Grand Slam of Darts 2013: Schedule, Full Second-Round Lineup and Predictions

The William Hill Grand Slam of Darts 2013 enters the knockout rounds on Day 5 following a dramatic final night of group-stage matches at Wolverhampton Civic Hall.

With the likes of Phil Taylor, James Wade and Ronny Huybrechts having already qualified for the round of 16, Tuesday saw Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Paul Nicholson and Kim Huybrechts (Ronny's brother) also secure passage into the next phase of the tournament.

They joined a second-round roster featuring current BDO Lakeside champion Scott Waites, former Lakeside champs Mark Webster and Ted Hankey, Andy Hamilton, Simon Whitlock, Robert Thornton, Mervyn King and Tony O'Shea.

With so many great players in the final 16 and a prize pot worth £400,000 up for grabs, there will be plenty of mouthwatering darts to savour as the Grand Slam of Darts 2013 kicks things up a notch on Wednesday, Nov. 13, with four knockout ties.

Below is a full schedule of the day's matches along with the second-round lineup and predictions of how Day 5 will pan out for the remaining contenders.

Date and Time (GMT)	Round	Player	Prediction	Player
Nov. 13, 7 p.m.	Second	Scott Waites	10-5	Mark Webster
Nov. 13, 7 p.m.	Second	Tony O'Shea	10-7	Andy Hamilton
Nov. 13, 7 p.m.	Second	Robert Thornton	10-9	Mervyn King
Nov. 13, 7 p.m.	Second	Simon Whitlock	8-10	Ted Hankey
Nov. 14, 7 p.m.	Second	James Wade	10-7	Paul Nicholson
Nov. 14, 7 p.m.	Second	Ronny Huybrechts	10-4	Kim Huybrechts
Nov. 14, 7 p.m.	Second	Phil Taylor	10-6	Gary Anderson
Nov. 14, 7 p.m.	Second	Michael van Gerwen	7-10	Adrian Lewis
Nov. 15, 7 p.m.	QF	Quarter-finalist	vs.	Quarter-finalist
Nov. 15, 7 p.m.	QF	Quarter-finalist	vs.	Quarter-finalist
Nov. 16, 7 p.m.	QF	Quarter-finalist	vs.	Quarter-finalist
Nov. 16, 7 p.m.	QF	Quarter-finalist	vs.	Quarter-finalist
Nov. 17, 1 p.m.	SF	Semi-finalist	vs.	Semi-finalist
Nov. 17, 1 p.m.	SF	Semi-finalist	vs.	Semi-finalist
Nov. 17, 7 p.m.	F	Finalist	vs.	Finalist

Predictions for Wednesday, Nov. 13:

Scott Waites vs. Mark Webster

Having won three out of three matches in the group stages, Waites is in prime form heading into the knockout rounds, and his consistency and focus will likely be too much for Webster to cope with.

The 2010 Grand Slam winner and current Lakeside champion's progress also helped squeeze world No. 7 Dave Chisnall out of the tournament, and his next opponent and predecessor—Webster was the 2008 winner at Lakeside—will have to shift up the gears in order to come out on top.

The Welshman enjoyed 5-2 and 5-3 victories over Wes Newton and Ross Smith, respectively, in the groups but fell 5-1 to Australian ace Whitlock in his second game.

He must do more if he is to halt the momentum of Waites on Day 5.

Prediction: Waites wins 10-5 

Tony O'Shea vs. Andy Hamilton

Drawn in a group against Raymond van Barneveld, Ricky Evans and King, O'Shea faced a tough battle just to finish in the top two. However, after his first two matches both finished 5-4—the first against King went in his favour, while the second was a loss to the Dutchman—he now faces Hamilton battle-hardened and ready.

After such a tough start, he was able to let loose with an impressive performance against youngster Evans in his most recent outing, winning 5-1.

By contrast, Hamilton was forced to grow into his opening games after losing 5-2 to Justin Pipe in his first group-stage match. Following what was arguably his toughest test of the round, he came back with a 5-1 win over Mark Walsh and a tight 5-4 victory over fellow qualifier Thornton.

Hamilton will still head into this tie as the favourite due to his status as seventh seed, but O'Shea can win the fight on the night to put aside the pre-tournament form book.

Prediction: O'Shea wins 10-7

Robert Thornton vs. Mervyn King

Thornton won his first two games in the group stage—5-0 against Walsh and 5-2 against Pipe—to secure qualification early but was beaten by Hamilton in his third and final game.

But with the No. 7 seed more desperate for victory and Thornton already through, it could be argued that the Scot may have been saving himself or unable to match the intensity of the Englishman with the stakes of victory nowhere near as high.

He still took Hamilton to the wire in a 5-4 match, however, and will be confident he can advance into the last eight against King should he be able to refocus on his best game in the second round.

King will not be an easy foe and could well take the win himself after slugging his way through the group stage with a tight 5-4 loss to O'Shea followed by a 5-2 win over Evans and a vital 5-3 victory against van Barneveld.

That last game in particular showed King can be a real competitor, but Thornton should just shade it.

Prediction: Thornton wins 10-9

Simon Whitlock vs. Ted Hankey

It's a big call, but even though Whitlock looks in good form, Ted "The Count" Hankey may just pull off a real upset on Day 5 at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Known as one of darts' most colourful characters, Hankey is a mood player and appeared in the zone during the group stage.

After losing his first game 5-3 against Waites, Hankey roared back with a 5-3 victory that devastated Chisnall's chances in addition to a commanding 5-1 win over Michael Smith. He played some inspired shots along the way, hauling himself into the last 16.

Whitlock won his first two games against Ross Smith and Webster 5-2 and 5-1, respectively, but lost his final match 5-4 to Newton, and the magic of Hankey threatens to take the Australian by surprise.

It's still more than likely that the man from Down Under will be the one to prosper judging by the form book and seedings, but an entertaining underdog victory is certainly on the cards.

Prediction: Hankey wins 10-8