Gary Anderson starts his pursuit of another major trophy at the World Matchplay when he faces Alan Norris in the first round on Sunday. Warren Spahn Jersey Braves . The Scotsman, who retained his World Championship title this year, is joined by fellow contenders Adrian Lewis, Peter Wright and James Wade in the evening session, live on Sky Sports.Anderson claimed a recent confidence-boosting win over Michael van Gerwen in Tokyo, his third title in the World Series of Darts, but has never won the tournament at Winter Gardens. I dont know what it is but Ive never seemed to do well in Blackpool before, said Anderson.To win any tournament is a big boost, so Im feeling good going into the World Matchplay this year after winning in Japan. There are so many quality players now and I think there might be quite a few upsets. Gary Anderson Theres some cracking draws and you never know whats going to happen, but Ill be giving it my best shot. There are so many quality players now and I think there might be quite a few upsets.Former finalist Adrian Lewis, the No 4 seed, takes on Mark Webster, while world No 5 Peter Wright, a semi-finalist 12 months ago, is up against resurgent youngster Joe Cullen. Adrian Lewis will face Mark Webster in the first round James Wade, a five-time finalist in the past decade, takes on Mervyn King in Sunday nights opener.Its my favourite tournament and favourite format, said the 2007 champion.The crowd are amazing and so is the venue, its a lovely thing to be involved with. Every player in the competition has the ability to win a few matches so youve got to be at your best to do well. Stephen Bunting plays his opening match in the afternoon session Earlier in the afternoon, two-time finalist Terry Jenkins will take on Justin Pipe and Stephen Bunting has been drawn against the dangerous Mensur Suljovic.Belgiums Kim Huybrechts and Ian White, who won a Players Championship this month, are also part of the afternoon schedule in Blackpool. Relive the moment Phil Taylor hit the first live nine-dart finish against Chris Mason in the quarter finals of the 2002 World Matchplay Afternoon Session (1pm-5pm)Stephen Bunting v Mensur SuljovicKim Huybrechts v Gerwyn PriceTerry Jenkins v Justin PipeIan White v Daryl GurneyEvening Session (7pm-11pm)James Wade v Mervyn KingAdrian Lewis v Mark WebsterGary Anderson v Alan NorrisPeter Wright v Joe Cullen Also See: World Championship schedule Matchplay Q&A: King and Wade WATCH: Darts out-takes Studd: Why not James Wade? Sean Newcomb Jersey Braves . Spezza scored a power-play goal with 5 minutes left and Stephane Da Costa had the other two goals to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Tom Glavine Jersey Braves . Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris, city natives, handled the catering for teammates that begged them for the tasty postgame feast. https://www.discountjerseysonline.com/greg-maddux-jersey-braves-96 . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net.The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships showcased a healthy mix of fresh faces and established veterans and the team picked for the World Championships in March will include gold medal contenders and those looking to make their mark as they begin the next Olympic Quadrennial. A couple of teenagers will lead the charge to Shanghai in the singles events. Nam Nguyen stepped up admirably in the absence of Patrick Chan. At 16 years of age, he did not put a foot wrong in capturing his first Canadian title. His free program in particular was sensational with a quad salchow and two triple axels (the most difficult triple) and will stack up well amongst the worlds best. Having the quad and triple axels are key to his success but it is the balance that we are seeing from Nam this season that is his real strength and shows that he is not a one trick pony. He has the big tricks and consistency which is a rare combination, his skating between the jumps is delivered with care and finesse and as he matures and is gaining confidence in his jumps his artistry is rapidly progressing alongside. That balance will serve him well through his development and as he takes on the worlds best. In the Ladies event where the opportunity for a national title often produces nerves and inconsistent performances, in Kingston, the chance of the title fuelled focused and determined efforts. The three eventual medalists, new Canadian champion Gabby Daleman, Alaine Chartrande and Veronik Mallet all delivered superb performances. Veronik did not go in as one of the favourites for the title but her engaging personality and solid triples had her in the mix, in second after the short and produced season best scores for her. Teenagers Gabby and Alaine fought hard in going after what they each so desperately wanted. They both had clear shots at the title and had to bring and deliver their best. Gabby won the short program and Alaine the long with the edge going to Gabby overall. I like the way I see the rivalry between these two shaping up. Being pushed at home often drives skaters to new heights which pays off internationally. One only has to remember Kurt and Elvis, or Duhamel-Radford and Moore-Towers - Moscovitch for evidence of the benefits and while this is not yet close to the scope of the Russian ladies it has the makings of a great rivalry in Canadian skating. The talent, youth and feistiness of Gabby and Alaine create the perfect storm for an ongoing duel and dare I ask, what happens when Kaetlyn Osmond comes back? Game on! The pairs event was filled with intrigue, variety, personal bests and record breaking scores. Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford landed a throw quad salchow on their way to setting a Canadian record with their total score. Underr the heading of how things change, at the 1988 Winter Olympics a teammate of mine threw a bag of bagels (my favourite snack) on the ice at the end of our performance. Steve Avery Jersey Braves. . In Kingston, Megan was handed a bunch of kale! Kale?! Maybe thats their secret. Whatever it is, they are on a phenomenal record setting pace this season with no signs of letting up. Their next stop is Seoul, South Korea where they will meet up with the tough Chinese pairs at Four Continents and then later in March they will have their chance at the world title. The new pairing of Lubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovitch won the hearts of the audiences in Kingston. Just nine months ago they both found themselves partnerless and unsure of the future. Watching them skate together in their first major competition is to see that out of crisis can come opportunity. The irony is not lost on Lubov that the only time she had been to Canada previously was five years ago at Skate Canada, in Kingston. She said I said that I wanted to stay here and I am back. Like by magic...who could predict...the joke of life! That they relish this new opportunity is palpable. It will be fun to see how far they can take it. At the World Championships last year Canada had three teams in the top ten in ice dance. Those same three teams finished on the podium in Kingston but were tested by a strong field. Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje who are on the same kind of trajectory as Duhamel-Radford, won their first Canadian title in convincing fashion. They are world class and like Duhamel-Radford appear to be unstoppable. Weaver-Poje are undefeated and have the highest scores this season. The closest team to them in the points race on the Grand Prix circuit is an American team, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, whom they will meet head-to-head at Four Continents in two weeks. This will be a much anticipated and key match up for them a month before the Worlds. Remembering a Legend The loss of the great Toller Cranston was shocking news. My good friend Shelley Macleod had just spent Christmas with Toller at his home in Mexico and I was heartened to learn that he was at the top of his game during their visit and that his staff told her on his passing that in the end he was doing what he loved, and was surrounded by good friends. Going forward we as a skating community can be inspired by his vision. He clearly saw the legacy he wanted to leave and took his career into his own hands. For him it was about making a memorable and maximum impact and in so doing, moving an audience, bringing crowds to their feet and leaving an indelible mark on the sport. Toller once said, I brought a hammer and a chisel and I tried to wear away inhibition. May we keep that dream alive. ' ' '  |
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