Back-to back for Singles Darts Champion

Competing at the Redlands Multi Sports Complex in Brisbane at the 30th Formula Australian Darts Championships Julie Thomas won her third Australian Singles title. Thomas played for South Australia back between 1984 to 1991 before giving the game away. She represented Australia back in those years at the Winmau World Masters in 1984 & 1985, the World Cup in Brisbane in 1985 and the Pacific Cup in Tokyo in 1989. She is now back and last year won the Australian Ladies Singles Champion title after a 17-year break from the game. Obviously this was no fluke as in 2009 she has backed up once more to win the title again.

The Australian Ladies Singles Final saw Thomas (right) lose the opening leg with both players showing a few nerves. Her opponent was Tasmania Helen Johnston a veteran of eighteen years representing her state. Both players had several darts at the double in the second leg before Thomas hit double 10 to square up the final. By leg three both players were finding their range and the big scores started rolling in. Johnston claimed leg three with a 19-darter pegging double top. Thomas came back to win leg four in 18 darts finishing from 80. The match was tied again at 2 - 2. That fourth leg seemed to inspire Thomas. She won the fifth leg against the darts to set up the first break in the final. Leg six was brilliant with a couple of 140's and a 32 finish to be leading 4 - 2. Johnston was away in leg seven and both players were now struggling to find the triple twenty. Both were around the hundred marking coming down when Johnston just missed a 100 pegout. Next shot Thomas won the title for the second year in a row finishing spectacularly by hitting a 110 finish to the leg.

Like last year Thomas gave a little yes pump on winning - Along with the title she won a $1000.00 provided by Formula Sports Australia. She played great darts all day. Julie will celebrate tonight. A little disappointing for Johnston, she would have loved to have won this title to add to her two Australian Ladies Doubles collection but she has had a magnificent week.

Average per dart in the final was:
Julie Thomas 20.196
Helen Johnston 19.490

Thomas played Janine Cassar from Victoria in the first semi final. This was a very close match and both players were coming off brilliant quarter finals. It pays to be on the job right from the start if you want to win at this level. Thomas started out breaking Cassar in the very first leg. Able to hold on her own lead in leg two, this set Thomas up for the rest of the semi final. From here on the two players went leg for leg, winning when they had the lead off throw. Occasionally both players had a chance to inflict a break in the last five legs, but neither could take their chances. Even the final leg, Cassar had three darts at tops to take the leg, but left ten. Thomas hit double top with her second dart to make the final for the second year in a row. Cassar was a finalist in the 2008 Australian Singles Championship in Geelong.

Johnston (pictured left) like Julie Thomas had an enthralling match with a 4 - 2 victory in the second semi final. She played Sheryl Beasy from Victoria whom had claimed some big scalps along the way to the semi final including Queensland's Pam Burr and 2007 Champion Corrine Hammond in the quarter finals. Beasy started brilliantly winning the first leg with a 2-dart 65 finish to inflict a break on Johnston. She held her throw in leg two with a 17 darter to take the early lead. Leg three and Johnston was in trouble. She wasted three walks trying to hit double one giving Beasy the chance for another break. Fortunately Johnston did hit the right double to win this leg. From this point on Johnston took control of the semi final, reeling off the next three legs all in 26 darts to advance to the final.

Ladies Semi Finals:
Julie Thomas (21.007) SA defeated Janine Cassar (21.841) VIC 4 - 2
Helen Johnston (20.569) TAS defeated Sheryl Beasy (19.581) VIC 4 - 2

Quarter Finals:
Janine Cassar (25.914) VIC defeated Louise Ball (24.471) WA 3 - 0
Julie Thomas (22.306) SA defeated Peta Whitlock (21.009) QLD 3 - 2
Helen Johnston (18.243) TAS defeated Samara Ash (18.287) WA 3 - 1
Sheryl Beasy (20.223) VIC defeated Corrine Hammond (18.895) NSW 3 - 2

Men
Australia's top darts players saw a new Australian Singles Champion crowned. Many favourites had fallen as early as the first round in this championship and some new names and talent have emerged. Sean Reed from Sydney became the 2009 Champion with a 6 - 3 victory over Damon Heta from Perth.

Sean Reed (right) is an interesting darting story. This is his first year representing New South Wales at this level and to come and win the Australian Singles at his first attempt is fantastic. Born on the Isle of White in the mid sixties and when 28 began playing darts in Japan. For six years he was ranked No.1 (1997-99 & 2001 - 03) and was four times Masters Champion of Japan (1998, 1999, 2002 & 2003). He has lived in Australia off and on for 15 years and has made an impression on the New South Wales darts scene for a number of years winning their State Singles in 2008.

Both players in the final were in this position for the first time. Reed was playing Damon Heta a young man from Western Australia. He was a member of the Australian Development Squad that played in the Arafura Games in Darwin back in May this year winning four gold medals. Reed opened up the final with a 180 for his first throw. Three walks later he hit another 180. He hit double 8 to win the first leg and that was against the darts. A great start. He held his throw in the next leg and in the third leg again inflicted another break on Heta who was struggling to find the form he had produced during the rest of the day. Leg four and Reed missed three darts at double 10 opening up a chance for Heta to get a break back. He finished from 51 to get on the scoreboard. Reed was still hitting the big scores but was struggling to hit the double. He used eleven darts to finish from 36 to move 4 - 1 up. Leg 6 and Heta produced his best leg of darts for the final to win it in 15 darts finishing from 88. He held his throw in leg seven to be just trailing 4 - 3 still down a break though. Leg eight and Reed was back on track hitting the big scores consistently again. He won this in 16 darts. Crunch time for Heta as time was running out in this best of eleven legs final. He had to hold his throw in leg nine. He had 32 left when Reed finished the leg from 76 to win his sixth leg, enough to win the final and the title.

Average per dart in the final was:
Sean Reed 25.417
Damon Heta 23.011

Heta and Stuart Leach from Queensland contested the first semi final. A very tight contest in the end here that saw the fortunes of each player fluctuate greatly. Leach, a former New Zealand representative was in great form and started this semi brilliantly. He opened with a 17 darter to claim the first leg against the darts. Four brilliant legs in a row by Heta changed the semi final to his advantage. He won those legs in 17, 17, 15 and 18 darts to set up a 4 - 1 lead. No 180's in those four legs but consistent big scoring and exceptional clean finishing was the reason he was able to win these legs. Leach was right in each of these legs but could not take the advantage if offered. The sixth leg say Leach win in 14-darts. Seventh leg and Heta was away. 140, 60, 180, 97 leaving 24 after 12 darts. Leach was left on 101 at the same stage. Heta for the first time missed the double, three darts at double 12. This gave Leach a chance and again missed his chance leaving 32. Heta did not miss with his next dart to win the leg in 16 darts and advance to the final. It had been an exciting final. Unlucky for Leach but he had a couple of chances.

Reed took on Kim Lewis from Western Australia in the second semi final. This match fluctuated in standard from average to outright brilliant legs for this level of competition. Reed at his first Championships was on a ride claiming a few good scalps along the way in getting to the semi finals. Reed won the opening leg comfortably in 15 darts which included a 180. Lewis's first throw in the semi final also was a 180. Reed broke Lewis in leg two with a 17-darter and then won a third leg in 20 darts finishing from 96. Lewis hit his second 180 in leg four winning his first leg in 15 darts. Reed held his throw in leg five to give him a 4 - 1 lead. Lewis started leg six with his third 180 and finished from 85 to win his second leg. Lewis was really firing at this stage and broke back in the seventh leg with a 17 darter and held his throw in the eighth leg to square up the semi final at 4 - 4. Reed was away in the tiebreaking leg and he found his accuracy again. Lewis was chasing hard but could not catch him as Reed finished on double 20 with his first dart at the double to win the leg in 16 darts and move into the final.

Men's Semi Finals
Damon Heta (29.761) WA defeated Stuart Leach (30.055) QLD 5 - 2
Sean Reed (25.066) NSW defeated Kim Lewis (27.753) WA 5 - 4

Quarter Finals:
Stuart Leach (26.872) QLD defeated Dave Whitmore (24.602) NSW 4 - 2
Damon Heta (27.513) WA defeated Neil Hembrow (27.508) WA 4 - 3
Sean Reed (27.463) NSW defeated Geoff Kime (27.845) QLD 4 - 3
Kim Lewis (27.803) WA defeated Beau Anderson (29.567) WA 4 - 2