Darts European Championship preview
The PartyPoker.net European championship begins tonight in Germany, and Phil Taylor will be aiming to win the title for the third time in successive years.
The tournament launched in 2008, and Taylor has been the only winner, beating Adrian Lewis and Steve Beaton. This year, he kicks off against Dutchman Co Stompe, and having just won his 11th World Matchplay title in Blackpool last Sunday against a resurgent Raymond van Barneveld, Taylor is in the perfect form heading to Dinslaken.
“Winning the World Matchplay was great and I'd love to go on and win the European Championship this weekend. I'm feeling great and playing well, and winning this would round off a perfect summer,” he said.
The 15-time champion of the world is seeking to win his fourth major title in the last three months, but Stompe has beaten Taylor before, most notably in the German Darts Championship final back in 2008. “Co has done brilliantly in the last couple of years and he played superbly when he won the German Darts Championship, but that was a different day. I put it behind me and so has Co, and we've played a few times since. He did well in the World Matchplay last week and I know he'll want that to continue in Germany,” said the Power.
Stompe has enjoyed a fine run in recent events since beating Taylor in Germany. He has reached two world championship quarter-finals, won a Players Championship and reached the last-eight at Blackpool last week. Stompe is aiming to have another good run in an event.
“The win over Phil is in the past and you can't dwell on that because it's history. It's a new game on Thursday and I've got a hard game against Phil. I've turned my game around, because I've been practising on my doubles and they went alright in Blackpool but my scoring let me down. I know I can play better than I did in Blackpool, and I'll go up there on Thursday and hopefully give Phil a big fight,” said Stompe.
Jelle Klaasen takes on Vincent van der Voort in a match which sees two of the fastest players in the world. Klaasen was a semi-finalist in this event last year, and reached the quarter-finals in Blackpool with an adjustment to his playing style.
“I tried to slow down and it felt good. I'm always trying to improve my game and I've tried something new on stage now, and I played well. I think I'll try to play slower now in every tournament. It will be a hard match to play against Vincent because we travel all the time and are good friends, but when we get on stage we're enemies and want to beat each other 6-0,” said Klaasen.
The opening game of the night sees Paul Nicholson, the Players Championship Finals winner, taking on Andy Smith. Australian sensation Simon Whitlock plays 60-year-old Dennis Priestley. World No.4 Mervyn King plays Barrie Bates, while world No.5 Terry Jenkins faces the challenge of German Andree Welge.
Van Barneveld, who hit a superb nine-darter at Blackpool in his opening game, will play the Hammer Andy Hamilton, while world No.3 James Wade plays Colin Lloyd. UK Open finalist Gary Anderson plays Jamie Cavern, and Mark Walsh plays Antonio Alcinas.
Lewis plays Wayne Jones, who enjoyed a fine run to the quarter-finals at Blackpool, only to lose to Wade. Denis Ovens plays German Bernd Roith, and Scotsman Robert Thornton takes on Mark “Flash” Dudbridge. Ronnie Baxter will play Alan Tabern, and another German Tomas Seyler plays young Dutchman Michael van Gerwen.
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