Kirk Shepherd dumped three-time world champion John Part out of the PDC World Championship with a 4-1 victory at Alexandra Palace.
Painter and Lloyd also make progress
Kirk Shepherd dumped three-time world champion John Part out of the PDC World Championship with a comprehensive 4-1 victory at Alexandra Palace.
The triumph provided Shepherd with a measure of revenge over the Canadian who beat him 7-2 in the 2008 final.
Part, who only flew in from Canada on Sunday, was out of sorts throughout and looked to be paying the price for his inevitable jet-lag as he turned in a jaded and erratic performance.
With Part throwing first, the opening two legs of the first set went with the darts before Shepherd broke in the third.
The 23-year-old made it count as he hit double-four to clinch the set with Part waiting on a two-dart finish.
Part rallied and produced his best spell of the match as he took the opening two legs of the second set and, despite Shepherd claiming the next, the world number four found double-18 to level the contest at one set all.
But that was as good as things got for Darth Maple as Shepherd assumed control, finishing 109 by hitting double-top and then bullseye to take the opening leg of the third set.
Having won the next, Shepherd closed out the set in the fourth leg as he hit double-16 to re-establish his lead.
Both players struggled for consistency, and with their finishing, in the early part of the fourth set, but it was Shepherd who found the darts when it mattered as he pinched the opening two legs.
However, he missed four darts at double for the set in the third leg as Part hit double-nine to stay alive.
It was a temporary reprieve, though, as Shepherd located double-eight in the next to pull 3-1 ahead.
Part hinted at a fightback as he produced a 15-darter and 13-darter to edge two legs to one ahead in the fourth set, but Shepherd held his throw in the next to level at 2-2.
The Kent-born thrower then produced a maximum on his first visit in the next as he got to the double first. He contrived to miss a dart at double-18 for the match, but Part subsequently failed with two shots at a double to allow Shepherd the chance to return and he found double-eight to seal victory.
Painter and Lloyd triumphant
Kevin Painter and Vincent van der Voort served up a cracking match, but it was Painter who ultimately emerged a 4-3 winner.
After a low-key start to the match with both players missing a host of darts at double, it was Painter who stole the opening set 3-2 as he took out 50 in two darts.
That seemed to spur the Englishman who breezed through the next set without dropping a leg to open what appeared a commanding 2-0 advantage.
Painter then broke in the opening leg of the third set to win his sixth on the trot, but van der Voort finally stopped the rot in the next as he hit double-top.
Reinvigorated, the 34-year-old then produced consecutive maximums with his first two visits in the third leg to leave himself a chance of nine-dart-finish.
He failed to find a seventh straight treble-20 as the opportunity disappeared, but completed an 11-darter to edge in front and, despite Painetr taking the next, van der Voort checked out 57 to win the set.
With the opening two legs of the fourth going with throw, the players exchanged breaks to move to 2-2, but after Painter missed two darts at double-16, it was van der Voort who levelled the match as he hit tops.
Painter assumed a 2-1 lead in the fifth set, only for van der Voort to get back on terms with a 121 finish, but the Englishman held his nerve and took out 53 to move back in front at three sets to two.
But the Dutchman refused to lie down and took the next set by three legs to one to force a decider.
Indeed, van der Voort looked to have the momentum as he produced a stunning 164 finish to claim the opening leg, but Painter nailed a crucial 70 out-shot, despite hitting one with his first dart, to hold his throw and get back on terms.
It looked even more important as he finished 52 in the next to break and move within one of victory.
Painter seemed to be in complete control as he opened the next leg with a maximum, his 11th, and comfortably got to the double first.
But he missed three darts at double-top to allow his opponent back in, only for van der Voort to fail to leave himself a dart at a double despite being on just 84.
It was to prove a costly error as Painter finally found tops at the fifth time of asking to seal victory.
In the afternoon's opening encounter, Colin Lloyd rode his luck to come from 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 behind to squeeze past Denis Ovens with a 4-3 triumph.
