Andy Hamilton came up trumps to win an epic World Championship 1st Round clash, on a night which also saw terrific victories for Unicorn stablemates Kevin Painter and James Wade.
Painter averaged 96 in winning a really entertaining all Unicorn clash with Arron Monk by 3 sets to 1, while Wade was given a mighty scare before finally seeing off qualifier Petri Korte as the clock ticked past midnight at the Alexandra Palace.
But Hamilton was brilliant – the star of day 5, but he had to be against an inspired Spaniard Antonio Alcinas in one of the games of the tournament so far.
And in more drama, the Unicorn star just missed D18 for a 9 darter….he hit seven T20s, T15 but just fell short with the attempt at D18.
“It wasn’t far away, was it!?” he said. “I thought it was going to happen, but it’s more important for me to get the win and get into the 2nd Round, because Antonio played brilliantly. But because he played so well, it brought the best out of me I’m sure.”
It was some match and it was great to see Hamilton in such fine form.
He knows he needs a big World Championship and now takes on Vincent van der Voort in round two.
Alcinas took a brilliant set and the man from Majorca was averaging 108! There were five 180s between them, Hamilton took out 125 but the Spaniard won a deciding leg in 12 darts.
Hamilton hit back superbly though, winning five legs on the spin to level the match and go two legs clear in the third set! He had just missed the 9 darter and looked to be in control but he then missed three darts at D12 for the set and could do nothing as Alcinas stormed back to win three straight legs, including a brilliant 123 finish on the bull, to move two sets to one in front.
Hamilton was stung into action and raced through the fourth set without reply! ‘The Hammer’ was nailing his doubles and at this critical stage of the match, the Spaniard wasn’t.
Alcinas missed darts in every leg of the deciding set and each time Hamilton stepped in to book his place in the last 32.
Kevin Painter was oozing confidence after winning his first ‘Major – the Players Championship – and it showed as produced another classy display to see off Arron Monk.
But take nothing away from Monk….the 21-year-old was excellent throughout and will gain a lot from his World Championship debut. He certainly tested Painter.
“Arron worried me at times,” admitted ‘The Artist’. “He showed everyone what he can, that’s for sure! But I feel really good at the moment, full of confidence and I am enjoying it. My finishing is as good as it has been throughout my career and if that continues, I can give this a good go.”
You can say that again!
Painter hit 11/19 on the doubles – a 58% check-out success rate.
He won a nervy opening leg in 23 darts, would you believe! But the pair of them certainly got on with it after that. Painter followed up with an 11 darter and took the opening set in style.
Monk started to find his feet in the second set, hitting two 180s and a terrific 86 finish on the bull – and it went to a deciding leg which Painter took to go two clear.
But fair play to the PDC Unicorn Youth World Champion as he deservedly won the third set and he came up with one of the best finishes of the tournament so far! Needing 82, he went for the bull but hit single 8, so then picked off D17 and ‘tops’!
Set four also went the distance and a 12 darter from Monk meant yet another deciding leg, but Painter’s experience won the day as he hit a sixth 180 and took the match on D16.
A lot of people believe that James Wade has a great chance at this World Championship, but what a fright he was given by Finland qualifier Petri Korte in yet another dramatic 1st Round clash.
Wade was coasting it as he raced into a two sets to nil lead, before Finland’s No.1 player came up with some amazing darts!
From nowhere, Korte’s darts were going in the doubles like magnets…..he finished 71, 76 on the bull and 94 to take the third set and started set four by nailing 112 and 106. It was amazing!
But then the sense of what he might be about to do got the better of him and the Finn missed two darts at D18 for the set….Wade stepped in a raced through the next three legs and won it brilliantly by taking out 115.
“I would have been confident if it had gone to a final set, but he played very well, so I have to be very happy to win that,” Wade said.
But it was a big test and Wade may have wobbled but came through it!
Monday 1st Round results:
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Antonio Alcinas
Mervyn King 3-0 Geoff Kime
Kevin Painter 3-1 Arron Monk
James Wade 3-1 Petri Korte
Tuesday 1st Round schedule:
Colin Lloyd v Darin Young
Colin Osborne v Michael van Gerwen
Gary Anderson v Jyhan Artut
Terry Jenkins v Joe Cullen/Oliver Ferenc
By STUART PYKE at the Ladbrokes World Championship
Photo courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC