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LAS VEGAS DESERT CLASSIC 2006 DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP (PDC) review by Andy Fairclough
The Las Vegas Desert Classic has now become a firm favourite on the professional darts calendar, despite players having to travel across the Atlantic in a desperate bid to qualify for the televised stages. The top 12 ranked players qualify by right, along with 4 American and Canadian qualifiers and 16 qualifiers from the preceding day's knockout events. For the first time in a few years coverage began on Sky Sports with the First Round (Last 32) (first to 6 legs): Raymond van Barneveld took to the stage first, fresh from the success at having won the UK Open event and the disappointment at having failed to qualify for the World Matchplay. His opponent was the now familiar face of former USA soft tip champion Darin Young. Barneveld surprisingly went 2 legs down before winning 6 on the trot (including a handy 136 finish) along the way. 6-2 to Barney. Chris Mason though not at his best did enough to beat a clearly out of sorts Colin Lloyd 6-1 and Mick McGowan came from behind to beat American Ray Carver 6-3. John Part and Ronnie Baxter was tight until Part broke throw to lead 3-2. Part held the advantage finishing in style with a 113 finish to win 6-3. Phil Taylor took on his young training partner, the impressive Adrian Lewis in an encounter that failed to live up to expectations. These two battled out for $100,000 in the World Series of Darts a month or so before with Taylor a comfortable victor. Perhaps this was still in Lewis' mind as he crashed out 6-0 to The Power. Peter Manley didn't have it all his own way against Steve Beaton but a 101 checkout to lead 4-2 certainly set him on the road to a 6-4 victory. Bob Anderson had an early 3-1 lead against Roland Scholten but the Dutchman took the next two legs to square the match. Scholten then went ahead before Anderson levelled with a 121 checkout. Scholten took the next and then checked out 100 to win a place in the last 16, 6-4 to Scholten. Dennis Priestley beat Dennis Smith 6-1 (although a notable 101 finish from Smith in his one leg won) and Andy Jenkins beat Andy Smith 6-3. Andy Hamilton broke throw early to lead 3-1 against Kevin Painter and he followed this with a 100 checkout in the next leg. Painter mounted a spirited comeback but it was too late as The Hammer progressed with a 6-4 win. Wayne Mardle against Wes Newton was tight early doors with both players averaging in the mid 90s at 3-3. Newton however found the finishes to win 6-3 and put out the twice previous finalist. Chirpy Welshman Barrie Bates also beat an out of form Mark Dudbridge 6-2 with a 101 checkout en route. Others who progressed included 65 year old Irishman John Magowan and young Essex hotshot Steven Smith.
LAST 16 Back to familiar set play as former champion Peter Manley took on the veteran Dennis Priestley, who is definitely going through a 'Golden Autumn' in his career. The first set went to 2 legs apiece but missed doubles from Manley allowed Priestley to cash in. Manley took out 106 to lead 2-0 in the next set before Priestley brought it back to 2-2, with Manley persevering to level the match. The third set also went to a deciding leg after Dennis Priestley checked out a glorious 138. Impetus was with The Menace who took a 2-1 set lead. Priestley took a 2-0 lead in the fourth set with Manley then retrieving a leg (Averages – Priestley 83, Manley 91!). Priestley held the advantage though to win 3 sets to 1. John Part set his stall out with a 13 dart second leg against Roland Scholten. Part took the first set in the deciding leg and broke Scholten's throw to lead 2-1 in set two. Scholten broke straight back before Part returned the compliment to lead 2 sets to 0 (Part average 89, Scholten 87). The Dutchman then let slip a 2-0 lead in the next set as Part took 3 in a row to win the match. Andy Jenkins has always had a torrid time in his televised encounters against Phil Taylor, however this time Rocky played out of his skin. Unfortunately for him so did The Power! The third leg of the first set both Taylor and Jenkins hit 2 180's each with both on a potential 9 dart game! An amazing leg which Taylor won in 11 darts to take the first set. Taylor broke to lead 2-1 in set 2 (averages Taylor 101, Jenks 99) and at 2 sets to 0 the averages were even higher – Taylor 102.3, Jenkins 100.0. Taylor won the third set 3-0 pushing his average up to an amazing 104. What a game! Raymond van Barneveld took on chirpy Essex lad Steven Smith next. Smith played out of his skin averaging 98-100 but it was not enough to stop a fired up Barney. After the first sent went to Barneveld he took out a 100 finish to lead 2-1 in the next, followed by a 130 finish to make it 2-0. Absolutely perfect finishing by the four time World Champion pegging 6 doubles out of 6. 3-0 ultimately to Barneveld with a 101 checkout, but Smith remains one to watch. Chris Mason was slow to start as the veteran Irishman John Magowan took the first two legs. If Dennis Priestley is going through a Golden Autumn then Magowan at 65 years of age has been going through a Platinum Winter! He impressed at the World Grand Prix last year, followed it up at the World Championships, knocked out Adrian Lewis at the UK Open and now had qualified for Vegas! A bridge too far though as Mason found a solid game for a comfortable 3-0 victory averaging around 96.
QUARTER-FINALS Terry Jenkins has been one of the fastest rising stars in the PDC thanks to his superb form on the touring circuit. He perhaps showed his best form on TV at the World Championships but also gave John Part a real tussle in the first quarter-final. Jenkins took the first break of throw in the crucial fifth leg of the first set to take the lead. Part broke back to go 2-1 in the second set and levelled the match after some double trouble brought his average down to 87 (Jenkins 86). Jenkins broke Part's throw in set 3 and it was enough to take the set with the following leg. Part broke throw to lead 2-1 in set 4, but Jenkins broke straight back needing just one more leg for victory. However it was Part breaking Jenkins yet again who levelled the match at 2 sets apiece. Part checked out a 121 in the final set and squeezed through to the semis a 3 sets to 2 winner. Raymond van Barneveld knows all about Andy Hamilton, after all the Hammer had knocked Barneveld out of the World Matchplay qualifiers earlier in the month. With revenge no doubt in mind Barneveld took the first set 3-0. Hamilton took out the second set with a 106 checkout to tie the match, despite a disparity in the averages – Barneveld 104.0, Hamilton 92.0. Hamilton broke throw to lead 2-1 in set 3 but Barney broke straight back with a 12 dart leg. An amazing 150 checkout followed to make it 2 sets to 1 to Barneveld. A further break in the fourth set and victory was Barney's 3-1. Many expected Dennis Priestley to really test Phil Taylor but on this occasion it was not to be. Dennis pegged a 124 finish in the second leg but Taylor soared ahead to a 2 sets to 0 advantage (Taylor average 95, Priestley 92). Priestley put in a great 131 finish to make it 1-1 in the third set but Taylor took the next two legs for a 3-0 win. The form book said that Chris Mason might struggle against Wes Newton and that was indeed the case. Newton came back from 2-0 down to take the first set with 2 breaks of throw but Mase held on to take the second set. At 1-1 in the third Mason was averaging 92 to Newton's 86 but the Fleetwood lad took another crucial break of throw and the set shortly afterwards. Mason tied the match with an impressive fourth set and retrieved a 2 leg deficit to 1-2 with a 102 checkout in the last set. Newton held firm and won in style with a 117 outshot.
SEMI-FINALS Wes Newton got off to a great start against John Part leading by 2 sets to 1, but Part came back to win the next set 3-0 and level the game with a 90 average (Newton 88). Part went on to take the next two sets and the match to book his place in the final. The first match was overshadowed somewhat as once again Phil Taylor met Raymond van Barneveld in another of 2006's head to head clashes. Taylor took the first set in the deciding leg and took the second set 3-0. Taylor was averaging 96 to Barney's 87 – was it all over already? Only a fool would have said yes, as Barneveld has proved time and again that he is simply the best – other than Taylor. 7 perfect darts in an eventual 11 darter were the key to win the third leg of this set and to lead 2-1. Even though Taylor made it 2-2, Barneveld held to win his first set. Barneveld took out 108 to make it 1-1 in the fourth set and then crucially broke Taylor's throw. Taylor broke back after Barneveld missed 7 darts for the set in the next leg, but another 108 and another break took Barneveld to 2 sets all. With both players now averaging 97 there really was nothing between them. In the fifth set Taylor took out a classy 81 with 1, D20, D20 to break and go up 2-1. Taylor then held throw to now lead 3 sets to 2. Set 6 and a break of throw followed by a 102 finish put Barneveld 2 up and he took it 3-1 to level the game, both players now averaging 99. Into the deciding set and Barney storms off with a 148 checkout. Still nothing between the players as it goes to 2-2 and with no tie-break in place, Barneveld takes the final leg for another nailbiting victory against Taylor.
THE FINAL Something in my water told me that John Part was going to win the Las Vegas Desert Classic this year after seeing him in the first round. He wasn't playing quite at the top of his game but there seemed to be a grit and determination about the player that had perhaps been missing for a while. However he faced the ultimate challenge in the final. Raymond van Barneveld had taken over the mantle of being the Taylor killer from Part and since his move to the PDC, he had proved beyond doubt that he was number 2 in the world or even perhaps number 1. Part hit an impressive 11 dart game in the first set to pull a leg back from 2-0 down but Barneveld took it 3-1. Set two went to a deciding leg with Part checking out a cool 101 to level the match. Set three and a key moment in the match as Part checked out 115 to make it 2 legs each. Part took the crucial decider to lead by 2 sets to 1. The next set was another five leg affair with Part again taking the crucial one to create a bit of daylight and a 3 sets to 1 lead. Barneveld led 2-1 in set 5 but Part levelled with another top checkout, this time 108. Barneveld took the deciding leg though to make it 2 sets to 3. Barneveld blitzed off in set 6 with a 170 checkout (averaging 97 to Part's 92). However it was to be another 5 leg set again going to Barneveld to make it 3-3. Was the tide turning? Part took out a crucial 101 to go 2-0 in set 7 and the next leg as well to lead 4 sets to 3 (Averages - Barneveld 95, Part 94). Part seemed to have the extra gear as Barneveld faded slightly taking the next 2 sets by 3-1 and winning his first major outside of a world championship by 6 sets to 3. So the event proved that there were indeed more than two potential title winners in the PDC and a welcome return to winning ways for the popular Canadian twice World Championship winner.
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