2010 Lakeside World Professional Darts Championships
Lakeside Country Club,
Frimley Green, Surrey:
Jan 2 to 10, 2009

 

Day 6
COUNT DOWNED BY CHISNALL
Dave Chisnall staged a dramatic fight back to send defending champion Ted Hankey tumbling out of the BDO World Championship at Frimley Green on Thursday night. Chisnall reeled off four straight sets to come from 4-1 down at the interval to seal a thrilling 5-4 win and book his place in the semi-finals. The 29-year-old from St Helens struggled with his doubles early on but appeared to rectify that problem at the break as 'The Count' began to falter on his finishing.

The other quarter-final was a far more one-sided affair as top seed Tony O'Shea beat Robert Wagner 5-1 to set up a last-four meeting with Chisnall. Last year's beaten finalist was not at his best but always looked too strong for his Norwegian opponent.

Trina Gulliver's bid for an eighth BDO women's championship remains on-course after she beat Deta Hedman in the semi-finals at the Lakeside. Hedman, a former world number one, kept pace with her rival but missed key doubles as Warwickshire's Gulliver, 40, reached a tenth final.

In the other semi-final, Welsh debutant Rhian Edwards (left) beat Karen Lawman 2-0. In a match of limited quality, the highlight was a 112 finish from Edwards as she downed the fourth seed. Lawman had chances of her own, missing the bull for a 130 finish in the second set, and then busting with 120 required by hitting successive triple twenties. But Edwards' greater composure saw her through to the final, though she is sure to start as an overwhelming underdog against 'Golden Girl' Gulliver.

The England international will be determined to make amends for last year's defeat by Francis Hoenslaar.
She also lost in the 2008 final to Russia's Anastasia Dobromyslava - her first ever loss at the Lakeside. Edwards served notice of her title ambitions by beating compatriot and top seed Julie Gore 2-0 in the first round.

Trina overcomes double trouble
Golden Girl Trina Gulliver (throwing right) eased into the final of the women's championship fighting off comeback girl Deta Hedman 2-0. It was an absorbing 28 minute encounter, which saw former world number one Hedman turn back the clock to challenge the sport's current top women player. And a bout of double trouble for seven times winner Gulliver almost threatened to upset her tilt for an eighth title.

The legs went with the throw in the first semi final with Hedman hitting a 73 checkout finished on double tops, hitting a 180 in the next but missing bull for an 88 finish. She held her composure in the next, a 177 paving the way for a 2-1 lead with double tops. Gulliver collected the next with double eight and then powered down to a double in the deciding fifth, struggling to get the finish and requiring five double attempts before exiting on double five to annex the first set.

Power-scoring saw Gulliver race to the double in the opening leg of the second set but she then missed double 20 and two double 10s, Hedman missed the opportunity of double 20 and grateful Gulliver nipped in to pinch the leg. Hedman defended her throw in the next, Gulliver blasting in her second 180 in the third leg, clinching it with an 80 finish, completed on her favourite double tops. Both players hit 140s in the next but it was the Golden Girl who his double 12 with her second attempt who won through to the 10th final.

Rhian sweeps aside Lawman
Rhian Edwards toppled fourth seed Karen Lawman 2-0 o set up a classic Wales v England women's final. The Llanelli debutant punished the experienced Yorkshire player for missing doubles to book her final showdown with seven times winner Trina Gulliver.

Edwards took the opening set 3-1 against the throwing advantage, repeatedly pouncing to hit doubles after the seed missed finishing opportunities.

Both players struggled to find the treble 20 bed in the second set, Edwards again hitting double 10 after Lawman (throwing right) had missed finishes of double tops and double 10. The English player missed bull for a 130 finish, Edwards sweeping in to finish on 112, finished on double 16, the Doncaster sharpshooter hitting rare double four. Edwards clinched victory on double 20 to become the first Welsh woman to reach the final of the championship.

Men
Chisnall buries "The Count"
New kid on the block Dave Chisnall (throwing right) marched emphatically into the last four after producing an amazing comeback to bury Ted "The Count" Hankey 5-4 in a thrilling 90 minute match. The quietly spoken 29-year-old St Helens player just couldn't believe his luck as he battled back to turn a 4-1 interval reversal into victory over the defending champ and fifth seed.

Hankey took the opening set against the throw including hitting a maximum. He fired out a further four 180s and a 12-darter as he brought the first session of darts, lasting 52 minutes to a conclusion, appearing to have one leg already in the semi final.

The defending champ took the opening leg of the sixth but determined Chisnall replied with an 11 darter finished on double tops against the throwing advantage, following up with a 12-darter in the next, including a maximum. The next leg went to the man from St Helens in 14 darts to reduce Hankey's lead to 4-2.

Twice Chisnall led the seventh, both players hitting a maximum in the fourth leg as Hankey levelled, the title holder blasting in a 180, which was countered by Chizzy who then clinched victory with an unconventional 73 checkout - single three, treble 20, double five. Hankey acknowledged the young players brave comeback touching knuckles.

The Lancashire county player then defied the odds taking the opening leg of the eighth against the throw to pressurise Dracula-lover Hankey (right) and then countered a series of missed doubles from the Telford player to open up a 2-0 set lead. He then added the next with double three after Hankey missed double tops.

Both players hit 180 in the opening leg of the ninth set, Chisnall coolly checking out on double 12 but only after picking up the dart that he had dropped on the floor. He then swept home double 16 as Hankey faltered. Chisnall fired in another 180 in the next but he then missed six doubles and Hankey seven to save the match before the St Helens man clinched victory with double two.

Afterwards an incredulous Chisnall declared: "I just did not give up. At the interval I thought I was finished but people told me not to give up. I missed a few doubles in the first half of the game but just kept plodding on and started to hit the trebles and doubles in the second half of the match.

"My family have not been able to make it down this week because of the weather but I will be making arrangements for them to be here for Saturday's semi final," declared Chizzy.

Bitterly disappointed Hankey said: "Without the break I would have won 5-1. I can't believe what happened. After the break Dave came out as a different person, he was unbelievable."

Silverback conjures up 5-1 victory
Top seed Tony O'Shea coasted into the penultimate stage of the championship dismissing "Magician" Robert Wagner 5 - 1. Last year's runner up delivered a polished and clinical performance to disrupt the fast-throwing style of the Norwegian showman in just 58 minutes. The man standing in the way of the Stockport grandfather's second final appearance is "new kid on the block" Dave Chisnall, the 29-year-old conqueror of defending champ Ted Hankey.

"Too be honest I would have preferred to have played Ted because of last year's final. I did not give it my best shot last year and it would have been nice to have met him again.

"The first game between Ted and Chizzy was so good, I felt our match was really flat but I was really chuffed to get through," declared O'Shea.

The top seed roared into the match, taking the opening set unchallenged and including a 13-dart finish, following up by winning the deciding leg in the next. The Norwegian won the low-scoring third set 3-1, O'Shea (left) taking the next by the same margin.

He opened up a 2-0 lead in the fifth, Wagner taking the third and after both players hit a maximum in the following leg, the Cheshire player hit the set-winning double eight to rack up a 4-1 interval lead.

Refreshed from a six minute break the sixth set went the full distance - O'Shea hitting two 180s - before clinching victory on double eight.

Thanks to BDO for assisting with the reports
Thanks to Ian Wort for the images

MAN'S BODY FOUND IN FROZEN LAKE
By Lauren Turner, Press Association
A darts fan's body was found under ice at the Lakeside Country Club on Thursday. The discovery was made at the venue in Frimley Green, Surrey, at 10.45am. A member of staff at the club alerted Surrey Police to the body. The force has launched an investigation into the cause of the death.

The British Darts Organisation Lakeside World Championships is currently taking place at the venue. The darts fan had been staying at the complex to watch the championships, a British Darts Organisation (BDO) spokesman said.

Robert Holmes said it appeared to have been a "tragic accident". The championships, which have been staged at the club for 25 years, are continuing despite the death.

Mr Holmes said: "A body was taken from the lake this morning, and it was someone who had been here to watch the darts.

"All I can say on behalf of the BDO is that we send our condolences on this tragic accident. The championships carry on, but it's a tragedy."

He said the large lake, at the centre of the complex named after it, is frozen over. Mr Holmes added: "The weather has played a major part in this. We have been coming here for 25 years and I have never seen weather like this. "We had eight inches of snow here and the lake is frozen solid. "Unfortunately, I don't know how the accident happened, whether the man fell into the lake or walked on to it. We all feel terribly sorry for what has happened."

He said the natural lake is usually partly fenced off, but police have now sealed off the area. Mr Holmes said he did not know who the man was.

Surrey police confirmed in a statement posted on the BDO's official website the body was that of 45-year-old Philip Hughes from Slough in Buckinghamshire. He apparently fell through an ice covered lake and drowned in the freezing waters after cheering on his idols at the World Darts Championships at the Lakeside Country Club.

The married man had been drinking into the early hours with pals after the televised matches finished and decided to walk back to his hotel after being advised not to drive. It is believed he lost his bearings in the freezing conditions and wandered on to the lake not realising it was iced over and covered in snow and fell through after 20 yards. His wife woke in the morning at the world famous country club in Frimley Green, Surrey, and when she realised he had not returned raised the alarm and the grounds were searched. The man was spotted under the ice close to the bank and fire crews and police raced to the scene and recovered the body and paramedics tried to revive him on the way to hospital. However waiting doctors pronounced the tragic darts fan dead. It is understood the husband regularly visited the World Darts Championships with a group of pub pals and their wives. His body was found in the frozen ornamental lake nine hours after he was last seen alive at 2am walking back.

A Lakeside Country Club source said: "The lake is only about 20 yards away from the door and he must have walked out and straight on to the lake thinking that he was walking on land.

"He walked in an arc shape judging by the footprints and was nearly back on dry land when he went through. The ice must have given away and in those temperatures you won't survive long.

"It must have been about -8C to -10C last night and drink had been taken and tragically he could not get out."

Fire Brigade Watch Manager Karl Bowen said "Apparently he had been told not to drive his car which was parked and had then gone to walk it instead and the last time that anyone recalls seeing him alive was at about 2am.

"The body was so close to the side of the lake that police had already pulled him out - all we could do was help put him on a stretcher and get him into an ambulance for him to be worked on.

"The man had taken a walk and may have not known there is a lake there because it was frozen and covered in snow.

"It is about 20 yards from the back of the venue where the darts are held."

The victim was rushed to Frimley Park Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

Lakeside Professional World Darts Championships spokesman Robert Holmes confirmed the man was a fan enjoying the world famous tournament and added: "It is tragic and the weather played a big part.

"He was a darts fan but that's all I know - I have no details of name age or anything."