Darts: Hamilton out of world championship

by Matt Bozeat

ANDY Hamilton's maximum blitz wasn't enough to take him through to the quarter-finals of the PDC Ladbrokes.com world championship at Alexandra Palace last night.

Hamilton was beaten 4-1 by Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in their third-round clash – despite hitting 11 maximum 180s.

The Talke Pits thrower was punished for missing crucial doubles – including four off-target attempts in the deciding leg of the fifth set to save the match and make the score 3-2.

His defeat means Phil Taylor is the only Potteries player through to the last eight following Adrian Lewis's second-round exit and ends his hopes of meeting 'The Power' in Sunday night's final.

Taylor will meet Co Stompe from the Netherlands in the quarter-finals tomorrow.

Stompe stunned crowd favourite Wayne Mardle with a 4-0 whitewash in their third-round clash yesterday and will be aiming to repeat the victory he recorded against Taylor in the final of the PartyPoker.net German championships in November.

Klaasen, the 2006 BDO world champion, then chalked up another win for the Dutch.

Both players were soon into their stride – Hamilton starting the second leg with seven treble 20s and then just missing the treble 19 – and there was nothing between them in the opening two sets that both went with the throw.

The crucial first break came in the third leg of the third set. Klaasen's 180 got him to the double first despite 'The Hammer' replying with a maximum and the Dutchman took his chance and then held his throw to take the set.

Klaasen broke again in the third leg of the fourth set after Hamilton's throw of 41 let him in and went onto open a 3-1 lead after the Potteries publican missed a dart at double 16 to save the set.

Hamilton started the fifth set with a maximum 180 and went on to take the leg against the darts to raise hopes of a fightback.

His advantage was soon lost, however. Hamilton started the second leg with a throw of 59 and Klaasen broke back.

The set went to a deciding fifth leg and after they swapped 180s, Hamilton missed four darts at a double to save the match and Klaasen stepped in to sink double top.

Klaasen admitted: "He hit a lot of 180s, but didn't take his chances. It ended up 4-1, but it felt like 4-3. It was very close."

Klaasen now meets Ray van Barneveld in the last eight on Friday night after the five times world champion came through a nail biter against Ronnie Baxter last night that went all the way to a sudden death 11th leg in the deciding set.

Baxter missed two darts at double eight to win the match and Barneveld took out 60.