PROUD DAD…Derry’s Daryl Gurney all smiles with son Daryl junior after winning his second round game 3-0
The fifth seed appeared on course to take the opening set 3-0 before missing eight darts at a finish as Smith recovered to level at 2-2, only to see Gurney then hit double 12.
Both men struggled on finishes in the second set, but Gurney started to find his range to move within a set of victory, which he closed out after another maximum in the deciding leg to record a 100.3 match average.
Gurney – nicknamed ‘Superchin’- will play Jamie Lewis, beaten by Phil Taylor in the 2018 semi-finals, for a place in the last 32.
After the game, Daryl said: “I got beat here last year in the second round by John Henderson so this year I wanted to put it right.
“So I have through this first round game and I want to go on.”
And he says he can uh his game against his next opponent Jamie Lewis.
“To be honest, I think I can score and play better than I did against Ross Smith and if I can do that and back it up with doubles, I will be ok.”
‘Superchin’ Gurney marches in the third round to face last year’s beaten semi-finalist Jamie Lewis
Robert Thornton lost 3-1 against the Swedish qualifier Daniel Larsson, who hit seven 180s and produced a match average of 91.03 while Austria’s Rowby-John Rodriguez put out Ricky Evans by the same score for his first victory on the Alexandra Palace stage.
Japan’s Seigo Asada produced a stunning comeback to beat Poland’s Krzysztof Ratajski 3-2 having lost the first two sets. He will meet the ninth seed, James Wade, in the second round.
Tuesday’s evening session opened with Steve Lennon defeating Australia’s James Bailey 3-0 in their first-round match and he will face Alan Norris.
Ron Meulenkamp recovered from 2-0 down to beat the Brazilian Diogo Portela, who hit an 11-dart leg in the opening set. However, the Dutchman, with eight 180s, came through strong after taking the third set and is scheduled to meet Michael Smith in round two.
Dimitri Van den Bergh, the world No 35, ran out a 3-0 winner over America’s Chuck Puleo, which included a 144 check-out in the final set.
He will take on Jonny Clayton in round two.
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