Photo courtesy of Lawrence Lustig/PDC. 
AFTERNOON SESSION
JELLE KLAASEN edged a thrilling second round clash with Jamie Caven to reach the quarter-finals of the 2009 European Championships at the Claus Event Centre in Hoofddorp, Holland.
Klaasen and Caven plundered 13 maximums between them but Klaasen thought he had missed the chance to progress when he squandered darts to win both 9-7 and 9-8 only for Caven to narrowly miss the bull for a dramatic 135 checkout to win. The Dutchman composed himself to take out double four though to end a high-scoring contest against the in-form Derby man.
“It’s always tough against Jamie – he is playing well and he beat me the last time we played at the UK Open he beat me so I knew it was going to be hard and I’m happy to get through,” said Klaasen, who faces Colin Lloyd in the quarter-finals – the man he beat in the first round in 2008 – after the Essex man opened the Saturday afternoon session with a 9-5 victory over Mensur Suljovic.
Scotsman Gary Anderson thumped Ronnie Baxter 9-1 to set up a meeting with the winner of Saturday night’s clash between defending champion Phil Taylor and Anderson’s fellow countryman Robert Thornton, while Mervyn King and Colin Osborne fought a high class battle in which King prevailed 9-6.
Saturday’s evening session begins at 7pm with Raymond van Barneveld taking on Mark Walsh in the opening match. In-form Steve Beaton takes on Michael van Gerwen before the Taylor and Thornton clash, with James Wade and Andy Hamilton bringing the second round to a close.
Second Round
Saturday October 31 – 1pm start
Colin Lloyd 9-5 Mensur Suljovic
Mervyn King 9-6 Colin Osborne
Jelle Klaasen 9-8 Jamie Caven
Gary Anderson 9-1 Ronnie Baxter
Saturday October 31 – 7pm start
Raymond van Barneveld v Mark Walsh
Steve Beaton v Michael van Gerwen
Phil Taylor v Robert Thornton
James Wade v Andy Hamilton
Quarter-Finals
Sunday November 1 – 1pm start
Jelle Klaasen v Colin Lloyd
Taylor/Thornton v Gary Anderson
van Barneveld/Walsh v Beaton/van Gerwen
Mervyn King v Wade/Hamilton
EVENING SESSION
DEFENDING CHAMPION Phil Taylor sent a warning out to the rest of the quarter-finalists in the 2009 European Championships with a 9-0 whitewash of Robert Thornton at the Claus Event Centre in Hoofddorp, Holland.
Taylor averaged 110.88 with three 11-dart legs in a performance that showed no mercy to the Scotsman – and he now faces Thornton’s fellow countryman and Jocky Wilson Cup teammate Gary Anderson in Sunday’s quarter-finals.
“No-one likes to see a fellow pro lose to nil but I just try my best and I’m here to win – that’s what I do, it’s my job,” said Taylor. “Whoever beats will have to play out of their skin – Colin Osborne did it at the Championship League and that gave me a kick up the backside which does you good every now and then.”
Mark Walsh came back from 6-1 down against world number three Raymond van Barneveld to beat the Dutchman 9-7 and set up a clash with Steve Beaton, who saw off Van Barneveld’s compatriot Michael van Gerwen by the same score.
“I knew that if I kept going at the same standard I would get chances and I capitalised on a couple of mistakes and it just shows that you cannot give up in this game,” said Walsh.
In the final match of the second round, James Wade beat Andy Hamilton 9-5 to face the man he beat in the Premier League final in May, Mervyn King, in the final quarter-final on Sunday afternoon.
Second Round Results – evening session
Mark Walsh 9-7 Raymond van Barneveld
Steve Beaton 9-7 Michael van Gerwen
Phil Taylor 9-0 Robert Thornton
James Wade 9-5 Andy Hamilton
Quarter-Finals
Sunday November 1 – 1pm start
Jelle Klaasen v Colin Lloyd
Phil Taylor v Gary Anderson
Mark Walsh v Steve Beaton
Mervyn King v James Wade
Semi-Finals & Final
Sunday November 1 – 7pm start
Semi-Final order of play to be determined by toss of coin at the end of the quarter-finals.