Unicorn’s Canadian ace finally squeezed through by 6 legs to 4 in a dramatic final set tie-break, after earlier missing five darts for the match.
His 3 sets to 2 victory sets up another showdown against Chris Mason in the 2nd Round on Friday night. Last year, the pair fought out a 2nd Round classic with Part edging it 4-3.
Mason looked good – hitting eight 180s in 12 legs in beating Wayne Atwood.
But Part will just be thanking his lucky stars that he is past Green. “I am very relieved,” he admitted. “I always seem to get involved in matches like that. I missed far too many doubles, which is very disappointing, when I have spent the last month practicing my out shots.”
He looked to be coasting after racing into a two set lead. Green fought back to win the next two and it went into the decider. Part was 3-2 up in legs and missed those five darts at double 20, double 10 and double five….he just couldn’t believe it. The Liverpudlian then took the advantage, before Part managed to hobble over the finishing line.
“I reckon my experience won the day in the end. It should have been much more comfortable but at least I’m in the next round and I am really looking forward to Friday night now. Mason played well against Wayne Atwood, so it should be some game!”
Phil Taylor started his bid for that 14th World Title with an easy win over Anton Pein. The Austrian qualifier, who is a former World Soft Tip Champion, was no match for ‘The Power’, who will surely face a much tougher test in the 2nd Round against Irishman Mick McGowan on Boxing Day.
Taylor won nine straight legs to take the match 3-0 and earn one darts punter just £100 in winnings. Yes, one man from Cheshire laid an incredible £20,000 bet on a Taylor victory at odds of 1/200…..£20,000 to win just a hundred quid – amazing!
Mind you, Taylor has been splashing the cash and treating himself….and why not, he deserves it. He has bought himself a Bentley Continental for £100,000 and joked that he would have to win the tournament to pay for it! Taylor was thinking of buying a Ferrari but changed his mind!
Pein only had darts at a double in what turned out to be the last leg of the match but missed three darts at double four. Taylor only averaged 94.5 but it wasn’t a real test and you certainly can’t gauge his form from that 35 minutes on the oche.
He said: “It is just nice to get through that first game. Anton certainly didn’t play as I know he can. I was at the qualifiers in Germany when he won and he hit six 180s in the final. I think the nerves got to him. I will have a few days relaxing and practicing now before I’m back at the Circus Tavern on Boxing Day.”
Team Unicorn’s Peter Manley also made it safely through to the 2nd Round, where he will face Unicorn Global star Wynand Havenga.
Manley brought a smile to everyone’s face with his new head gear…. ‘One Dart’ of course is always the target for the boo-boys but those boos were turned to cheers when he came into the arena wearing a headset with hands blocking his ears!
And he brought a smile to his own face with a 3-0 victory over qualifier Dave Jowett. He enjoys the Circus Tavern and he enjoyed opening night. In fact Manley dropped just one leg in the entire match.
It was some World Championship debut for Unicorn Global ace Wynand Havenga. The South African caused a major upset, beating World No.26 Steve Maish.
The match went all the way to a final set tie-break but Havenga kept his composure on the biggest day of his darting life.
In that deciding set, the larger-than-life South African hit brilliant 111 and 126 finishes – both on the bull and finally edged out Maish by 5 legs to 3.
Day one 1st Round results (best of five sets):
Ronnie Baxter 2-3 Adrian Gray
Tuesday’s 1st Round order of play:
Mark Walsh v Rico Vonck
By Stuart Pyke
