'Mighty Mike' given scare by Cristo Reyes on a blockbuster night of tungsten action...
Wednesday 28 December 2016 12:00, UK
World No 1 Michael van Gerwen, five-time winner Raymond van Barneveld and 16-time champion Phil Taylor all made it through to the third round of the World Darts Championship after a blockbuster evening of action at Alexandra Palace.
Cristo Reyes set a new record for the highest average ever from a losing player at the World Championship with 106.07 as world No 1 Van Gerwen won a high-quality encounter 4-2.
The odds-on favourite for the title came out meaning business and left Reyes' head in a spin with a first set of blistering arrows. But Spain's rising star wasn't overawed and struck back to level with a mind-boggling second-set average of 115.62.
'The Green Machine' knew he was in a sticky situation, but Van Gerwen stepped on the gas to power through the next couple sets thanks to some heavy scoring and stunning finishing before 'The Spartan' struck back in the next.
He had a dart to send the match to a deciding set, but the top seed and 2014 champion won through with an 105.24 three-dart average, 11 maximums and finishes of 161 and 164 to set up a meeting with Darren Webster in the last 16.
"He played phenomenal, I've never seen him play that well," Van Gerwen said of his opponent, Reyes. "He gave me more of a game than Phil Taylor and Gary Anderson.
"This is going to give me a good feeling for the rest of the tournament because under pressure I played good darts."
Dutch maestro Van Barneveld, who has reached the semi-finals in three of the last four years, kicked-off the night with an imperious 4-0 victory over former Lakeside runner-up 'Chuck' Norris.
All their previous encounters had been won by Van Barneveld, and the five-time former winner began the match in relaxed and confident mood by winning 10 straight legs before the 21st seed finally broke his relentless onslaught.
But the man from Den Haag had more than enough in the tank to wrap up a second whitewash victory in the tournament with an impressive 103.59 three-darts average, seven maximums and 43 per cent on the doubles.
After his comprehensive win, Van Barneveld admitted that he didn't practice for four days over the Christmas period, but felt his immense experience counted.
"I was really focused and I was enjoying this," said Barney, who next faces former two-time champion Adrian Lewis in the third round on Wednesday evening. "I'm playing Aidy tomorrow and I know the draw - it's tough, but I'm playing it one match at a time. I feel comfortable and I'm confident. If you have confidence you can beat them all."
Fourth seed and 16-time world champion Taylor defeated Kevin Painter for the 31st time to reach the third round.
In a repeat of the 2004 decider, 'The Power' wasn't at his best, but still routed his opponent 4-0 to advance.
Taylor, who has now lost just one of his 56 matches against unseeded players at the World Championship, dropped only two legs on his way to the first two sets, averaging a miserly 93 by his high standards.
Painter, who was appearing in the second round for the 13th time in his 16 tournament appearances, missed crucial darts at doubles which ultimately cost him the match.
Taylor, who struck two maximums and averaged 92.73, admitted the match was a struggle, saying: "It was a scrappy game. I wanted to thrash him, but it was winning ugly and that will do. I need to forget about that one - it was horrible."
You can see all the action from the Alexandra Palace on Sky Sports Darts HD. Don't forget, you can send us your comments throughout this year's tournament by tweeting us @SkySportsDarts ... #LoveTheDarts
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