The semi-final lineups for the Boys’, Women’s and Men’s World Championships were confirmed on Friday evening as Paul Lim’s fairytale run continued and Jason Brandon and Neil Duff served up a Lakeside classic.
Lim does it again!
Paul Lim’s fairytale run at this year’s World Championships continued with an incredible last-leg victory over Jarno Bottenberg.
Bottenberg, who dumped out pre-tournament favourite Jimmy van Schie on Thursday, started stronger but dropped the first set 3-2 after missing six set darts.
The Dutchman made good to level it up going into the break, producing a 140 out in the second set, but Lim once again hit the front by taking the third set 3-2 with a 113 finish of his own.
The match followed the same pattern, with Bottenberg levelling the tie going into the second break, only for Lim to win the first set after the second break with another ton-plus out.
Set six was a real showcase for Bottenberg, who again hit a 140 out, and took it 3-0 with a 100 average. He was unable to make further inroads though, Lim opening up with a 100 finish for a break of throw and having missed three match darts, Lim took out 78 to seal a 4-3 win with an 85.47 average.
Brandon denies Duff comeback in Lakeside classic
America’s Jason Brandon ended Neil Duff’s bid for a second Lakeside crown with a dramatic seven set triumph.
The opening set was a high-quality, nip and tuck affair, with Duff taking out a 156 finish before Brandon took it with successive legs in 13 and 15 darts. Brandon rapidly raced into a 2-0 lead, taking a second set to nil in 47 darts.
The third set was a more competitive affair but it again went the way of the impressive American, who having missed a dart to take it 3-1, took it out in 17 to go 3-0 up.
The scoring began to dip from Brandon as the match wore on though but Duff remained consistent and took the fourth set 3-2 after Brandon missed a match dart.
Three more set darts came and went for Brandon in the fifth, with Duff taking out 40 with the last dart in hand to close the gap.
It was a similar story in the sixth, which again went to a decider. Again Brandon had a chance to win it but he couldn’t find a double and Duff punished him with a 60 out.
At that point it looked like momentum was firmly in Duff’s favour, with the Northern Irishman breaking Brandon’s throw in the opening leg of the seventh set with an 88 finish before holding his own in the next leg. Duff never got a match dart though, with Brandon holding throw before producing an incredibly clutch 148 finish to force another deciding leg. This one was very nervy, with Brandon proving stronger and finally finding the match-winning double.
Greaves moves closer to a third straight World title
It’s 10 matches played on the Lakeside stage and 10 wins for Beau Greaves after the WDF No.1 dispatched Jitka Cisarova in straight sets.
Czech ace Cisarova had impressed against Anca Zijlstra and Desi Mercer in previous rounds, dropping just one leg, but she fell 2-0 down to Greaves in the first set. A 13-darter got Cisarova on the board but Greaves pinned double 10 in the next leg to take it 3-1.
It was a similar story in the second set. Greaves went 2-0 up and after Cisarova halved the deficit, Greaves found another gear to seal the win, firing in a 12-darter that featured two 180s.
Hedman punishes wayward Regnaud to reach semi-finals
Facing Beau Greaves in tomorrow’s semi-finals will be mentor Deta Hedman, who is through to a seventh Lakeside semi-final after defeating Nicole Regnaud in straight sets.
The opening set saw the pair exchange a trio of breaks before Hedman closed it out with a 96 checkout.
Set two went all the way, with Regnaud breaking Hedman’s throw to go 2-1 up in the set and within a leg of forcing a decider. Wayward scoring stopped her getting set darts though, with Hedman levelling it up before pinning a 106 finish for a 2-0 victory.
Walker shows his class in win over Teese
Jenson Walker was the only seed to advance in the Boys’ competition, impressively beating compatriot Mason Teese in the quarter-final.
Top seed Walker broke Teese’s throw with a 16-darter in the first leg before following it up with a 17-darter. Walker missed two darts for another break and a clean sweep of the set but he made sure of it the following time round with a 16-darter.
Walker opened the second in style with an 11-darter and having moved 2-0 up, again missed chances to win before sealing it with a 58 finish in two darts.
It was a 92.56 average in the end for ‘The Interceptor’, who’ll face Germany’s Florian Preis for a spot in the final.
Photos: Chris Sargeant/Tip Top Pics
