On The Twelfth Day Of World Darts Championship

Day number twelve at the Ally Pally saw the remaining quarter final places get taken and another of the big contenders exited. Adrian Lewis kicked things off against Robert Thornton in the afternoon session. 'Jackpot' certainly looks to be a dark horse contender with a third consistent, good performance. Lewis averaged 101 and took the first six legs before Thornton responded to take the third set. That was the only joy for Thornton as Lewis went onto win 4-1.

Gary Anderson also played another three figure average game against Andy Smith. Yesterday saw the Flying Scotsman average 108, the highest average so far this tournament. Smith couldn't cope with Anderson but did manage to win four legs overall despite losing 4-0.

The last match of the afternoon session saw Terry Jenkins also show that he could be a contender with a comprehensive win over Mark Walsh. Jenkins only averaged 99 but it was his most comfortable victory so far by not letting up after taking the lead. Walsh failed to win a set as Jenkins progressed into the last eight for only the second time in his career.

Simon Whitlock suffered a surprise defeat to leave just four major contenders left, with all four meeting one of the others in the quarter finals. Whitlock's opponent was Vincent Van Der Voort and the Dutchman took full advantage of Whitlock's surprisingly poor finishing. Van Der Voort also scored well but lost the first set before taking the next three with a little help from Whitlock. Whitlock held on to win the fifth set but Van Der Voort proved to strong and won 4-2. Van Der Voort will meet the in form Lewis in the quarter finals.

Van Barneveld made it through but was very unconvincing in his close victory over Colin Osbourne. Barney started slow yet managed to win the first set before Osbourne went 2-1 ahead. The head shaking started to creep in as Barney's game faltered but he sparked into life in the fourth set to make it 2-2. Osbourne went 3-2 ahead and had a chance to win 4-2 but missed the double to give Barney the life line of a deciding set. His experience shone through to take the final set 3-0 to win 4-3 and set up a mouth watering quarter final against Gary Anderson.

The final match of the night saw Mensur Suljovic's fairytale come to an abrupt end against Wes Newton. Suljovic couldn't find the darts he threw against Wade and Newton coped immensely with the slow pace Suljovic throws at. Newton won in straight sets to progress into the last eight to play Terry Jenkins.

Three World Champions, Three World Championship Wins

The evening session of the World Darts Championship yesterday saw three World Champions take to the stage. The first match was the final second round match between former world champion Van Barneveld and Kevin McDine. Barney came out of the traps quickest to secure the first set. McDine fought back and levelled to show that Barney wasn't going to have it his own way. However Barney's experience shone through as the Dutchman took the next three sets to win 4-1 and progress into the third round.

The first third round match was between former Lakeside champion Mark Webster and surprise package Mark Hylton. Webster again came out fastest to take the first set but he looked a little shaky when taking one dart checkouts. Hylton punished the mistakes to take the second set to level the match. That motivated Webster as he regained his form and Hylton started missing doubles himself, leaving the Welshman to win 4-1.

Webster's quarter final opponent will reigning world champion Phil Taylor after he looked back on form with a win against Peter Wright. The only shock of the night was Wright's extravagant hairstyle. Taylor won the first eight legs before Wright came back to take the third set to make it 2-1. Taylor wasn't deterred and went onto win the following two sets, with a little help from Wright missing opportunities to take legs.

Premiership Takes A Shake-Up: 29/12/10

The remaining three mid-week Premiership fixtures took place yesterday and all three shook up the league. Chelsea earned their first win in seven games at home to Bolton. Florent Malouda scored the only goal after 61 minutes to lift themselves back into the top four.

Chelsea are now just two points behind Arsenal after they could manage a draw away to Wigan. Wigan took the lead after 18 minutes through a Ben Watson penalty. Arsenal equalised with a goal from Arshavin after 39 minutes before Nicklas Bendtner put the Gunners ahead just before half-time. It got worse for Wigan when Charles N'Zogbia received a straight red to put Wigan down to ten men. But the ten men earned an equaliser nine minutes from time with a own goal from Squillaci. The point moves Wigan out of the relegation zone but are still only a point away from it.

The shock result came at Anfield where the struggling Liverpool suffered another defeat. The visitors were bottom side Wolves and the win moves off the bottom and move within a point of seventeenth Birmingham. Stephen Ward scored the only goal eleven minutes into the second half.

Anderson Menaces Priestly While Pieman Feasts On King

After Wade's premature departure from the World Championships yesterday, fellow contender Gary Anderson must have been feeling the pressure. However he didn't seem to show it against Dennis Priestly as he raced to a 3-0 with a stunning 111 average, Priestly wasn't doing much wrong as he was average just below a hundred but still bizarrely found himself. It started off with a 144 then a 140 checkout in the opening two legs. But then Anderson hit a dull spell and Priestly managed to fight back and make it 3-2 with the sixth set at 2-2. Anderson just pulled his game back up to a 103 average to win the game 4-2 to progress into the third round.

His opponent will be Andy 'Pieman' Smith who earned a surprise victory against Mervyn King. Smith's unbelievable three figure finishing was a key factor in the win and gave him the first set. King fought Smith all the way and it went into the final seventh set. At 2-1 King had a chance to win the fourth set to create a tie-break situation but nerves got the better of him and Smith just held out to take that all important leg to win 4-3.

The opening game of the afternoon was a case of missed doubles between Colin Osbourne and Jamie Caven. It was Osbourne who started slowly but Caven was the culprit of missing the doubles and it allowed Osbourne to steal the first set. That played on Caven's mind and he routinely missed doubles in the following vital legs to allow Osbourne a straight sets victory to progress into the last sixteen.

Wade Is The First To Lose

Out of the six main World Championship contenders (Taylor, Wade, Van Barneveld, Whitlock, Anderson and Webster) James Wade became the first to fall in the biggest upset of the tournament so far. He was up against Austrian Mensur Suljovic and Suljovic played some great darts but it was his throwing technique that won the game. Wade is a relatively fast thrower and prefers his opponents to be as well, however Suljovic is anything but fast. His very unorthodox throwing stance leaves him to take his time when throwing and Wade couldn't handle the massive decrease in pace. Wade pushed it to 2-2 with every set going to the deciding leg, the key was that Suljovic managed to break Wade's throw more than Wade could which left Suljovic to win 4-2.

Suljovic will play Wes Newton after he raced past Brendan Dolan to make it to the third round for the first time. Dolan's problem was his lack of finishing power and it cost him dearly as Newton won the game in straight sets.

Another contender in the form of Simon Whitlock also had no problems in demolishing Denis Ovens. The Aussie lost only two legs and held an average of 103 to progress in straight sets to the third round. His third round opponent is in the tricky shape of Vincent Van Der Voort.

Mid-Week Premiership Action 28/12/10

With the festive period in full swing it meant a mid-week feast of Premiership football. Seven of the ten games took place yesterday with the usual intrigue, although not everyone understands the good will to all men part of the festive spirit.

Tottenham made it two wins from two in the festive period with also two men sent off in two games. They entertained Newcastle and it took twelve minutes into the second half for Aaron Lennon to break the deadlock. Younes Kaboul received a second yellow card after 65 minutes, much to Joe Jordan's disgust, to leave Tottenham down to ten men again. But again it didn't deter Spurs and Bale went onto seal the game nine minutes from time to put Tottenham fourth in the league.

Blackpool continued their unbelievable season with yet another away win, this time against injury stricken Sunderland. DJ Campbell put the Tangerines ahead five minutes into the second half before adding a second in injury time. Blackpool now sit eighth and are just six points behind Chelsea but now two points behind seventh place Sunderland, but Blackpool have games in hand.

Manchester City temporarily went top of the Premiership with a resounding 4-0 win over troubled Aston Villa. It started bad for Villa when they conceded a penalty after just eight minutes which Balotelli converted. Lescott doubled the advantage five minutes later and Balotelli added his second and City's third after 27 minutes. Balotelli finished the rout with his hat-trick with another penalty ten minutes into the second half. Villa still sit in fifteenth but are now only a point from relegation.

West Brom nor Blackburn understood the good will to all men as both teams finished the match with ten men. Blackburn got off to a great start with Niko Kalinic putting them ahead after just three minutes. Tamas equalised for West Brom after seventeen to make it 1-1 at half-time. Kalinic restored Balckburn's lead eight minutes into the second half. Mame Diouf made it 3-1 after 62 minutes before Kalinic was shown a straight red two minutes later. West Brom levelled the man count when Tamas also received a straight red three minutes from time.

The shock of the day possibly came from the Britannia Stadium after Fulham beat Stoke 2-0. The scoreline may not have been too much of a surprise but the scorer certainly was. Chris Baird had scored one goal in his last 193 games but managed to score two goals inside ten minutes to give Fulham a much needed win.

The day's tea-time kick-off was at Upton Park as West Ham entertained Everton. West Ham took the lead through an own goal by Tony Hibbert after sixteen minutes. Everton equalised three minutes from half-time when an unmarked Seamus Coleman converted an inch perfect cross. The draw means West Ham are now just two points from safety.

The day's late kick-off was at St.Andrews with Birmingham hosting Manchester United. United knew that just a draw would take them back to the top on goal difference with games in hand. Both teams looked set for a 1-0 win with neither goalkeeper having much work. United failed to break down the Birmingham defence despite Giggs' early miss-hit cross that hit the post. The only time United did breakdown the defence they scored, a quick interchange between Berbatov and Gibson allowed the Bulgarian to net his fourteenth goal of the season thirteen minutes into the second half. Birmingham equalised just before injury time with a controversial goal, it seemed that substitute Zigic handled the ball to pass it to an offside looking Lee Bowyer who converted the opportunity.

Jenkins Bullies Brown

Terry 'The Bull' Jenkins fired his way into the third round with a win over Steve Brown. Jenkins won the first eight legs before Brown finally won one and went onto make it 2-1. Despite another mid-game lapse from Jenkins, the Bull managed to wake up again and surge to a 4-1 victory with Brown fighting him all the way.

Jenkins will meet Walsh in the third round after his afternoon opener against Alan Tabern. Walsh missed six darts to win the first set and most definitely played on his mind as Tabern took a 2-0 lead. That was only the start of it as Walsh recovered to make it 2-2 and then 3-3. The final set has to be won by two clear legs and Walsh took it all the way. This time it was Tabern to miss the doubles to win it to allow Walsh to take the final set 6-4 to win 4-3.

The other match this afternoon saw Vincent Van Der Voort race past Wayne Jones. The first set was over after just five minutes despite four legs being played with the Dutchman taking it. Jones equalised before Van Der Voort moved into a 3-1 lead. Jones pulled another set back but that would prove to be a mere consolation as Van Der Voort won the game 4-2.

Taylor Is Back

With critics questioning whether Phil Taylor is finished or, at least, diminishing, Taylor hit back in his second round match nearly at his best. After a poor 88 average in the first round he found an average of 102 in his second round match. His opponent was Per Laursen after his shock win over Part and Laursen did very little wrong and won three legs on his way to losing 4-0. After Taylor was expecting Part and then Nicholson, his route has got easier with Laursen evicting Part and Peter Wright beating Nicholson, leaving Taylor to play Wright in the next round.

Taylor's protege Adrian Lewis looked on song as well earlier in the night with a cool victory over Mark Dudbridge. Lewis was firing 180s for fun and quickly went 3-0 ahead. The Bristol thrower didn't leave empty handed as Dudbridge pulled a set back but it was only a quick relent before Lewis finished it off. 'Jackpot' will face Robert Thornton in the third round.

The other match of the night saw Mark Hylton secure another shock of the day after beating Colin Lloyd. Hylton took the first set before Lloyd levelled and 'Jaws' made it 2-2 after Hylton re-took the lead. But Lloyd couldn't keep on fighting and Hylton managed to escaped Jaws' grasp to win 4-2. Setting up a third round match with Mark Webster.

Chelsea Fail To Win In Six

It's been said that Arsenal lack the quality when playing the big teams. That has already been proven this year with poor displays against Manchester United and Chelsea earlier this season. However Arsenal showed their quality yesterday on this week's Monday Night Football with a big over a poor Chelsea, making it no win in six for Ancelotti's side. Arsenal grabbed the momentum by scoring just before half-time, Alex Song finished off a move that would have brought a penalty if the goal didn't materialise. After Wenger's comments about his worry over Fabregas, the Spaniard looked keen to prove him wrong and he did that by putting Arsenal 2-0 ahead just six minutes into the second half. Walcott made it 3-0 just two minutes later before the beleaguered Chelsea pulled a consolation back after 57 minutes through Ivanovic but the goal did little to revive them.

Webster Rockets Through As Nicholson Doesn't Get It Wright

After the Christmas break the World Darts Championship returned this afternoon to kick-off the second round matches. The format was now first to four sets and that was all it took for Mark Webster to see off Ronnie Baxter. Baxter didn't play as well as he knows he can but Webster took full advantage and is now a contender for the crown in the New Year. Webster will meet either Colin Lloyd or Hylton in the third round.

The second match of the afternoon saw a huge shock as Paul Nicholson lost to Peter Wright. Wright took out Stompe in the first round after Stopme missed countless doubles and the same story unfolded today. Nicholson missed six darts to seal the first set and Wright punished him. Nicholson equalised in the second and managed to fight it to 2-2 but his missed doubles crippled him as Wright went onto win 4-2. Wright will play either Phil Taylor or Per Laursen in the last sixteen.

The final match of the session saw Andy Hamilton have an appalling match and was well beaten by Robert Thornton. Neither started the match well but showed extremely brief sparks of life. Thornton proved to be more lethal on the doubles and that was what won the first set. From there Thornton grew into the game and took the 4-0 victory.

Boxing Day Premiership Action

With the weather starting to thaw, only two of yesterday's Premiership matches were postponed. Blackpool had to postpone their third match of the season this time against Liverpool, the other postponement was at Goodison Park which would have hosted Everton against Birmingham.

The lunch-time kick-off saw Fulham get hit by their West Ham demons. West Ham came back from 1-0 down to win 2-1 at Upton Park earlier this season but Fulham dominated the first half hour. This included a free header by Aaron Hughes just after ten minutes to score his first goal since 2004 to put Fulham ahead. But history started to repeat itself when Carlton Cole equalised eight minutes from time. Frederic Piquionne put West Ham ahead in first half injury time and Cole sealed the victory in the 73rd minute to go level on points with Fulham at the foot of the table.

Wigan were also on hand to win a 'six pointer' at the bottom end away to Wolves. Wolves started slowly and were punished as Hugo Rodellga put the Latics ahead just after nine minutes. Tom Cleverly continued his recent form by putting Wigan 2-0 ahead after twenty minutes with Wolves still yet to start. Wolves did pull one back three minutes from time thanks to substitute Steven Fletcher but Wigan held on to the win.

Tevez looked to have put his recent upset behind him as he scored two goals for Manchester City on the way to beating Newcastle. Gareth Barry put City ahead after just two minutes before Tevez doubled the lead three minutes later. Andy Carroll did pull one back for Newcastle after 72 minutes but Tevez ended the game nine minutes later as his shot played pinball between Simpson and Coloccini before finding the net. Moving City into second place with Chelsea playing Arsenal in tonight's Monday Night Football.

Bolton continued their great season with a win at home to West Brom. Matthew Taylor opened the scoring five minutes before half-time before Johann Elmander scored his ninth of the season four minutes from time.

Steve Kean's first match in charge of Blackburn ended in a home defeat to Stoke. Stoke's height won the match as they defended every high ball and defender Robert Huth scored with a towering header six minutes into the second half. Marc Wilson rounded the game off in injury time to ensure Stoke's win.

Manchester United stayed at the top with games in hand as they beat Sunderland at Old Trafford. United flew out of the traps and could have had four or five in the opening twenty minutes. They had to settle for one as Berbatov put them ahead after five minutes with a mixture of woodwork and Gordon keeping United at bay. Berbatov doubled United's lead twelve minutes into the second half to give United the win.

Boxing Day's tea-time fixture saw history repeat itself again as Aston Villa hosted Tottenham. Tottenham won 2-1 in October at White Hart Lane and went onto win 2-1 here with the same scorers at both ends. Villa had an early penalty decision turned down despite a good claim, but referee Martin Atkinson gave the right decision. Rafael Van Der Vaart put Tottenham ahead after 23 minutes before Defoe was sent off for an elbow four minutes later, it probably should have been a yellow. It didn't deter Tottenham as they went onto have a goal disallowed as the ball was judged to have gone out, but replays looked to show that the whole ball hadn't crossed the line. Despite Villa's attempts to equalise, Tottenham caught them on the counter attack and Van Der Vaart finished it off after 67 minutes. Marc Albrighton installed some hope after his cross ended up nestling in the corner with no-one getting on the end of it, eight minutes from time. The result sees Tottenham cement fourth place with Villa now fifteenth and four points from bottom but also just four points from eighth.

Caris Bows Out To The King

Magnus Caris became the final preliminary qualifier to exit at the first round as the last first round matches took place yesterday. Caris was fortunate to make it to the first round though after being 3-1 behind but came back to win 4-3 against Austrian Dietmar Burger. Caris' first round opponent was Mervyn King and King wasted no time in seeing off the challenge from the Swede. King only conceded two legs before winning 3-0 to progress into the second round.

King's opponent will be 'The Pieman' Andy Smith after he beat Australian Shane Tichowitsch. Tichowitsch had levelled to make it 1-1 but he struggled on the doubles, allowing Smith to rack up the 3-1 win. Smith progresses into the second round for the first time in four attempts.

Veteran Dennis 'The Menace' Priestley had no real trouble in progressing into the second round after beating German Bernd Roith. Roith did win the opening leg but that was it as Priestley won the next eight to seal the 3-0 victory. Priestley will face Gary Anderson in the second round which will be a tough test for both players.

Mark Walsh is the final name into the second round after overcoming a tough match against Justin Pipe. Walsh looked comfortable when he took a 2-0 lead but Pipe hit back with a 3-0 whitewash in the third set. It didn't deter Walsh as he went onto the next set to win 3-1 and book his second round tie with Alan Tabern.

Barney Slides Past The Muffin Man

Raymond Van Barneveld joined Van Der Voort as the only Dutchmen into the second round. Barney's first round opponent was 'The Muffin Man' Steve Hine. Van Barneveld looked relaxed during his walk-on but started poorly and lost the first two legs. Barney did then pull it back to 2-2 but Hine, who was playing excellent darts, held on to take the first set. Barneveld came back from the break fired up to win the next three sets but Hine deserves a lot of credit because he was never too far away.

Barney will meet Kevin McDine in the second round after he beat Barrie Bates earlier in the night. Bates is another player in this tournament who underwhelmed, although McDine didn't play fantastically either. McDine went 2-0 ahead before Bates managed to pull a set back but McDine won 3-1.

Last night's preliminary qualifier exited again. South African Devon Petersen had earlier edged his match 4-3 against Guyana man Madhoo. Petersen met Jamie Caven in the first round and took the first set using darts that Phil Taylor had given him once upon a time. Petersen kept making Caven work hard but a final 161 check-out saw him beat the African 3-1.

Caven will play against Colin Osbourne in the second round after 'The Wizard' saw off Yorkshireman Chris Thompson. Thompson wasn't at the races for the first two sets to give Osbourne the 2-0 lead. However Thompson hit back with some very good darts to pull a set back before Osbourne edged the fourth set to win 3-1.

More Dutch Woe But Van Der Voort Progresses

Two more Dutch entrants in the Darts World Championship exited early yesterday. Like some of the players already, many hopefuls have been underwhelming and disappointing. The same could have been said about Michael Van Gerwen. His first round opponent was Mensur Suljovic of Austria and the Dutch 'one for the future' missed so many doubles. This inevitably left Suljovic to win the game 3-1.

Another Dutch 'star in the making' Jelle Klaasen had one fantastic set against Steve Brown. But for the rest of the match Klaasen was poor and off key. The Bristol Bomber Brown was very much on key with a good performance to make it into the second round.

Brown will face Terry Jenkins in the second round after he won his nervy first round match against the promising Joe Cullen. It looked easy for Jenkins as he took a 2-0 lead but took his foot off the pedal and allowed Cullen to fight back and level at 2-2. Jenkins' experience won the game as he took the final set to win 3-2.

With four Dutchmen out and Van Barneveld yet to play, Vincent Van Der Voort is carrying the Dutch flag for now. His opponent was New Zealander Preston Ridd who saw off Michael Mansell 4-0 in the earlier preliminary match. Van Der Voort started at his utmost quickest to take the first set. With Mansell nowhere near Van Der Voort's league, the Dutchman took his foot off the pedal and cruised into the second round with Mansell only winning a solitary leg.

Artut Gets Cooked as Painter Gets Erased

Day six of the World Championship saw another seed bite the dust in just the first round. Kevin Painter has had a bit of bad luck in recent television draws, with most tournaments being ended by Phil Taylor. However this first round match Painter was against Northern Irishman Brendan Dolan. Painter played possibly his worst match ever on television and Dolan took full advantage to win in straight sets. Dolan will play Wes Newton in the second round.

The first match of the night saw Alan Tabern come from 2-1 down to beat Richie Burnett 3-2 to book his place in the second round. James Wade met a recent foe in Spaniard Antonio Alcinas. Alcinas was part of the Spanish double that beat Wade and Taylor in the World Cup. But Wade was in great form and beat Alcinas in straight sets with some showboating early on.

Jyhan Artut of Germany won the preliminary match of the night against Hong Kong representative Scott Mackenzie. Artut went 3-0 ahead before Mackenzie pulled it back to 3-3 and also had a dart to win the match, however nerves got the better of him and Artut pinched the first round place. His opponent in the first round was an ill Denis Ovens. Artut should have won the first leg to break throw but failed to do so and allowed Ovens to take the first set. Artut levelled but Ovens went onto win 3-1 and book a second round match up against Simon Whitlock.

City Just Get Frozen Out By Everton

With most of the Premiership action postponed due to snow this weekend, workers at Manchester City did all they could to make sure the game still went ahead. Even better news for City was that Tevez had seemingly done a Rooney and has withdrawn his transfer request after talks (with possible monetary offers involved). However City probably would have liked the game to have been postponed when Cahill opened the scoring after just four minutes. It got even worse for City when Leighton Baines made it 2-0 after just nineteen minutes. From there though City gained confidence and mounted all out attack on Everton, David Moyes' team withstood the pressure with great bravery.

The same story continued in the second half with City bombarding Everton's defence. Everton's task became a lot harder when the returning Victor Anichebe received a second yellow card to send Everton down to ten men on the hour mark. City looked to have taken full advantage twelve minutes later when a driven Yaya Toure cross was deflected by Jagielka into his own net to make it 1-2. Everton managed to hold on and Kolo Toure received an injury time second yellow card to level the man score out.

Darth Maple Succumbs to the Dane-Side

The first big shock of the 2010 World Darts Championship arrived yesterday as Canadian John Part lost to Dane Per Laursen. Laursen secured his first round place after beating Croat Boris Krcmar 4-2 in the preliminary round earlier. Part was suffering from an ear infection and a bout with flu, although that isn't an excuse, Part did look extremely ill on the oche. Laursen took full advantage to win the match 3-0 and set up a second round tie with Phil Taylor.

'The Wanderer' Wayne Jones had a tricky first round encounter with former finalist Kirk Shepherd. Shepherd took the first set before Jones then took the next six legs to make it 2-1. Shepherd managed to win a leg in the fourth set but couldn't stop Jones winning the match 3-1 to make it into the second round.

Scotsman Robert Thornton stumbled into the second round after seeing off a persistent Nigel Heydon. Thornton did look comfortable after taking the first two sets but Heydon fought back to make it 2-1. He was then throwing to win the fourth set to tie the game but his nerves got the better of him and Thornton won the match 3-1. Thornton will face Andy Hamilton in the second round.

Wes Newton dipped in and out of fine form in his victory over American Darin Young. He took the first set in style with a 122 checkout. Young was nothing near his best and Newton's average game was enough to beat the American 3-0 to book his place in the second round, either against Painter or Dolan.

Sports Personality of the Year 2010

Congratulations to AP McCoy for winning the 2010 BBC Sports Personality of the year. The accolade comes after McCoy finally won his first Grand National after fifteen attempts. Fifteen time World Champion darts player Phil 'The Power' Taylor came second with Heptathlon Champion Jessica Ennis in third.

Colin Montgomerie won coach of the year after seeing Europe win the Ryder Cup, the European team were named team of the year. Diver Tom Daley won Young Sports Personality of the year while David Beckham picked up the Lifetime Achievement award.

New Japanese Hiro Exits Graciously

The World Darts Championship is all about meeting new faces, scouting new talent and see the best players in the world contend for the trophy. Well yesterday a new hero emerged despite losing in the first round. He comes from Japan and goes by the name of Morihiro Hashimoto, he played a preliminary match against Matt Padgett. Surprisingly the Englishman wasn't the crowd's favourite as members of the audience had already begun to create a song for Hashimoto. Spurned on by the crowd, Hashimoto went onto win 4-2 to progress into the first round.

However his fairytale met a cruel end as he faced Championship contender Gary Anderson. Despite it being the season of good will, Anderson was in no mood to allow Hashimoto any presents. The crowd still sang for Hashimoto despite not winning a leg against the Scotsman and no doubt we will see him next year. Anderson comfortably through to the second round with superlative darts.

Earlier in the night Mark Dudbridge secured his first televised victory since this tournament last year. He went a set behind against Alex Roy but came back to win 3-1 however he faces a second round tie against Adrian Lewis which won't be easy to get out of.

Andy Hamilton didn't set the world alight in the opening match but did beat Dennis Smith 3-0 to make it to the second round. Neither player averaged more than 80 and the mood inside was just as cold as the weather outside.

Last year's runner-up Simon Whitlock also comfortably made it into the second round after beating Welshman Steve Evans. The 'Beard to be Feared' only conceded two legs on his way to winning the match 3-0.

Snow Freezes Premiership Action

The winter struck again this week as all but two games were postponed this weekend. Tomorrow's Monday Night Football clash between Manchester City and Everton is also still under threat. The only two games that went ahead yesterday saw Danny Welbeck score the only goal after 32 minutes for Sunderland to beat Bolton. Blackburn's first game without former manager Sam Allardyce ended in a 1-1 draw with West Ham. Captain Nelsen put Rovers ahead six minutes into the second half before substitute Junior Stanislas equalised twelve minutes from time.

Two Dutchmen Out At First Hurdle

The second day of the World Championship saw two Dutchmen leave the competition at the very first hurdle. The big shot of the night was seeing Co Stompe, a quarter-finalist last year, beaten by Peter Wright 3-1. Stompe had troubles finishing and Wright made him pay to set up a second round tie against Paul Nicholson.

The second Dutchman to be eliminated was Roland Scholten. Scholten made to the first round by beating Veijo Viinikka 4-2 in a preliminary match earlier that evening. His first round opponent was last year's quarter finalist Ronnie Baxter. Baxter's class shone through to beat Scholten 3-0 and set up a tough second round tie against Mark Webster.

Adrian 'Jackpot' Lewis started his campaign in fine form. He was up against Colin Eccles who had the experience over Lewis. But Lewis proved to be no match for Eccles as he comfortably won 3-0.

The biggest drama of the night came from the match between Colin Lloyd and Andree Welge. Lloyd was the favourite and took a 2-0 lead but the German fought back to level the score at 2-2. With Lloyd obviously disappointed with letting his lead slip, he let his anger get the better of him and punched the dart board, cutting his knuckles on his throwing arm. Whether it put Welge off or not only he knows, but Lloyd won the final set to progress into the second round. Mark Hylton will be his second round opponent.

Champions League Round of 16 Draw

The first knock-out round in Europe's biggest tournament was draw today in Switzerland. There were some 'easy' ties for both sides as AS Roma will play Shakhtar Donetsk which is a great opportunity for both teams to make a place in the quarter finals. Valencia will play Shalke in the other match that is a good tie for both teams. After facing Inter Milan in the group phase, Tottenham have been drawn against AC Milan, rivals Inter will have a re-run of last season's final against Bayern Munich. Lyon have an extremely tough tie against Real Madrid which Mourinho will be looking for progression into the quarter finals. Arsene Wenger said in his post-match interview against Braga that he would like to face Barcelona, well be careful what you wish for Arsene because Arsenal have been drawn against Barcelona. Chelsea and Manchester United will be looking ahead to the quarter finals after Chelsea were drawn with FC Copenhagen whereas United will play Olympique Marseille.

Is There To Be A Power Cut?

After Phil 'The Power' Taylor's demise alongside James Wade last week in the World Cup, his campaign to win his sixteenth World Championship started off in extremely shaky fashion. Surprisingly, Taylor has been beaten six times in the last six weeks in various different tournaments including the World Cup. His first round opponent in yesterday's World Championship opening day was American Gary Mawson. Mawson had played in a preliminary match a few hours earlier against Filipino Juanito Gionson 4-1. Taylor managed to beat Mawson 3-0 (best of five sets, each set is best of five legs) but only managed to average 88. His finishing was equally as bad as he only managed a 24% checkout success rate, but still only conceded three legs in the entire match. However, that was due to Mawson being in a completely different league. If it was anyone else Taylor wouldn't have been so lucky and with a possible second round match up against John Part on the cards, the world's best darts player needs to step up.

The other matches yesterday saw Paul Nicholson and Mark Webster show their decent form to win their games 3-0 respectively. Nicholson saw off Steve Farmer whereas Webster only conceded two legs in beating Steve Maish.

The shock of the night saw former World Champion Steve Beaton lose to World Championship debutant Mark Hylton. Hylton produced some stunning darts with Beaton looking beaten early on. Hylton went 2-1 ahead and missed a dart to win 3-1 before Beaton fought back to take it into the deciding set. It went the distance before the former air steward Hylton won the final leg to win the final set to win the game 3-2.

Parked At The Top: Manchester United 1-0 Arsenal

Manchester United line-up: Van Der Sar, Rafael, Vidic (c), Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, Fletcher, Carrick, Anderson (Giggs, 85'), Park, Rooney
Arsenal line-up: Szczesny, Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, Rosicky (Fabregas, 64'), Nasri, Song, Wilshere (Van Persie, 64'), Arshavin (Walcott, 77'), Chamakh

The same formation brings Arsenal to their downfall again as Sir Alex Ferguson outwits Arsene Wenger. The surprise line-up choices were seeing Arsenal's third choice keeper Szczesny making his debut whereas Fabregas was only fit enough to make the bench. Fergie's formation change meant that Berbatov was dropped to the bench.

The first half started promisingly for both teams with each team keeping possession nicely. United grew into the game quicker though as Arsenal's tactic was to play rough. United made the early chances but nothing threatened the young Pole, although he did have a few nervy kicks. As United grew in confidence, Arsenal's offence was limited with all the play in front of the United back four. Despite a few overzealous fouls early on, Howard Webb waited until the 43rd minute to brandish the first yellow card of the game. As United kept their foot on the ball they were getting closer with every chance. They finally broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time when a Nani cross was deflected onto the improvising head of Park, who managed to loop it over Szczesny and give United the deserved lead.

Arsenal came out better in the second half but it made them vulnerable to that famous counter-attack. Both teams were throwing punches but nothing was making either keeper work too hard. That was until Anderson was put through by Rooney but Szczesny made himself big to block the shot. Nani was also played through via a counter-attack but his shot blazed over when it should have game over. Arsenal felt fortunate and tried to mount attacks but again there wasn't really anything played behind the defence. The best chance Arsenal had was when Nasri hit a shot outside the box and Van Der Sar nearly parried into the path of Chamakh, who couldn't react fast enough to get a shot away before blocked off by Vidic. United had a great opportunity to put the game to bed after 72 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for handball on Clichy. Rooney stepped up but fired hopelessly over the bar and the score finished 1-0. This puts United back on top with a two point lead over Arsenal and Manchester City, a three point lead over Chelsea with a game in hand over all three. United and Chelsea clash in the big game on Sunday at Stamford Bridge.

Welcome Back John Higgins

It's been a tough, long six months for John Higgins. He missed the table and I think the table missed the Scotsman but after that moment of madness, and maybe weakness, John Higgins returned last night to the top of the snooker world.

The UK Championship was his first major tournament since he returned from his suspension and he looked in fine form all tournament. After escaping an early threat from Stephen Lee, which he managed to overcome 9-7, Higgins powered his way into last night's final. It shouldn't have been the fairytale end to Higgins' time out from the game as his opponent Mark Williams went 9-5 ahead in the best of 19 frames. But somehow Higgins fought his way back time and again after Williams missed countless frame and match balls to win 10-9 and take home the UK Championship.

All I can say is welcome back John Higgins. Why you did what you did only you can explain, but you have come back from the depths and have managed to keep everything, your family, your job and your image. Congratulations to John Higgins on winning the UK Championship and we all hope everything can be forgotten.

Europe Win 2010 Mosconi Cup

The Mosconi Cup comes back home as Europe took just two matches in the last session to overcome the Americans 11-8. The first match of the evening session saw Van Boening take on the Mosconi Cup 2010 MVP Darren Appleton. Van Boening won the lag and cut and run from his initial break. Appleton replied instantly before Van Boening made an illegal break in the third to allow Appleton to take the lead. Appleton missed the two ball in the fourth rack but went onto make a 4-9 combination shot to make it 3-1. Van Boening kept in the hunt with a cut and run to make it 3-2 but Appleton shut him out. He again replied with a cut and run of his own in the sixth rack before Van Boening missed the one ball to let Appleton reach the hill. Appleton finished Van Boening off in style with an average break, potting a ball, but then making a 3-5 combination and a length bank four ball on his way to winning the game 6-2. Meaning that Europe were on the hill.

Who better to bring the Mosconi Cup home but captain Ralf Souquet. He hasn't had the best tournament by any means but winning the final point for Europe will be a sweet ending for The Kaiser. His opponent was Corey Deuel but Souquet won the lag and set the marker with a cut and run. Deuel replied before taking the third after Souquet missed the seven following a missed safety on the two from Deuel. Deuel then extended his lead to 3-1 after a safety battle from Deuel's dry break. Deuel then fouled on the two in the fifth frame to let Souquet pull a leg, the German then levelled after potting a five from a snooker from Deuel. Souquet re-took the lead with a crucial cut and run and made it to hill in the eighth after both players were showing signs of nerves. Souquet missed the two in the ninth following a push out to allow Deuel back to the table, he went onto make a 4-9 combination to make it 5-4. Europe weren't to be denied and Deuel came up dry in the tenth break to allow Souquet a clear run. He made a 2-7 carom on his way to the nine ball to win the game 6-4 and win Europe the Mosconi Cup 2010 11-8.

Barclay's Premier League Round-Up 11/12/10-/12/12/10

With four of the top five teams meeting this weekend was always going to be explosive, that's before Manchester United and Arsenal face off in this week's Monday Night Football. There was no Saturday lunch-time kick-offs so we went head long into five three o'clock kick-offs.

Surprisingly there were two 0-0 draws this weekend as Fulham drew at home to Sunderland while Everton drew with Wigan. Aston Villa curbed their recent bad run of form with a nervy win against rivals West Brom. Stewart Downing got on the end of an Albrighton cross after 25 minutes to give Villa the lead. Heskey continued his revitalised goalscoring form with Villa's second ten minutes from the end. Paul Scharner pulled one back just before injury time but Villa held on for the win.

Manchester City's off field problems continued but results on the pitch keep coming. Yaya Toure put City ahead away to struggling West Ham on the half hour mark. Toure was the curator of the second goal as well as his shot hit post and rebounded off the back of Green to make it 2-0. Substitute Adam Johnson sealed it with nine minutes remaining but James Tomkins scored a consolation just before added time. City's temperamental problems hit again as Balotelli reacted angrily at being subbed but the worse news for City is that Tevez wants out of Eastlands.

Blackpool's surprising season continues as they managed to hold out for a 1-0 victory over Stoke at The Britannia. DJ Campbell scored the only goal of the match three minutes into the second half. Although how the game finished 1-0 is beyond me as both teams with the woodwork on more than one occasion.

Saturday's tea time kick-off saw Alan Pardew sit in the Newcastle dug out for the first time as they entertained Liverpool. Kevin Nolan put the hosts ahead after fifteen minutes before Dirk Kuyt equalised four minutes into the second half. Pardew's side weren't to be denied the points as Joey Barton made it 2-1 with ten minutes remaining and then Andy Carroll sealed it ten minutes with a twenty five yard strike.

There were three games today with three local derbies. The first installment of Super Sunday saw the Lancashire derby between Bolton and Blackburn. The main action took place in the second half and it started eleven minutes into the second half when Mark Davies received a second yellow to reduce Bolton to ten men. It didn't faze them as they went onto take the lead through Muamba after 65 minutes. Blackburn had thought they had earned a point when Mame Biram Diouf equalised with three minutes remaining. But wasn't going to be the case as Stuart Holden scored a minute later to give Bolton the 2-1 win.

The non-televised game was a Midlands derby between Wolves and Birmingham. A sole goal from Stephen Hunt just before half-time gave Wolves the victory at Molineux.

Chelsea's win-less form continued in Super Sunday's second installment as they were held by Tottenham. Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs ahead after fifteen minutes. Drogba equalised with twenty minutes remaining but Chelsea could have won it in injury time, Chelsea were awarded a penalty and Drogba insisted he would take it over Lampard but Gomes saved it and the match finished 1-1. Allowing either Manchester United or Arsenal to extend their lead over Chelsea tomorrow.

Mosconi Cup: Day 4, Afternoon Session

The 2010 Mosconi Cup reaches its final day with the score at 8-6 to Europe. The format now becomes all singles matches and are extended back to race to six. The first match saw Morris take on Immonen, Morris was unusually looking subdued and it showed in his pool. Morris won the lag and made two balls from the initial break before electing for a push out. He went on to miss the two to allow Immonen to take the first rack. Immonen cut and run in the second rack with two balls down and a bank of the one ball on his way to taking the 2-0 lead. Morris came up dry in the third which decided to push out from. Morris missed the jump pot but Immonen also failed to pot the one, allowing Morris to pull one back. Immonen regained momentum with another cut and run in the fourth to make it 3-1 and the edgy Morris missed a safety attempt to leave Immonen a clear up to make it 4-1. Immonen's flawless breaking continued as he made it to the hill and wasted no time in winning the game 6-1 when Morris missed the three ball twice after a nice 3-5 combination. Making it 9-6 to Europe.

The second saw Archer participate in the must win game against Boyes. Archer won the lag but came up dry. A nervous Boyes fouled on the three, leaving Archer to take the rack. Boyes' nerves fared no better after he scratched on his break to allow Archer a 2-9 combination to make it 2-0. Archer stamped his authority with a cut and run to get halfway to the vital point and made it 4-0 when Boyes missed a safety on the one ball. Archer cut his own momentum by making an illegal break to give Boyes a rack back with the clear-up. Boyes then made a superlative jump bank pot on the three before missing an average four with his next shot. Allowing Archer to get to the hill at 5-1. Archer couldn't seal it in the next rack as he came up dry yet again, Boyes cleared up which included a 1-7 combination. Boyes pulled another rack back in the eighth with a cut and run. With Archer on the back foot he snookered himself on the two after his next break, allowing Boyes to be within one of The Scorpion. Boyes then levelled after Archer surprisingly scratched on the six. But he managed to stumble over the line with a final cut and run to win 6-5. Making the score now 9-7 to Europe.

The final game of the session saw Hatch take on Van Den Berg. Van Den Berg won the lag but scratched off the break to leave Hatch with a clear-up. Hatch doubled his lead with a cut and run before Van Den Berg scratched for a second time off the break. Van Den Berg had a chance to pull a rack back but he missed the six to give Hatch a 4-0 advantage. It started to turn in the fifth as Van Den Berg made a cut and run before Hatch scratched off the break to make it 4-2. Van Den Berg followed up with another cut and run with Hatch then scratching again to leave a 5-9 combination for Van Den Berg. Van Den Berg made two off the break in the ninth but had to play safe. Hatch then made an unsporting intentional foul to tie up the three, four and five. However karma came around and allowed Van Den Berg to clear-up to make it 5-4 to the Dutchman. Hatch replied instantly with a cut and run to take it into the final rack where Van Den Berg would be breaking. It turned into a safety duel with Van Den Berg potting the one and Hatch potting the two. Van Den Berg then fouled on the four after being snookered to give Hatch the clear-up and to win the game 6-5. Making the score 9-8 in favour of Europe going into the final session tonight.

Mosconi Cup: Day 3, Evening Session

With Europe taking the afternoon session 2-1, the overall score was now 5-5 going into the penultimate evening session. Europe still failed to take the lead after Appleton & Van Den Berg went 4-1 ahead against Hatch & Van Boening. But the plucky Americans fought back and won the following four racks to take the game 5-4 and give USA the lead yet again, 6-5.

With a pattern emerging you might have been able to predict the outcome of the second match as Boyes & Souquet took on Morris & Archer. The Europeans again led 4-1 before Morris & Archer were able to pull it back to 4-4. The final break was a good one from Souquet and Europe won the game 5-4. Equalising the overall score for the fifth time so far.

Then the tables turned as Hatch took on Appleton in an explosive encounter. This time it was Hatch who flew out of the traps to take a 4-1 lead. But just like in the previous two matches, Appleton pulled it back to 4-4. Hatch was favourite to win the final rack after he broke but he missed the eight allowing Appleton to storm in and steal the game 5-4. Giving Europe the lead for the first time since the team game on day 1.

The final game saw Van Den Berg & Immonen take on Van Boening & Deuel with the Americans needing to level overnight. However the Americans looked like they had ran out of steam and the Europeans won 5-1. Meaning that after day 3 Europe lead 8-6, with the final day left to play.

Mosconi Cup: Day 3, Afternoon Session

As the weekend approaches, the Mosconi Cup has afternoon sessions on days three and four. The matches are also cut shorter so it becomes a race to five not six. Day three's afternoon session kicked off with doubles action as Boyes & Immonen took on Hatch & Archer. With the Americans having a second overnight lead at 4-3, Archer won the lag so the Americans would break first. Hatch made a good starting break with two balls down but Archer looked hampered on the two ball. However he was able to fluke it, showing the first signs of good luck, but Hatch missed the following three allowing Europe to clear up and take the lead. It was 2-0 straight after when Immonen's break led to a cut and run and it went to 3-0 after Archer made a ball from the break but Hatch missed a difficult one ball, leaving the clear up for the Europeans. Boyes scratched off the break in rack four allowing the Americans to put a rack on the board but Hatch returned the favour to allow Europe to take a 4-1 lead. With the victory in sight, Immonen powered three balls in the break to leave Europe an easy cut and run to win the game 5-1 and again level overall.

Archer and Immonen stayed out as the second match was also a doubles match. Deuel accompanied Archer this time with Souquet partnering Immonen. This time the Europeans won the lag but Immonen couldn't take advantage from his break. Deuel played a majestic 2-8 carom double pot before it all got defensive. That was until Archer made another fluke with a 3-4 combination to allow America to take the first rack. Deuel then made an illegal break but left the cue ball agonisingly in the jaws so the Europeans could do nothing so America doubled their lead. Souquet made two balls from the break in the third rack but had to elect for a push out. Deuel missed a safety attempt to allow Europe to pull a rack back. Archer restored a two rack lead with a quick cut and run but Deuel again missed a safety attempt in the fifth to allow the score to become 3-2. Deuel made a ball in the sixth before electing a push out that was given back, Archer's guardian angel was shining again, as he fluked a 2-7 combination before leaving a snooker that Immonen fouled from, making it 4-2. Souquet made a ball off the break in the seventh but it was not enough as the American pairing took the rack to win 5-2 and regain the overall lead 5-4.

The final game of the afternoon saw Rodney Morris take on the debutant Karl Boyes. Boyes won the lag but scratched from the break to allow Morris to take the early lead. Morris' opening break saw two balls potted but another stroke of luck as the cue ball balanced in the jaws of the pocket. Boyes got the last laugh, however, as Morris failed to make a decent safety attempt to give Boyes the chance to level the score. Boyes took the momentum with a cut and run in the third to take the lead, before Morris retaliated with a cut and run of his own which included a bank shot on the two, making the score 2-2. Boyes again mastered the break with another cut and run to re-take the lead. Morris looked to respond again but became too casual and surprisingly missed the nine to give Boyes a present to make it to the hill. Boyes then finished The Rocket off with yet another cut and run to win the game 5-2. Making the overall 5-5 as we go into the evening session later tonight.

Mosconi Cup: Day 2

With USA taking the overnight lead, Europe had to perform in the second day. However it turned out to be just as close as day one with both teams providing great entertainment. The opening match of the night was the final match of day one, which was postponed, between Archer & Van Boening against the English duo Appleton & Boyes. The game had everything you could have expected with missed shots, inventive shots and everything in between. The game finished 6-3 to Appleton & Boyes but it could have been over sooner if Boyes hadn't have let nerves get the better of him to miss a nine ball. This win put Europe back level with USA at 2-2.

The second game saw Archer stay at the table as he took on Souquet, neither captain had started the tournament well with Souquet just about playing worse. This showed when Archer stormed into a 4-0 lead. But out of the blue Souquet found his potting cue and got back at Archer to lead 5-4, to Archer's amazement. But Souquet ran out of steam and Archer won the remaining two racks to take the game 6-5. Giving USA a 3-2 lead.

Darron Appleton was already looking for the MVP award with another stellar performance as he & Souquet took on Morris and Deuel. The Americans went 5-4 ahead and looked to be cruising to a 6-4 victory when a cut and run was on the cards. But Deuel badly overshot position which Morris failed to play safe and Europe levelled. With Europe breaking in the final rack Appleton potted three balls and Europe cleared to snatch the win 6-5. Again levelling overall 3-3.

The final match of the night for that crucial overnight lead saw Van Boening take on Van Den Berg. Van Den Berg was looking good and was having the luck on his side. But the score still went to 5-5 and the final rack saw Van Boening fluke a safe two which allowed him to make a 3-9 combination to seal the win 6-5 and give USA the overnight lead at 4-3.

Mosconi Cup: Day 1

Nine-Ball Pool's answer to the Ryder Cup started yesterday in the York Hall, Bethnal Green. The 17th annual Mosconi cup sees the five best Americans take on the five best Europeans in a four day event. Matches are first to six racks and the team that gets eleven points first become champions. USA won the Mosconi Cup last year with a 11-7 victory.

Opening match of the tournament saw all five members of each team take on each other in the baker match. Nick Van Den Berg of Holland broke the first rack after captain Souquet of Germany won the lag, he potted two from the break but the one ball was unpottable. This lead to a defensive battle which the German captain Souquet finished by banking it. USA went onto take the initiative but Hatch missed the four ball, from there Europe cut and run with Van Den Berg potting the nine to give Europe a 1-0 lead.
The breaking format is alternate so Rodney 'Rocket' Morris broke for USA in the second rack, he potted a ball but the team elected for a push out. Souquet stepped up and made a snooker which Johnny Archer re-made and Mika 'Iceman' Immonen of Finland escaped it. Shane Van Boening as next to provide a snooker which Souquet escaped. Englishman Karl Boyes turned the tables on his Mosconi Cup debut with a snooker of his own which Morris escaped. Corey Deuel finally potted the one ball but Archer missed the two. Englishman Darron Appleton potted it and Europe cut and run with Immonen potting the nine ball to make it 2-0.
Souquet broke in the third and potted a ball but a defensive encounter ensued. Van Den Berg misses the two which Dennis Hatch potted. Morris followed with a nice carom off the three ball to pot the eight and USA cleared up with Deuel potting the nine to make it 2-1.
Archer potted two balls in his break and USA were looking like they were going cut and run before Van Boening missed the eight. Appleton potted it and Immonen potted the nine to make it 3-1.
Souquet broke again in the fifth and potted a ball but snookered his teammate on the two ball and elected to push out. Hatch missed his pot but luckily got a snooker. Van Den Berg replaced the snooker but because no ball touched a cushion it was deemed a foul and USA were awarded a ball in hand. USA cut and run with Deuel potting the nine ball again to make it 2-3.
Archer pulled a dry break on his second attempt in the match. Appleton missed the one ball which Van Boening potted. Morris then missed the three ball which Immonen potted to allow Europe to cut and run with Souquet potting the nine. 2-4.
Boyes broke in the seventh rack and Van Den Berg produced a snooker. Deuel escaped and Archer went onto pot the two ball. Deuel made a snooker on the six ball which Immonen scratched from to allow USA to cut and run. Morris potted the nine ball to make it 3-4.
Deuel then broke dry and Souquet potted the one but snookered teammate Boyes on the two. Boyes' attempt saw the two finish in the jaws of the pocket leaving Archer an easy pot. Van Boening then left the three open allowing Van Den Berg to pot it. Appleton applied pressure with a snooker on the four but Hatch escaped. Morris went onto pot the four but Deuel missed the five. Souquet then potted the five before a safety duel occurred. Van Boening went onto bank the seven to allow Hatch to pot the eight and Morris the nine to level the score at 4-4.
Immonen made the first illegal break of the night, he potted a ball but two others failed to pass the head string. Deuel missed the one though and Souquet punished him. Archer made a pot on the three which allowed USA to cut and run with Van Boening potting the nine ball to give USA the lead for the first time.
Hatch broke for the win and potted a ball but USA elected for a push out which the Europeans decided to give back. Van Den Berg applied pressure with a snooker but Deuel replaced it and Appleton escaped . Archer then made a 1-3 combination shot before Immonen made a snooker. Hatch managed to fluke the one but Morris missed the two, leaving Souquet to snooker. Boyes went onto pot the two before Van Den Berg missed a 4-6 combination. Morris fouled on the eight ball leaving Appleton to pot it and Immonen to pot the nine to make it 5-5.
The final rack was broke by Souquet and he potted a ball. Deuel missed the one which Van Den Berg potted to allow Europe to cut and run, Immonen potted the nine and Europe won the first point with a 5-6 victory.
The second game saw a doubles match between Hatch & Morris against Souquet & Van Den Berg. Morris broke first after winning the lag but came up dry and it was also illegal. Van Den Berg missed a early carom onto the nine and Hatch made a snooker from it. Souquet escaped it but Morris potted the one to allow them to cut and run with Morris finishing what he started. 1-0.
Van Den Berg broke in the second and potted a ball. Hatch potted the two after a mistake and he went onto finish what he started to give them a 2-0 lead.
Hatch potted three balls off his break but they still elected to push out. It was given back and Morris made a snooker. Souquet fouled to allow Morris to snooker again on the four. Van Den Berg escaped and Souquet managed to pot the four before he scratched on the nine ball. Morris did the honours to make it 3-0.
Souquet potted a ball of his break but it scratched and nine ball also went down. With the nine ball re-spotted Hatch and Morris cut and run to make it 4-0.
Morris potted two balls from his break in the fifth but Hatch played safe on the three. It didn't work as Van Den Berg fluked the three but Souquet missed the easy four. Morris punished The Kaiser but missed the six after a poor positional finish from Hatch. Van den Berg potted the six but again over-ran for position which Souquet went onto miss the seven. The Americans finished it off and made 5-0.
Van Den Berg broke to keep his partner and himself in the game, he made a ball. Van Den Berg went onto produce a snooker which Morris escaped from. Souquet potted the five to allow the Europeans to cut and run to pull a leg back, 5-1.
Hatch made a ball in the seventh but Morris elected for a push out which was given back. It was the right choice as Souquet potted the one to allow the cut and run to make it 5-2.
Souquet broke dry in the eighth but Hatch could only provide a snooker. Van Den Berg replaced it but Morris chip potted the one ball before Hatch missed the two. Souquet then produced a snooker which Morris escaped but left the two on. Van Den Berg potted it to cut and run to make it 5-3.
Morris broke and potted the one ball to give himself and Hatch a great opportunity to cut and run. Hatch however missed the eight ball after bad position from Morris to allow the Europeans to pull it back to 5-4.
Van Den Berg broke in the tenth and made two balls. But Van Den Berg went onto miss a reverse bank shot on the four to allow the Americans to cut and run and win the game 6-4. Making the overall score 1-1.
The third game saw a singles match between Corey Deuel and Mika Immonen. The American won the lag and potted two off his opening break. He played safe on the two but Immonen was able to bank it and clear up to take a 0-1 lead.
Immonen made the first cut and run straight form the break to double his lead before Deuel scratched his break in the third. This gave The Iceman the chance to make a 1-9 combination and he didn't disappoint. 0-3.
Immonen made another three balls from his second break and potted the four in off the seven. But he missed a safety shot on the six allowing Deuel to cut and run and put a rack on the board. 1-3.
It was soon 2-3 when Deuel made two balls of the next break leaving him a 3-9 carom. The American took it to go within one of his opponent.
Immonen carried on the fine breaking form with another two balls. He snookered Deuel on the two before going onto pot it. Deuel then made a snooker on the three before scratching. Immonen potted the four before then scratching as well, leaving Deuel to clear up and equalise, 3-3.
Deuel made the first illegal break of the game despite potting a ball. Deuel then missed an inventive 2-9 combination which left the same combination on for Immonen. The Finn didn't miss and restored his lead. 3-4.
Immonen made another three ball on his break before playing safe on the three. Deuel went onto pot it and clear up to level again at 4-4.
Deuel also potted three balls from his next break in the ninth. Immonen potted the two ball before missing the six but getting a snooker. Deuel returned the favour which left Immonen to scratch the cue ball, allowing Deuel to take the lead for the first time, 5-4.
Immonen made two balls in the tenth rack before producing a snooker on the two ball. Deuel again returned the favour which Immonen intentionally fouled from to tie up some balls. What he didn't count on was for Deuel to make a 2-9 combination to win the game 6-4.
There was supposed to be another doubles match but it was getting late so the referees decided to leave it until tomorrow. This meant that after day one of the 17th Mosconi Cup USA lead 2-1.