PHIL TAYLOR made a storming start to his bid for a fourth PartyPoker.net Las Vegas Desert Classic title with a 6-4 win over Kevin Painter on Wednesday, as John Part, Wayne Mardle and Colin Lloyd crashed out of the event.

Painter battled through the qualifiers just to win a place in the main event but was simply overpowered by Taylor, who averaged 108.8 in the win to his opponent's 104.

Taylor

"Last year's gone but you do think about it," he said. "You can only do something about the future and I'm up for it this year.

"Kevin was superb and won some great legs but I had to try and keep my throw - when he had his back against the wall he hit and 11 or 12-darter.

"At 5-4 I couldn't let him get to five each, especially after what happened last year, and I kicked in.

"It was a cracking average but I've got a toughie against Dennis Priestley next and I'll have to average 110 or so to beat him."

Priestley won the tournament's opening game with a 6-2 demolition of Dutchman Co Stompe, but there was misery for three seeds who crashed out of the tournament on the opening day.

World Champion John Part, the 2006 champion, lost 6-4 to Mervyn King, while 2004 and 2005 finalist Wayne Mardle went down by the same scoreline to qualifier Adrian Gray.

Colin Lloyd suffered a first round exit in Las Vegas for a third successive year with a 6-5 defeat to Sam Rooney, a qualifier from Hampshire.

World number five Terry Jenkins, the 2007 runner-up, made a winning start to his challenge with a 6-4 win over Ireland’s Mick McGowan, and will meet Roland Scholten in round two, after the Dutchman came from 3-0 down to see off Barrie Bates.

American Darin Young defeated Martin Burchell 6-4 in the final game of the day, setting up a clash with King in the second round on Friday.

The first round concludes on Thursday, with Raymond van Barneveld beginning the defence of his title against Matt Clark.

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