Ian White is into the 2nd Round at the World Grand Prix but Team Unicorn stablemates Michael Smith and James Wade fell at the first hurdle in Dublin.
Wade slumped to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mensur Suljovic, while Smith lost a thriller to Adrian Lewis in the best match of the 1st Round.
White actually made hard work of beating youngster Josh Payne. It was a lot closer than the two sets to nil scoreline suggests.
Three 180s took him to the first set and he won the first leg of the second set with a clinical 13 darter after Payne had hit back-to-back 180s.
An 88 check-out took White to the verge, but he then missed two match darts to allow Payne back in. The Unicorn ace then blew five more match darts and Payne made it 2-2!
He was a little edgy! But those nerves were settled by a 6th maximum and he finally got there on ‘tops’ with his 8th match dart and he will now face Suljovic in the last 16.
Smith was involved in a Dublin classic as he was pipped at the post by Lewis. It always looked like the tie of the round and so it proved with the pair hitting 13x180s in 13 legs of exhilarating darts.
Lewis took the opening set before Smith came back brilliantly. The Unicorn man hit seven perfect darts in the opening leg.....160, 171 and T20 and then he hit back-to-back 180s in the deciding leg and took the set on D10.
There was drama galore in the final set. Smith broke throw immediately but was pegged back by Lewis who hit back-to-back 180s himself. Lewis then took out 76 and it looked like the match was heading for a one leg shoot-out but Smith missed three darts at D12 to force that deciding leg and Lewis nailed D16 to win a thriller.
For James Wade though, more disappointment in Dublin. Of course a two times WGP winner, but it is a fourth consecutive 1st Round exit at the City West for the Unicorn man.
He never really got going and Suljovic seized the moment from the off. The Austrian breezes through the opening set without reply. It looked like Wade was going to strike back as he went two legs clear in the second set, but Suljovic’s top heavy scoring was the difference and a superb 177 in the deciding leg set up the winning double.
Elsewhere on Monday, veteran Steve Beaton caused the shock of the night as he beat Rob Cross 2-0. The World Champion won just one leg.
Monday 1st Round results:
Jermaine Wattimena 2-0 Mervyn King
Josh Payne 0-2 Ian White
Danny Noppert 0-2 Gerwyn Price
Peter Wright 2-0 Steve West
Rob Cross 0-2 Steve Beaton
Mensur Suljovic 2-0 James Wade
Simon Whitlock 1-2 James Wilson
Michael Smith 1-2 Adrian Lewis
And of course the highlight of Tuesday night’s 2nd Round is the all-Unicorn clash between Gary Anderson and Jeffrey de Zwaan
By STUART PYKE at the City West Hotel
Photo courtesy PDC
