The Top Three Seeds All Through on Day 5 as Flyers Breaks Record Average at WDF World Championships
The WDF World Championships continued on Day 5, and top three seeds in the men’s draw: Brian Raman, Thibault Tricole and defending champion Wayne Warren, all made it through their matches at Lakeside.
Thibault Tricole defeated Shaun Burt 3-2 in the opening match of the day in a game that did not fail to disappoint in quality and entertainment. The 2nd seed raced out the traps and showed his capabilities on the doubles finishing 72 on his last dart at double 12 to take the opening leg of the match.
The French Touch won the first set and returned to form in the first leg of the second set hitting a score of 134 followed by finishing the leg on tops with his second dart breaking the Canadians throw.
It was Burt though who levelled up at 1-1 taking out 25 in two legs of the set including the final leg on double 12 to level the match up with second seed Tricole.
The match was a very close affair with both winning two sets a piece sending the match into a final fifth and deciding set.
The Frenchman showed the Lakeside crowd why he was the second seed for the competition hitting an impressive 13 darter with a 180 and double 16 on his first dart clinching the second leg of the deciding set.
Shaun Burt will feel this one got away from him after he missed multiple match darts in the fifth and final leg of the match. With the Frenchman taking his spot in the next round taking out 74 with his last dart at tops to win 3-2 against the Canadian.
Defending champion Wayne Warren survived a real scare in the final match of the evening session, coming from two sets down to beat Lee Shewan and reach the third round where he will face 14th seed Cameron Menzies.
The reigning champ struggled early in the match on his doubles, missing three at double 12 in the opening leg allowing The Cobbler to steal the opening leg against the darts, taking out 60 on double ten with his last dart.
Warren got his first leg in the third of the match hitting tops with his last dart to hold throw, but it was Shewan who took the opening set, hitting a very nervy double five with his last dart in hand.
The Englishman then found a real purple patch on the Lakeside stage taking out checkouts of 88 on the bullseye, and 92 with just two darts on double 16 giving him a 2-0 lead in the second set before hitting the same target to go two up in sets after hitting a set up shot of 136 to leave the double.
Yank then began to show just why he won this competition 2 years ago, starting with a 13-dart leg in the third set as he took double eight with his first dart to break the Shewan throw.
The Welshman went on to take out checkouts of 72 and 81 in taking the third set, hitting double eighteen to half the deficit in sets from The Cobbler.
Shewan continued to impress on his finishing, hitting 107 on double tops as he held throw in the third leg back in the third set, but the 3rd seed completed quite a remarkable comeback to close out the win in Surrey, showing his capabilities in set play matches.
Number One seed Brian Raman is the only player of the three who is in the Quarter Finals after he won his Third-Round tie with Jarred Cole 3-0.
The Riddler raced out of the traps in the opening set, advancing into a 2-0 lead as he broke the Cole throw taking out 91, finishing on double sixteen with his last dart. Raman went on to win the first set without reply taking out 79 on double eleven.
A combination of bullseye checkouts followed for the Belgian, finishing 84 and 86 checkouts with his last dart at the boards centre target, showing the capabilities of Raman in high pressure situations as the first leg of the second set saw The Riddler take double 14 after Cole had pressured to leave double 16 hitting a score of 174.
Double 16 was the double of choice for Raman in closing the match out, hitting the same target to win his last two legs of the match in which the Belgian also included a maximum as well.
Raman is through to the Quarter Finals and will face 9th seed Richard Veenstra on Friday after the Dutchman broke the record for the highest average ever recorded on the Lakeside stage, previously held by Dutch darting legend Raymond van Barneveld.
Flyers hit an average of 104.91 in beating 15-year-old darting sensation Luke Littler 3-0 to be the first player through to the Quarters. Veenstra also hit a checkout of 164 in the third leg of the match after The Nuke had hit a score of 177 to leave double 12 in what was a remarkable checkout under high amounts of pressure from his opponent.
The finishing from the 9th seed was quite incredible on the oche, as he hit checkouts of 81 and 64 during the Third Round Tie. Veenstra also hit back-to-back legs in 11 and 12 darts in winning the second set of the match.
Deta Hedman the number 1 seed in the ladies draw failed to win a single leg as she lost 2-0 to Tori Kewish of Australia with Kewish taking the first two legs of the match in just fifteen darts.
The Australian also finished the sixth and final leg with two maximums and double 16 to finish the match and leave The Heart of Darts legless on the Lakeside stage.
Kewish will face Lorraine Winstanley in the Quarter Finals after she came through her Second-Round match with Vicky Pruim 2-0 with Winstanley taking a leg in just 12 darts, finishing 121 on double 18 in the third leg of the second set.
James Richardson’s run at Lakeside came to an end as he lost a thriller in the opening match of the evening session 3-2 to 10th seed Scott Marsh.
Both showed their darting quality on stage with Ruthless Richardson taking out an 11-dart leg in winning the third leg of the opening set in what was his first of the match. This was the first of three legs on the spin that he won clinching the set with an 80-finish taking double ten with his first dart at double.
The match saw seven 180s, with four in favour of Marsh and he showed why he was the victor on stage with his doubling. The Martian hit an impressive checkout of 128 on double 10 which gave him a break of throw back in the fourth set.
Marsh’s victory at Lakeside sees him through to face 7th Seed Andy Baetens after he won the last match of the afternoon session, beating Dave Parletti 3-1 including an 11-dart leg in the first of the final fourth set hitting six perfect darts before taking out 82 on double 16 needing just two darts.
Steve Hine was the other winner on Day 5 as he beat Leonard Gates 3-0 in the match before to go through to face Thibault Tricole in the Third Round. The Muffin Man is yet to lose a set on the Lakeside stage having beat another American 2-0 in Kevin Luke.
The sction returns tomorrow as the Third Round continues with 5th seed Neil Duff taking on 12th seed Nick Fullwell in the first match of the afternoon session.
By Harry Masterson
WDF World Championship Round 2 Results:
Thibault Tricole (2) 3-2 Shaun Burt
Steve Hine 3-0 Leonard Gates (15)
Andy Baetens (7) 3-1 Dave Parletti
Scott Marsh (10) 3-2 James Richardson
Wayne Warren (3) 3-2 Lee Shewan
WDF World Championship Women Round 2 Results:
Tori Kewish 2-0 Deta Hedman (1)
Lorraine Winstanley (8) 2-0 Vicky Pruim
Day 6 Order of Play: Afternoon Session
Neil Duff (5) v Nick Fullwell (12)
Beau Greaves (5) v Veronica Ihasz (Ladies)
Jim McEwan v Michael Warburton (13)
James Hurrell (6) v Ryan de Vreede
Day 6 Order of Play: Evening Session
Wayne Warren (3) v Cameron Menzies (14)
Aileen de Graaf (4) v Mikuru Suzuki
Thibault Tricole (2) v Steve Hine
Andy Baetens (7) v Scott Marsh (10)
—–ENDs—–
Image: L Lustig PDC
Words: Harry Masterson
Darts World Magazine (Issue 578) and 2022 bundle offers
Subscribe or purchase your copy
