Lakeside trembled beneath the weight of destiny tonight as the top seed, the titan, the tungsten colossus Jimmy van Schie marched, unflinching, into the third round with a merciless 3-0 obliteration of Alex Williams. The Dutch destroyer continues his regal crusade for the WDF World Championship crown – a glittering companion to the World Masters trophy he seized earlier this year with all the subtlety of a lightning bolt hitting a cathedral.
But before JVS took centre stage, the night delivered chaos, carnage, and the sweet sound of shattered predictions.
The mayhem began with Finnish firebrand Jonas Masalin, who strode onto the stage and detonated every accumulator, coupon, and betting slip within a five-mile radius. His victim? The heavily fancied former Isle of Man Masters champion Ryan Hogarth, a man many expected to breeze through Frimley Green on a cloud of serenity. Instead, Scotland’s Hogarth was ambushed, dismantled, and sent packing as Masalin set up a date with eighth seed Corné Groeneveld. Thunderclap number one.
Then the Lakeside faithful were thrust headfirst into a swirling tornado of drama: Daniel Bauerdick vs Karl Schaefer, a contest of such raw chaos it felt like the darts equivalent of two gladiators hurling spears in a storm. Schaefer – despite his Germanic name flying the Aussie flag – surged to a 2-1 lead, only for Bauerdick, the actual German, to awaken like a forged-in-fire kraken and roar back to steal a 3-2 epic. It wasn’t pretty but it was certainly dramatic. Daniel’s reward? Fifth seed Benjamin Pratnemer.
Next came heartbreak for those who backed the Belgian blunt-force machine Brian Raman. Many had tipped him for a heroic march deep into the draw, but destiny cares not for forecasts. After dragging himself back from a 0-2 abyss, Raman was slain in the final deciding leg by Dutch marksman Jeffrey Sparidaans, who now prepares for a skirmish against another Belgian challenger in the shape of François Schweyen.
The Women’s Championship also took centre stage with two tempestuous clashes. Canada’s Carli Maria edged experienced German warrior Irina Armstrong to book a showdown with fourth seed Nicole Regnaud — Australia’s powerhouse queen of composure.
And then the Lakeside roof rattled as Japanese superstar Mikuru Suzuki, adored across continents, survived a razor-thin final-set decider against Finnish PDC Women’s World Matchplay contender Kirsi Viinikainen. It was steel versus serenity — and the Empress of Osaka prevailed.
Finally, as the curtain fell, Jimmy van Schie returned to sweep aside Alex Williams with the regal nonchalance of a monarch looking to perch of another comfy throne. A statement. A warning. A declaration of intent carved in titanium.
And so ends a roaring night in Frimley Green. The Sabbath brings two more sessions — two more chapters in this sprawling tungsten epic. The Lakeside drama is only just warming up.
Saturday 29th November – RESULTS
Open Round 1: Ryan Hogarth 1-3 Jonas Masalin
Open Round 1: Karl Schaefer 2-3 Daniel Bauerdick
Open Round 1: Brian Raman 2-3 Jeffrey Sparidaans
Open Round 2: Jimmy van Schie 3-0 Alex Williams
Women’s Round 1: Irina Armstrong 1-2 Maria Carli
Women’s Round 1: Kirsi Viinikainen 1-2 Mikuru Suzuki
