Terry Jenkins raced into the last 16 of the World Championship, with a clinical display to beat Steve Brown.
And the Unicorn ace will now face Mark Walsh for a place in the quarter-finals on Thursday afternoon.
“Despite a little lapse, I felt pretty good up there,” Jenkins said. “It’s the perfect time to be coming into some form and I certainly feel confident at the moment. There’s no reason why I can’t have a great run here.”
Jenkins blew Brown away at the start of the match, as he won the first eight legs!
After the first set, he was averaging 105 and hit back-to-back 180s – winning the set of a 12 darter. The second set was just as easy and when he took out 117 and 80 and go two legs clear in set three, it looked a formality.
But Jenkins missed two darts at ‘tops’ for a three set advantage and Brown found some form to pinch it.
But it was only a temporary reprieve….Jenkins raced through the fifth set, including a 13 darter and he won the match in a deciding leg the next. It was an impressive performance.
He averaged 92 and a 5th maximum took Jenkins over the finishing line. And at the moment, you have to say that is could well be a major player at this World Championship.
He has now dispatched two youngsters in the shape of Joe Cullen and Steve Brown, but Walsh will surely be a tougher test in the 3rd Round.
Elsewhere on a dramatic afternoon, Walsh reached the last 16 of the World Championship for the very first time after winning a seven set thriller against Alan Tabern.
In a match which featured 18x180s and seven 100+ finishes, the St.Helens man blew it! Tabern missed five darts at ‘tops’ and D10 to win the match in regulation in that deciding set and he then missed one dart at the bull in the tie-break.
Walsh escaped and won it in the tie-break with a fantastic 102 finish!
Dutchman Vincent van der Voort produced his best display for well over a year, as he beat the highly fancied Wayne Jones.
Van der Voort averaged 95 and his finishing was spot-on! He nailed a 148 to take the fourth set and won the match with a terrific 116, as Jones missed two darts to force a deciding set!
Tuesday 2nd Round results (best of 7 sets):
Mark Walsh 4-3 Alan Tabern
Wayne Jones 2-4 Vincent van der Voort
Terry Jenkins 4-1 Steve Brown
On Tuesday night, the Unicorn duo of James Wade and Wes Newton return to the Ally Pally stage, battling for places in the last 16.
Wade takes on Austrian Mensur Suljovic, while Newton plays Irishman Brendan Dolan. Also in action is Simon Whitlock…..last year’s runner-up faces Denis Ovens.
By STUART PYKE in London
Photo courtes Lawrence Lustig / PDC