PHIL TAYLOR KEVIN PAINTER

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.

Painter, who battled through the second qualifier on Tuesday just to win a place in the main event, performed superbly 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 2006 Desert Classic winner John Part and two-time runner-up Wayne Mardle on the opening day.

World Champion Part lost 6-4 to Mervyn King, while Mardle went down by the same scoreline to qualifier Adrian Gray.

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.