The Isle of Man once again became the latest destination for the WDF’s finest, as hundreds of hopefuls made the short journey across the Irish Sea for the island’s annual tungsten festival.
In one of the headline events, Dutchman Moreno Blom etched his name into the history of the Isle of Man Classic Open, becoming only the second player from the Netherlands to claim the title, joining compatriot Richard Veenstra on the honour roll.
The 24-year-old showcased composure and authority throughout the closing stages of the tournament. In the semi-finals he dispatched Scotland’s Jim McEwan, who had arrived harbouring ambitions of completing a remarkable hat trick of consecutive victories.
Then, in the final showdown, Blom produced a commanding display to sweep past Catalonian thrower Daniel Zapata 5-1 and secure the silverware with emphatic conviction.
The Women’s crown was decided in a thrilling all Welsh contest, with Leanne Topper narrowly edging reigning champion Eve Watson. The encounter proved a fiercely competitive affair that ultimately required a dramatic last leg decider before Topper could finally celebrate victory.
Jim McEwan’s weekend also included another near miss in the Isle of Man Masters. Once again, the Scot found himself agonisingly close to the title, only to be denied in the final by Reece Colley. Chucky’s charge in this particular tournament travelled slightly closer to the finishing line, yet it was the Dudley thrower who ultimately prevailed, carrying the trophy back to the West Midlands.
An honourable mention must also go to Daniel Zapata, whose fortunes mirrored McEwan’s in reverse. Having finished runner up in the Open earlier in the weekend, the Spaniard’s Masters campaign concluded in the semi-finals.
Welsh celebrations continued in the Women’s Masters as Rhiann O’Sullivan ensured Cymru enjoyed a memorable double success. Producing a pristine and authoritative display, O’Sullivan overcame the vastly experienced Aileen de Graaf to secure the title.
In the Isle of Man Open, the final became an all English affair with two competitors battling for the silverware. Jack Drayton emerged as the deserved victor, continuing an impressive run of form following his recent double success on the PDC Development Tour.
The Lancashire youngster comfortably defeated Ben Townley 6-2 to add another prestigious title to his rapidly growing darting résumé.
Over in the Ladies event, Gemma Hayter produced an equally commanding performance, defeating fellow English thrower Steph Clarke 5-1.
The Hampshire born player did not stop there. Hayter also collected additional silverware as part of the victorious Mixed Triples team.
Alongside Steve West and Michael Huntley, the trio overcame the combination of Moreno Blom, Jarno Bottenberg and Vicky Pruim to secure the title.
In the Youth events, both trophies were claimed by talented English youngsters. Ben Townley emerged victorious in a high-quality final against Kaya Baysal, while on the girl’s side Macy Gibbons continued her impressive rise by whitewashing Natalie Baxter to secure the title.
Two further tournaments completed what proved to be a thoroughly action-packed weekend. In the Open Pairs event, the partnership of Jenson Walker and James Beeton delivered a composed display to defeat Joe Croft and Geoffrey Heath with a 2-0 victory.
And finally, it would scarcely feel like a WDF festival of darting entertainment without the presence of Deta Hedman in the winner’s circle. Once again, the Caribbean Queen secured silverware, this time alongside Anca Zijlstra. The pair edged a competitive Ladies Pairs final against Paige Pauling and Vicky Pruim to round off the weekend’s festivities.
And with that, the curtain falls on another frenetic and memorable weekend of tungsten drama on the Isle of Man.
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Images: WDF
