UK Open Darts 2016: Scores, Results, Updated Schedule After Friday
The 2016 Coral UK Open got under way on Friday, with favourites Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson all progressing to the fourth round.
The top players on the Order of Merit didn't feature in the first two rounds of the competition, but all took care of business during the evening session. The most notable casualties of the first day were Steve Beaton and Robert Thornton, who lost to Peter Wright and Arron Monk, respectively.
Here's a look at some of the most notable results from Friday. The full list of results can be found on the PDC's official website.
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| Adrian Lewis | 9-1 | Tony Newell |
| Phil Taylor | 9-5 | Arron Monk |
| Gary Anderson | 9-7 | Dave Chisnall |
| Michael van Gerwen | 9-2 | Ryan Harrington |
| Simon Whitlock | 9-6 | Ian White |
| Mark Webster | 9-5 | Matthew Edgar |
| Peter Wright | 9-5 | Steve Beaton |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 9-8 | David Pallett |
| Jelle Klaasen | 9-6 | Matt Clark |
| Vincent van der Voort | 9-3 | Dean Winstanley |
| Jamie Caven | 9-7 | Lee Evans |
| Terry Jenkins | 9-7 | Ronnie Huybrechts |
| Mensur Suljovic | 9-2 | James Wade |
| Kim Huybrechts | 9-1 | Steve Maish |
| Stephen Bunting | 9-8 | Jamie Lewis |
| Benito van de Pas | 9-7 | Mervyn King |
| Michael Smith | 9-8 | Daryl Gurney |
Here's the schedule for Round 4, courtesy of the PDC's official Twitter account:
Recap
Van Gerwen cruised to a 9-2 win over Ryan Harrington on the main stage, continuing his sensational form on Friday. Harrington never troubled the Dutchman, who ran out to a quick 6-1 lead and finished things off with a superb 170 checkout.
William Hill Betting was impressed:
On Thursday, Van Gerwen crushed Wright 7-2 in the Premier League, taking the lead in the standings and opening up a discussion about his place in darts history. Sky Sports' Wayne Mardle argued he's already in the discussion of the greatest players of all time after dominating the sport in one of its most competitive eras.
Sky Sports Darts disagreed, however:
In form, Van Gerwen seems close to unbeatable, and his showing against Harrington on Friday sent a clear warning to the rest of the competitors. Per Live Darts, he believes he can do even better:
Mighty Mike will face Rob Cross, an amateur, in the fourth round.
Taylor ended Monk's Cinderella run in the third round, winning 9-5. Monk previously grabbed a shock win over former UK Open champion Thornton in Round 2, beating the Thorn 6-4.
The Power has an impressive five UK Open titles under his belt, and after a shaky start to the 2016 campaign, he is starting to find his best form. He looked solid, if unspectacular, against Monk, but he'll have to improve drastically to win his sixth title.
Taylor will meet Raymond van Barneveld in what will undoubtedly be the top tie of Round 4. Barney has struggled in 2016 and barely got past David Pallett on Stage 4, but the Dutchman is still capable of throwing some spectacular darts from time to time, and he has never lost against Taylor in the UK Open, per DartsStats.
Dave Chisnall was unfortunate to draw Anderson in the third round, and the two-time defending world champion ended Chizzy's tournament on the main stage, beating him 9-7. The Flying Scotsman will meet another amateur, Barry Lynn, in Round 4.
Stephen Bunting needed a decider to get past Jamie Lewis, while Wright, Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis all advanced to Round 4 with ease.
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