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

 

Day 7

Trina Gulliver cruises to eighth Lakeside darts crown

Trina Gulliver eased to her eighth BDO women's world title with 2-0 victory over Rhian Edwards at the Lakeside. The Warwickshire star needed just 18 minutes to see off her Welsh challenger and claim the £6,000 winner's cheque. Edwards, making her first appearance at Lakeside event, did not disgrace herself and went home with £2,000 as well as some invaluable big-stage experience.

Gulliver a giant in women's darts takes title number eight

Trina Gulliver was crowned queen of darts for a record-breaking eighth time after toppling Welsh player Rhian Edwards 2-0. Gulliver the giant in women's darts needed just 18 minutes to pocket the title and £6000. The Cheddar based player had the advantage of throwing first and drove home double 10 after missing two attempts for double tops.

Edwards had first throw for a double in the next but the consistency she had shown in previous matches was missing as she fluffed three chances, Gulliver narrowly missing double 18 for a 147 finish but finishing it with her next throw.

The Golden Girl powered in a 180 in the next, clinching the set with double two.

Edwards who has been throwing her husband's darts after misplacing her own powered down to the double in the opening leg of the second set but missed another three attempts, Gulliver pouncing to finish 76 with double tops and break the advantage.

The 40-year-old second seed then followed up with a superb 117 finish, completed on double tops, racing ahead in the next leg but missing two darts for double eight.

On her return to the oche there was no mistake as she fired in double eight to land her eighth title.

Edwards in her first appearance in the championship did not disgrace herself and went home with £2000 but more importantly valuable experience which will stand her in good stead for the future.

"Wiping back tears of delight, Gulliver declared: "My house has been so empty without this trophy, it means so much to get it back.

"Rhian is a great player and I needed to put her under pressure straight away. It would have been good to have the final over five sets but I am delighted to win back the trophy," said the eight times winner.

Adams dismantles engineer Thompson's title hopes
Martin Adams swept into the last four of the championship toppling Yorkshireman Garry Thompson with a clinical 57-minute 5-2 display. The third seed who is competing in a record 17th world championship dominated the quarter final never allowing the slow-throwing engineer from Silsden to build as assault. The 53-year-old Adams - the tournament's oldest player - had sailed through the opening session, never looking troubled but had to withstand a late rush of form from the Yorkshire skipper. There were howls of delight as Martin Adams pounded in double 16 to clinch the first set 3-0, hitting a maximum in each leg against a nervous Thompson, who was making his first appearance in the quarter finals.

He added his fourth consecutive leg to open the second set, Thompson racing back to hit a maximum and level the set with a 12-dart finish. He won the third with the throw, clinching the set with a 79 checkout, finished on bull to level the game.

Adams' fourth maximum steered him to the third set 3-0 on double 16 and he then added six of the next seven legs to take a 4-1 interval lead.

The England skipper fired in double tops to take the opening leg of the sixth set against the throw and then hit the same double to lead 2-0, Thompson's power-scoring paving the way for a double 16 finish and then Adams missed both double tops and double 10 to clinch the match, The Cougar pouncing to exit on 86 with double 16. Poor scoring from the Peterborough player was punished by Thompson to take the deciding leg with double tops.

Wolfie took the opening leg with the throw, hitting double five and following it with his sixth 180 and easing to double four. Another 180 and a 140 steered him to a match-winning 81 checkout, finished on double 12.

Adams said afterwards: "Garry is a great player who was really nervous in the first few sets. I would love to have won the game without dropping a set or leg but that's not going to be a reality at this level.

"I have not played Martin Phillips, my next opponent on the world stage before so will be quite interesting. I have the utmost respect for a player who has made 100 appearances for his country," said the England skipper.

Magical Martin reaches the last four for the first time
Veteran Welsh skipper Martin Phillips charged into the last four for the first time, sweeping aside second seed Scott Waites of Yorkshire 5-4 in a 76 minute gripper. The 49-year-old left-hander was is devastating form, blasting in 10 180s, a 12 darter and six 80 plus finishes including a 121. Phillips, the 125/1 outsider at the start of the week was in blistering form, charging through the first set to blitz Yorkshireman Waites 3-0, including an86 finish (bull, double 16). Maximums in the opening two legs saw Phillips move 2-0 ahead, Waites clinching the third after firing out a maximum but the left-hander sweeping back to clinch the set on 102, finished on his favourite double 16.

The veteran Welsh skipper took the opening leg against the throw and then hit back-to-back 180s prompting the possibility of a nine darter but his seventh dart drifted wide into the single five but the Llanelli player took the leg. Waites took the third leg and then blasted in a 113 finish with double 18 checkout level, missing double 18 for the set as Phillips drove home double 16 for a 3-0 lead after 24 minutes play.

The Welsh skipper exited on 80 in the fourth set, Waites replying with a 96 finish and motored ahead after hitting his third 180 but then missed five finishing attempts, cool Phillips pouncing to notch 87, finished on double nine.

Waites broke the throw to annex the opening leg of the fifth but Phillips charged back with a 12-dart finish (180, 140, 99, 82 checkout), completed on double 16. Unusually the Welshman missed four doubles, Waite producing a pressure checkout of 116, finished on his favourite double 18.

But once again, the man from the Principality, hit back, notching his sixth 180 to level the set on 100 with double 10. Waites then took the deciding fifth set against the throw to reduce the deficit to 4-1 at the interval.

The match resumed as a lower tempo as the opening legs went with the throw, Waites then snatching the fourth against the throw, despite a maximum from Phillips to further reduce the Welsh players match lead.

Despite two 180s from Phillips who had the throwing advantage, it was Waites who moved into a threatening 2-1 lead but the determined Welshman taking the fourth against the throw to level the set. Phillips missed one throw at double tops, Waites leaping in to finish with double 16 to take the score to 4-3 behind.

Phillips missed two double tops at the start of the eighth set before the second set charged back to level the match with a 3-0 success.

A 76 finish against the throw saw Phillips annex the first leg of the deciding fifth and after Waites missed two attempts for double 16, the Welsh veteran nipped in for a 99 checkout completed on double 16. Phillips maintained the momentum in the next as he produced a match-winning 86 finish, completed on double 16.

Afterwards delighted Phillip declared: " I started well but I knew he was a heavy scorer and big finisher so I had to hit him hard and quickly. When we got to the break I thought it was going to be another Ted Hankey match. He kept coming back at me.

"During the break I had six darts, a drink of water, went to the toilet and had a sit down. I knew I just had to grind it out in the second half, just keep plodding on. The 99 finish was the killer," said Phillips.

 

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