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And he was ringside to see great rival Raymond Van Barneveld beaten by teenage sensation Michael Van Gerwen in a 1st Round match that oozed class.

It went all the way to the deciding set, with the grand darting master and the new kid on the block going toe to toe in a quite brilliant game. Van Gerwen, who averaged nearly 100, eventually won 3 sets to 2 after a dazzling display.

It was always going to be the match of the round and it didn’t disappoint. Barney had no complaints after losing to the 17-year-old and his next target is to qualify for the World Grand Prix in Dublin at the end of October.

“He is so talented,” said Barneveld. “I could see it in his eyes and it just wasn’t there for me but even now I am learning but congratulations to Mike….he played superbly.”

Van Gerwen will now face Whitlock in the 2nd Round. The Aussie came from a set down to beat defending champion Gary Robson 3-1. Taylor went to the arena in Utrecht to support Whitlock after the pair spent hours practicing over the last couple of days.

Since his brilliant first round demolition of Brian Sorensen, Taylor has been hard at work back at the event hotel with The Wizard of Oz.

He explained: “Simon beat me in the quarter-finals of the International Darts League but we are good friends and he has put up a practice board in his room. He is in the other half of the draw this time, so maybe we’ll meet in the final!”

Taylor is already looking forward to his 2nd Round clash against John Walton on Tuesday night. “I’m not sure if I’ve played him before but he came back brilliantly to win his first match against Shaun Greatbatch. The format is slightly longer now – the best of seven sets – so that’ll suit me but he is a former World Champion, so he’s no mug!”

He added: “Since winning back the World Matchplay, I have put in a lot of hard work and I would love to win this tournament….and of course there’s the 45,000 euros for the winner too!”

“It has been nice and relaxed so far and I feel really good about my game. In my 1st Round match I felt so at ease on the stage and I am throwing very well.”

His average of 104.33 was the second best in the history of the tournament….in the final three years ago, Raymond Van Barneveld averaged just under 105.

Of course, there is that mouth-watering prospect of an all-Unicorn quarter-final. If Taylor can beat Walton and Colin Lloyd overcomes top seed Gary Anderson, the pair will clash head-on in the last eight.

Monday’s 1st Round results:

Gary Robson 1-3 Simon Whitlock
Michael Van Gerwen 3-2 Raymond Van Barneveld
Darryl Fitton 3-0 Co Stompe
Mervyn King 3-2 Tony Martin

2nd Round draw in full:

Colin Lloyd v Gary Anderson
Phil Taylor v John Walton
Simon Whitlock v Michael Van Gerwen
Mike Veitch v Tony Eccles
Tony O’Shea v Martin Adams
Vincent van der Voort v Niels de Ruiter
Ronnie Baxter v Martin Atkins
Darryl Fitton v Mervyn King

BY STUART PYKE

Photo courtesy Robert Lusing, Bavaria World Darts Trophy