Monthly Archives: February 2018

Team Unicorn star Michael Smith is bidding to maintain his advantage at the top of the Unibet Premier League table as the tournament visits Westpoint Exeter on Thursday for the season's fifth league night.

Smith is the only player to have recorded four wins so far this season, having extended his unbeaten record with victory over Simon Whitlock in their top-of-the-table clash in Berlin last week.

The former World Youth Champion comes up against Raymond van Barneveld in Exeter and is aiming to retain his two-point cushion at the top of the table.

"Things have gone really well so far but I'm not taking anything for granted," said Smith. "I still feel I've not played my best darts yet and I'll have to do that against a class player like Raymond.

"I've been taking my opportunities so far and if I can keep doing that hopefully I'll get another win."

Michael’s mentor and Unicorn teammate Gary Anderson World Champion Rob Cross is looking for a win

Michael Smith has the only 100% record in the Premier League!

The Team Unicorn ace made it four wins out of four with victory over Simon Whitlock in Berlin on Thursday.

Meanwhile fellow Unicorn star Gary Anderson fought back superbly to claim what could be a priceless point against Peter Wright.

But for Smith, another superb night at the office and what an office it was! A record-breaking crowd of over 12,000 in Berlin.

He may have been far from his best, but sometimes it is all about the win and despite an average of only 87 Smith got the job done.

“I am delighted with what I have done so far, but I have achieved nothing,” he said. “I will have to play a whole lot better than that, but there was pressure coming into the game because we had both won out first three matches. I will take the win for sure.”

A scrappy affair, Whitlock took the opening leg before Smith seized control as he won four consecutive legs. The

Unicorn ace James Wade lost out in the final of the first Players Championship tournament of the year.

But ‘The Machine ‘ produced a superb performance to reach the final on Saturday before losing to Michael van Gerwen 6-4.

Van Gerwen made it a Players Championship double as he beat young Aussie sensation Corey Cadby 6-1 in Sunday’s final.

Wade was terrific in reaching his first Pro Tour Final in more than a year. He cashed in on Van Gerwen missed doubles to reach four legs apiece in the final before the World No.1 closed out the match.

On the way, the Team Unicorn star saw off John Henderson with a 111 average and beat World Champion Rob Cross in a quarter-final last leg decider.

On Sunday Unicorn stablemate Ian White reached the semi-Finals before losing 6-3 to Cadby. That completed a decent weekend as he got to the last eight on Saturday where he lost to Gerwyn Price.

Cadby also edged out Gary Anderson 6-4 in Sunday’s

Team Unicorn duo Chris Dobey and James Wade both enjoyed double success to qualify for the first two big European Tour events of 2018.

It was a important night of qualifiers at the Barnsley Metrodome ahead of the start of the Players Championship season over the weekend.

Wade edged past Paul Nicholson and fellow Unicorn ace John Part 6-4 to qualify for the European Darts Open in Leverkusen. He then defeated Martin Lukeman 6-4 and Matthew Edgar 6-1 with a 111 average to get through to the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich.

Both events take place next month and Wade will be joined there by Chris Dobey, who is getting back to form. The Unicorn youngster beat Matt Padgett and Matthew Edgar to win through to Leverkusen and then Robert Owen and Brendan Dolan were dispatched as Dobey qualified for Munich.

Wade and Dobey will be joined in Munich by Unicorn’s Keegan Brown. Impressive victories over Simon Stevenson and Ritchie Edhouse saw Brown clinch his spot

Michael Smith’s fantastic start to the 2018 Premier League continued in Newcastle!

The Unicorn star made it three straight victories as he swept aside Mensur Suljovic 7-2 to move to the top of the PL table on six points alongside Simon Whitlock.

Meanwhile Team Unicorn’s Gary Anderson lost a stunning match 7-3 against Michael van Gerwen but he could easily have won the match by the same score! Both players averaged 110 but Anderson’s missed doubles cost him dearly.

Smith though, was delighted after admitting he wasn’t at his best. “He missed and I hit, simple as that. It’s all about proving the doubters wrong and proving myself right. I think that I’m one of the best. Now I have to prove that, starting with this Premier League.”

Finishes of 72 and 68 saw the St Helens star go two legs clear before Suljovic levelled. But that’s as close as the Austrian got. Smith took out a crucial 116 finish on his way

Team Unicorn starlets Chris Dobey and Dimitri van den Bergh are on course for a showdown in the 2nd Round at the UK Open Finals next month.

If the Belgian can get past Lee Evans in the 1st Round, he will face Dobey in a mouth-watering tie.

And there is another all Unicorn 2nd Round clash on the cards.....youngster Harry Ward, who won one of the Riley’s qualifiers, could face Ted Evetts! Ward must first beat Daniel Lee in the opening round.

Another Unicorn Young gun Adam Hunt features in one of the ties of the 1st Round against former World Championship finalist Kirk Shepherd. Meanwhile three-times World Champion and Unicorn ambassador John Part will face a Riley’s qualifier in that 1st Round.

Also in the 1st Round, there are three cracking ties as Paul Nicholson plays Terry Jenkins, Mark Walsh takes on Alex Roy and Andy Hamilton faces William O’Connor.

In the 2nd Round, Unicorn’s Joe Cullen has been drawn against Spanish debutant

Michael Smith, Gary Anderson and Kim Huybrechts (pictured) are in the top 10 heading to Minehead for the UK Open Finals next month.

After the final three qualifiers at Wigan at the weekend, Smith is the No.2 seed behind Michael van Gerwen after a superb set of qualifying events from the Unicorn man.

Anderson is the 6th seed after his brilliant victory in qualifier 4 on Friday, while Huybrechts will be the 9th seed after a consistent run through all six qualifying events. The Belgian reached the semi-finals of qualifier 5 on Friday.

He lost to Australian starlet Corey Cadby 6-1 as Cadby went on to claim his first big senior PDC title. He came from 1-5 down to beat Rob Cross 6-5 in the final. Cadby had also knocked out Smith in the quarter-finals on Saturday 6-3, despite a 108 average from the St Helens star!

Krzysztof Ratajski became the first Polish winner of a PDC title in Sunday’s final qualifying event. He saw off Daryl Gurney 6-4 in the final.

Fit, firing, fantastic! Gary Anderson put his injury woes behind him to sweep to victory at the fourth UK Open qualifier on Friday.

After all the trials and tribulations and back problems, the Unicorn star followed up his superb Premier League victory over Gerwyn Price on Thursday with a classy display in the qualifier in Wigan.

He beat Dutchman Jeffrey de Zwaan 6-2 in the final for a 41st PDC title. After missing the first three UK Open qualifiers with those back problems, Gary is now guaranteed to be one of the top seeds at the Finals in Minehead next month.

“I can’t really believe how good it’s been to be honest. I came here with no expectations and it all came right for me. The back is a bit sore but no pain no gain!”

He used two different sets of his Unicorn darts throughout the day and it paid rich dividends for him.

“I couldn’t have imagined this at the start of the week. To win a tournament is a huge bonus,”

Gary Anderson got off the mark in the Premier League in Cardiff while Michael Smith’s winning streak went on.

Anderson’s back problem appears to be improving and it showed as he swept aside Welshman Gerwyn Price 7-3.

“It felt a little easier and I was using some new darts and they were very good, so I will head to Wigan to try to qualify for the UK Open finals and see how it goes,” the Team Unicorn star said.

An average of 100 and a great display from the Scot. After missing ‘tops’ for 160 to break he did take out 104 and after that he dominated. In fact he won six out of eight legs to take the points.

Gary nailed back-to-back 180s to go 5-3 up and another maximum saw him take another leg before he sealed the deal.

So two wins out of two for the impressive Smith.....the Unicorn ace too good for Daryl Gurney as he ran out a 7-4 winner and he is now 2nd in the table behind Simon Whitlock.

“I’m

Latvian ace Madars Razma has agreed a new two-year deal to stay with Team Unicorn.

The 29-Year-old is building his career and reputation in the tough world of PDC darts and is determined to prove his worth.

His first target is to qualify for the UK Open finals and he already showed what he is capable of with a run to the semi-finals of a Players Championship event.

Twice he has made it through to the last 16 at the Lakeside, but it is the PDC where his future lies.

The man nicknamed “Razmatazz” has also set his sights on the European Tour in 2018 as he bids to break into the world’s top 100.

Unicorn Managing Director Edward Lowy is delighted with the continued backing the impressive Razma.

“We love Latvia! Great to extend our association with this fine ambassador for his country and our sport of darts. We are all pleased to see Madars getting more exposure on the main PDC Tour as well as the Nordic and Baltic circuits.