Новости Unicorn

The Canadian beat Roland Scholten 3 sets to nil to start his celebrations at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. It’s been a while since we’ve seen Part produce in the big tournaments but this was much more like it. Since he beat Phil Taylor and reached the final of the 2005 World Matchplay in Blackpool, Unicorn’s former World Champion has struggled but this was good to see.

Part won each set 3-2 but his finishing was superb….and yes, he was wearing a new pair of trousers, after his embarrassing accident on Wednesday, when he split a pair!

But there is little doubt that the man they all have to beat is a certain Philip Taylor, who came up with millionaire darts on millionaire’s row in Vegas.

Poor Andy Jenkins didn’t do a lot wrong but Taylor was incredible. He dropped just one leg in the match, smacked in seven 180s and averaged nearly 104. The match was summed up perfectly in the first set. Jenkins hit seven perfect darts on his way to a 9-dart finish but still lost the leg, as Taylor produced a brilliant 11-darter himself!

It doesn’t get much better! Taylor admitted he had to up the ante. “Andy played really well. He has packed in his job to concentrate full-time on his darts and I think his average was close to three figures. There is still more to come and I know I will have to play even better if I want to win the title.”

It is the second consecutive year that Taylor has beaten Jenkins at the last 16 stage.

Peter Manley’s dreams of a second Vegas title were shattered by Dennis Priestley….but Unicorn’s ‘Amarillo Man’ from Carlisle only has himself to blame. A succession of missed doubles throughout the match, as Manley blew chance after chance. Priestley showed him how it’s done, with an amazing 60 per cent check-out rate, to clinch a place in the quarter-finals by 3 sets to 1.

Manley won the first two legs of the match but then missed three darts to take the set….step in Priestley…….Again, he was two legs up in he 2nd set and again missed three darts to win it, before nailing double top. ‘The Menace’ won the 3rd set, thanks to a 138 check-out, despite enduring a dozen bounce out’s around the treble 20 bed. In fact, the board was changed before the 4th set. Manley missed another four darts to save the match and paid the price.

It will be a huge blow for the big man, who really believed he could make an impression in the gambler’s paradise this week.

Raymond Van Barneveld dished out another warning to Taylor, Part and the rest, with another classy display. He beat a gutsy Steven Smith 3 sets to nil, with an average of 102 and a 65 per cent check-out rate.

Smith – the Essex youngster – played really well and would have beaten most players but Barney deserved his place in the quarter-finals. Let’s hope Smith gets the sponsor he is looking for, so he can play the circuit on a regular basis, because he forced Barney to produce something like his best and Smith has certainly shown the darts world that he has the talent to succeed.

Barney is hoping to avoid Taylor in those quarter-finals. “He was awesome out there and it would be great to face him in the final. It is obvious after I beat him in Bolton, he wants a re-match…we will have to wait and see!”

Full 2nd round results and Quarter-Final draw to follow…..

BY STUART PYKE