Simon Whitlock is very much pouncing on his opportunity
presented this week with an excellent display to see off
Mervyn King 3-2 to
claim a place in the
World Grand Prix Quarter-Finals.
A thrilling match which went the full 25 legs, it was ‘The
Wizard’ who came from a set and two legs down to see off ‘The King’.
The first set was there to set the tone for the rest of the
match with King hitting a 180 and an 87 checkout to level it up at 2-2 and
force a decider.
It was one that the Bradwell ace took in a scrappy opener.
He doubled his lead in the requisite set as he streaked towards a 2-0 lead but
it wasn’t to be as Whitlock hit a 134 checkout with two double 20’s to trail
2-1 and after King missed a set dart at the bull, Whitlock claimed a third
consecutive leg to tie the match up.
King didn’t miss his next dart at bull as he took out 92 to
move 2-1 ahead in the third set and this time, he managed to see it through with
an 84 checkout to give him the lead in sets 2-1.
It was Whitlock’s turn to go ahead with a 115 checkout
seeing him double his advantage in the fourth. King made it interesting with
back-to-back legs but despite a fly being stuck to the board, Whitlock swatted
away King’s lead to make it 2-2.
A decider was set and it was King who claimed first blood
but Whitlock went one away with a 120 followed by a 92 as he looked to have the
impetus but King sent it all the way as it deserved to be.
Whitlock got himself down to 56 and with King setting up 32
with a 128 set up shot, it was up to the Aussie to see it through and he did to
make the Quarter-Finals.
World Grand Prix schedule
Thursday 8 October
Dimitri
van den Bergh (93.35) 1-3 (89.82) Dirk van Duijvenbode (2-3, 2-3, 3-2, 2-3)
Mervyn
King (85.27) 2-3 (85.24) Simon Whitlock (3-2, 2-3, 3-2, 2-3, 2-3)
Gary
Anderson vs Danny Noppert
Michael
van Gerwen vs Devon Petersen