Team Hong Kong became the pride of Asian darts after a magnificent performance saw them defeat Sweden and secure their continent will have representation in the quarter-finals.
Asia may be where the sun rises, but the standard of darts is also on the up – and this afternoon provided the perfect example. Paired together for the third successive year, the duo of Lok Yin Lee and Man Lok Leung had never gone beyond the first round. Now, they’re in dreamland, eyeing up a tasty last-eight clash with former double champions Wales.
Leung – who must go through at least three cans of hairspray each morning – was in scintillating form from the off. Backed up by compatriot Lee, who continues to rock the hoodie-under-the-shirt look, the pair clicked into gear immediately. After racing into a 3-1 lead, Hong Kong briefly faltered. Inspired by skipper Jeff De Graaf, the Swedes clawed their way back to level the match. But from that point, it was plain sailing for the Asian lads. Leung fired in 180s for fun, and both players were deadly on the outer ring. That combination of heavy scoring and pinpoint finishing earned them a well-deserved 8-4 victory and a plethora of new fans.
Next up, the first of the four top-seeded nations took to the stage. Northern Ireland, sporting their all-new combo of Josh Rock and Daryl Gurney, looked sharp from the off. After grabbing an early break, the boys in green soon stretched their lead to 4-1 and were looking comfortable.
A glance at the stats tells the tale: South Africa actually outscored their opponents but couldn’t hit a double when it mattered. The 8-2 scoreline perhaps flattered Northern Ireland, but that’s darts – if you can’t finish, you don’t win. There’s clearly more fuel in the tank for the Rock-Gurney partnership, who will be hoping to finish as strongly as they started next time out. The result means we’re guaranteed Irish representation in the semi-finals – but will it be the boys from the north or the lads from the south?
That brings us neatly to the Republic of Ireland’s triumph over a Swiss outfit that never really got out of first gear. O’Connor and Barry weren’t exactly at their brilliant best, but the truth is they didn’t need to be. The gas pedal was there if required. Surging into a 5-2 advantage at the break, Ireland were in total control. The Swiss offered very little resistance, struggling to score big and, when the rare chance came, struggling even more to finish. The 8-3 final score felt about right, although the few legs Switzerland did win seemed to take forever.
As for the other winners from the opening knockout ties: step forward Czechia. I am reliably informed that Petr Křivka did indeed locate his lost tooth – it’s now back where it belongs. Malaysia looked like they might pose the Eastern-ish Europeans a threat, but never really got the engines started.
Three legs in, with the Czechs taking the lot, it already felt like a quick night’s work. By the break, what had started as a hill became a mountain, with the Asians staring down the barrel of a 6-1 deficit. Tengku Shah and Tan Jenn Ming eventually added some respectability to the scoreline, but the damage was long done. For the first time in World Cup history, Czechia will line up in the quarter-finals. The reward? A showdown with either Scotland or the Netherlands – so no, it doesn’t get any easier.
Four down, four to go. By around 10pm tonight, we’ll know our final eight.
Afternoon Session Results
Second Round
Malaysia 3-8 Czechia
Hong Kong 8-4 Sweden
Switzerland 3-8 Republic of Ireland
Northern Ireland 8-2 South Africa
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Images: Jenny Segers / PDC Europe
