final of the sixth Players Championship event of the year at the K2 Centre in Crawley.
The victory on Sunday marked the world number two^s 12th victory of an incredible 2013 so far, and takes him above £100,000 prize money won this year in ProTour events alone.
Van Gerwen, who reached the last four of Saturday^s Players Championship, began his run to victory with a 6-2 win over Kevin Dowling before edging out Welshman Richie Burnett in a deciding leg to reach the last 16.
The Dutchman powered into the semi-finals as he defeated Ronny Huybrechts 6-0 before dropping just one leg to Andy Smith at the last eight stage.
In his semi-final clash against Brendan Dolan, van Gerwen found himself 5-2 down but took the next three legs to level, which included a missed dart at double 12 for a nine-darter in the ninth leg.
Van Gerwen then took the deciding leg to deny the Dolan a place in the final, and he continued that good form as he left Andy Hamilton trailing 3-0 at the start of the decider.
Hamilton landed double 18 to get a leg on the board, only for van Gerwen to restore his three-leg advantage thanks to a superb 11-darter.
Van Gerwen took out a 68 finish to move a leg away from victory, which was completed in the next as he hit double ten to end the match with an average of 104.25 as he claimed the £10,000 first prize.
Hamilton who played superb darts at the Speedy Services UK Open to reach his third major final a fortnight ago, put Saturday^s first round exit behind him as he overcame Jerry Hendriks in his opening game before securing a narrow 6-5 win over Darren Webster.
The Premier League star continued to progress as he defeated Stuart Kellett 6-1 before beating Jon Jukes in a last leg thriller to reach the last eight, having trailed 5-3.
The Stoke star defeated a resurgent Jamie Caven 6-4 in the quarter-finals before confirming his place in the final with a 6-2 win over Robert Thornton.
That victory put Hamilton through to his first ProTour final of the year, but he was unable to claim the £10,000 first prize - continuing his wait for a first ranking title since 2007.
Dolan also put behind the disappointment of a first round loss in Saturday^s Players Championship by reaching the semi-finals, where he suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of van Gerwen, having held a 5-2 lead before the Dutchman struck back in devastating fashion.
Former UK Open champion Thornton was the other player to reach the last four in Crawley, with his run including a superb 6-5 win over Phil Taylor - defying a 108 average from the 16-time World Champion.
The Scotsman backed up that win with an excellent 6-3 triumph over world number three James Wade before falling to Hamilton at the semi-final stage.
Wade, Jamie Caven and Andy Smith all earned £1,500 in prize money for reaching the quarter-finals along with Saturday^s runner-up Wes Newton, whose hopes of victory were ended by Dolan.
Peter Wright, who played superbly to claim his second ranking title on Saturday, began the day brightly with wins over Matthew Dicken, Dennis Smith and Dan Russell to secure a last 16 spot.
However, any hopes Wright had of achieving a double victory over the weekend were extinguished as he lost 6-3 to Wade.
Sunday^s action marked the cut-off point for final qualification for next month^s PartyPoker.net European Championship, where Simon Whitlock will be defending the title.
Colin Lloyd held on to the final remaining spot from the ProTour Order of Merit after Andy Smith^s run to the quarter-finals was not enough to nudge the Colchester thrower out of the 32 player field - with the Studley ace having needed to defeat van Gerwen and reach the last four to qualify for the Muelheim event.
Players Championship 6
K2 Centre, Crawley
Sunday June 23
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Kevin Dowling 6-1 Gaz Cousins
Richie Burnett (32) 6-3 Michael Smith
Jarkko Komula 6-0 Jyhan Artut
Ronnie Baxter (16) 6-2 Peter Hudson
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Michael Blake
Jim Walker 6-4 Gary Anderson (17)
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Lee Palfreyman
Kim Huybrechts (8) 6-2 James Hubbard
Bernd Roith 6-2 Darron Brown
Tony West 6-2 Kevin Painter (25)
Shaun Griffiths 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Daryl Gurney 6-5 John Part (9)
Scott Rand 6-1 John Scott
Andy Smith (24) 6-3 Kevin McDine
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Terry Temple
Wes Newton (5) 6-5 Mark Cox
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Johnny Haines
Stephen Hardy 6-5 Colin Osborne (28)
Nick Fullwell 6-4 David Dodds
Ian White (12) 6-0 Colin Fowler
Matthew Edgar 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Justin Pipe (21) 6-1 Ricky Evans
James Richardson 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Dave Chisnall (4) 6-4 Co Stompe
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Michael Mansell
Adrian Gray 6-4 Mark Walsh (29)
Joe Murnan 6-3 Vernon Sheppard
Paul Nicholson (13) 6-2 Veijo Viinikka
Steve Farmer 6-2 Joey Palfreyman
Brendan Dolan (20) 6-2 Keegan Brown
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Matt Clark
Jon Jukes 6-5 Simon Whitlock (2)
Steve Hine 6-1 Martyn Turner
Tomas Seyler 6-5 Wayne Jones (31)
Alan Tabern 6-3 David Pallett
Andy Hamilton (15) 6-2 Jerry Hendriks
Darren Webster 6-0 Reece Robinson
Stuart Kellett (18) 6-3 Mark Hylton
Roland Scholten 6-4 John Henderson
Jamie Caven (7) 6-2 Leon de Geus
Michael Barnard 6-4 Ryan De Vreede
Steve Beaton (26) 6-2 Ryan Harrington
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Jani Haavisto
Mervyn King (10) 6-5 William O^Connor
Steve West 6-5 Josh Payne
Terry Jenkins (23) 6-2 Ted Hankey
Gino Vos 6-0 Richie Howson
Peter Wright (6) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Dennis Smith 6-3 Steve Grubb
Dan Russell 6-5 Arron Monk (27)
Alex Roy 6-1 Keith Stephen
John Bowles 6-5 Adrian Lewis (11)
Campbell Jackson 6-5 Andrew Gilding
James Wade (22) 6-1 Ricky Sudale
Paul Barham 6-5 Connie Finnan
Robert Thornton (3) 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
Magnus Caris 6-2 Joe Cullen
Steve Brown 6-3 Mark Webster (30)
Ross Smith 6-5 Mark Jones
Phil Taylor (14) 6-4 Darren Whittingham
Paul Amos 6-5 Darren Johnson
Andy Jenkins 6-2 Colin Lloyd (19)
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Mark Frost
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Kevin Dowling
Richie Burnett 6-4 Jarkko Komula
Ronny Huybrechts 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Jim Walker
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Bernd Roith
Shaun Griffiths 6-5 Tony West
Scott Rand 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Andy Smith 6-4 Mensur Suljovic
Wes Newton 6-4 Jamie Lewis
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Ian White 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Justin Pipe 6-4 James Richardson
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Joe Murnan 6-4 Adrian Gray
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Steve Farmer
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Nigel Heydon
Jon Jukes 6-5 Steve Hine
Tomas Seyler 6-5 Alan Tabern
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Darren Webster
Stuart Kellett 6-5 Roland Scholten
Jamie Caven 6-2 Michael Barnard
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Steve Beaton
Mervyn King 6-1 Steve West
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Gino Vos
Peter Wright 6-3 Dennis Smith
Dan Russell 6-5 Alex Roy
Campbell Jackson 6-1 John Bowles
James Wade 6-4 Paul Barham
Robert Thornton 6-3 Magnus Caris
Steve Brown 6-2 Ross Smith
Phil Taylor 6-0 Paul Amos
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Richie Burnett
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Chris Aubrey
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Shaun Griffiths
Andy Smith 6-4 Scott Rand
Wes Newton 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Ian White 6-3 Justin Pipe
Joe Murnan 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Paul Nicholson
Jon Jukes 6-3 Tomas Seyler
Andy Hamilton 6-1 Stuart Kellett
Jamie Caven 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Mervyn King
Peter Wright 6-2 Dan Russell
James Wade 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Robert Thornton 6-5 Steve Brown
Phil Taylor 6-0 Andy Jenkins
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Ronny Huybrechts
Andy Smith 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Wes Newton 6-5 Ian White
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Joe Murnan
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Jon Jukes
Jamie Caven 6-3 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 6-3 Peter Wright
Robert Thornton 6-5 Phil Taylor
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Andy Smith
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Wes Newton
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Jamie Caven
Robert Thornton 6-3 James Wade
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Robert Thornton
Losers £2,500
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Andy Hamilton
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
Michael van Gerwen v Andy Hamilton
0-0 - van Gerwen wins the bullseye and throws first
1-0 - The Dutchman holds throw with a clinical 13-dart finish completed on double 18.
2-0 - van Gerwen doubles his lead by converting a 94 checkout with Hamilton waiting on 32.
3-0 - van Gerwen takes out 45 on double 16 to win his third leg in a row.
3-1 - Hamilton lands double 18 to get a leg on the board after van Gerwen misses one chance to go four legs clear.
4-1 - Both players record maximums before van Gerwen takes the leg with a fantastic 11-darter.
5-1 - van Gerwen hits two 140 scores before taking out 68 to move a leg away from victory.
6-1 - The world number two hits three ton plus scores to leave 40 after just 12 darts thrown, which he duly converts on double ten to wrap up the win.
ENDS
WHITLOCK TO MEET HUYBRECHTS IN PARTYPOKER.NET EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH
SIMON WHITLOCK will open the defence of his PartyPoker.net European Championship title against Belgian ace Kim Huybrechts when the tournament is held at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany from July 4-7.
The Australian claimed the first major title of his career when he defeated Wes Newton in last year^s final in Muelheim - having also overcome Huybrechts 11-9 in the semi-finals.
The Belgian will get the chance to avenge that loss when they meet in the first round of this year^s tournament next month, after being drawn with the number five seed.
Newton, the world number seven, will face Holland^s Jelle Klaasen in the first round, while world number one Phil Taylor - a four-time European Champion - drew another Dutch ace, Vincent van der Voort.
Number two seed Michael van Gerwen will meet Belgium^s Kurt Van De Rijck, while world number three Adrian Lewis plays Austria^s Mensur Suljovic, number four seed James Wade takes on former finalist Gary Anderson in another tasty first round clash, Andy Hamilton plays Terry Jenkins and Raymond van Barneveld meets German hope Tomas Seyler.
The event^s other German qualifier, teenager Max Hopp, will mark his European Championship debut against Paul Nicholson, while Saturday^s Players Championship winner Peter Wright was drawn against Colin Lloyd.
Canada^s three-time World Champion John Part drew Kevin Painter, Robert Thornton meets Brendan Dolan, Stuart Kellett takes on Ronny Huybrechts, Jamie Caven plays Dave Chisnall, Ronnie Baxter plays Mervyn King and Justin Pipe drew Finland^s Jani Haavisto, the Scandinavian Order of Merit leader.
The 32-player tournament will be held from July 4-7 at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany, and televised live on ITV4 in the UK.
The top 16 players in the PDC Order of Merit qualify by right for the tournament, with the top eight seeded for the first round draw.
The event also features eight qualifiers from the ProTour Order of Merit, seven qualifiers from the European Order of Merit and Scandinavian Order of Merit leader Jani Haavisto.
While Gary Anderson dropped out of the world^s top 16 following the Crawley weekend, he still qualified for the European Championship through the ProTour Order of Merit.
Colin Lloyd held on to the final ProTour Order of Merit qualifying place, with Andy Smith missing out following a quarter-final defeat to eventual winner Michael van Gerwen in Crawley.
Tickets for the PartyPoker.net European Championship can be purchased via www.pdc-europe.net.
PartyPoker.net European Championship
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Vincent van der Voort
Stuart Kellett v Ronny Huybrechts
Raymond van Barneveld (8) v Tomas Seyler
Robert Thornton v Brendan Dolan
Simon Whitlock (5) v Kim Huybrechts
Colin Lloyd v Peter Wright
James Wade (4) v Gary Anderson
Jamie Caven v Dave Chisnall
Michael van Gerwen (2) v Kurt Van De Rijck
Ronnie Baxter v Mervyn King
Wes Newton (7) v Jelle Klaasen
Jani Haavisto v Justin Pipe
Andy Hamilton (6) v Terry Jenkins
Max Hopp v Paul Nicholson
Adrian Lewis (3) v Mensur Suljovic
Kevin Painter v John Part
PDC Order of Merit Qualifiers
(Top Eight Seeded)
1 Phil Taylor (England)
2 Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands)
3 Adrian Lewis (England)
4 James Wade (England)
5 Simon Whitlock (Australia)
6 Andy Hamilton (England)
7 Wes Newton (England)
8 Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands)
9 Justin Pipe (England)
10 Dave Chisnall (England)
11 Robert Thornton (Scotland)
12 Kevin Painter (England)
13 Mervyn King (England)
14 Kim Huybrechts (Belgium)
15 Brendan Dolan (Northern Ireland)
16 Terry Jenkins (England)
ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers
Jamie Caven (England)
Peter Wright (Scotland)
John Part (Canada)
Stuart Kellett (England)
Paul Nicholson (Australia)
Gary Anderson (Scotland)
Ronnie Baxter (England)
Colin Lloyd (England)
European Order of Merit Qualifiers
Mensur Suljovic (Austria)
Jelle Klaasen (Netherlands)
Tomas Seyler (Germany)
Max Hopp (Germany)
Kurt Van De Rijck (Belgium)
Ronny Huybrechts (Belgium)
Vincent van der Voort (Netherlands)
Scandinavian Order of Merit Leader
Jani Haavisto (Finland)
Wright, who reached the semi-finals of the Speedy Services UK Open in Bolton a fortnight ago, began his memorable day with wins over Kirk Shepherd, Steve West and Keegan Brown to reach the last 16 stage by continuing his fine form.
There he edged out James Richardson with a deciding leg victory before producing an astonishing 118.66 average in a ten minute demolition of Gary Anderson to reach the last four.
Wright followed up that whitewash win over the former Premier League champion by denying Kevin Painter a place in the final - overcoming the former World Championship finalist with a 6-3 triumph.
Wright continued the fine form as he started the final brilliantly against Newton, as he won the opening three legs of the contest to establish complete command.
Newton stemmed the tide by hitting double 18 to win the fourth leg before Wright hit the same double to regain his cushion at 4-1.
Wright broke his opponent^s throw to win the sixth leg and recorded consecutive 180s in the next, before landing double eight to round off a superb performance.
Newton, who was the nine-dart hero at the UK Open, began his run to a second final of the year with a 6-4 win over Finland^s Veijo Viinikka before overcoming the challenges of Ryan Harrington and Nigel Heydon.
The put the world number seven through to the last 16, where he defeated Mensur Suljovic by a 6-1 margin before coming from 5-4 down to edge out Dave Chisnall in a last leg thriller in the quarter-finals.
Newton then put together an excellent display to defeat Michael van Gerwen with a 6-4 semi-final win but was powerless to stop the brilliant Wright in the decider.
Dutch ace van Gerwen was once again in superb form as he beat Joe Cullen with a 104 average before disposing of Terry Jenkins in the last eight with a 110.72 average before falling to Newton in the last four.
Kevin Painter reached his second semi-final on the PDC ProTour in 2013, which included excellent wins over Jamie Caven and Adrian Lewis before losing to Wright in the last four, as the Lowestoft thrower averaged over 106 to end his hopes.
Top 16 stars Dave Chisnall, Gary Anderson and Terry Jenkins all produced good runs to the quarter-final stage along with York^s Terry Temple, who also put together an excellent performance at the UK Open, where he reached the last 16, before picking up a further £1,500 prize money in Crawley.
Adrian Lewis knocked out top four rival James Wade on the way to last 16 stage, where he lost to Painter, and Simon Whitlock also fell at the same stage after missing a total of six match darts in the deciding leg of his clash against Anderson.
Phil Taylor comfortably beat Matthew Edgar in his opening game but had to come from 5-3 down to defeat Sweden^s Magnus Caris in a deciding leg to reach the last 32, and the world number^s one luck run out in the third round as he lost 6-3 to Anderson in a high-quality encounter in which both players averaged 103.
Bristol^s Steve Brown hit a fantastic nine-dart finish in the second leg of his second round clash against Ireland^s Connie Finnan, but was brought back to earth with a bump as he suffered a 6-0 defeat in his next game to Bradford^s Joe Cullen.
Sunday sees a second Players Championship contested at the K2 Centre in Crawley, which marks the cut-off point for qualification into the PartyPoker.net European Championships, taking place in Mulheim, Germany, next month.
Players Championship 5
K2 Centre, Crawley
Saturday June 22
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Jelle Klaasen 6-3 Dennis Smith
Wayne Jones (32) 6-1 Gino Vos
John Bowles 6-2 Jim Walker
Steve Brown 6-4 Andy Hamilton (16)
Connie Finnan 6-4 Michael Barnard
Colin Lloyd (17) 6-1 Mark Hylton
Joe Cullen 6-5 Darren Webster
John Part (8) 6-3 Scott Rand
Daryl Gurney 6-2 Tomas Seyler
Terry Jenkins (25) 6-5 Vernon Sheppard
John Henderson 6-1 Richie Howson
Johnny Haines 6-2 Mervyn King (9)
David Pallett 6-2 Joe Murnan
Peter Hudson 6-0 Andy Smith (24)
Ricky Sudale 6-3 Prakash Jiwa
Wes Newton (5) 6-4 Veijo Viinika
Ryan Harrington 6-3 Jerry Hendriks
Arron Monk (28) 6-5 Michael Smith
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Colin Fowler
Paul Nicholson (12) 6-2 James Hubbard
Jamie Lewis 6-2 Antonio Alcinas
Mensur Suljovic 6-5 Brendan Dolan (21)
Vincent van der Voort 6-2 Matthew Dicken
Dave Chisnall (4) 6-0 Josh Payne
Matt Clark 6-5 Jyhan Artut
Lee Palfreyman 6-4 Richie Burnett (29)
Michael Mansell 6-5 Gaz Cousins
Ian White (13) 6-3 John Scott
Alex Roy 6-5 Dan Russell
Justin Pipe (20) 6-2 Keith Stephen
Ross Smith 6-1 Ted Hankey
Simon Whitlock (2) Bye
Roland Scholten 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Colin Osborne (31) 6-1 Andrew Gilding
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Ryan De Vreede
Phil Taylor (15) 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Magnus Caris 6-3 Mark Jones
Gary Anderson (18) 6-4 Shaun Griffiths
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Michael Blake
Adrian Gray 6-0 Kim Huybrechts (7)
Nick Fullwell 6-2 Darren Johnson
James Richardson 6-2 Mark Walsh (26)
Kevin McDine 6-5 William O^Connor
Peter Wright (10) 6-2 Kirk Shepherd
Steve West 6-5 Martyn Turner
Steve Beaton (23) 6-3 Leon de Geus
Keegan Brown 6-2 Darren Whittingham
Jamie Caven (6) 6-2 Steve Grubb
Co Stompe 6-3 Dean Winstanley
Kevin Painter (27) 6-0 Paul Barham
Paul Amos 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Adrian Lewis (11) 6-2 Ricky Evans
Jon Jukes 6-2 Alan Tabern
James Wade (22) 6-3 Kevin Dowling
Jarkko Komula 6-3 Steve Hine
Robert Thornton (3) 6-1 Mark Dudbridge
Mark Frost 6-3 David Dodds
Mark Webster (30) 6-1 Darron Brown
Joey Palfreyman 6-2 Reece Robinson
Steve Farmer 6-4 Ronnie Baxter (14)
Terry Temple 6-5 Andy Jenkins
Stuart Kellett (19) 6-2 Mark Cox
Jani Haavisto 6-5 Tony West
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Jelle Klaasen
John Bowles 6-5 Wayne Jones
Steve Brown 6-2 Connie Finnan - Steve Brown hits nine-dart finish
Joe Cullen 6-4 Colin Lloyd
John Part 6-5 Daryl Gurney
Terry Jenkins 6-0 John Henderson
David Pallett 6-2 Johnny Haines
Ricky Sudale 6-2 Peter Hudson
Wes Newton 6-1 Ryan Harrington
Nigel Heydon 6-3 Arron Monk
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Jamie Lewis
Mensur Suljovic 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Dave Chisnall 6-2 Matt Clark
Michael Mansell 6-3 Lee Palfreyman
Ian White 6-2 Alex Roy
Justin Pipe 6-5 Ross Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Roland Scholten
Colin Osborne 6-5 Ronny Huybrechts
Phil Taylor 6-5 Magnus Caris
Gary Anderson 6-2 Chris Aubrey
Adrian Gray 6-3 Nick Fullwell
James Richardson 6-2 Kevin McDine
Peter Wright 6-4 Steve West
Keegan Brown 6-2 Steve Beaton
Jamie Caven 6-1 Co Stompe
Kevin Painter 6-5 Paul Amos
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Jon Jukes
James Wade 6-1 Jarkko Komula
Robert Thornton 6-2 Mark Frost
Joey Palfreyman 6-3 Mark Webster
Terry Temple 6-2 Steve Farmer
Stuart Kellett 6-1 Jani Haavisto
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 John Bowles
Joe Cullen 6-0 Steve Brown
Terry Jenkins 6-3 John Part
David Pallett 6-4 Ricky Sudale
Wes Newton 6-4 Nigel Heydon
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Dave Chisnall 6-5 Michael Mansell
Ian White 6-4 Justin Pipe
Simon Whitlock 6-0 Colin Osborne
Gary Anderson 6-3 Phil Taylor
James Richardson 6-2 Adrian Gray
Peter Wright 6-1 Keegan Brown
Kevin Painter 6-2 Jamie Caven
Adrian Lewis 6-3 James Wade
Joey Palfreyman 6-5 Robert Thornton
Terry Temple 6-2 Stuart Kellett
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Joe Cullen
Terry Jenkins 6-3 David Pallett
Wes Newton 6-1 Mensur Suljovic
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Ian White
Gary Anderson 6-5 Simon Whitlock
Peter Wright 6-5 James Richardson
Kevin Painter 6-4 Adrian Lewis
Terry Temple 6-0 Joey Palfreyman
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Wes Newton 6-5 Dave Chisnall
Peter Wright 6-0 Gary Anderson
Kevin Painter 6-2 Terry Temple
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Wes Newton 6-4 Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright 6-3 Kevin Painter
Losers £2,500
Final
Peter Wright 6-1 Wes Newton
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
Wes Newton v Peter Wright
0-0 - Wright wins the bullseye and throws first
0-1 - Wright starts the final confidently with a brace of 140 scores before landing double 12 to win the first leg.
0-2 - Wright kicks-off with a 180 and wins the leg by converting a 64 finish after Newton is off-target with one dart at double top.
0-3 - The Scotsman holds throw with a 15-dart finish to take command of the contest.
1-3 - Newton hits double 18 to get a leg on the board and reduce the gap to his opponent.
1-4 - Wright restores his three leg advantage as he hits a 170 score before returning to land double 18 at the first attempt.
1-5 - Wright breaks Newton^s throw for a second time with the aid of four ton plus scores.
1-6 - Wright storms to victory in style as he hits back-to-back 180s before hitting double eight to win the title.
ENDS
VAN GERWEN ENDS HAMILTON HOPES WITH PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP WIN
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN defeated Andy Hamilton 6-1 in the final of the sixth Players Championship event of the year at the K2 Centre in Crawley.
The victory on Sunday marked the world number two^s 12th victory of an incredible 2013 so far, and takes him above £100,000 prize money won this year in ProTour events alone.
Van Gerwen, who reached the last four of Saturday^s Players Championship, began his run to victory with a 6-2 win over Kevin Dowling before edging out Welshman Richie Burnett in a deciding leg to reach the last 16.
The Dutchman powered into the semi-finals as he defeated Ronny Huybrechts 6-0 before dropping just one leg to Andy Smith at the last eight stage.
In his semi-final clash against Brendan Dolan, van Gerwen found himself 5-2 down but took the next three legs to level, which included a missed dart at double 12 for a nine-darter in the ninth leg.
Van Gerwen then took the deciding leg to deny the Dolan a place in the final, and he continued that good form as he left Andy Hamilton trailing 3-0 at the start of the decider.
Hamilton landed double 18 to get a leg on the board, only for van Gerwen to restore his three-leg advantage thanks to a superb 11-darter.
Van Gerwen took out a 68 finish to move a leg away from victory, which was completed in the next as he hit double ten to end the match with an average of 104.25 as he claimed the £10,000 first prize.
Hamilton who played superb darts at the Speedy Services UK Open to reach his third major final a fortnight ago, put Saturday^s first round exit behind him as he overcame Jerry Hendriks in his opening game before securing a narrow 6-5 win over Darren Webster.
The Premier League star continued to progress as he defeated Stuart Kellett 6-1 before beating Jon Jukes in a last leg thriller to reach the last eight, having trailed 5-3.
The Stoke star defeated a resurgent Jamie Caven 6-4 in the quarter-finals before confirming his place in the final with a 6-2 win over Robert Thornton.
That victory put Hamilton through to his first ProTour final of the year, but he was unable to claim the £10,000 first prize - continuing his wait for a first ranking title since 2007.
Dolan also put behind the disappointment of a first round loss in Saturday^s Players Championship by reaching the semi-finals, where he suffered a heart-breaking defeat at the hands of van Gerwen, having held a 5-2 lead before the Dutchman struck back in devastating fashion.
Former UK Open champion Thornton was the other player to reach the last four in Crawley, with his run including a superb 6-5 win over Phil Taylor - defying a 108 average from the 16-time World Champion.
The Scotsman backed up that win with an excellent 6-3 triumph over world number three James Wade before falling to Hamilton at the semi-final stage.
Wade, Jamie Caven and Andy Smith all earned £1,500 in prize money for reaching the quarter-finals along with Saturday^s runner-up Wes Newton, whose hopes of victory were ended by Dolan.
Peter Wright, who played superbly to claim his second ranking title on Saturday, began the day brightly with wins over Matthew Dicken, Dennis Smith and Dan Russell to secure a last 16 spot.
However, any hopes Wright had of achieving a double victory over the weekend were extinguished as he lost 6-3 to Wade.
Sunday^s action marked the cut-off point for final qualification for next month^s PartyPoker.net European Championship, where Simon Whitlock will be defending the title.
Colin Lloyd held on to the final remaining spot from the ProTour Order of Merit after Andy Smith^s run to the quarter-finals was not enough to nudge the Colchester thrower out of the 32 player field - with the Studley ace having needed to defeat van Gerwen and reach the last four to qualify for the Muelheim event.
Players Championship 6
K2 Centre, Crawley
Sunday June 23
First Round
Michael van Gerwen (1) Bye
Kevin Dowling 6-1 Gaz Cousins
Richie Burnett (32) 6-3 Michael Smith
Jarkko Komula 6-0 Jyhan Artut
Ronnie Baxter (16) 6-2 Peter Hudson
Ronny Huybrechts 6-2 Michael Blake
Jim Walker 6-4 Gary Anderson (17)
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Lee Palfreyman
Kim Huybrechts (8) 6-2 James Hubbard
Bernd Roith 6-2 Darron Brown
Tony West 6-2 Kevin Painter (25)
Shaun Griffiths 6-3 Jelle Klaasen
Daryl Gurney 6-5 John Part (9)
Scott Rand 6-1 John Scott
Andy Smith (24) 6-3 Kevin McDine
Mensur Suljovic 6-2 Terry Temple
Wes Newton (5) 6-5 Mark Cox
Jamie Lewis 6-4 Johnny Haines
Stephen Hardy 6-5 Colin Osborne (28)
Nick Fullwell 6-4 David Dodds
Ian White (12) 6-0 Colin Fowler
Matthew Edgar 6-2 Dean Winstanley
Justin Pipe (21) 6-1 Ricky Evans
James Richardson 6-4 Kirk Shepherd
Dave Chisnall (4) 6-4 Co Stompe
Prakash Jiwa 6-2 Michael Mansell
Adrian Gray 6-4 Mark Walsh (29)
Joe Murnan 6-3 Vernon Sheppard
Paul Nicholson (13) 6-2 Veijo Viinikka
Steve Farmer 6-2 Joey Palfreyman
Brendan Dolan (20) 6-2 Keegan Brown
Nigel Heydon 6-1 Matt Clark
Jon Jukes 6-5 Simon Whitlock (2)
Steve Hine 6-1 Martyn Turner
Tomas Seyler 6-5 Wayne Jones (31)
Alan Tabern 6-3 David Pallett
Andy Hamilton (15) 6-2 Jerry Hendriks
Darren Webster 6-0 Reece Robinson
Stuart Kellett (18) 6-3 Mark Hylton
Roland Scholten 6-4 John Henderson
Jamie Caven (7) 6-2 Leon de Geus
Michael Barnard 6-4 Ryan De Vreede
Steve Beaton (26) 6-2 Ryan Harrington
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Jani Haavisto
Mervyn King (10) 6-5 William O^Connor
Steve West 6-5 Josh Payne
Terry Jenkins (23) 6-2 Ted Hankey
Gino Vos 6-0 Richie Howson
Peter Wright (6) 6-1 Matthew Dicken
Dennis Smith 6-3 Steve Grubb
Dan Russell 6-5 Arron Monk (27)
Alex Roy 6-1 Keith Stephen
John Bowles 6-5 Adrian Lewis (11)
Campbell Jackson 6-5 Andrew Gilding
James Wade (22) 6-1 Ricky Sudale
Paul Barham 6-5 Connie Finnan
Robert Thornton (3) 6-1 Antonio Alcinas
Magnus Caris 6-2 Joe Cullen
Steve Brown 6-3 Mark Webster (30)
Ross Smith 6-5 Mark Jones
Phil Taylor (14) 6-4 Darren Whittingham
Paul Amos 6-5 Darren Johnson
Andy Jenkins 6-2 Colin Lloyd (19)
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Mark Frost
Second Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-2 Kevin Dowling
Richie Burnett 6-4 Jarkko Komula
Ronny Huybrechts 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Chris Aubrey 6-5 Jim Walker
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Bernd Roith
Shaun Griffiths 6-5 Tony West
Scott Rand 6-3 Daryl Gurney
Andy Smith 6-4 Mensur Suljovic
Wes Newton 6-4 Jamie Lewis
Nick Fullwell 6-5 Stephen Hardy
Ian White 6-1 Matthew Edgar
Justin Pipe 6-4 James Richardson
Dave Chisnall 6-1 Prakash Jiwa
Joe Murnan 6-4 Adrian Gray
Paul Nicholson 6-4 Steve Farmer
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Nigel Heydon
Jon Jukes 6-5 Steve Hine
Tomas Seyler 6-5 Alan Tabern
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Darren Webster
Stuart Kellett 6-5 Roland Scholten
Jamie Caven 6-2 Michael Barnard
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Steve Beaton
Mervyn King 6-1 Steve West
Terry Jenkins 6-2 Gino Vos
Peter Wright 6-3 Dennis Smith
Dan Russell 6-5 Alex Roy
Campbell Jackson 6-1 John Bowles
James Wade 6-4 Paul Barham
Robert Thornton 6-3 Magnus Caris
Steve Brown 6-2 Ross Smith
Phil Taylor 6-0 Paul Amos
Andy Jenkins 6-4 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £250
Third Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Richie Burnett
Ronny Huybrechts 6-3 Chris Aubrey
Kim Huybrechts 6-0 Shaun Griffiths
Andy Smith 6-4 Scott Rand
Wes Newton 6-2 Nick Fullwell
Ian White 6-3 Justin Pipe
Joe Murnan 6-4 Dave Chisnall
Brendan Dolan 6-1 Paul Nicholson
Jon Jukes 6-3 Tomas Seyler
Andy Hamilton 6-1 Stuart Kellett
Jamie Caven 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Terry Jenkins 6-5 Mervyn King
Peter Wright 6-2 Dan Russell
James Wade 6-3 Campbell Jackson
Robert Thornton 6-5 Steve Brown
Phil Taylor 6-0 Andy Jenkins
Losers £500
Fourth Round
Michael van Gerwen 6-0 Ronny Huybrechts
Andy Smith 6-2 Kim Huybrechts
Wes Newton 6-5 Ian White
Brendan Dolan 6-2 Joe Murnan
Andy Hamilton 6-5 Jon Jukes
Jamie Caven 6-3 Terry Jenkins
James Wade 6-3 Peter Wright
Robert Thornton 6-5 Phil Taylor
Losers £1,000
Quarter-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Andy Smith
Brendan Dolan 6-4 Wes Newton
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Jamie Caven
Robert Thornton 6-3 James Wade
Losers £1,500
Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Andy Hamilton 6-2 Robert Thornton
Losers £2,500
Final
Michael van Gerwen 6-1 Andy Hamilton
Winner £10,000
Runner-Up £5,000
Final - Leg-By-Leg
Michael van Gerwen v Andy Hamilton
0-0 - van Gerwen wins the bullseye and throws first
1-0 - The Dutchman holds throw with a clinical 13-dart finish completed on double 18.
2-0 - van Gerwen doubles his lead by converting a 94 checkout with Hamilton waiting on 32.
3-0 - van Gerwen takes out 45 on double 16 to win his third leg in a row.
3-1 - Hamilton lands double 18 to get a leg on the board after van Gerwen misses one chance to go four legs clear.
4-1 - Both players record maximums before van Gerwen takes the leg with a fantastic 11-darter.
5-1 - van Gerwen hits two 140 scores before taking out 68 to move a leg away from victory.
6-1 - The world number two hits three ton plus scores to leave 40 after just 12 darts thrown, which he duly converts on double ten to wrap up the win.
ENDS
WHITLOCK TO MEET HUYBRECHTS IN PARTYPOKER.NET EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP REMATCH
SIMON WHITLOCK will open the defence of his PartyPoker.net European Championship title against Belgian ace Kim Huybrechts when the tournament is held at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany from July 4-7.
The Australian claimed the first major title of his career when he defeated Wes Newton in last year^s final in Muelheim - having also overcome Huybrechts 11-9 in the semi-finals.
The Belgian will get the chance to avenge that loss when they meet in the first round of this year^s tournament next month, after being drawn with the number five seed.
Newton, the world number seven, will face Holland^s Jelle Klaasen in the first round, while world number one Phil Taylor - a four-time European Champion - drew another Dutch ace, Vincent van der Voort.
Number two seed Michael van Gerwen will meet Belgium^s Kurt Van De Rijck, while world number three Adrian Lewis plays Austria^s Mensur Suljovic, number four seed James Wade takes on former finalist Gary Anderson in another tasty first round clash, Andy Hamilton plays Terry Jenkins and Raymond van Barneveld meets German hope Tomas Seyler.
The event^s other German qualifier, teenager Max Hopp, will mark his European Championship debut against Paul Nicholson, while Saturday^s Players Championship winner Peter Wright was drawn against Colin Lloyd.
Canada^s three-time World Champion John Part drew Kevin Painter, Robert Thornton meets Brendan Dolan, Stuart Kellett takes on Ronny Huybrechts, Jamie Caven plays Dave Chisnall, Ronnie Baxter plays Mervyn King and Justin Pipe drew Finland^s Jani Haavisto, the Scandinavian Order of Merit leader.
The 32-player tournament will be held from July 4-7 at the RWE Sporthalle in Muelheim, Germany, and televised live on ITV4 in the UK.
The top 16 players in the PDC Order of Merit qualify by right for the tournament, with the top eight seeded for the first round draw.
The event also features eight qualifiers from the ProTour Order of Merit, seven qualifiers from the European Order of Merit and Scandinavian Order of Merit leader Jani Haavisto.
While Gary Anderson dropped out of the world^s top 16 following the Crawley weekend, he still qualified for the European Championship through the ProTour Order of Merit.
Colin Lloyd held on to the final ProTour Order of Merit qualifying place, with Andy Smith missing out following a quarter-final defeat to eventual winner Michael van Gerwen in Crawley.
Tickets for the PartyPoker.net European Championship can be purchased via www.pdc-europe.net.
PartyPoker.net European Championship
First Round Draw & Tournament Bracket
Phil Taylor (1) v Vincent van der Voort
Stuart Kellett v Ronny Huybrechts
Raymond van Barneveld (8) v Tomas Seyler
Robert Thornton v Brendan Dolan
Simon Whitlock (5) v Kim Huybrechts
Colin Lloyd v Peter Wright
James Wade (4) v Gary Anderson
Jamie Caven v Dave Chisnall
Michael van Gerwen (2) v Kurt Van De Rijck
Ronnie Baxter v Mervyn King
Wes Newton (7) v Jelle Klaasen
Jani Haavisto v Justin Pipe
Andy Hamilton (6) v Terry Jenkins
Max Hopp v Paul Nicholson
Adrian Lewis (3) v Mensur Suljovic
Kevin Painter v John Part
PDC Order of Merit Qualifiers
(Top Eight Seeded)
1 Phil Taylor (England)
2 Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands)
3 Adrian Lewis (England)
4 James Wade (England)
5 Simon Whitlock (Australia)
6 Andy Hamilton (England)
7 Wes Newton (England)
8 Raymond van Barneveld (Netherlands)
9 Justin Pipe (England)
10 Dave Chisnall (England)
11 Robert Thornton (Scotland)
12 Kevin Painter (England)
13 Mervyn King (England)
14 Kim Huybrechts (Belgium)
15 Brendan Dolan (Northern Ireland)
16 Terry Jenkins (England)
ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers
Jamie Caven (England)
Peter Wright (Scotland)
John Part (Canada)
Stuart Kellett (England)
Paul Nicholson (Australia)
Gary Anderson (Scotland)
Ronnie Baxter (England)
Colin Lloyd (England)
European Order of Merit Qualifiers
Mensur Suljovic (Austria)
Jelle Klaasen (Netherlands)
Tomas Seyler (Germany)
Max Hopp (Germany)
Kurt Van De Rijck (Belgium)
Ronny Huybrechts (Belgium)
Vincent van der Voort (Netherlands)
Scandinavian Order of Merit Leader
Jani Haavisto (Finland)