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Photo Lawrence Lustig/PDC

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion Raymond van Barneveld was sent crashing out of the 2008 tournament with a 4-2 defeat to Kevin Painter at London’s Alexandra Palace on Friday.

The Dutchman had battled past a bout of ‘flu to reach the last 16, but saw the defense of his title come to a halt against Painter.

The 2004 runner-up continued his superb form with a scintillating display, landing nine maximums and averaging over 95 to move into the quarter-finals.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Painter. “Raymond’s been a great champion and is a fantastic bloke as well, but it was my day today.

“It’s the best win of my career and if I can carry on digging out results like that at the death.”

Painter will now take on Adrian Lewis in the quarter-finals on Saturday evening, following the Stoke youngster’s comeback from 2-0 down to win 4-3 against Tony Eccles.

John Part, the two-time World Champion, whitewashed Alex Roy 4-0 to set up a meeting with world number three James Wade, who defied a bout of ‘flu to see off Mark Dudbridge 4-2.

Peter Manley, three times a runner-up in the tournament, won 4-1 against Holland’s Jan van der Rassel to book his place in the last eight.

He will take on 21-year-old qualifier Kirk Shepherd, who defeated Barrie Bates 4-2.

The other quarter-final sees 13-time World Champion Phil Taylor face Essex’s Wayne Mardle.

Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship
Third Round (Friday)
Kirk Shepherd 4-2 Barrie Bates
Adrian Lewis 4-3 Tony Eccles
James Wade 4-2 Mark Dudbridge
Peter Manley 4-1 Jan van der Rassel
Raymond van Barneveld 2-4 Kevin Painter
Alex Roy 0-4 John Part

Quarter-Finals
Saturday 29 December
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Peter Manley v Kirk Shepherd
John Part v James Wade
Evening Session (7pm)
Phil Taylor v Wayne Mardle
Kevin Painter v Adrian Lewis

PETER MANLEY 4-1 JAN VAN DER RASSEL
(2-3, 3-1, 3-2, 3-2, 3-1)

PETER MANLEY ended Jan van der Rassel’s run at the 2008 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with a 4-1 victory.

Van der Rassel had defeated Colin Lloyd and Denis Ovens in the opening two rounds, but found the three-time finalist too much of an obstacle to overcome in the last 16.

The scoreline flattered Manley, his opponent having opportunities to level the match at 2-2.

The Dutchman won the opening set, which went to a deciding leg. Manley had two darts to win it, but failed to take either of them and van der Rassel hit a superb 116 checkout to take the lead.

Manley took the second set 3-1, which included a 106 finish in the second leg and his favoured double top for the set.

Van der Rassel started well in the third set, taking the opening two legs only for Manley to hit back to take the next three to pinch the set and go ahead for the first time in the match.

Both players hit 12-dart legs at the start of the fourth set and van der Rassel then took the lead, hitting double ten before Manley hit a 117 checkout to level.

The turning point of the match came in the deciding leg, when van der Rassel missed four darts at double nine to level the match and Manley made the Dutchman pay to take a 3-1 advantage.

Manley appeared to grow in confidence and started the fifth set with a maximum, and then won the leg with a 121 finish.

Van der Rassel managed to hit double ten to level, but Manley took a 2-1 lead with a 16-dart finish.

Manley then hit his fourth maximum in the fourth leg and despite the Dutchman having opportunities to take the leg, Manley hit double six to set up a quarter-final against the Kent youngster Kirk Shepherd.

“I found it very hot on stage, hotter than my first round,” said Manley. “The Christmas break probably did me good and I was quite fresh.

“Playing in the Premier League probably prepared me for playing in front of over 2,000 people, but it’s still hard.

“Jan has done well to get this far but I hit some crucial doubles when it mattered.”

Young qualifier Shepherd has battled his way past seeds Terry Jenkins, Mick McGowan and Barrie Bates to reach the last eight, but Manley added: “Kirk has done well but I won’t miss doubles like the other players have – he will need to out-score me.”

KEVIN PAINTER 4-2 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD
(1-3, 3-0, 3-1, 0-3, 3-2, 3-2)

LADBROKES.COM WORLD DARTS CHAMPION Raymond van Barneveld was sent crashing out of the 2008 tournament with a 4-2 defeat to Kevin Painter at London’s Alexandra Palace.

The Dutchman had battled past a bout of ‘flu to reach the last 16, but saw the defence of his title come to a halt against Painter.

The 2004 runner-up continued his superb form with a scintillating display, landing nine maximums and averaging over 95 to move into the quarter-finals.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” said Painter. “Raymond’s been a great champion and is a fantastic bloke as well, but it was my day today.

“It’s the best win of my career and if I can carry on digging out results like that at the death.

“To play a final leg like that, hitting two 180s and a ten-darter is unbelievable.

“I’m happy to be hitting my doubles on a regular basis and I’ve been playing well throughout this year so it’s not a massive surprise to me.”

Painter hit back from losing the first set to take six of the next seven legs and lead 2-1.

Van Barneveld included a 120 finish in taking the opening set 3-1, but was left trailing by Painter in the next two.

The Englishman landed an 11-darter and four legs of 15 darts, including a crucial 101, in moving ahead in the contest.

Van Barneveld levelled by taking set four without reply, but Painter produced an 11-darter to win a tight fifth set and regain the lead.

A 13-darter saw the defending champion break the throw at the start of the next before he doubled his lead, before two 15-darters from Painter – with his opponent sat on a finish – saw him level.

He kicked off the deciding leg with back-to-back 180s, and also hit a seventh treble 20 before a potential nine-darter went begging on treble 19.

But he had enough cushion to set up a double 16 finish and made no mistake in wrapping up the win at the first time of asking.

Painter will now face Adrian Lewis in Saturday’s quarter-finals, and he added: “I know what I am capable of doing and that is it, but I’ve got to do it more consistently.

“Raymond and Phil Taylor do, and it’s down to the rest of us to do it on a more regular basis.

“Adrian’s playing well but he struggled a bit early on against Tony Eccles but he showed his class to come back and win, and it will be a great game.”

JOHN PART 4-0 ALEX ROY
(3-1, 3-2, 3-1, 3-1)

JOHN PART moved into the quarter-finals of the Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship with a convincing straight sets display over Alex Roy.

Roy, who upset sixth seed Andy Hamilton in the second round, was unable to put in a similar performance against the two-time World Champion to see his Alexandra Palace dream end.

Part made his mark immediately, breaking throw in the opening leg with a 13-darter.

He then took the next leg with an 86 checkout to double his lead, and though Roy managed to take the third leg Part held his throw to take the opening set on double eight.

The Canadian continued in a similar vein at the start of the second set, taking the first leg, which included his second 180 of the game.

Roy levelled, to make it one apiece, and then broke Part’s throw to lead 2-1.

The Watford man then had one dart to take the second set, but missed double 16 for a 102 finish and Part hit a superb 110 to level.

Part then took the deciding leg of set to double his advantage to lead 2-0.

Roy won the opening leg of the third set, but Part took the next two, hitting a maximum in both, to lead 2-1.

He then hit a clinical 105 finish to go to take the third set and go 3-0 up, after Roy missed a dart double nineteen for a 115 finish.

Part won the opening leg of the fourth set, but Roy replied with an 85 finish.

Part was the far stronger player, and landed double sixteen to take a 2-1 lead, and then completed the next leg in 14-darts to set up a quarter-final tie against James Wade.

“I feel really good with my game and just got on with the job tonight,” said Part. “I think I won a couple of sets without missing a double and that’s pleasing.

“Alex wasn’t far off putting me in a lot of trouble but I took out some high finishes and my experience helped me through.”

Part’s win means he has reached the quarter-finals for the first time since winning the tournament in 2003, and he takes on world number three Wade on Saturday.

He added: “James wasn’t 100 percent today but he can rise to the occasion and it should be interesting.”

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