Grand Slam of Darts 2015: Scores, Results, Updated Schedule After Thursday
Top seed Michael van Gerwen roared into the quarter-finals of the Grand Slam of Darts on Thursday evening, hammering Steve Beaton in his play-off match.
The Dutchman will face Kim Huybrechts in the last eight after he got the better of Martin Adams in a pulsating encounter. Adrian Lewis is also through after an entertaining win over Peter Wright; he’ll tackle the ever-improving Michael Smith, who was too good for last year’s runner-up Dave Chisnall, in the quarters.
Here are the results in full from another gripping day at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall, the quarter-final lineup and a recap of the best bits from Thursday’s session.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
| Dave Chisnall | 7-10 | Michael Smith |
| Michael van Gerwen (1) | 10-2 | Steve Beaton |
| Peter Wright (4) | 7-10 | Adrian Lewis (5) |
| Martin Adams | 9-10 | Kim Huybrechts |
| Michael van Gerwen (1) | vs. | Kim Huybrechts |
| Adrian Lewis (5) | vs. | Michael Smith |
| Mark Webster | vs. | Raymond van Barneveld |
| Phil Taylor (3) | vs. | Robert Thornton (6) |
Van Gerwen Marches into the Quarter-Finals
There were some excellent performances from players on Wednesday, with the likes of Phil Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld putting together scintillating streaks of play. Nobody has turned in a display as rounded as this one from Van Gerwen yet, though.
Former PDC star Wayne Mardle paid a unique tribute to the Dutchman with this social media post, as he completely outclassed Beaton in a 10-2 win:
Although the Englishman may not be at the elite level yet, he’s proven himself to be an awkward opponent for some of the top players on the tour. Therefore, it was important Van Gerwen gave him no time to settle into the contest, and the Dutchman was on it from the off, rattling off the opening five legs in under nine minutes.
From there, the result was never in doubt, and although Beaton was able to get on the scoreboard, he was powerless to prevent Van Gerwen taking a terrific win. Needless to say, the top seed is pretty pleased with his current form, per the PDC Twitter feed:
Facing him next will be Huybrechts, who won the most entertaining match of the evening 10-9 against Adams.
BDO star Adams began this one strongly, before Huybrechts regrouped to cut the deficit to 3-2 at the first interval. From there, it looked as though the Belgian was going to romp to victory, surging into a 6-4 lead. However, the man known as "Wolfie" battled back to 6-6, setting up a thrilling final few legs, which culminated in a decider.
There, it was Huybrechts who held his nerve and the throw to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Van Gerwen.
The other tie will be an all-English affair, as Smith and Lewis both emerged victorious after tough tests in the last 16.
Lewis overcame fourth seed Wright to ensure he was in the quarters. After a bright start from the colourful Scot, the man known as Jackpot was able to settle into a much stronger rhythm and took control of the contest. As you’d expect, Wright battled to the end, but Lewis closed out a 10-7 win with the confidence you’d expect from a two-time world champion.
He finished off with a swagger, too, checking out a brilliant 130. Here’s the winning moment for Lewis, per the PDC Twitter feed:
Chisnall won’t be repeating his run to the final again this year, as he was well beaten by Smith. These two opened the evening with a match of major quality, with Chisnall taking out a remarkable 170 finish early in the contest. Still, Smith stayed composed, took his chances and was eventually a convincing 10-7 winner.
The quarter-finals will certainly make for intriguing viewing when they get started on Friday, with the longer match format likely to trigger more thrills on the oche. With second seed Gary Anderson and fourth seed Wright already eliminated, all eight men remaining in the competition will feel as though this illustrious title is there for the taking.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
