World Darts Championship: Wins for Raymond van Barneveld and Stephen Bunting
Mervyn King is taken to the wire by Aleksandr Oreshkin
Saturday 26 December 2015 17:40, UK
Raymond van Barneveld set up a meeting against Stephen Bunting at the World Darts Championship after both players eased through.
In a match between the master and the apprentice, Van Barneveld proved a class apart against youngster Dirk van Duijvenbode.
The five-time world champion, who is looking to win the title for the first time since 2007, claimed an easy 3-0 whitewash against his fellow countryman.
Every leg in the first set went with throw, but it was the 48-year-old from Den Haag who appeared far more comfortable on the Ally Pally oche, averaging 91.34 to take it.
In the moment of the match, 23-year-old van Duijvenbode made a calamitous mistake in the next set.
Requiring 140 to leave tops for the set, Van Duijvenbode bust it after nailing a 180. That moment of madness cost him the set as Barney closed it out with double eight.
Former Premier League champion Van Barneveld has not reached the final in north London since his trouncing at the hands of Taylor in 2009, but looked back in form and completed the job despite requiring eight darts for the match.
He will take on Bunting in the next round after the former Lakeside champion swept aside German Jyhan Artut 3-0.
'The Bullet' was far from his best - averaging 86.72 - but completed a first set whitewash and then broke in the third leg of the next to race clear.
The world No 17 from St Helens completed victory after landing tops with his seventh match dart.
Former semi-finalist Mervyn King produced a battling display in the final match of the night against Preliminary winner Aleksandr Oreshkin.
The left-handed debutant from St Petersburg required seven match darts against 'The Singapore Slinger' Paul Lim, who is famous for hitting the headlines and jackpot in 1990 with the first-ever World Championship nine-darter at Lakeside, to reach the first round proper.
And Oreshkin made the most of the occasion when he pinched the second set with an outrageous 134 to move to within a set of causing another upset at Alexandra Palace.
King had other ideas and came charging back by winning five legs in a row.
Averaging over 100, the Norfolk thrower wrapped up the fourth set to take it to a decider and then completed the comeback in style.
He hit a total of eight 180s, 15 ton 40s and 21 ton pluses, finishing with a 97.84 three-dart average.
Sunday night's results:
Aleksandr Oreshkin 2-1 Paul Lim (Preliminary)
Stephen Bunting 3-0 Jyhan Artut
Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Dirk van Duijvenbode
Mervyn King 3-2 Aleksandr Oreshkin
You can watch the PDC World Darts Championship live on the Sky Sports Darts Channel.
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