Darts results: Raymond van Barneveld stuns Gerwyn Price at the Grand Slam of Darts
Raymond van Barneveld rolled back the years at the Grand Slam of Darts to stun Gerwyn Price 5-4 in a thrilling Group A showdown on Sunday.
In a clash between the two of the three previous champions in the tournament, Barney came from 3-1 down and defied Price's average of 106 to claim his second successive victory that books his spot in the knockout stages with a game to spare.
The veteran Dutchman, who overcame Michael van Gerwen 16-14 in the 2012 final, only scraped into the 32-player field after coming through the last-chance qualifying event last week but having upset the odds to defeat both Dave Chisnall and Price in Group A, he may well be about to embark on a fairytale run in Wolverhampton at the age of 55.
Van Barneveld averaged 100.08 and threw five of the eight 180s in the match, while he missed just four of his nine darts at doubles.
He will now face Ted Evetts in his final game knowing a win will guarantee top spot while Price must now face Chisnall on Monday night in a winner-takes-all showdown.
“This is one of the best wins of my career,” insisted Van Barneveld.
“Gerwyn was a great sport. I think he was enjoying the game, and I was enjoying the way he was playing. This is what darts is all about, and I’m over the moon with this result.”
Earlier on Sunday, Chizzy bounced back from his defeat to van Barneveld with a comfortable 5-2 victory over Evetts, averaging 102 in the process and throwing four 180s.
Both Chisnall and Price were expected to progress from this group before a dart was thrown but now only one can join Barney in the next round.
Dirk van Duijvenbode was the first player to secure a place in the last 16, reeling off four straight legs from 3-1 adrift to defeat Rob Cross, with a ten-darter in leg five sparking his comeback.
Cross now faces a straight shoot-out for Group D qualification against Martin Schindler, after the German won the final three legs of his clash against Adam Gawlas, who is unable to progress following Van Duijvenbode's victory.
Elsewhere, Michael Smith established control of Group C with an emphatic 5-1 win over Joe Cullen, extending his winning run in the round-robin stage to 15 games.
Smith’s final Group C fixture will see him play Ritchie Edhouse, who preserved his qualification hopes with a convincing 5-2 win against Lisa Ashton to draw level with Cullen in the table.
Danny Noppert turned on the style in his 5-2 win over Simon Whitlock to maintain his 100% record in Group B, averaging 99 to move to the brink of a place in the knockout stages.
The UK Open champion now takes on 2018 semi-finalist Mensur Suljovic in his final round-robin tie, after the Austrian battled past PDC Asian Champion Christian Perez to move level on points with Whitlock.
Evening Session
Three-time Grand Slam winner Michael van Gerwen sealed his spot in the knockout stages, breezing past Luke Woodhouse 5-1 with a 99 average and 50% on the doubles to cap off a dominant display.
The Dutchman will face Ross Smith in a blockbuster Group G clash on Tuesday, after the European champion recorded a 5-2 win over Nathan Rafferty to claim his first win on the Grand Slam stage.
Dirk van Duijvenbode was the first player to secure a place in the last 16 on Sunday afternoon, reeling off four straight legs from 3-1 adrift to defeat Rob Cross, with a ten-darter in leg five sparking his comeback.
Jonny Clayton is yet to drop a leg in this year’s Grand Slam, making it back-to-back whitewash wins in Wolverhampton after sweeping aside Jermaine Wattimena to guarantee top spot in Group F.
“I know I’m not firing on all cylinders, but I think I’m getting back to my level. I’d love to win this, and I’m hunting this title,” declared the former Premier League champion.
Clayton now plays World Cup winner Damon Heta in a stellar tie on Tuesday night, after the Australian fought back from 4-1 down to edge out America's Leonard Gates in a remarkable contest.
Gates gifted the Australian a reprieve with a miscount in the penultimate leg before spurning three match darts in the decider, leaving Heta, Wattimena and Gates to battle it out for second spot.
Luke Humphries is the fifth player assured of his place in the last 16, producing the performance of the tournament so far to dispatch Ryan Searle 5-1 with a sensational 107 average.
Sixth seed Humphries crashed in four 180s and converted five of his nine attempts at double to make it two wins from two in Group G, leaving Josh Rock, Searle and Scott Williams to scrap it out on Tuesday.
Earlier in the night, Rock secured his first Grand Slam victory with a deciding-leg win over Williams, hitting four 180s, taking out a 145 finish and firing in a 13-dart hold to claim a precious two points.
Elsewhere, World Champion Peter Wright remains top of Group E, coming through a dramatic all-Scottish affair against Alan Soutar, who squandered six darts for victory in a dramatic finale.
Wright will lock horns with Nathan Aspinall in their final Group E clash on Tuesday, after the World Grand Prix runner-up got his Group E campaign back on track with a 5-1 success against Fallon Sherrock.
“I had to come back tonight with a big result, and playing Fallon is never easy,” reflected Aspinall, who averaged 94 and won five consecutive legs to end Sherrock’s hopes of qualification.
“It’s just not clicking for me at the moment, but hopefully I can have a big performance against Peter on Tuesday, which is going to be a do or die game.”
Groups A-D draw to a close on Monday evening, before players from Groups E-H continue their battle for qualification on Tuesday.
The top two players from each group will progress to the knockout stages, with the last 16 action beginning on Wednesday November 16.
Grand Slam of Darts: Group stage standings
Scoring System: Each competitor plays each other once in a best-of-nine legs match, with two points going to the winner. The top two from each group will then progress to the knockout stages. Any two-way points tie in any position, the player with best leg difference will finish higher. If two players are still level then the winner of the match between them will progress. There is the potential for a Nine-Dart Shoot-Out should three or more players be tied for points and leg difference. For more details see the format section further down.
Grand Slam of Darts: Daily Schedule and results
Click for Sky Bet's darts odds
Saturday November 12
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Simon Whitlock 5-2 Mensur Suljovic (B)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode 5-4 Martin Schindler (D)
- Joe Cullen 5-1 Ritchie Edhouse (C)
- Dave Chisnall 3-5 Raymond van Barneveld (A)
- Rob Cross 5-2 Adam Gawlas (D)
- Danny Noppert 5-4 Christian Perez (B)
- Gerwyn Price 5-1 Ted Evetts (A)
- Michael Smith 5-3 Lisa Ashton (C)
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Ross Smith 4-5 Luke Woodhouse (G)
- Ryan Searle 5-4 Josh Rock (H)
- Damon Heta 2-5 Jermaine Wattimena (F)
- Nathan Aspinall 4-5 Alan Soutar (E)
- Luke Humphries 5-2 Scott Williams (H)
- Peter Wright 5-1 Fallon Sherrock (E)
- Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Nathan Rafferty (G)
- Jonny Clayton 5-0 Leonard Gates (F)
Sunday November 13
Afternoon Session (1pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Ritchie Edhouse 5-2 Lisa Ashton (C)
- Martin Schindler 5-3 Adam Gawlas (D)
- Mensur Suljovic 5-2 Christian Perez (B)
- Dave Chisnall 5-2 Ted Evetts (A)
- Danny Noppert 5-2 Simon Whitlock (B)
- Rob Cross 3-5 Dirk van Duijvenbode (D)
- Gerwyn Price 4-5 Raymond van Barneveld (A)
- Michael Smith 5-1 Joe Cullen (C)
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Josh Rock 5-4 Scott Williams (H)
- Damon Heta 5-4 Leonard Gates (F)
- Ross Smith 5-2 Nathan Rafferty (G)
- Nathan Aspinall 5-1 Fallon Sherrock (E)
- Jonny Clayton 5-0 Jermaine Wattimena (F)
- Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Luke Woodhouse (G)
- Peter Wright 5-4 Alan Soutar (E)
- Luke Humphries 5-1 Ryan Searle (H)
Monday November 14 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Dirk van Duijvenbode v Adam Gawlas
- Raymond van Barneveld v Ted Evetts
- Simon Whitlock v Christian Perez
- Danny Noppert v Mensur Suljovic
- Gerwyn Price v Dave Chisnall
- Joe Cullen v Lisa Ashton
- Michael Smith v Ritchie Edhouse
- Rob Cross v Martin Schindler
Tuesday November 15 (7pm)
TV Coverage: Sky Sports
Group Matches (Best of 9 legs)
- Groups E-H Third Matches
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