In the biggest deal of its kind in the sport’s history, the revolutionary Winmau Blade 6 Triple Core dartboard will be used in all PDC events through to 2027, starting from Thursday’s opening Cazoo Premier League night in Cardiff.

In addition to the deal as official equipment provider to the PDC, Winmau will be supporting the stars of the future through title sponsorship of the Challenge Tour, Development Tour and World Youth Championship.

Winmau are already a partner of the PDC-affiliated Junior Darts Corporation and also sponsor many top professional stars – including Michael van Gerwen, Joe Cullen, Daryl Gurney, Simon Whitlock and Steve Beaton – as well as emerging talents from around the world.

“This record-breaking deal is a massive moment for the PDC, Winmau and the sport of darts,” said PDC Chairman Eddie Hearn.

“Winmau is a brand known across the world and it’s exciting that their products, led by the Blade 6 Triple Core dartboard, will be used by the PDC in the coming years and showcased globally in our biggest events.

“Their support will also extend to backing our developmental tours in addition to their existing partnership with the JDC, matching our ambition to produce future generations of stars to take this sport forwards.

“We’re delighted to be working alongside Winmau and can’t wait to see their Blade 6 dartboard in action in the Cazoo Premier League on Thursday.”

The new partnership will see Winmau dartboards used across televised events, the European Tour, Players Championships, Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Women’s Series for the next five years.

The company’s Blade 6 Triple Core dartboard was launched in 2021, featuring a three-part sisal base and sixth-generation Blade technology to provide the ultimate playing experience.

The Blade 6 Triple Core’s anti-glare number ring and new graphics will now be accompanied by the PDC logo on the surface of the dartboard, which is fitted with the easy-to-adjust Rota-Lock mounting system that allows the board to be hung on any wall within minutes by players worldwide.

Winmau Managing Director Vincent Bluck said: “The Professional Darts Corporation are the undisputed leaders in the global distribution of world-class darts, by delivering performances and moments not thought possible even a decade ago.

“They have captured millions of new fans and players for the game that we all love and we’re absolutely delighted to be embarking on this new partnership with the superb team at the PDC.

“Winmau’s passion for grassroots and top televised darts stretches back over 70 years and we look forward to joining forces with the PDC and their global platform in helping continue darts’ growth as one of the most vibrant and dynamic sports on the planet.

“Broadcasting to countless millions worldwide and driving engagement like we’ve never seen before, the PDC’s televised majors have created top stars such as the latest World Champion Peter Wright.

“So to supply the official dartboards for the PDC is an absolute honour and privilege and testament to the passion that our engineers, designers and production staff all have for darts, working tirelessly to ensure Blade dartboards exceed the exacting requirements demanded by the world’s top professionals and every player alike.

“Darts is one of those unique sports with no barriers to playing the game. Irrespective of age, race, gender, fitness or budget, anyone can have a go and the PDC now have a pathway for players to progress to the very top if they have the ability.

“With the PDC’s prize fund of £15 million in 2022, there has never been a more exciting time in the history of the entire sport to be involved in darts as we embark on this exciting new partnership.”

Winmau was founded in 1946 by ex-Sargeant Major Harry Kicks, who named the company after his wife Winifred Maud – with the name pronounced as “win-more”.

Winmau first launched the original Blade Dartboard in 1997. Over the last 25 years, the board has been continuously developed to incorporate the very latest technical and innovative features, resulting in the phenomenal Blade 6 Triple Core Carbon.

The post Record deal announced as PDC & Winmau team up appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Grand Slam of Darts will see Jose de Sousa defending his title at the Aldersley Leisure Village from November 13-21, with £550,000 in prize money and the Eric Bristow Trophy on offer.

With the players split into eight groups of four for the first round stage, the round-robin action begins with a double session on Saturday November 13.

Groups A-D will be in action during the afternoon session, which is headlined by Gerwyn Price – the 2018 and 2019 winner at the Aldersley Leisure Village – meeting Northern Ireland’s Nathan Rafferty in their opening Group A tie.

Premier League and World Grand Prix champion Jonny Clayton plays Rusty-Jake Rodriguez in their Group B opener, after the Austrian topped the PDC Unicorn European Development Tour rankings to secure his qualification on Saturday.

UK Open champion James Wade, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, will meet Jim Williams in their Group C opener before European Championship winner Rob Cross meets Boris Krcmar.

Saturday afternoon’s action also sees former World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh and reigning World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks also in action.

The evening session sees Groups E-H commence their challenge for the title, with De Sousa up against Matt Campbell in Group F.

The night is headlined by clashes between Michael van Gerwen and Lisa Ashton and Peter Wright’s meeting with Fallon Sherrock as the two PDC Women’s Series qualifiers take on two superstars of the sport.

Dutch legend Raymond van Barneveld also makes his Grand Slam of Darts return in Saturday’s final game, as he faces Michael Smith.

Sunday’s second group matches will see Saturday’s winning players face each other and the losing players also meet, before the final group matches are held on Monday and Tuesday.

The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stage of the event, with the last 16 action beginning on Wednesday November 17 and running through to the semi-finals and final on Sunday November 21.

Tickets for the Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts can be purchased through ticketmaster.co.uk.

2021 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts

Schedule of Play

Saturday November 13

Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Stephen Bunting v Ryan Joyce (D)

Krzysztof Ratajski v Martin Schindler (A)

Mervyn King v Bradley Brooks (B)

James Wade v Jim Williams (C)

Rob Cross v Boris Krcmar (C)

Jonny Clayton v Rusty-Jake Rodriguez (B)

Gerwyn Price v Nathan Rafferty (A)

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Rowby-John Rodriguez (D)

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Gabriel Clemens v Mike De Decker (E)

Jose de Sousa v Matt Campbell (F)

Luke Humphries v Mensur Suljovic (F)

Gary Anderson v Joe Davis (H)

Michael van Gerwen v Lisa Ashton (G)

Joe Cullen v John Henderson (G)

Peter Wright v Fallon Sherrock (E)

Michael Smith v Raymond van Barneveld (H)

Sunday November 14

Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Groups A-D Second Matches

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Groups E-H Second Matches

Monday November 15 (1900 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Groups A-D Final Matches

Tuesday November 16 (1900 GMT)

8x Group Matches

Groups E-H Final Matches

Wednesday November 17 (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Thursday November 18 (1900 GMT)

4x Second Round

Friday November 19 (1900 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Saturday November 20 (1900 GMT)

2x Quarter-Finals

Sunday November 21

Afternoon Session (1300 GMT)

Semi-Finals

Evening Session (1900 GMT)

Final

The post Grand Slam of Darts Schedule & Cazoo Premier League Ticket Info appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Premier League champion Clayton came from a set down to defeat seventh seed Jose de Sousa 3-1, averaging 95 as he continued his challenge to claim a maiden televised ranking triumph.

Noppert, meanwhile, followed up Monday’s impressive win over Michael van Gerwen by seeing off another Dutchman, Vincent van der Voort, in straight sets.

Clayton now plays Krzysztof Ratajski in the last eight on Thursday, after the Polish ace’s 3-1 defeat of Rob Cross, while Ian White’s brilliant comeback from two sets down to defeat Darius Labanauskas moves him through to a tie with Noppert.

Welshman Clayton had found himself behind in his tie with Grand Slam of Darts winner De Sousa, who came from 2-1 down to win the first set in a deciding leg.

De Sousa also led in the second and then responded to a stunning ten-darter from Clayton with a 98 finish to force a deciding leg – only to see the world number 14 square the contest by taking out 70 in two darts.

Clayton then raced through set three with finishes of 60, 110 and 100, and took out 116 on his way to a two-leg lead in the fourth set.

De Sousa hit back with a 13-darter, but Clayton clinically wrapped up the win by completing a 12-dart leg with a 112 checkout – ending the tie with four ton-plus finishes and 11 doubles from just 17 attempts.

“I’m happy with that,” said Clayton. “I lost the first set to a class player so I had to dig deep.

“I broke him back in the second set and I did my job. It was good darts by both of us, I kept my nerve and got over the finishing line so I’m happy.

“I’m chasing a ranked event, and hopefully this is it so let’s see what happens. I’m going to try my best to get to the final and try and win it.

“Krzysztof is a class act and I’ve got to have my A-game. Nobody’s afraid of anybody anymore, so if we go out and do our job well, we’re hard to beat.”

Noppert opened with one in two of his starting doubles, and in a clinical finishing display had a checkout ratio almost double that of Van der Voort to progress to a tie with Ian White.

Van der Voort started the brighter with legs of 15 and 13 darts, only to see Noppert win the next three to claim the first set.

Noppert then took out 130 and 101 to lead 2-0 in set two and responded to Van der Voort’s 87 checkout with a 12-darter to wrap up the set and double his advantage.

He opened set three with a 100 checkout as the pair shared the opening four legs, and when Van der Voort was unable to check out 134 in the decider, Noppert returned on double 11 to seal the victory.

“I’m really happy with this performance,” said Noppert. “In the beginning, I was a little bit nervous, but I got myself back and I played brilliant I think.

“I’ve won against two players who I watched when I was a kid, so I’m really happy. It was a tough game, and I didn’t expect it would be 3-0, but I took my chances.

“Ian White is a good player and I’m looking forward to every match. I’m enjoying it here and I’m confident.”

White got through to his third BoyleSports World Grand Prix quarter-final, completing a remarkable comeback from two sets down against Darius Labanauskas with victory in a sudden-death leg.

Lithuania’s Labanauskas had looked on course to claim a landmark win in his career after claiming the first six legs without reply to secure a two-set lead.

White, though, ignited his challenge with winning legs of 14, 15 and 12 darts as he took the third set 3-1, and also claimed the fourth by the same scoreline to level the tie.

Labanauskas’ break of throw with a 90 finish in the opening leg of the deciding set was cancelled out by a match-high 136 checkout for a 12-darter from White, who then moved 2-1 up.

Double ten saw the Lithuanian take the game all the way to a one-leg shoot-out, but White was first to a double and landed double eight at the first time of asking to complete a gutsy fightback.

“It’s unbelievable,” admitted White. “I couldn’t get going, and when I was two sets down and hadn’t won a leg, it was going to be a nightmare.

“I had to do something – I don’t know what happened, I think I hit a double and the crowd got on my side. I was dead and buried and the crowd helped me out.

“I’d love to win the tournament, that’s what we’re all here for, so fingers crossed.”

Krzysztof Ratajski won through to his first World Grand Prix quarter-final with a 3-1 success against Rob Cross, continuing his fine form in televised events this year.

Ratajski was a quarter-finalist in the World Championship and UK Open before reaching July’s World Matchplay semi-finals, and will now compete in the last eight in Leicester on Thursday.

The Polish star claimed the opening set without reply, breaking throw twice in a strong start to the contest, only for Cross to finish 87 and 106 as he took set two in the same manner.

Ratajski then won set three by a 3-1 scoreline and landed three 14-darters in four legs in the next as he wrapped up the win.

“I feel great, really good,” said Ratajski, who also overcame Nathan Aspinall in round one. Today I was a little nervous but I’m happy that I won.

“Rob is a great player and I knew it would be a very hard match, but we were both a little nervous. I expected more from Rob, it was a crazy game.

“This match showed me I must be more concentrated. In the last two years, I lost my first match, but now I’ve won two and I hope I will win another.”

The quarter-finals will also feature reigning champion Gerwyn Price’s tantalising tie with Dave Chisnall and Stephen Bunting’s meeting with Ryan Searle.

The tournament is being broadcast live on Sky Sports, as well as through the PDC’s international broadcast partners including DAZN and RTL7, and through PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers.

2021 BoyleSports World Grand Prix

Wednesday, October 6

4x Second Round

Ian White 3-2 Darius Labanauskas (0-3, 0-3, 3-1, 3-1, 3-2)

Krzysztof Ratajski 3-1 Rob Cross (3-0, 0-3, 3-1, 3-1)

Danny Noppert 3-0 Vincent van der Voort (3-2, 3-1, 3-2)

Jonny Clayton 3-1 Jose de Sousa (2-3, 3-2, 3-0, 3-1)

Thursday, October 7 (7 pm BST)

Quarter-Finals

Danny Noppert v Ian White

Krzysztof Ratajski v Jonny Clayton

Gerwyn Price v Dave Chisnall

Stephen Bunting v Ryan Searle

Format

Quarter-Finals – Best of five sets, best of five legs per set.

All legs will be double start and double finish, meaning players must first hit a double before they can begin scoring in each leg. The bullseye will count as double 25.

There will be no tie-break in any match; the deciding set would end 3-2, with the fifth leg being the deciding leg.

The post Clayton & Noppert star to reach Boylesports WGP QFs appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Morningside Arena hosts the World Grand Prix this year as 32 players compete for the prestigious title, which was won in 2020 by Gerwyn Price.

World number one Price is amongst the stars in action on Sunday, October 3 as the tournament begins, facing Michael Smith in a tasty first-round tie.

The opening night features Price’s rivals in the top half of the draw, including two-time World Grand Prix winner James Wade’s meeting with Damon Heta and Dimitri Van den Bergh’s tie with Ryan Searle.

2017 champion Daryl Gurney plays Stephen Bunting, and former finalists Dave Chisnall, Mervyn King and Dirk van Duijvenbode are also in action.

The first round concludes on Monday, October 4, with five-time World Grand Prix champion Michael van Gerwen playing Danny Noppert in an all-Dutch tie.

World Matchplay champion Peter Wright plays Rob Cross, reigning Grand Slam champion Jose de Sousa meets Glen Durrant and Premier League winner Jonny Clayton plays Callan Rydz.

Monday’s ties also feature history-maker Brendan Dolan, two-time World Champion Gary Anderson and Premier League star Nathan Aspinall in action.

For tickets, please visit pdc.seetickets.com – with tickets still available for the first round on Sunday and Monday.

BoyleSports World Grand Prix – First Round Schedule

Sunday, October 3 (6:00 pm BST)

8x First Round

Martijn Kleermaker v Mervyn King

Dirk van Duijvenbode v Luke Humphries

Stephen Bunting v Daryl Gurney

Dave Chisnall v Mensur Suljovic

Joe Cullen v Ross Smith

James Wade v Damon Heta

Gerwyn Price v Michael Smith

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Ryan Searle

Monday, October 4 (6:00 pm BST)

8x First Round

Darius Labanauskas v Brendan Dolan

Callan Rydz v Jonny Clayton

Vincent van der Voort v Gabriel Clemens

Nathan Aspinall v Krzysztof Ratajski

Gary Anderson v Ian White

Peter Wright v Rob Cross

Michael van Gerwen v Danny Noppert

Jose de Sousa v Glen Durrant

The post Boylesports World Grand Prix 2021 First Round Schedule Confirmed appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The post Gerwyn Price To Begin Defence of WGP Title Against Unseeded Smith appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The 32-player event will be held from November 13^th till the 21^st and returns to Wolverhampton this year.

Reigning champion Jose de Sousa and World Champion Gerwyn Price will headline the 32-player field.

Finalists from the PDC’s televised events over a 12-month period will qualify for up to 16 places in the Grand Slam, with ten of those spots already occupied with four tournaments remaining.

Premier League and Masters champion Jonny Clayton, World Matchplay winner Peter Wright, UK Open champion James Wade, and Players Championship Finals winner Michael van Gerwen have all won televised events in the qualifying period.

In addition, Gary Anderson, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Mervyn King, and Luke Humphries have reached TV finals in the past 12 months.

The World Cup of Darts, World Grand Prix, European Championship, and World Series of Darts Finals remain televised events for players to qualify for the Grand Slam.

A further eight players will come through the PDC Tour Card Holder Qualifier, which will be held on November 5^th, with eight additional qualifiers completing the field.

2020 World Youth Champion Bradley Brooks and runner-up Joe Davis will be joined by the winners from the UK and European Challenge and Development Tour Orders of Merit, as well as two Women’s Series qualifiers.

Tickets for the Grand Slam of Darts are available through Ticketmaster.

𝗢𝗡 𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗪

Tickets to the @CazooUK Grand Slam of Darts are now on General Sale

Join us at Wolverhampton's Aldersley Leisure Village from November 13-21

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) August 18, 2021

2021 Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts

Qualifying Players (invited in the following order)

2020/21 PDC World Champion – GERWYN PRICE

2020 Grand Slam Champion – JOSE DE SOUSA

2021 Premier League Champion – JONNY CLAYTON

2021 World Matchplay Champion – PETER WRIGHT

2021 World Grand Prix Champion

2021 Masters Champion – (Jonny Clayton)

2021 UK Open Champion – JAMES WADE

2021 European Champion

2020 Players Championship Finals Champion – MICHAEL VAN GERWEN

2021 World Series of Darts Finals Champion

2021 World Cup Champions x2

2020/21 PDC World Championship runner-up – GARY ANDERSON

2020 Grand Slam runner-up – (James Wade)

2021 Premier League runner-up – (Jose de Sousa)

2021 World Matchplay runner-up – DIMITRI VAN DEN BERGH

2021 World Grand Prix runner-up

2021 Masters runner-up – MERVYN KING

2021 UK Open runner-up – LUKE HUMPHRIES

2021 European Champion

2020 Players Championship Finals runner-up – (Mervyn King)

2021 World Series of Darts Finals Champion

2021 World Cup Champions x2

This list has 10 players currently qualified and could produce a further 10.

Just one year ago, Jose de Sousa, left his job as a carpenter to pursue his dreams of being a professional darts player.

Now, 12 months on, he's won his first major championship: The Grand Slam of Darts.

The Special One, proving dreams do come true. #GSOD

SG week 19th-25th pic.twitter.com/BacmO8mJqE

— William Hill (@WilliamHill) November 24, 2020

2021 European Tour Event Winners

In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order

Hungarian Darts Trophy

Gibraltar Darts Trophy

2021 Players Championship Event Winners

In order of number of event wins and then PDC Ranking Order

Currently (provisional qualifiers listed in capitals):

Multiple Wins: JOE CULLEN

Ranking Order: MICHAEL SMITH, STEPHEN BUNTING, DIRK VAN DUIJVENBODE, CHRIS DOBEY, BRENDAN DOLAN, Ryan Searle, Ross Smith, Callan Rydz, Raymond van Barneveld

Additional Qualifiers

2020 World Youth Champion – BRADLEY BROOKS

2020 World Youth Championship runner-up – JOE DAVIS

2021 UK Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner

2021 European Challenge Tour Order of Merit winner

2021 UK Development Tour Order of Merit winner

2021 European Development Tour Order of Merit winner

2021 Women’s Series Order of Merit 5-8 Winner

2021 Women’s Series Order of Merit 9-12 Winner

The post Grand Slam of Darts qualification criteria announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Listed below are the 32 players who will compete in the historic tournament from 17^th to 25^th, July. There will be £700,000 in prize money and the Phil Taylor Trophy for the winner.

The top 16 players from the PDC Order of Merit will be seeded for the event and will be joined by 16 qualifiers from the one-year ProTour Order of Merit.

World Champion Gerwyn Price heads to Blackpool as the top seed. Reigning champion, Dimitri Van den Bergh will come into the Winter Gardens stage for the first time as the eighth seed.

The 2016 champion Michael van Gerwen is the number three seed, with 2017 runner-up Peter Wright seeded second.

Three other former champions also feature in the field, with James Wade, Rob Cross and Gary Anderson seeded fourth, fifth, and sixth respectively.

𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘-𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥!

Dimitri Van den Bergh strikes PERFECTION in his Last 16 tie with Jonny Clayton, pinning D18 for the nine! pic.twitter.com/jqVczTxCIu

— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) July 7, 2021

South Africa’s Devon Petersen will be among seven players in line for debuts in the tournament, along with Damon Heta, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Ross Smith, Luke Humphries, Ryan Searle, and Callan Rydz.

Tuesday’s Players Championship 18 winner Chris Dobey took the final ProTour Order of Merit qualifying place ahead of Jermaine Wattimena.

The draw for the first round of the 2021 World Matchplay will be broadcast today on Friday 9^th July across Betfred’s social media channels from 12:00.

The tournament will be shown live on Sky Sports and PDCTV.

Another new set of darts for @snakebitewright and another final day success on the Pro Tour

@MvG180 wait for a 2021 title goes on

And the 32-player field for the @Betfred World Matchplay is set – draw tomorrow!

— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) July 8, 2021

2021 Betfred World Matchplay Field

PDC Order of Merit Qualifiers

1 Gerwyn Price

2 Peter Wright

3 Michael van Gerwen

4 James Wade

5 Rob Cross

6 Gary Anderson

7 Michael Smith

8 Dimitri Van den Bergh

9 Dave Chisnall

10 Jose de Sousa

11 Nathan Aspinall

12 Glen Durrant

13 Krzysztof Ratajski

14 Daryl Gurney

15 Joe Cullen

16 Jonny Clayton

ProTour Order of Merit Qualifiers

Brendan Dolan

Devon Petersen

Damon Heta

Danny Noppert

Dirk van Duijvenbode

Ross Smith

Mensur Suljovic

Stephen Bunting

Mervyn King

Luke Humphries

Gabriel Clemens

Vincent van der Voort

Ryan Searle

Ian White

Callan Rydz

Chris Dobey

The post 2021 Darts World Matchplay field and seeds announced appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Table-topper Nathan Aspinall will face Peter Wright in a meeting of former runners-up on Night 10 of the Unibet Premier League, with fixtures confirmed for the second phase of the competition.

The opening nine league phase nights in Milton Keynes saw ten of the world’s top stars play each other once across two blocks of league phase nights.

Following the elimination of Rob Cross and Glen Durrant, the remaining eight players will return to the Marshall Arena to play each other once again in the league phase.

The battle for one of the sport’s most coveted titles and £250,000 top prize continues in the second half of the season with Nights 10-12 staged across Wednesday May 5-Friday May 7, with Nights 13-16 held from Monday May 24-Thursday May 27.

The Play-Offs, where the top four players from the league table contest the semi-finals and final, will then take place on Friday May 28.

The 2021 season will resume on Wednesday May 5 with a meeting between last year’s finalist Aspinall and 2017 runner-up Wright, who is among the chasing pack for the top four positions.

The Premier League’s returning night will also see five-time champion Michael van Gerwen in action against high-flying debutant Dimitri Van den Bergh, who is level with Aspinall at the top of the table.

Fellow-debutants Jose de Sousa and Jonny Clayton will face former champions Gary Anderson and James Wade respectively on Night 10.

Current top two Aspinall and Van den Bergh will face off on Night 11 on Thursday May 6, which also features a repeat of the 2020 Grand Slam of Darts final between De Sousa and Wade, while the competition’s two most decorated players – Van Gerwen and Anderson – will meet on Night 14 on Tuesday May 25.

The Play-Off race will reach its climax on Thursday May 27 with Night 16 as Van Gerwen and Wright meet in a repeat of the 2017 final.

Play on each night will commence at 1900 BST. Matches from Nights 10-16 are the best of 14 legs.

The Unibet Premier League is broadcast through Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, RTL7 in the Netherlands, DAZN in various worldwide territories including Germany & America, as well as through the PDC’s global broadcast partners and on PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers outside of the UK, Ireland & Netherlands.

2021 Unibet Premier League
Nights 10-16 Fixtures
Night 10 – Wednesday May 5
Jonny Clayton v James Wade
Jose de Sousa v Gary Anderson
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright v Nathan Aspinall

Night 11 – Thursday May 6
Nathan Aspinall v Dimitri Van den Bergh
James Wade v Jose de Sousa
Gary Anderson v Peter Wright
Michael van Gerwen v Jonny Clayton

Night 12 – Friday May 7
Peter Wright v Jose de Sousa
Michael van Gerwen v James Wade
Jonny Clayton v Nathan Aspinall
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Gary Anderson

Night 13 – Monday May 24
Jonny Clayton v Gary Anderson
Jose de Sousa v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Nathan Aspinall v Michael van Gerwen
James Wade v Peter Wright

Night 14 – Tuesday May 25
James Wade v Nathan Aspinall
Jonny Clayton v Jose de Sousa
Gary Anderson v Michael van Gerwen
Peter Wright v Dimitri Van den Bergh

Night 15 – Wednesday May 26
Jonny Clayton v Peter Wright
James Wade v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Gary Anderson v Nathan Aspinall
Jose de Sousa v Michael van Gerwen

Night 16 – Thursday May 27
Gary Anderson v James Wade
Nathan Aspinall v Jose de Sousa
Peter Wright v Michael van Gerwen
Dimitri Van den Bergh v Jonny Clayton

Play-Offs – Friday May 28
Semi-Finals
Final

The post Premier League Darts second phase 2021 League Table, Video Highlights and Results appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

World number three Price saw off Mervyn King in five sets, while two-time World Champion Anderson demolished Devon Petersen 4-0 as the quarter-final line-up was completed on the final day of darts in 2020.

Daryl Gurney, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Dave Chisnall and Stephen Bunting also progressed to the last eight of the £2.5 million tournament, which will resume on New Year’s Day.

Price put on an exhibition of finishing, with three ton-plus checkouts and a double success rate of 52 percent in a convincing victory over King.

The Welsh star won by three sets in a high quality affair, in which no leg took more than 16 darts to complete.

“I felt quite comfortable for most of the match but it was little bit patchy at times,” said Price, who will take on Gurney in the last eight.

“Mervyn wasn’t quite as good as he has been in the last few weeks and I took advantage.

“I just did what I do best and finished well. I never felt under pressure. I hit at the right time and he missed at the wrong time.

“Daryl is a fantastic player and I’ll have to be at my best to beat him but I’m determined to go on and win the tournament because I’ve got my eyes on that world number one spot.”

Price hit double top to win each of the first four legs, which included combination checkouts of 148 and 115, but only claimed one of the first two sets as King edged the second in a deciding leg.

Last month’s Players Championship Finals runner-up King took the lead in set three with a 106 finish, only to see Price win the next three legs to regain the advantage.

The Welshman then took out 93 in the deciding leg of the fourth set to move into a 3-1 lead as he edged towards a second successive World Championship quarter-final.

A fabulous 116 checkout moved Price 2-1 ahead in set five and a leg away from the win, which he wrapped up in the next leg after King missed three darts to stay in the tie.

Anderson’s straight sets victory against South African star Petersen saw the 2015 and 2016 World Champion progress to the quarter-finals at Ally Pally for the eighth time.

The Scottish ace raced through the first set with three unanswered legs before checkouts of 160 and 97 saw him come from two legs behind in the second set to double his lead.

Petersen also led by two legs in set three but was punished for three missed doubles as Anderson again overturned a two-leg deficit to move within a set of victory – and he promptly made it six successive legs to wrap up the win.

“Devon’s scoring wasn’t where it has been this year and I nicked it,” said Anderson.

“I’m nowhere near where I should be playing but next year I’ll start from scratch and get myself back to it.

“I’ve managed to scrape through like I did when I got to the World Matchplay final. This run is a real bonus for me.”

Anderson will meet Van Duijvenbode on New Year’s Day after the Dutch talent continued his fine form in 2020 with a sudden-death success over Premier League champion Glen Durrant.

Van Duijvenbode, who reached the World Grand Prix final in October, came from 3-1 down to win another thrilling battle in a memorable fourth round, which saw four of the eight ties go to last-leg shoot-outs.

Durrant recovered from losing the opening leg to win the first set 3-1, before a sublime 154 checkout helped him edge the second set after Van Duijvenbode had missed four darts to level.

Two 11-darters helped the Dutchman win the third set 3-1 but Durrant claimed the fourth by the same scoreline to move within a set of victory.

A spell of flawless finishing saw Van Duijvenbode stay in the match as checkouts of 113, 106 and 92 earned him the fifth set.

He then executed his second 170 finish of the tournament as he levelled up the match, before going on to edge the seventh set to progress by pinning double six.

“I felt like I was better than Glen for most of the match and found myself 3-1 down,” said Van Duijvenbode.

“I would have been devastated to have lost but I had to make sure I didn’t get too frustrated. I dug deep and I won.

“I kept believing in myself like I always do. I think I hurt him with the 170. I was pretty nervous for a lot of the match to be honest but that is good thing and I managed to use it in a positive way. I enjoyed the match and I’m really happy to be through.”

Chisnall won a high quality encounter against World Matchplay champion Dimitri Van den Bergh 4-2 to set up a quarter-final clash with world number one Michael van Gerwen.

Both players averaged over 101 in exciting encounter that saw Van den Bergh threaten to fight back from losing the opening three sets before Chisnall finished the job with a classy 102 checkout.

World number eight Chisnall expertly executed a 144 finish to take the first set before punishing two missed set darts by Van den Bergh to double his lead.

The Belgian ace missed the bullseye when attempting to take out 161 to win the third set, allowing Chisnall to punish again as he closed in on victory.

Van den Bergh kept his hopes alive by taking set four in three legs, with the aid of two 12-darters, before kicking off the fifth set with a 121 checkout for another dozen-dart leg.

Yet another 12-darter for the former World Youth Champion saw Chisnall’s lead reduced to a single set, but he won a nervy third leg in the sixth set before landing a sweet match-winning 102 checkout to reach the last eight at Ally Pally for the third time.

“I could’ve won that game a little bit more comfortably but I’m just happy to have won it,” said Chisnall.

“I’ve felt really confident throughout the whole tournament and I think it will be a great match against Michael van Gerwen.

“I will just have to tidy up a few sloppy darts but I know I can beat him. It will be a fast, exciting game and I’m looking forward to it.”

Former World Grand Prix champion Gurney progressed to the last eight at Alexandra Palace for the second time in his career after a 4-2 victory over Vincent van der Voort.

Gurney took out 125 to break in the opening leg and went on to win the first set 3-1, before Van der Voort responded with a 111 checkout on the way to winning the second set in five legs.

Gurney missed double 12 for a nine-darter in the first leg of set three, which he won, before a 120 finish saw him move two sets clear.

Two-time Ally Pally quarter-finalist Van der Voort used just 41 darts in the fourth set, which he won without reply.

Gurney missed six darts to win the sixth set 3-1 but returned to finish the job in the following leg after his opponent missed a dart at the bullseye to stay in the contest.

Former Lakeside Champion Bunting also made it through to the quarter-finals for the second time after winning in a sudden-death shoot-out against Ryan Searle.

Bunting, who had previously reached the last eight on his PDC World Championship debut in the 2014/15 event, won the first two sets but missed seven darts to make the scoreline 3-0, allowing Searle to pinch the third set before levelling the tie.

The St Helens man kicked off the fifth set with an 11-darter and went on to win it in three legs, but Searle responded with 12, 15 and 13 dart winning legs as he took the sixth set 3-1 with the aid of a 100 checkout.

Brilliant finishes of 145 and 90 followed as the Wellington ace put the boot in and moved within a leg of victory.

Bunting battled back, however, taking out 84 to complete an 11-darter before a fabulous 107 checkout forced a deciding leg, which he won with a 13 darter on tops, with Searle waiting on 16.

The action resumes on New Year’s Day with all four quarter-finals being played across two sessions, as Bunting takes on Krzysztof Ratajski in the opener before Anderson and Van Duijvenbode do battle.

The evening session will start with the contest between Price and Gurney, with three-time World Champion van Gerwen’s meeting with Chisnall also taking place on Friday evening.

Global coverage of the £2.5 million tournament is headlined by the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel, while the PDC’s international broadcast partners will include RTL7 in the Netherlands, DAZN in various territories, Fox Sports in Australia, Sky Sport in New Zealand, PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers and at matchroom.live.

2020/21 William Hill World Darts Championship
Wednesday December 30
Afternoon Session
3x Fourth Round
Daryl Gurney 4-2 Vincent van der Voort
Stephen Bunting 4-3 Ryan Searle
Gary Anderson 4-0 Devon Petersen

Evening Session
3x Fourth Round
Dirk van Duijvenbode 4-3 Glen Durrant
Gerwyn Price 4-1 Mervyn King
Dave Chisnall 4-2 Dimitri Van den Bergh

Friday January 1
Afternoon Session (1200 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Krzysztof Ratajski v Stephen Bunting
Gary Anderson v Dirk Van Duijvenbode

Evening Session (1800 GMT)
2x Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price v Daryl Gurney
Michael van Gerwen v Dave Chisnall

All matches best of nine sets (no tie-breaks in deciding sets)

The post World Darts Results – Price & Anderson into quarterfinals appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

A new-look Scottish team made up of John Henderson and Robert Thornton, are not among the eight seeded nations and face a tricky opening tie against Japan’s Seigo Asada and Yuki Yamada as the nations meet for a third successive year.

The 32-nation tournament sees two-player teams representing their countries, with selection based initially on the top-ranked players on the PDC Order of Merit, and will take place at the Salzburgarena from November 6-8.

Top seeds England, represented by Michael Smith and Rob Cross (pictured), face the Philippines in a repeat of last year’s first round, while Wales’ number two seeds Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton will play Russia.

Michael van Gerwen will be joined by debutant Danny Noppert in representing the Netherlands, with the Dutch pair set to take on Brazil in their opener.

Daryl Gurney and Brendan Dolan’s Northern Ireland will face a strong Canadian side, while Dimitri Van den Bergh and Kim Huybrechts’ Belgium will take on the Czech Republic.

Host nation Austria, represented by Mensur Suljovic and Rowby-John Rodriguez, will play USA, while Germany’s Max Hopp and Gabriel Clemens will come up against Finland.

One of the pick of the first round ties will see last year’s runners-up Republic of Ireland, who again feature the pairing of William O’Connor and Steve Lennon, face Simon Whitlock and Damon Heta’s Australia.

In a change to the initial listing of team line-ups, Finland will now be represented by Marko Kantele and Veijo Viinikka following the withdrawal of Kim Viljanen.

The schedule of play for the event will be confirmed in due course.

The BetVictor World Cup of Darts will be televised on Sky Sports as well as through the PDC’s international broadcast partners including RTL7 and DAZN, as well as for PDCTV ‘Rest of the World Subscribers’ and on matchroom.live.

BetVictor World Cup of Darts

Draw Bracket

(1) England v Philippines

Lithuania v Gibraltar

(8) Austria v USA

Singapore v Hungary

(4) Northern Ireland v Canada

New Zealand v Denmark

(5) Belgium v Czech Republic

Hong Kong v China

(2) Wales v Russia

Japan v Scotland

(7) Republic of Ireland v Australia

Poland v South Africa

(3) Netherlands v Brazil

Italy v Spain

(6) Germany v Finland

Sweden v Greece

2020 BetVictor World Cup of Darts

Competing Nations & Players (seeding in brackets)

(1) England – Michael Smith & Rob Cross

(2) Wales – Gerwyn Price & Jonny Clayton

(3) Netherlands – Michael van Gerwen & Danny Noppert

(4) Northern Ireland – Daryl Gurney & Brendan Dolan

(5) Belgium – Dimitri Van den Bergh & Kim Huybrechts

(6) Germany – Max Hopp & Gabriel Clemens

(7) Republic of Ireland – William O’Connor & Steve Lennon

(8) Austria – Mensur Suljovic & Rowby-John Rodriguez

Australia – Simon Whitlock & Damon Heta

Brazil – Diogo Portela & Bruno Rangel

Canada – Jeff Smith & Matt Campbell

China – Xicheng Han & Di Zhuang

Czech Republic – Karel Sedlacek & Adam Gawlas

Denmark – Niels Heinsøe & Per Laursen

Finland – Marko Kantele & Veijo Viinikka

Gibraltar – Craig Galliano & Justin Hewitt

Greece – John Michael & Veniamin Symeonidis

Hong Kong – Kai Fan Leung & Royden Lam

Hungary – Patrik Kovacs & Janos Vegsö

Italy – Andrea Micheletti & Daniele Petri

Japan – Seigo Asada & Yuki Yamada

Lithuania – Darius Labanauskas & Mindaugas Barauskas

New Zealand – Cody Harris & Haupai Puha

Philippines – Lourence Ilagan & Noel Malicdem

Poland – Krzysztof Ratajski & Krzysztof Kciuk

Russia – Boris Koltsov & Aleksei Kadochnikov

Scotland – John Henderson & Robert Thornton

Singapore – Paul Lim & Harith Lim

South Africa – Devon Petersen & Carl Gabriel

Spain – Cristo Reyes & Toni Alcinas

Sweden – Daniel Larsson & Dennis Nilsson

USA – Chuck Puleo & Danny Lauby

The post 2020 World Cup of Darts Draw, Schedule & Results appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.