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Great stuff from Peterson there. The quality of player in this years championship is incredible. Shaping up to be one of the best tournaments ever!

Definitely is - I've never seen a 1st round like the one we've witnessed this year. The second round ties look like they'll deliver the goods too.

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Sometimes forget Part is a 3xWorld Champ. Seems to have been mainly pish for the last few years. Just doesn't have the aura of a world champ.

I think it's probably due to a couple of things. As you said, he has struggled on the TV for the best part of 4 years, and to more recent fans of the game, he's completely anonymous. But I think it's also due to the fact that he never had a period of dominating the game (like Barney or Taylor) and that he doesn't have the biggest fan support.

John's had a very strange career. Came out of nowehere to win the Lakeside in 1994, then didn't do much after that for years. Went to the PDC in 1998 and was very average there for a while, until his form picked up at the turn of the century. Beating Rod Harrington in a classic Semi Final at the Circus Tavern in 2001, before losing the final to Phil Taylor. Part then became the one player that was consistently able to take on Taylor.

Part's breakthrough against Taylor finally occured at the 2003 PDC World Championship when he defeated Phil Taylor 7-6 in one of the greatest finals of all time (2nd best PDC one), and ended Taylor's 8 year run as Champion. Part then continued to be a dominant force in tv events for the next few years. Reaching the finals of the World Matchplay in 02 and 05, the Grand Prix in 02 and 03 and the UK Open in 2004. Had Part won these events, he would have been the dominant player in the 02-05 period.

He drifted away a little going into 2006, but came back with a flash at the Las Vegas Desert Classsic. Beating Raymond van Barneveld 6-3 in the final to win another TV title. Part then went onto have a very consistent 2007, reaching the Semi Finals of the US Open, Desert Classic and World Grand Prix. A year which he ended by winning his 3rd World title at the first Alexandra Palace edition. Again for many this win came out of nowhere, but in a week when Taylor and Barney struggled, Part always looked the likely winner as he seemed to be the most composed player on this alien big stage. But obviously since then Part has completely struggled, and many thought his career over (me for one) after losing in the 1st Round of the 2011 World Championship. But all credit to him he played brilliantly on the circuit this year which qualified him for all of the tv events in 2011.

The key to Part's game was always playing very solidly, but crucially always leaving himself on a finish. So, despite the fact he may have averaged 5 or 6 points less than Taylor, he was always in the game, before unleashing a torrent of 180s and big finishes. In his prime, Part had all of the components for a very effective game. In recent years though, he seems to have lost that 2nd gear, which he would need to compete with the top players today.

I've always said that his game has been up and down for the last 20 years because of a lack of commitment. He's never worked particularly hard on his game, especially since 2008, and that's why he's always had inconsistent results. He's also a very natural rhythm player, and quite often has slow starts. But when he gets into rhythm and starts hitting the trebles than he would usually continue to do so regularly.

However, for Rod Harrington to suggest that Part can win this week, is pretty ridiculous. Part can beat Burnett, in fact he holds a 7-0 head to head record over him, but only if he adds 5 or 6 points to his average. He'd have to increase his average by 10-12 points in order to win the event. I don't think he's capable of doing that these days. In his prime, Part would almost always average in the mid 90s, increasing to around 100 on a good performance. Now, he averages between 85-90 and on a good day he'll be lucky to get to 93-94. He doesn't have the 2nd gear anymore.

Edited by Davis Love III
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Part will not be able to live with Burnett on the scoring. Look at his last 6 averages on tv. 83, 80, 87, 90, 92, 88.

Hes not of anywhere near a standard good enough to have a run let alone win the whole thing.

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Comparing Part and Burnett's last 5 TV Averages.

World Champinship 1st Round: John Part 88.82

Players Champinship 1st Round: John Part 87.52

Grand Slam of Darts Last 16: John Part 92.44

World Grand Prix 2nd Round: John Part 84.77 (About 92)

World Grand Prix 1st Round: John Part 81.95 (About 88)

Average: 89.76

World Champinship 1st Round: Richie Burnett 95.30

Players Championship 1st Round: Richie Burnett 92.59

World Grand Prix Semi Final: 88.15 (About 96)

World Grand Prix Quarter Finals: 85.98 (About 93)

World Grand Prix 2nd Round: Richie Burnett 88.36 (About 96)

Average: 94.57

So there is a 5 point difference that John Part will either have to make up, or that Richie will have to lose. I actually think both will pick up their form in Round 2, but it won't be enough for John. On current form it's a Richie win any day of the week.

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Tonight's order of play...

7.10pm Wayne Jones v Roland Scholten

8.30pm Adrian Lewis v Robert Thornton

9.50pm Wes Newton v Justin Pipe

The closest match on paper tonight is definitely the last one, though I think that Newton's big stage experience will see him through. Don't fancy Thornton's chances against Lewis - Jackpot will be on the ball tonight after his 1st round scare.

Jones will probably dispatch of Scholten fairly easily, but for old times sake it would be nice to see Scholten put in a cracking performance and still be in the tournament after Christmas.

Edited by The Naitch
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Fucking delighted Whitlock proved me wrong. This happens sometimes. Because of the pain, he'll be putting even more concentration on the darts he's throwing. They made it sound like his fucking leg was falling off though.

Don't write off Thornton. Lewis' head might still not be right. He's as unpredictable in that sense as Barney.

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Fucking delighted Whitlock proved me wrong. This happens sometimes. Because of the pain, he'll be putting even more concentration on the darts he's throwing...

That's a good point - there's also the theory that he went into the match with relatively small expectation (no one legged man ever won an ass kicking contest, unless your Zach Gowen...) so the pressure was off him, which can help produce your best darts.

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(no one legged man ever won an ass kicking contest, unless your Zach Gowen...)

What's better than a one legged wrestler? Being able to walk.

Darts over the football for me tonight, five years ago I'd have laughed at the idea but this tournament has been too good to risk missing the action for something else on the TV.

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I personally think the last match is going to be awful. Pipe is downright terrible to watch.

This could be a good wee match I feel. More close than for high averages right enough.

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I personally think the last match is going to be awful. Pipe is downright terrible to watch.

This could be a good wee match I feel. More close than for high averages right enough.

Aye, you could be right re Newton-Pipe. Ideally this first match or Pipe-Newton would have been in the middle so it could be switched over for as much of the football as possible.

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