Issue 55 (January 20, 2017)

Friday 20 January 2017

Darts Weekly

BDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Duzza does it!

BDO number one Glen Durrant is crowned world champion at Lakeside Reports and reaction pages 2-5

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Friday 20 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Durrant wins first BDO world crown Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER Heartbreak turned to ecstasy for Glen Durrant as he achieved his dream of becoming BDO world champion on Sunday evening.

After two years of heartache at the Lakeside World Professional Darts Championship, throwing away commanding leads in the latter stages of the 2015 and 2016 stagings of the BDO’s top event, Durrant defeated Danny Noppert 7-3 in the final to win his maiden world title.

The number one seed has been a dominant force on the BDO circuit over the last few years, but his dominance has not transcended on to the biggest stage of all, in early January, on the Lakeside stage, in the World Championship.

That is until now. The 46-yearold Teessider held his nerve to beat Dutch debutant Noppert and take home the £100,000 top prize.

The first six sets were shared as

third seed Noppert threatened to become the third Dutchman to win the BDO World Championship in their first attempt.

But it was Noppert who blinked first, missing double 12 to win the eighth set and level the match up at four-sets all.

Duzza stepped in to pinch the set and put daylight between the two finalists at 5-3, and two sets later

“If there’s a happier man in England then he must be a lottery winner” he was celebrating a 7-3 victory.

“I’ve been interviewed in my mind so many times at this moment, but right now everything’s gone,” Durrant said.

“If there’s a happier man in England today then he must be a lottery winner.

“In 1989 I watched a match between Eric Bristow and Jocky Wilson, that inspired me to pick up

stores.ebay.co.uk/Mojo-DARTS

a set of darts. In 2008 we set up what’s called the Teesside ranking events and I learnt how to win.

“Six years ago I wasn’t even the best player in my Super League team, but with hard work, determination and Teesside steel, I’m now the BDO world champion.”

Noppert, the third seed, had ended the title defence of last year’s champion Scott Waites in the quarter-finals, before seeing off Darryl Fitton in the last four.

This time last year the name Danny Noppert was one which was not known much outside of the Netherlands, but the 26-year-old has enjoyed a rapid rise in 2016, and after reaching the final on his World Championship debut, has a big future ahead of him.

“It was a really hard match today,” he reflected. “It was not my best performance this tournament.

“I think he deserved this title, he was the best player this year, but I’m confident and I’m looking forward to next year.”

Darts Weekly Friday 20 January 2017

3 DAVID GILL/ITV NEWS TYNE TEES

Sunday 7.15pm

Tuesday 9.30am

Cadby set to play on the DPA circuit for another year PDC Unicorn World Youth champion Corey Cadby has decided to remain on the DPA circuit for another year before moving over to England to play on the main PDC circuit.

The 21-year-old Australian, who lives in Melbourne, enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2016, beating Phil Taylor in the Perth Darts Masters and winning the PDC’s world youth title.

After making his PDC World Championship debut last month, where he lost out to Joe Cullen 3-1 in a highly-quality first round clash, many were tipping Cadby to be at Qualifying School this week.

However, in a statement on The Sportsman Management Company website on Monday, Cadby’s management explained why he decided not to enter Q-School.

‘Corey is still only 21 with a very young family,’ the statement reads, ‘in the last four months his whole life has changed so much through darts, not many people even knew his name before August.

‘It’s been an absolute whirlwind.

I (Mac Elkin) have been speaking to Corey in depth about his future and I for one want the best for him of course.

‘Corey and his family decided to stay on the DPA circuit for another year which after, Corey, Breana and the children are going to try to make a life in England.

‘Corey will be coming over later in the year to play some Development Tours and look for some rented accommodation.’

Cadby has already qualified for the Grand Slam of Darts as the world youth champion.

Bright future: Corey Cadby

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Friday 20 January 2017 Darts Weekly

CHRISTOPHER KEMPF MATCH OF THE WEEK - GLEN DURRANT 6-1 JAMIE HUGHES (BDO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) DAVID GILL

Duzza is in exhibition form in semifinal smash-up Glen Durrant, the newly crowned BDO world champion, had much to prove after the two very shaky wins he recorded en route to the Lakeside semi-finals.

It was only by virtue of Paul Hogan’s three missed darts at doubles for a 4-0 whitewash he managed to reach that stage at all.

But even if Duzza’s extraordinary comeback against Hogan turned heads, his throwing of anaemic sub-90 averages in both the second round and the quarterfinals, and missing every finish greater than 85 he attempted in 58 legs of darts assuredly did not.

His struggles seemed to continue in the initial legs of his semi-final match with Jamie Hughes, the BDO world number two.

Through the first six legs, Duzza was again averaging in the 80s, scoring erratically and only winning three of his first four legs by virtue of missed doubles from his opponent.

Despite winning the first set 3-2, it seemed that Durrant was in for a gruelling semi-final, as he struggled to overcome Hughes’ efforts and capitalise on his mistakes.

Within a half an hour’s time, however, Hughes’ confidence had been utterly broken.

En route to a 4-0 set lead, Durrant threw two 12-dart legs and won six more in five visits, conceding only two legs to Hughes on the West Midlands darter’s throw.

Durrant knew full well that he would need to build a massive early lead to stymie Yozza, and he did it in a way that made the

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comeback seem hopeless.

As if a 132 checkout on the bull to kick off the third set wasn’t enough, Durrant matched the highest checkout of the tournament with his ensuing 170 finish, doing his celebratory “Duzza shuffle” as he walked to the board to retrieve his darts.

The cameras trained on his opponent, and caught a bewildered Hughes bowing his head as he sought to recompose himself.

His next score, however, was a 47, and Durrant later denied Hughes a shot at 74 when the last of his three darts hit double 10.

Duzza had only won three legs in

have seemed impossible.

Hughes’ scoring, to his credit, remained consistent - his average of 10.46 darts needed to reach a finish was one of the best recorded in the tournament.

Taking advantage of a sudden spate of inaccuracy on the treble 20, Hughes won the fifth set and pulled ahead 2-1 in the sixth.

Then Durrant threw a third 170 visit and Hughes’ comeback crumbled.

On his own throw, with two clear visits to win the set, Hughes missed four doubles - none of them by close margins - before ruefully busting after missing double five to the inside.

With that, all the energy and momentum left in Hughes’ game drained away, and the seventh set seemed an afterthought.

The averages from the match tell a tale of a close fight between two men on form, but Duzza’s psychological onslaught brought to the match something unseen in his previous two games.

This time, Durrant proved why he is ranked number one in the BDO. He did not hesitate to remind Hughes of that with every spellbinding score - and in doing so threatened him still with more.

‘Durrant matched the highest checkout of the tournament with a 170 finish’ that spectacular set, but it had the psychological impact of thirty.

After a fourth set in which Durrant continued in exhibition form, setting up a double after nine darts in the first leg and hitting the 117 finish in the second, even scoring another 170 visit along the way, the comeback against an opponent romping to victory must

Darts Weekly Friday 20 January 2017

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Ashton completes hat-trick of ladies world titles at Lakeside DAVID GILL

Lisa Ashton became only the third player to win the BDO World Championship ladies title three times after beating Corrine Hammond 3-0 in the final on Saturday afternoon.

The 2014 and 2015 champion suffered an early exit from the tournament 12 months ago, but bounced back with victory this year and without even dropping a set in any of her four matches.

Ashton took on Australia’s Hammond in the final, who herself had also got through to the decider without losing a set.

Something had to give and it was the former champion who took the first set without reply.

After starting off strongly with a 14 darter in the second leg, Ashton eventually got over the line in the opening set on double one.

The second set was a lot closer and went all the way to a deciding leg. Hammond got off the mark with double 16, after both players had missed darts at doubles.

Ashton responded with a 64 checkout to complete a 15 darter to level the set, before her Australian opponent hit back with a 107 finish to move 2-1 up in the set.

The ton-plus checkout came after Ashton had missed the bull for a 121, but the second seed held throw in the next leg in 18 darts to force a decider.

It was Ashton who pinched the crucial leg, on double two, to open up a 2-0 lead in sets, after Hammond had produced her worst leg of the match at the most vital moment.

Hammond, the eighth seed, who had beaten Patricia Farrell, Casey Gallagher and Anastasia Dobromyslova to reach her first televised final, would now need to win three straight sets to deny Ashton a third world title.

The first three legs of the third set all went with throw as Ashton went 2-1 up, before landing tops to break in the next leg to scoop the

£12,000 winner’s cheque and the trophy for the third time.

“I’ve been playing well, so I’m just happy with the way I’ve played in this tournament,” Ashton said.

“You always want to do your third one. I’m over the moon with this third world title. I’m very happy with it.

“I just keep going. All my family were supporting me and made me

do it and I’m just so happy.”

Runner-up Hammond was upbeat despite missing out on the title: “I’m really so stoked to have made the final.

“Obviously I would have liked to have played a bit better, but still I’m really pleased.

“Lisa is definitely the player to beat, just when you get close to her she steps it up again.”

In brief Tremblay edges Snook in a decider to win Quebec Open Martin Tremblay claimed his first WDF title after beating Ross Snook 5-4 in the final of the Quebec Open at the weekend.

Tremblay, who won the ADO Witch City Open in 2012, scooped the $1,000 first prize by edging past his fellow Canadian Snook in the final on Sunday.

“The Quebec Open is one of the most prestigious tournaments in Canada,” Tremblay said.

“My first qualifying round was fairly expeditious until the semifinal rounds against Marcel Simard (4-3).

“In the final against Ross Snook

it was also a long game. It was 4-4 and I was on 226 and Ross was on 164. I hit a 180 to leave 46 to put some pressure on him.”

Reynolds declines tour card Dean Reynolds has turned down the PDC tour card he won for finishing top of the PDC Unicorn Development Tour Order of Merit last year.

The 24-year-old Welshman won six Development Tour events in 2016 to finish in first place on the final Order of Merit, making him eligible for a two-year tour card onto the main PDC circuit.

But he announced this week he had declined the tour card.

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Friday 20 January 2017 Darts Weekly

Jiwa secures PDC tour card return on first day of Q-School Alex Moss CHIEF DARTS WRITER There was a record field of 434 players all bidding to win one of four PDC tour cards up for grabs on the first day of this year’s Qualifying School yesterday.

The list of players was headed up by three-time world champion, and recent PDC Hall of Fame inductee, John Part, along with former major winner Paul Nicholson, and a multitude of exmajor finalists.

Rugby-based Prakash Jiwa was the only previous tour card holder to win one of the four tour cards on day one, with the other three going to Lee Bryant, Stephen Burton and Jim Brown, three players who now own tour cards for the first time.

Jiwa became only the fifth player to become a three-time tour card winner at Q-School, since the event was introduced back in 2011, with his success yesterday.

The 46-year-old claimed wins over James Young, Davyd Venken, Jim Walker, Richard North and Steve Douglas, before a 5-2 win over Irish youngster Steve Lennon secured a quick return to the main tour, after finishing outside of the top 64 at the end of last season.

“This is my third time and my experience of playing with the big boys in the PDC helped massively,” Jiwa said.

“When I saw the field of almost 450 players I went in with a mindset of how good I am.

“I’ve been on the circuit before but now, with my new equipment, I want to move to the next level, which I believe I can do.

“I want to get into that top 64 in two years to keep my tour card. I didn’t have that aspiration before, when I first started playing, but now I’m a seasoned campaigner and I believe that I can do some damage.”

Sussex-based Bryant joins his

housemate Rob Cross, who won the PDC Unicorn Challenge Tour last year, on the PDC circuit after edging out Enfield’s Ritchie Edhouse 5-4 in their decider.

Bryant overcame Michael Huntley, Teuvo Haverinen, Mickey Mansell, Mareno Michels, Paul Russell, Callan Rydz and Edhouse to earn his first PDC tour card.

“I was over-nervous and maybe

Qualifying School Order of Merit (after day one) 9 points - Ritchie Edhouse, Sven Groen, Steve Hine, Steve Lennon.

5 points - Steve Douglas, David Fatum, Paul Harvey, Darren Johnson, John Norman, Callan Rydz, Kirk Shepherd, Radoslaw Szaganski.

3 points - Shaun Carroll, Matthew Edgar, Adrian Gray, Nigel Heydon, Stuart Kellett, Arjan Konterman, Kevin Lane, Jason Lowe, Robert Marijanovic, Paul Milford, Richard North, Paul Russell, Lee Shewan, Justin Smith, Gary Stone, Mick Todd.

2 points - Nathan Aspinall, Shawn Burt, Michael van Dijk, Mark Dudbridge, Samuel Fuller, Ryan Harrington, Rob Hewson, Dave Honey, Tim Hope, Michel van der Horst, Dragutin Horvat, Adam Hunt, Christian Kallinger, George Killington, Boris Koltsov, Royden Lam, Tony Martin, Mareno Michels, Ian Moss, Ricky Nathan, Carlo van Peer, Michael Plooy, Chris Quantock, Madars Razma, Reece Robinson, Warrick Scheffer, Martin Schindler, Mark Stephenson, Jim Walker, Jason Wilson, Luke Woodhouse, Yuki Yamada.

1 point - Antonio Alcinas, Nolan Arendse, Jamie Bain, Barrie Bates, Ronnie Baxter, Jamie Branton, Gary Broomhead, John Brown, Kevin Burness, Bobby Crozier, Joe Davis and 53 others.

First day winners: Prakash Jiwa, Lee Bryant, Stephen Burton and Jim Brown all won PDC tour cards at Qualifying School yesterday over-excited when I woke up this morning but it feels really good,” Bryant said.

“I had to pull some good darts out and I’m really pleased to have done that, especially in the final game.

“Seeing Rob get his tour card through the Challenge Tour has inspired me and he’s driven me up to Wigan and supported me, and that was a big incentive because he believed in me all the way.”

Ipswich-based window cleaner Burton will compete on the PDC circuit for the first time this year after securing a tour card on his QSchool debut yesterday.

“I’m on cloud nine at the moment and it will probably sink in tomorrow when I wake up,” Burton said.

“The hard work has got to start when I get back home on the practice board ready for the UK Open Qualifiers and first Pro Tour events.

“It’s all a learning curve and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Scotland’s Brown was yesterday’s final tour card winner in what was an emotional moment for the 45year-old from Hamilton.

Brown had lost his wife Annette to cancer in July last year before opting to compete at Q-School.

“It’s an emotional day,” Brown said. “It’s been an incredibly tough time but I think it was just meant to be and I dedicate this to Annette. I didn’t think I could do this but it’s up there with anything I’ve ever done.

“I’ve only played for six years so I want to push myself and see how far I can go. I might not win one game on the Pro Tour but I’ve made it here and I’m looking forward to it.”

Darts Weekly Friday 20 January 2017

7 PDC

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Database BDO LAKESIDE WORLD PROFESSIONAL DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP (Frimley Green, Surrey) Men’s quarter-finals - G Durrant (89.82) bt D Labanauskas (87.15) 52; J Hughes (91.89) bt M Adams (92.55) 5-4; D Fitton (89.97) bt G de Vos (87.12) 5-4; D Noppert (95.58) bt S Waites (94.41) 5-3.

Semi-finals - G Durrant (96.27) bt J Hughes (96.93) 6-1; D Noppert (93.57) bt D Fitton (95.73) 6-3. Final - G Durrant (93.48) bt D Noppert (93.30) 7-3. Ladies semifinals - C Hammond (72.33) bt A Dobromyslova (77.04) 2-0; L Ashton (85.44) bt A de Graaf (75.24) 2-0. Final - L Ashton (81.81) bt C Hammond (73.53) 3-0.

WDF QUEBEC OPEN (Canada) Men’s final - M Tremblay bt R Snook 5-4. Ladies final - D Gobeil bt K Whaley-Hilts. Men’s doubles final - D Cameron/ K Edmunds bt J Parrott/ D Kendall. Ladies doubles final - D Gobeil /L Beaudin bt J Luke/K Thompson.

PDC QUALIFYING SCHOOL (Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan) Day one first round (selected results) - R Fuller bt R Eidams 5-4; B de Hoog bt S Taylor 5-1; W Jones bt D Wilson 5-1; K F Leung bt K McDine 5-3; K Simm bt J Marriott 5-1; P Nicholson bt H Ward 5-3; A Monk bt H Muramatsu 5-3; J Part bt W Stallard 5-2; S Matthews bt S Brown 5-4; J Brown bt A Tabern 5-4; M Mansell bt R Burnett 5-4; K Lane bt J Hubbard 5-3; M Padgett bt R de Vreede 5-3; P Manley bt K MacNeil 5-2; D Forde bt Je Hendriks 5-2; C Gilchrist bt D Askew 5-2. Second round (selected results) - B de Hoog bt W Jones 5-3; R Baxter bt R

Sudale 5-2; N Aspinall bt P Nicholson 5-3; J Bain bt A Monk 5-2; R Szaganski bt J Part 54; D Smith bt M Hylton 5-0; R Robinson bt N Derry 5-4; D Fatum bt P Manley 5-2; K Ono bt C Osborne 5-4; G Stone bt D Parody 5-1; M Frost bt A Smith 5-1; C Wilkinson bt B Lynn 5-4. Third round (selected results) N Aspinall bt R Baxter 5-3; M Schindler bt Ru-Ja Rodriguez 5-3; L Bryant bt M Mansell 5-0; Y Yamada bt Ro-Ja Rodriguez 5-4; K Lane bt Ji Hendriks 5-1; A Konterman bt B Bates 5-4. Fourth round (selected results) Ja Lowe bt D Horvat 5-3; P Harvey bt A Hunt 5-4; M Edgar bt D Honey 5-2; S Lennon bt G Killington 5-3; P Jiwa bt J Walker 5-3; R North bt R Lam 5-4; S Douglas bt N Aspinall 5-4; S Carroll bt M Stephenson 5-0; R Marijanovic bt M Schindler 5-3; R Szaganski bt T Martin 5-0; P Milford bt L Woodhouse 5-4; R Edhouse bt C Quantock 5-2; L Bryant bt M Michels 5-4; P Russell bt B Koltsov 5-2; D Fatum bt M Dudbridge 5-2; S Burton bt M Razma 5-1. Fifth round - P Harvey bt Ja Lowe 5-3; S Lennon bt M Edgar 5-1; P Jiwa bt R North 5-4; S Douglas bt S Carroll 5-0; R Szaganski bt R Marijanovic 5-4; R Edhouse bt P Milford 5-4; L Bryant bt P Russell 5-0; C Rydz bt J Smith 5-1; S Hine bt S Kellett 5-4; D Fatum bt K Lane 5-4; S Burton bt A Konterman 5-3; D Johnson bt L Shewan 5-1; S Groen bt A Gray 5-2; J Norman bt G Stone 5-4; K Shepherd bt N Heydon 5-4; J Brown bt M Todd 5-3. Sixth round - S Lennon bt P Harvey 5-0; P Jiwa bt S Douglas 5-4; R Edhouse bt R Szaganski 5-3; L Bryant bt C Rydz 5-3; S Hine bt D Fatum 5-4; S Burton bt D Johnson 5-4; S Groen bt J Norman 5-4; J Brown bt K Shepherd 5-1. Final round - P Jiwa bt S Lennon 5-2; L Bryant bt R Edhouse 5-4; S Burton bt S Hine 5-2; J Brown bt S Groen 5-2.

FIXTURES TODAY - SUNDAY PDC QUALIFYING SCHOOL (Robin Park Tennis Centre, Wigan) WDF NODOR FLEETWOOD MEMORIAL LAS VEGAS OPEN (Tuscany Suites & Casino, Vegas) TODAY PDC RILEYS UK OPEN AMATEUR QUALIFIERS (London Victoria) TOMORROW PDC RILEYS UK OPEN AMATEUR QUALIFIERS (Chester, Sheffield, Twickenham, Wolverhampton) TOMORROW AND SUNDAY BDO BRITISH INTER COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIPS Premier Division Cambridgeshire v Devon; Cheshire v Essex; Lancashire v Warwickshire; Lincolnshire v Glamorgan; Yorkshire v Nottinghamshire.

Division One - Cleveland v Co Durham; Cornwall v Kent; Dorset v West Midlands; Gwent v Oxfordshire; Hampshire v London.

Division Two - Berkshire v Derbyshire; Northamptonshire v Hertfordshire; Northumberland v Staffordshire; Suffolk v Cumbria; Worcestershire v Surrey. Division Three - Gloucestershire v Gwynedd; Humberside v Merseyside; Montgomery & Radnor v Leicestershire; Sussex v Somerset; Tyne & Wear v Buckinghamshire. Division Four - Bedfordshire v Shropshire; Clwyd v Norfolk; Pembrokeshire v Middlesex; West of England v Isle of Wight; Wiltshire v Breconshire. Scotland North - East Stirlingshire v Fife; Tay Valley v Central; Highland v Angus; Grampian v Perthshire.

Scotland South - Greater Glasgow v Ayrshire; Renfrewshire v Lothian; Clackmannanshire v Borders; West Lothian v Lanarkshire.

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Friday 20 January 2017 Darts Weekly

DAVE McNALLY DARTS WRITER DAVID GILL

Ashton in the Grand Slam?

I would like to see it First of all, well done to Glen Durrant, finishing as the BDO world champion on Sunday was a fitting end to his year, after dominating the circuit in the previous twelve months.

I also feel a little bit of sympathy with Danny Noppert as I feel he was the best and most consistent player throughout the week.

Given the fact that he was making his Lakeside debut, I’m sure he’ll be back next year in amongst the favourites.

After the sheer exhilaration of the final, Durrant hinted that he was now “a million miles away” from switching to the PDC, something that he had alluded to in the weeks leading up to the tournament, with people assuming that it was inevitable.

It’s great news for the BDO as their talisman has signed up for another year at least, as he wants to defend the trophy and give it the respect it deserves.

Still with the BDO, there has been growing momentum for ladies champion Lisa Ashton to be allowed one of the Grand Slam places, and the PDC have left it in the hands of the BDO to sort out.

Ashton produced some stunning darts, often firing in averages above those of the men, albeit only over three sets, but nonetheless it was an impressive performance from the ladies number one.

I personally would like Ashton in the mix with the men as it would be interesting to see how she would adapt, and whether she could match the players on the PDC tour.

Plus, it would be a bit more added

added pressure to the men in her group, giving one of the best tournaments on the circuit a great new twist. We’ll see in due course.

Channel 4 and BT Sport had the pleasure of transmitting all of the action and I thought they did a good job between them, with a decent enough panel of ex players, current players and a combination

‘I personally would like Ashton in the mix with the men in the Grand Slam’ of Lakeside icons to help out with analysis in the commentary box.

In particular, Paul Nicholson was impressive, as was Chris Mason, who between them gave some decent insight into the game and what players would be thinking at certain times during the match.

Couple this with the rather short

advertisement breaks, it was a good spectacle, only let down by the odd missed dart, but this probably was more down to unorthodox finishing from players rather than that of the TV spotter.

Overall, it was a job well done as many on social media and the internet were expecting the worst after some of the recent coverage by Premier Sports and Dave left a lot to be desired.

Hopefully this all bodes well for the future of the BDO World Championships, with Channel 4 seemingly happy with viewing figures and many more watching via YouTube.

Finally, the PDC have recently released their Premier League lineup and there are no real surprises amongst them.

There will be a few intriguing clashes with Jelle Klaasen and Kim Huybrechts added to the mix to spice up proceedings.