Day 2
Eight games on day 2 as the Matchplay really began to get going. In the opening match of the afternoon 13th seed Steve Beaton knocked out World No. 21 Paul Williams from Bolton. The 1996 BDO World Champion looking in good form with a 10-7 win over Williams. In the second match, John Lowe made his final competitive appearance as a top 32 player and he started well, leading early on against Andy Jenkins, before the 9th seed turned the tide to win 10-6. Then Colin Lloyd, seeded 5 and currently on an awesome run of form knocked another of the four qualifiers in the first round in the shape of Big Dave Smith from Leeds, edging a 10-6 win. In the final match of the afternoon, 15th Seed Dave Askew crashed out 10-7 to World number 19 Jamie Harvey.
In the evening session, the proceedings began with a bang with the exit, 10-5 of number 6 seed Wayne Mardle to the number 17 ranked player in the world, Mark Dudbridge, Hawaii 501 unable to show the form that took him to the final in 2003. Then Roland Scholten, newly crowned UK Open champion after a 11-6 win over John Part and number 2 seed for these championships began his campaign with a 10-7 win over three time world finalist (one of those as champion) Richie Burnett, really a player on the slide. Phil Taylor, reigning champion but seeded only 4, had a tough draw in the shape of Watford's Alex Roy (twice quarter-finalist here), but was in fantastic form in building up a 9-0 lead over Roy, before Roy ended the embarrassment of a whitewash by taking the tenth leg. However Taylor soon found a double to end the run of Roy before it had started. In the final game, third seed Peter Manley (newlywed to Crissy) ended qualifiers hopes with a comfortable 10-4 win over Dave Jowett.
Read more about this topic: 2004 World Matchplay (darts)
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