The second night of the 2013 World Matchplay saw the two heavy favourites enter the fray. Phil Taylor performed the best show of the tournament to set out his stall before Michael Van Gerwen also progressed with a very solid performance. Gary Anderson also produced a good performance to make it through with Dave Chisnall somehow squeezing in to the second round.
After pulling out the European Championship with illness, Anderson returned to the oche and looked to be in top form for the first time in a while. The Scot began the match with a 101-checkout before leaving the stage 4-1 ahead after winning the opening three legs. King won the opening leg of the second session before Anderson took the following four legs to extend his lead to 8-2. King did try to mount some sort of comeback and managed to make it 8-5 before Anderson took the next two legs to win 10-5 and set up a second round match against James Wade.
The cagiest match of the tournament definitely goes to Chisnall and Paul Nicholson. It was a match where neither were at their best and it left Nicholson visibly upset. Nicholson did start the better by winning the first two legs before taking a 4-1 lead at the first break. Chisnall came back after the break to level the match before missing three darts in following leg to take the lead for the first time. Chizzy did win the tenth leg with a 102-checkout which meant the players were locked together at 5-5 at the second break. Chisnall added a 121-checkout to take the lead for the first time before going 7-5 in front. This time it was Nicholson to fight back and did so by winning the following three legs to regain the lead at 8-7. Chisnall managed to find a 76-checkout on the bull to again level the match before breaking Nicholson to go 9-8 in front. This also seemed to break him mentally as The Asset was having to fight back the tears during the 18th leg. Chisnall also managed to win that to win the game 10-8 and progress through to the second round. Thoughts do go to Nicholson though in the hope he is okay and recovers his form.
It was perhaps no surprise that the tournament favourite pulled off the best performance of the tournament so far. Taylor faced Matchplay debutant Stuart Kellett and sent out a chilling statement. The Power took the first five legs with a 161-checkout in the fifth. Kellett did miss the odd dart at a double but finally avoided the whitewash in the eighth leg after Taylor missed two darts himself. It didn't change the outcome and Taylor hit a 134-checkout in the tenth to make it 9-1 at the second break. The players returned for Taylor to also take the 11th leg and easily win the match 10-1 to set up a second round tie with Terry Jenkins.
Van Gerwen also looked to make his mark against Colin Lloyd with a beginning checkout of 107 and then a 120-checkout in leg three as he went 5-0 in front. Unlike many, Lloyd was fazed and he retaliated after the break by winning the following three legs before also finding a 120-checkout to make it 6-4 at the second break. Van Gerwen would miss two darts in the 13th leg as Lloyd made it 7-6. But Van Gerwen stopped the comeback with an 85-checkout on the bull before then making it 9-6. The Dutchman would then win the 17th leg to book his place in the second round.
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