Issue 49 (December 9, 2016)

Friday 9 December 2016

Darts Weekly

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

“Preparation for the worlds will be perfect” ◊ Phil Taylor on his bid for a 17th world title and retirement talk ◊ Our team’s predictions ◊ Asian qualifiers Gilbert Ulang and Tengku Shah chat to us ◊ Lockup Tipster’s betting guide Ally Pally preview pages 2-9

Duzza seals back-to-back Masters titles

Krcmar is crowned king of soft tip

Page 12-13

Pages 14-15

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

Van Gerwen and Wright are the in form players but do not count out holder Anderson Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER The most lucrative tournament in darts begins on Thursday and this year with an even bigger prize pot.

Gary Anderson walked away with £300,000 after beating Adrian Lewis in the last final at Alexandra Palace at the start of this year, but on January 2, 2017 one man will pick up £350,000 — the largest winner’s cheque in the history of the sport.

While it has been Michael van Gerwen, the outright number one on the PDC Order of Merit, who has been dominating the circuit, the last two stagings of the William Hill World Darts Championship have both been won by Anderson.

A 6-3 defeat in the semi-finals to Anderson two years ago, followed by a 4-3 loss against Raymond van Barneveld in a third round classic last year, means it has been three years since van Gerwen has contested in the decider for the

Defending champion: Gary Anderson is aiming to win the World Championship for a third year in a row richest prize darts has to offer. It was on New Year’s Day 2014 when van Gerwen won his first world title, beating Peter Wright 7-4.

Many critics are predicting the 2017 final to be a repeat of that final in 2014 and the same

‘While MVG has dominated, the last two world titles have gone to Anderson’ outcome with the Green Machine coming out on top.

It is hard to argue against there being two players coming into this tournament with better form than van Gerwen and Wright.

While it has been MVG who has been taking home the big trophies, winning every major singles title this year, Wright has reached the

stores.ebay.co.uk/Mojo-DARTS

finals of the UK Open and the World Series of Darts Finals, as well as enjoying runs to the semifinals of the European Championship, Grand Slam and Players Championship Finals.

Wright has reaped the benefits of climbing up to third on the PDC Order of Merit last month, with one of the more favourable quarters of the draw.

A potential quarter-final clash with James Wade could await the 2014 runner-up, and it is hard to see the Scot not getting to that stage at least.

In the quarter above him, defending champion Anderson is the second seed and could face a tricky quarter-final meeting with Dave Chisnall or Jelle Klaasen, with Benito van de Pas and Terry Jenkins his possible opponents in the round before that.

The top half of the draw is headed up by first seed van Gerwen, who, despite his high ranking, has one of the toughest quarters of the draw on paper.

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FOLLOW THE ACTION WITH DARTS WEEKLY OUR WRITERS Alex Moss, Christopher Kempf, Richard Edwards, Dave South and Dave McNally will be bringing you the latest from the Alexandra Palace throughout the tournament, including match reports, interviews and expert analysis

IN THE MAGAZINE Our weekly magazine will once again be FREE for darts fans to read online from anywhere around the world. Make sure you log on to darts-weekly.com each Friday to read the latest issue, or join our growing subscribers list and get the magazine emailed to you for FREE. Simply send us an email to dartsweekly@gmail.com Stephen Bunting or Simon Whitlock could be his opponent in the last 16, while Mensur Suljovic, Robert Thornton and Daryl Gurney are all possible players that could face him in the last eight.

Ironically, the two last players to have beaten van Gerwen in a competitive match are Gurney and Whitlock, with the former handing the Dutchman his most recent defeat in the German Darts Championship in mid-October.

If van Gerwen can get through his quarter of the draw, he is likely to come up against one of three familiar rivals.

Lewis, van Barneveld and Phil Taylor have 23 world titles between them and are all situated in the second quarter of the draw.

Only one of them will be able to make it through to the semi-finals at the Alexandra Palace and a potential clash with MVG. It was Barney who famously knocked out van Gerwen in the last World Championship, while Taylor beat Mighty Mike twice in as many

days on his way to winning the inaugural Champions League of Darts back in September.

Although it will be his debut in the competition, do not discount Corey Cadby from causing an upset or two in this quarter.

The young Australian has gained plenty of followers this year after beating Taylor in the World Series, and then winning the World Youth Championship two weeks ago.

One of many subplots to this tournament is the battle to be picked for the Premier League.

With world number eight Suljovic reported to have told the PDC he does not want to be considered for selection, the lineup for 2017 is far from complete.

There will be 72 players from 22 different countries bidding to get their hands on the Sid Waddell Trophy over the next three weeks, will it go with the script which has been followed in 2016 and back in the hands of van Gerwen? Or will his dominance once again be halted on the biggest stage of all?

ON OUR WEBSITE Check out our website for the latest results, order of play, reports from each session, as well as reaction from the players and the thoughts of our group of writers

BETTING TIPS Dave South will be posting on the website his top tips each day during the tournament, so if you fancy a flutter be sure to have a look at his recommended bets ahead of the day’s play

PREDICTION LEAGUE During the tournament we will be running our prediction league on Twitter. It is FREE to enter and all you have to do is reply to our pinned tweet each day with your predictions. The winner of the prediction league will win a set of darts from our friends at A180 Darts!

OUR WRITERS

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

Taylor says preparation will be key as he bids for a record breaking 17th world title Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER

All in the preparation: Phil Taylor hopes to be in top form for the World Championship

Phil Taylor says his ‘preparation is going to be perfect’ as he gets ready to embark on another World Championship campaign next week.

The 16-time world champion will be playing in his 28th consecutive World Championship when he contests his first round game of the William Hill World Darts Championship a week on Sunday.

The sport’s most successful player, now ranked fourth on the PDC Order of Merit, has won 14 of the 23 stagings so far of the PDC’s World Championship.

And as he eyes a 17th world title, to break his own record, Taylor insists his preparation will play an important part in his end result.

“I’m feeling alright,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of weeks now to get ready, which I’m pleased about, and for me it’s about rest and practice.

“I’ve got to get my preparation right but I’ve played well this year.

“My preparation is going to be perfect. It is all about preparation and that’s what I’m targeting.”

Having dominated the sport for more than two decades, Taylor has seen his crown slip into the hands of Michael van Gerwen during the last few years.

Since beating the Dutchman to win his 16th world title in 2013, Taylor has only got past the third round of the World Championship once in the next three years.

The Power’s last TV major win was just over two years ago now, when he won the 2014 Grand Slam of Darts, but the 56-year-old’s outlook on darts has changed.

“I want to enjoy it all now because I’m slowing down now,” Taylor said.

“The schedule’s busier and I find the travelling harder, but this has been my life now for over 25 years.

“I’m looking to relax and enjoy my life and I’m coming towards the end of my career.

“I’ll still play in the events I’ve qualified for and that I’m invited to, but away from that I’m slowing down now.

“Life changes when you get into your 50s and this is my time somewhere down the line you have to call it a day and this is the start of it.

“I’ve got grandkids and I’ll be able to spend more time with them and do some normal things again, like going away for three or four holidays a year and enjoying things a bit more because I’ll have more time.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’m

“I’m looking to relax and I’m coming towards the end of my career” ready for what we call a normal life, where I’m not sitting on motorways every week and staying in hotels and having a bit of time at home.

“I’ve earned the right to sit back a little bit now and let the others take over.

“I don’t want to be 60 or 70years-old still on TV, I want to do other things now and have a normal life.”

After relinquishing third seed for this year’s World Championship to Peter Wright, Taylor finds himself in the toughest quarter of the 72player draw.

A tricky clash with Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts could await Taylor in the third round, with Adrian Lewis and Raymond van Barneveld two of his possible opponents in the quarter-finals.

Before that, Taylor will be fully

focused on his first assignment at the Alexandra Palace: John Bowles or David Platt in the first round on December 18.

“I’ve got the winner of two players so I don’t really know who I’m going to play yet, whether it’s John Bowles or David Platt,” he said.

“David’s been around on the circuit for a while before he moved to Australia and I know he’s good, and John’s done really well to qualify.

“It’s two good players, don’t get me wrong, so it all depends who gets through, but I’ll be ready.”

Although 2016 will not go down as one of Taylor’s most trophyladen years of his illustrious career, it has certainly not been without its success.

In June, Taylor teamed up with Lewis to win the PDC World Cup of Darts for a fourth time, before coming out on top in the Austrian Darts Open seven days later.

Defeats to van Gerwen in the finals of the Premier League and

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THE DRAW M van Gerwen (1) v Snook/Viljanen C Reyes (32) v D van den Bergh

x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x x x x x xx xx x x x

World Matchplay was then followed by triumphs over the Green Machine in the Sydney Darts Masters and Champions League of Darts.

The latter of those was a particular high point in Taylor’s season, with the Power beating van Gerwen twice in two days to lift the new trophy on the BBC. This year has seen Taylor already

“It’s just a matter of going in there fit and healthy and ready for it” start to cut back on his playing schedule, with the victory in the Champions League of Darts coming after a four-week break from competition.

After missing the Players Championship Finals at the end of last month, Taylor will have also had another four weeks between competitive matches when he faces Bowles or Platt later next week.

“It was great to go into the BBC event wide awake,” he said.

“I’ve still got the game and that was probably the best I’ve played all year to be honest.

“At times this year it’s been great, and the Champions League was a real highlight for me, as was winning in Sydney again.

“A couple of the finals this year I could have won quite easily.

“I’ve just missed a few doubles and he didn’t, and I’ve let him off.

“It’s just a matter of going in there fit and healthy and ready for it, that’s all it is for me now.”

Whether Taylor does go on to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy one more time, either in 2017 or 2018, or not, his achievements and contribution to darts have left a legacy which will never be forgotten.

As van Gerwen goes in search for a 44th tournament victory in the space of two years, it is clear to see who the favourite is to walk away with the record £350,000 prize, but Taylor can never be written off.

S Bunting (16) v D Webster S Whitlock (17) v Koltsov/Horvat M Suljovic (8) v R Meulenkamp M Webster (25) v J Murnan R Thornton (9) v Lerchbacher/ Stevenson D Gurney (24) v J Wattimena A Lewis (5) v M Caris J Cullen (28) v Sun/Cadby R van Barneveld (12) v R Green A Norris (21) v J Michael P Taylor (4) v Bowles/Platt J Caven (29) v K Painter K Huybrechts (13) v J Wilson V van der Voort (20) v M Hopp G Anderson (2) v M Frost J Henderson (31) v A Gilding B van de Pas (15) v Shah/Chino T Jenkins (18) v J Payne D Chisnall (7) v R-J Rodriguez J Pipe (26) v C Dobey J Klaasen (10) v J de Graaf B Dolan (23) v C Kist J Wade (6) v R Huybrechts S Beaton (27) v D Petersen M Smith (11) v R Evans M King (22) v S West P Wright (3) v Hendriks/Parry J Lewis (30) v M McGowan I White (14) v Simm/Ulang G Price (19) v J Clayton Format

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

PDC World Championship 2016: Darts Weekly team make their predictions Who will win the final? Who will be the player to watch?

How far will Phil Taylor go?

Our team tackle these and other questions Who will reach the final - and who will win it?

Richard Edwards: Michael van Gerwen will beat Gary Anderson in the final.

Dave South: Michael van Gerwen is just 2/5 to reach the final and readers will know I have tipped Peter Wright. I think it will be a repeat of the 2014 final, which I was in attendance for on the night.

It will be difficult to get past Michael and think he will see in his second reign.

Dave McNally: I can’t see any further than Michael van Gerwen, no matter how much I looked at the draw. I’ve got to go with Gary Anderson as the runner-up. Rather dull and predictable from me I’m afraid but that’s how I see it going.

Christopher Kempf: Peter Wright and Michael van Gerwen.

Both will fight through gruelling matches with Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld respectively. Van Gerwen will win his second world title, smashing Wright who once again fails to live with exhibition-level darts from the Dutch master.

Who will be the player to watch?

Dave South: Kim Huybrechts put on a great performance at the Players Championship Finals, also Barney has come into form. But what about Phil Taylor?

Dave McNally: My players to watch are Joe Cullen and Corey Cadby. They are set to meet in the first round, and if they do, I feel the victor will go on to do well in the competition. Cullen looks unflappable, as calm as they come and Cadby has been superb and will have nothing to fear or lose as he takes his bow.

Second reign: Our writers are all predicting Michael van Gerwen to be crowned world champion on January 2

Second reign: Our writers are all predicting Michael van Gerwen to be crowned world champion on January 2

Christopher Kempf: The player to watch is Steve West, who has turned heads over the past few months and will enjoy the good fortune of being placed in a relatively open section of the draw.

He has the talent to overcome first-round opponent Mervyn King and reach a potential third-round contest with James Wade, who may find himself facing unexpectedly stiff opposition en route to the quarter-finals.

Richard Edwards: Barney! He is looking so good. I am really hoping for an MVG-Barney showdown in the semi-finals and hopefully we see a clash like last year’s epic.

Corey Cadby is the real deal and

Christopher Kempf: The player to watch is Steve West, who has turned heads over the past few months and will enjoy the good fortune of being placed in a relatively open section of the draw.

He has the talent to overcome first-round opponent Mervyn King and reach a potential third-round contest with James Wade, who may find himself facing unexpectedly stiff opposition en route to the quarter-finals.

Richard Edwards: Barney! He is looking so good. I am really hoping for an MVG-Barney showdown in the semi-finals and hopefully we

“I can’t see any further than MVG no matter how much I look at the draw” another one to watch, he could play Barney in round two in one of the sessions I’m going to!

How far will Phil Taylor go?

Dave McNally: I feel that there will be an early exit for him.

Painter or Caven to beat him in the second round.

Christopher Kempf: Phil Taylor realises that his competitive position relative to the other players, especially van Gerwen, is declining year upon year. He will look to make one final assault to win a 17th title and write a fitting epilogue for a legendry career.

Though he should have no trouble reaching the quarter-finals, he will fall to Barney in an explosive quarter-final.

Dave South: I would love to see Phil win the event then go on to announce his retirement in style,

but I think a third round possible tie with Kim Huybrechts is a format which the Belgian will look to derail the Power. Third round or quarter-finals for me.

Richard Edwards: I think that’s the toughest question to answer.

Let’s go for a shock third round defeat to a fired up Kim Huybrechts.

Which first round match are you most looking forward to?

Christopher Kempf: The Michael Smith-Ricky Evans match shows all the signs of a great firstround matchup. Both are great young talents, one (Smith) enjoyed much of the year ranked in the top 10 but has experienced a shocking collapse in form, while the other (Evans) battled and scrapped his way through the Pro Tour to qualify for a third World Championship. After witnessing Evans’ epic comeback against Simon Whitlock last year, there’s no telling what sort of tangle he may get into with Bully Boy this

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and there’s no reason why their opponents shouldn’t smell blood in the water.

year.

Richard Edwards: It has to be Jamie Caven against Kevin Painter. What a great way to start a Friday morning (nine hours ahead here) than with some darts! I’ll be flying out of bed at 3.30am when that alarm goes off.

Dave South: This is a toss up between van Barneveld-Green and Bunting-Darren Webster. Barney has a tough opener and with the resurgence of Webster recently it will not make either game as straight forward as the odds imply.

Dave McNally: I’m looking forward to the Ricky Evans and Michael Smith match. It promises to be superb as two of the more mercurial players come head to head.

Which seeds are most in danger of going out in the first round?

Dave South: Jamie Caven will certainly have the pressure on his shoulders up first. Michael Smith’s 2016 has been a write off, and can

Steve West recapture his early autumn form and cause trouble for Mervyn King? In addition, Chris Dobey could stun the out of form Justin Pipe.

Dave McNally: Stephen Bunting looks like his head could be on the block against Darren Webster.

Daryl Gurney may also have his work cut out against Jermaine Wattimena. Whatever happens, there’s sure to be a couple of big names tumbling.

Richard Edwards: I have to say Joe Cullen as I lorded up Corey Cadby earlier. I think Bunting has got a tough match but will scrape through. Justin Pipe v Chris Dobey and Vincent van der Voort v Max Hopp are both extremely hard to call and I would edge towards the unseeded player going through.

Christopher Kempf: The most vulnerable seeds in this year’s opening round matches are Pipe, Smith, King, Dolan, Jenkins, van der Voort, Caven and Bunting. All of the above have exhibited mediocre form in recent months

This will be the 10th year that the tournament has been held at the Alexandra Palace - do you miss the Circus Tavern or does the Ally Pally now feel like home?

Dave McNally: The Circus Tavern was a closer, tighter environment and had a knack of generating a high quality atmosphere. Since the move to the Ally Pally that seems to have been lost.

Richard Edwards: Having spent most of the past 13 years living in Asia, I have not yet visited the Ally Pally (thankfully dealing with that this year as will be visiting England and getting in three sessions). I went to the 2001 World Championship at Circus Tavern and the close atmosphere and smaller crowds were right up my street. I’m going to have a great time at Ally Pally, but I know it will be a completely different experience.

Christopher Kempf: The Circus Tavern will always have a strong nostalgic appeal, not least for hosting the greatest darts match in history (Taylor-van Barneveld 2007). For a game that is now big business around the globe, the Alexandra Palace is surely the World Championship’s home, and it serves its purpose well. Nostalgia gives many of us an irrational attachment to the Circus Tavern, for what matters is not the size of the hall or of the crowd, but the stature of the men who fill it.

Dave South: Darts has changed with the times and has an ever growing audience reach which is going global. The Circus Tavern was a tidy, intimate venue, while the Ally Pally has been the tournament’s home since 2008. I believe the event will remain in London, but it could possibly move again with the right transport links as the demand for the sport in the next few years continues to grow.

What are your predictions?

Tweet us at @darts_weekly

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

Ulang hoping to find the recipe to success when he makes debut at Ally Pally Richard Edwards ASIAN DARTS CORRESPONDENT Gilbert Ulang is not worried about a nickname or what his walk on song will be as he makes his debut in the William Hill World Darts Championship next week.

The 37-year-old booked his place at the Alexandra Palace back in October when he came through the Philippines Qualifier, beating Prussian Dela Crus 4-1 in the final.

Ulang will take on PDPA Qualifier Kevin Simm in the preliminary round a week on Sunday, with 14th seed Ian White awaiting for the winner in the first round.

The past two years has seen Ulang partner Lourence Ilagan and then Alex Tagarao in the PDC World Cup of Darts, where they have been beaten by the Belgian Huybrechts brothers, Kim and Ronny, and former world champions Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld, of the Netherlands.

“My happiest memory in my career is when I faced Michael van Gerwen at the World Cup this year in the second round,” he said.

Ulang certainly made an impression on the world number one in their brief encounter in Frankfurt earlier this year.

An 83 checkout gave the Filipino a break of throw in the very first leg, before a clean 67 outshot levelled the best of seven leg match at two legs apiece.

Ulang may have lost the next two legs to end up tasting a 4-2 defeat, with his partner Tagarao losing by the same scoreline to van Barneveld to send them out of the tournament, but it is stage experience which should stand him in good stead at the Alexandra Palace on December 18.

“I qualified for the World Championship as the Philippines Qualifier,” he said. “I defeated

Winning feeling: Gilbert Ulang (right) celebrates with partner Alex Tagarao at this year’s World Cup of Darts Prussian in the final, who defeated Ilagan in the semi-finals.

“My preparations leading up to this tournament is just to practice and to play the best you can. That’s my preparations.”

Ulang first started playing darts in 2008, but it was not until two years later that it became more serious for him.

“I’ve played darts since 2008 then started my career in 2010,” he said. “I also have a small burger store business and make my burger patty, which is a recipe of mine.”

Ulang’s bow in the World Championship will see him take on a player with no prior experience

“My preparations for this tournament is to practice and to play the best I can” playing in front of the cameras.

Simm, from Manchester, played on the Challenge Tour this year, where he picked up £800 to finish 56th on the tour’s final Order of Merit.

Should Ulang progress he would be the third Filipino to reach the first round of the PDC World Championship, following in the footsteps of Christian Perez (2010 and 2012) and Ilagan (2013).

“I will fly to England on December the 13th for my first time to play in the World Championship,” he said.

“I haven’t got a walk on song. I think they will choose the song for me. As for my nickname? It doesn’t matter.”

Ulang does not fly back to the Philippines until January 3, a day after the final. This 3,000/1 shot is keen to embrace the experience.

Shah will be ready to end Malaysia’s wait for a first win on the big stage Richard Edwards ASIAN DARTS CORRESPONDENT Tengku Shah is aiming to end Malaysia’s wait for a first victory on the Alexandra Palace stage when he makes his debut in the William Hill World Darts Championship next week.

After winning the Asia Qualifier in Taipei last month, Shah has been drawn against Japan’s Masumi Chino in an all-Asian tie in the preliminary round.

A first round clash with 15th seed Benito van de Pas is the reward for the winner, and Shah will be hopeful of setting up a meeting with the Dutchman if he can maintain his recent run of results

Darts Weekly Friday 9 December 2016

9 LAWRENCE LUSTIG/PDC

BROUGHT TO YOU BY LOCKUP DAVE @LockupTipster

Anderson to beat Frost 3-0 on opening night offers value with Bwin Dave South DARTS WRITER

year with World Youth triumph

on both the steel and soft tip circuits when he takes to the Alexandra Palace stage on December 17.

“I’ve been practicing with all my knowledge that has to be put together to make sure I am ready to play in the championship,” the Malaysian thrower said.

“I have been playing darts for 21 years now. I started from steel tip and 10 years ago I started playing soft tip.

“I still play both games and have a lot of happy memories, but the best memory was when I won THE WORLD Stage Five in Malaysia this year.”

Shah beat Taiwan’s Howei Tsai in the final of the fifth stage of the Soft Darts World Championship THE WORLD in his home nation in October, and a month later came qualification for a steel tip World Championship for the first time.

When Shah takes to the stage next week, he will be the fourth player from Malaysia to play in the

PDC’s World Championship, and he will be aiming to put a halt to his country’s losing record in the competition.

“I will be there a few days earlier prior to the tournament,” he said.

“It’s just to get used to the weather in London and also to have some practice there.

“I’ve never been to London before. I am looking forward to being there.”

Darts is on the up in Malaysia, with more than 500 players taking part in the recent Malaysian Open.

Shah now has a chance to put his country firmly on the darting map.

Debut year: Tengku Shah

With the biggest event in the darting calendar nearly upon us, it brings betting opportunities for all the fellow punters out there.

There are plenty of ante-post betting opportunities. Michael van Gerwen is no bigger than 8/11 with Paddy Power to win his second World Championship.

Gary Anderson is 13/2, Phil Taylor is 9/1, Peter Wright is 12/1 and the rest are 33/1 and higher.

An interesting price of 8/13 for a nine-dart finish is quoted by Coral.

With a nine darter being thrown at Ally Pally every year since 2009, bar the 2012 tournament, it will see appeal, with 6/5 for no nine darter.

Betfred offer 4/6 on a nine darter and a 170 finish, which is a slight enhancement and it may interest you that the 170 has been hit at least once every year since the 2002 World Championship, and it’s 1/25 on there being a 170!

My advice as an ante-post bet is on total sets played with Coral.

Even is just 4/9 with odd at 13/8 and it must be a play, as this bet will go right to the end and I just think the 4/9 quoted price is too short!

My ante-post tip on my website at lockuptipster.weebly.com was Peter Wright at 16s but he has since shortened to 12/1.

Night one has all four favourites priced at just over 3/1 with Marathonbet, with enhancement possible nearer the time.

I am not an accumulator tipster, but like the price of Anderson to beat Mark Frost 3-0 at 7/10 with Bwin, with Bet365 just 1/3 on the result!

Make sure you keep tabs on the Darts Weekly website for our daily update if you fancy a flutter!

Prices correct at time of publication

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

SPECIAL FEATURE

Van Gerwen was involved in several high-quality tussles on his way to dominating 2016

Christopher Kempf selects his top 10 matches which were televised or streamed in 2016

Michael van Gerwen 9-5 Rob Cross (Coral UK Open fourth round, March 5, 2016) This match would have witnessed a routine dispatching of a Riley’s qualifier by the world number one, were it not for three of the greatest legs of darts ever seen on television. In response to heavy scoring from Rob Cross, Michael van Gerwen pushed himself to full throttle. In throwing a nine-dart 10th leg sandwiched between two 12-darters concluded on 170 finishes, stringing together 18 perfect darts along the way, van Gerwen built up a lead too large even for an in-form Cross to overcome. In that respect, it was merely one match along the way for yet another van Gerwen title, but those three invincible legs from MVG will continue to amaze long into the future.

‘Those three legs from MVG will continue to amaze long into the future’

Lisa Ashton 5-1 Corrine Hammond (BDO World Trophy quarter-finals, May 29, 2016) Corrine Hammond, whose 79 average would have troubled just about any other ladies darts player, caused no trouble for a phenomenal Lisa Ashton. Ashton’s 98.85 average became the highest recorded televised average for a female player - a fitting complement to van Gerwen breaking the men’s world record.

The Lancashire Rose hit a treble with nearly every visit, finished legs in 12 and 14 darts, checked out 118 and 120 along the way, and missed a dart at the bullseye for a

161 finish my millimetres. While this performance was certainly anomalous for Ashton, it put the world of darts on notice and established her as the preeminent ladies player of 2016.

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Dyson Parody (Gibraltar Darts Trophy quarter-finals, May 8, 2016) Dyson Parody was dynamite, blowing up Jelle Klaasen en route to a historic quarter-final with Mighty Mike. His explosive, overthe-top celebrations on the Gibraltar stage left Michael van Gerwen perplexed and the referee, George Noble, justifiably irritated at the repeated delays of the game.

But it wasn’t as if Parody had nothing to celebrate, for he was playing the game of his life. Seven 180s and a 96.5 average pushed MVG to a last leg decider, but three match darts were not enough for the Gibraltarian to claim the biggest scalp of them all in a viscerally exciting match.

Peter Wright 10-2 Corey Cadby (Perth Darts Masters quarter-finals, August 26, 2016) In only his second televised darts match, the Tasmanian native Corey Cadby shocked the darts world with a 6-2 upset of Phil Taylor. The very next day, Cadby brought an even more fearsome performance to his quarter-final match with Peter Wright, only to be beaten mercifully by Snakebite, who produced perhaps the greatest

Darts Weekly Friday 9 December 2016 match of his career in a 10-2 encounter. Beginning with a first leg in which Cadby, who left a score of 40 after 12 darts, watched Wright take out 132 on the bull, Wright gave Cadby no quarter and a mere four darts at double over 12 legs. Cadby, in averaging nearly 110, demonstrated his remarkable talent but could not live with Wright’s highest-ever TV average.

Michael van Gerwen 6-5 Simon Whitlock (Unibet European Championship first round, October 28, 2016) Michael van Gerwen, who has proven so untouchable in longerformat matches, is especially vulnerable in best of 11. This is especially true when, as in much of the second half of the year, van Gerwen’s doubles percentage plummets and his opponent, Simon Whitlock, demonstrates a resurgence of form. A 170 checkout from the Aussie, following a leg in which MVG missed nine darts at the double, put Whitlock 4-2 ahead and the Dutchman on the ropes. A spirited van Gerwen comeback levelled the match, but more missed doubles allowed Whitlock the chance to steal the match on a 150 checkout. A wired dart on double 15 effectively ended a uniquely gripping and suspenseful match.

Phil Taylor 10-4 Michael van Gerwen (Unibet Champions League of Darts group stage, September 24, 2016) If Phil Taylor continues to struggle to win tournaments in the future, we may look back on this September thrashing of the world’s top darter as his great swansong.

Who would have imagined that Michael van Gerwen would not hold his throw once against a 56year-old Phil Taylor? Or that the Power would score four 100+ finishes, average 107, and take advantage of every van Gerwen mistake? In no other tournament of the year was van Gerwen so ruthlessly outplayed. Few players in today’s darting world can exceed van Gerwen’s scoring power and finishing accuracy, but before an

11 enormous audience in the PDC’s BBC debut, Taylor proved himself able.

Peter Wright 11-10 Phil Taylor (Ladbrokes World Series of Darts Finals semi-finals, November 6, 2016) A magnificent Phil Taylor met his match not only in Peter Wright but in the boisterous Glasgow crowd, which cheered Taylor’s mistakes as he surrendered a 10-8 lead to lose in a last-leg decider, missing eight darts for the match along the way.

And yet Phil threw everything he could at the Scottish player, including finishes of 127, 139, 146 and 149, loads of two and three treble visits and six legs won in 12 darts or less. Wright, after taking an early lead, fell well behind but clawed his way back tenaciously.

That Wright could survive a powerful onslaught and win a gripping match demonstrates his formidable endurance and resolve under pressure.

Dave Chisnall 10-9 Robert Thornton (Unibet Masters first round, January 30, 2016) In a match neatly emblematic of the rise in professional darts stature of Dave Chisnall and the decline of Robert Thornton, the Milton Keynes crowd were treated to one of the greatest comebacks in televised darts. Thornton, who reached a finish after 10.4 darts and hit eight out of 14 doubles in the first eight legs, suffered an epic and ignominious collapse as Chisnall’s darts at double finally found their mark. After losing the first eight legs, Chisnall’s average surged by 15 points in winning 10 of the last 11. A jubilant Chisnall reached the Masters final, while Thornton went on to struggle through a 2016 season devoid of any notable successes.

Gary Anderson 16-13 Raymond van Barneveld (SINGHA Beer Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals, November 19, 2016) So many long format matches of 2016 were one-sided affairs, in

which the better player, often van Gerwen, prevailed easily over an outmatched opponent. Not so with this Grand Slam duel, in which two of the great champions of the game fought blow for blow over 29 thrilling legs. The lead changed hands in almost every leg, as both players found big visits and crucial checkouts at the right moments to keep their opponent from running away with the match. But it was Anderson who blazed past the finishing line, finishing each of his last three legs in four visits to the board.

Scott Waites 5-4 Glen Durrant (BDO World Championship quarter-finals, January 8, 2016) Glen Durrant, the now two-time Winmau World Master and the dominant number one ranked player in the BDO, has intimated that he will move to the PDC after the 2017 World Championship. If so, his final effort at Lakeside will represent a last attempt to win a title that has long eluded him, in a tournament from which he was so devastated to be knocked out of in 2016. Holding a 4-2 lead in sets and a 2-0 lead in legs, Duzza lost his nerve as the crowd, stocked with partisans of Scott Waites, cheered his errors and celebrated Waites’ timely finishes. It was a tense, thrilling game, the likes of which we rarely see in the PDC. Afterward, Waites became the BDO world champion, a morose Durrant gave an interview in defeat that amply demonstrated his passion for the game and his determination to overcome this final obstacle.

Do you agree with Christopher’s list? Let us know what your favourite matches were in 2016 by sending us a tweet to @darts_weekly or alternatively email your suggestions over to dartsweekly@gmail.com

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

Durrant becomes only fifth man to retain World Masters x

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deciding leg. The defending champion then continued his sequence of impressive legs with a 12 darter, checking out 87 on double 18 to go 4-0 up in sets.

McGeeney, who had beaten two world champions in Scott Waites and Scott Mitchell on his way to reaching his first major televised final, stopped the rot by claiming three of the next four sets.

A 14 darter at the start of the ninth set saw McGeeney continue the comeback, but a brilliant 146

checkout got Duzza back on level terms in the set.

A 100 checkout on double 16 then sealed Durrant his second World Masters title and the £25,000 top prize. ◊ Trina Gulliver claimed her sixth Winmau World Masters ladies title after beating Deta Hedman 5-2 in the final at Lakeside.

The 46-year-old, who won her fifth World Masters in 2005, finished with a 63.79 average in the final against the top seed.

Waites to take on either Caldwell or Harbour in first round at Lakeside

first meet in the preliminary round.

Newly crowned Winmau World Masters champion Glen Durrant is the top seed for the BDO’s flagship event and will take on Welsh debutant Nick Kenny in the first round.

Three-time world champion Martin Adams is up against either Ryan Joyce or Dennis Nilsson, while 2015 winner Scott Mitchell will play Roger Janssen or Mark McGrath in the first round.

Elsewhere, third seed Danny Noppert makes his World Championship debut against either Jimmy Hendriks or David Cameron. Full draw page 14

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Scott Waites will open the defence of his Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship title against either Craig Caldwell or Dennis Harbour next month.

Waites won his second world title at Lakeside after thrashing Jeff Smith 7-1 in the 2016 final, with his challenge for a third triumph starting against New Zealand qualifier Caldwell or former quarter-finalist Harbour, who will

Double delight: Vincent D’Hondt (right) beat Richard Green 3-0 in the final of the WDDA Winmau World Masters final at the weekend

DAVID GILL

Glen Durrant made a successful defence of the Winmau World Masters after edging past Mark McGeeney 6-3 in the final at Lakeside on Sunday evening.

The BDO number one, who won the World Masters for the first time last year, became only the fifth man in the event’s 43 year history to retain the title.

Duzza raced into a 4-0 lead against McGeeney in the final, before his fellow England international fought back by winning three of the next four sets to close to 5-3 behind.

However, a 146 checkout helped Durrant send the ninth set into a deciding leg, where he took out 100 for a 12 darter to clinch backto-back World Masters titles.

Durrant made the most of missed doubles from his opponent in the first two sets, clinching both sets 20 despite his best leg in that run being an 18 darter.

The third set saw Duzza start to hit some form, with consecutive 13 darters on tops completing another whitewash set.

A third consecutive 13 darter on double tops gave Durrant an early advantage in set four, before McGeeney put his first leg on the board to send the fourth set into a

Darts Weekly Friday 9 December 2016

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CHRISTOPHER KEMPF MATCH OF THE WEEK - G DURRANT 4-3 W HARMS (WINMAU WORLD MASTERS)

Is Glen Durrant coming to the end of his time in the British Darts Organisation?

Duzza certainly seems to have no qualms about encouraging such speculation.

His triumph at Lakeside this past weekend certainly had an air of finality to it, for with one notable exception, Durrant steamrolled the BDO field en route to a spectacular defence of his World Masters title.

That exception was Wesley Harms, who looked for the first half hour of the match as if he was about do to the BDO number one what Duzza had done to so many opponents in 2016.

After wiring the dart at the bull for a 12-dart 170 finish, Durrant’s scoring dropped off dramatically.

Harms responded to losing the first leg with a 180 in the first visit of each of the last two legs of the first set, smashing through the Englishman’s anaemic attempt to hold throw in 13 darts and comfortably holding his own in 17.

Harms would only give Durrant one more dart at the double in the first two sets as he opened up a 2-0 lead.

Although Harms, after five legs, had seemingly made it halfway to the semi-finals, the World Masters’ first to four best of three leg sets format in the quarter-finals, like a funhouse mirror’s distortion of one’s reflection, makes large leads seem small and blows small leads out of proportion to their surmountability.

Durrant won the subsequent two legs in five visits, halving Harms’ lead in just over five minutes and nearly equalising the two darters’

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averages. Just as it seemed that Durrant, throwing first in the third set, would begin to take the advantage over his lower-ranked rival, he failed to check out from 58, sticking his tongue out in disgust as two leg-clinching darts missed their mark.

Duzza abandoned the second leg, and with it the fourth set, to Harms with four indifferent visits.

Yet at this point Durrant was still only four legs behind. And gratifyingly for the defending

six visits to win two of the legs. It was Harms whose performance fell significantly below par in finding only 14 trebles over the course of 20 scoring visits.

If the two darters had not fiercely contested sets their opponents had, to this point, they did battle in the deciding seventh set as much with themselves as with their opponents.

Harms raced ahead in the first leg, earning for himself six darts to win the leg from 83.

A dart well to the inside of the double five thwarted his efforts, allowing Duzza to come back from a poor position to break throw.

Then, incredibly, Durrant foundered on his own throw, failing to check out from 68 in two visits in almost identical fashion.

In the decider, with the Lakeside crowd cheering his comeback, Durrant finally turned up the heat with a score of 140 followed by an elusive maximum in his third visit, leaving Harms too far behind on his own throw to trouble his top ranked opponent.

With a Dutch thorn removed from his side, Duzza went on to claim a second World Masters title. He will have a fond memory of this triumph at Lakeside, even if it is indeed his last.

‘In the decider, with the crowd cheering his comeback, Duzza turned up the heat’ champion, Harms began to feel his nerves with the finishing line in sight.

In an unexpected display of weakness, Harms proceeded to lose those four legs to his opponent, finding only one visit of 140 and never once attempting a dart at a double to win any leg.

Durrant did not produce any great heroics to erase the Dutchman’s advantage, indeed, his average improved only slightly over those four legs as he needed

DAVID GILL

Harms falls to Durrant in Lakeside lastleg decider

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

Krcmar wins THE WORLD Grand Final for the first time Boris Krcmar won the Soft Darts World Championship THE WORLD Grand Final for the first time in Hong Kong on Sunday.

The Croatian, who had finished top of the annual rankings in 2014 and 2015, claimed the $50,000 top prize after beating South Korea’s Park Hyunchul in the final.

A sell out crowd at the KITEC, Star Hall watched the first Grand Final since 2013 take place, with 16 of the best soft tip players from around the world bidding to be crowned champion.

This year’s annual ranking winner Paul Lim suffered a surprise early exit from the competition, losing 3-1 to America’s Randy van Deursen in the first round.

Japan’s Yuji Eguchi was the only other player from the top eight of the annual ranking to be knocked out in the last 16, with Adrian Marcelino, of the Philippines, winning in a decider.

An all-American quarter-final clash saw fourth seed Leonard

Gates beat third seed Alex Reyes 30, while Krcmar also only needed three games to send Lim’s conqueror van Deursen out of the tournament.

Sho Katsumi came from 2-1 down to edge past Mitsumasa Hoshino 3-2 in a battle of the two remaining Japanese players, while Hyunchul booked his place in the semi-finals with a 3-0 victory over

‘Hyunchul missed the bullseye to hand Krcmar a chance to win and he took it’ Marcelino.

Hyunchul’s semi-final clash with Gates was a less straight forward affair, with the three-time stage runner-up coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

In the other semi-final, Krcmar secured his place in the final with a 3-0 triumph against Katsumi.

Krcmar won the bull-up to start the final and recovered from a

Top prize: Boris Krcmar (top) won the Grand Final; Team Hong Kong (below) were the winners of the Soft Darts World Cup on Saturday slack opening throw of 69 to finish the leg of 901 in 20 darts.

The first leg of cricket saw Krcmar prevail 147-138 to establish a commanding 2-0 lead, before Hyunchul responded with a comfortable 261-162 win in the second leg of cricket.

Hyunchul began the second leg of 901 with five consecutive scores of 150, before a score of 67 left him with 84 to force a decider.

After his first two darts found the single 17 to leave 50, Hyunchul missed the bullseye to hand Krcmar a chance to win and he took it, checking out 114 (bullseye, single 14, bullseye) to win the final. ◊ The first stage of THE WORLD 2017 will be held in Las Vegas, USA on Saturday, May 13, with the rest of next year’s calendar to be announced soon.

Database BDO WINMAU WORLD MASTERS (Lakeside, Frimley Green) Men’s last 16 - G Durrant (93.00) bt D van Baelen (85.98) 3-1; W Harms (87.27) bt D Labanauskas (89.58) 3-2; J O’Shea (86.31) bt B Dawson (86.37) 3-1; J Hughes (83.28) bt J Williams (90.75) 3-2; K Edmunds (87.75) bt A Soutar (89.92) 3-2; M McGeeney (95.45) bt S Waites (94.93) 3-2; D Fitton (89.19) bt D Reynolds (87.73) 3-0; S Mitchell (93.69) bt G de Vos (84.96) 3-1.

Quarter-finals - G Durrant (88.77) bt W Harms (87.42) 4-3; J Hughes (84.47) bt J O’Shea (79.50) 4-2; M McGeeney (91.76) bt K Edmunds (89.21) 4-2; S Mitchell (89.15) bt D Fitton (86.72) 4-1. Semi-finals - G Durrant (99.53) bt J Hughes (87.59) 5-0; M McGeeney (92.40) bt S Mitchell (90.93) 5-2.

Final - G Durrant (92.45) bt M McGeeney (86.28) 6-3.

Ladies quarter-finals - D Hedman (76.65) bt C Hammond (69.30) 4-2; M O’Brien (80.91) bt A Dobromyslova (76.60) 4-2; T Gulliver (63.96) bt A de Graaf (64.56) 4-0; V Pruim (84.93) bt L Ashton (72.60) 4-1.

Semi-finals - D Hedman (68.47) bt M O’Brien (68.24) 4-1; T Gulliver (64.41) bt V Pruim (62.84) 4-1. Final - T Gulliver (63.79) bt D Hedman (64.94) 5-2.

WDDA last 16 - R Williams bt S van Belle 3-1; V D’Hondt bt P Hampton 3-0; K Stringer bt A van de Rassel 3-0; P Gelder bt M Couchman 3-0; R Chilton bt D Gill 3-0; R Green bt T Pass 3-0; P Lees bt L Josey 3-0; G Mitchell bt F Maertens 3-2. Quarter-finals - V D’Hondt bt R Williams 3-2; P Gelder bt K Stringer 3-2; R Green bt R Chilton 3-1; P Lees bt G Mitchell 3-0. Semi-finals - V D’Hondt bt P Gelder 3-0; R Green bt P Lees 3-1. Final - V D’Hondt (66.31) bt R Green (48.64) 3-0.

LAKESIDE WORLD PROFESSIONAL DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW Men’s preliminary round - S Asada v J Smith; R Smith v D van Baelen; D Nilsson v R Joyce; D Cameron v J Hendriks; K Ratajski v W Mandigers; C Caldwell v D Harbour; T Sawyer v P Hogan; R Janssen v M McGrath.

First round - G Durrant v N Kenny; M Phillips v Sawyer/Hogan; W Harms v Ratajski/Mandigers; D Labanauskas v C Whitehead, B Dawson v Asada/J Smith; M Adams v Nilsson/Joyce; J Williams v T O’Shea; J Hughes v M Atkins; G de Vos v R Smith/van Baelen; S Mitchell v Janssen/ McGrath; D Fitton v W Vaes; D Reynolds v P Blackwell; M McGeeney v J Hurrell; S Waites v Caldwell/Harbour; R Veenstra v R

Montgomery; D Noppert v Cameron/ Hendriks.

SOFT DARTS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP THE WORLD GRAND FINAL (KITEC, Hong Kong) First round - M Hoshino bt K Ono 3-2; S Katsumi bt W Hee Han 3-0; A Marcelino bt Y Eguchi 3-2; P Hyunchul bt S Kirchner 3-2; L Gates bt R Lam 3-1; A Reyes bt P Arceno 3-1; B Krcmar bt H Lim 3-1; R van Deursen bt P Lim 3-1. Quarter-finals - S Katsumi bt M Hoshino 3-2; P Hyunchul bt A Marcelino 30; L Gates bt A Reyes 3-0; B Krcmar bt R van Deursen 3-0. Semi-finals - P Hyunchul bt L Gates 3-2; B Krcmar bt S Katsumi 3-0. Final - B Krcmar bt P Hyunchul 3-1.

FIXTURES FINDER DARTS MASTERS (December 911) (Hotel Zuiderduin, Netherlands) PDC WILLIAM HILL WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP (December 15 - January 2, 2017) (Alexandra Palace, London) DARTS ON TV - WILLIAM HILL WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP (Sky Sports)

Darts Weekly Friday 9 December 2016

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Friday 9 December 2016 Darts Weekly

DAVE McNALLY DARTS WRITER

Lakeside still the spiritual home of darts for me Surely it can’t just be me? There was a certain glow about watching the Winmau World Masters last weekend at the Lakeside.

This isn’t a debate about whether the PDC or the BDO are the best, that’s been done a million times.

It’s more to do with the venues and how, despite the popularity of darts as a spectator sport has increased and various venues have been introduced, the Lakeside, to me at least, will forever be the spiritual home for darts.

And it’s not just nostalgia clouding my judgement.

I’ve been to a good few venues watching darts over the years and often they have big crowds, but are soulless venues.

Sheffield’s Motorpoint for example, is like thousands of people getting drunk in the cinema, it just doesn’t work.

The same can be argued for the

Echo Arena in Liverpool, loads of noise and singing, but it’s all spectacularly dull.

Blackpool. Now this is a good venue for darts. The Winter Gardens, mainly one levelled seating, near to the action and within touching distance of the players.

It’s got character befitting of a proper sporting venue, creates a superb atmosphere and allows the players to mingle with the fans

‘Large, round tables on the ground level offer perfect views of the stage’ after matches.

It all adds to the sense of theatre and apart from a select few at the front as in the usual venues, the Winter Gardens leaves the spectator feeling as though they have been part of the event, rather than a casual observer.

The Lakeside in my eyes was made for darts. Large, round tables for seating on the ground level, offering perfect views of the stage.

Plus, a chance to get to know strangers on the tables, who by the

end of a session are one of your mates for the rest of the week.

The layered balconies are even close to the action, not high up in the gods with no chance of seeing anything that is going on.

Atmosphere is created because of the low ceilings and its original design for bands and cabaret acts, allowing the acoustics to resonate in the venue, plus the bars are tucked away but allow for watching of the arrows while in the queue.

The newer venues are concrete palaces of identikit design, the equivalent of Bolton Wanderers or Huddersfield Town football stadia for those who have followed their team or go there regularly.

Unique to nobody and offering little in the way of creating a superb sporting venue with the emphasis on the experience, settling rather for a cram them in at all cost approach and an ‘it’ll do’ mentality.

I know the Lakeside wasn’t built for darts and either were a lot of the other venues, but surely a bit more thought could go in to where the events are going to be held.

Take it around the country by all means, but let’s not sacrifice the experience by filling characterless bleak venues week in week out.

DAVID GILL