Three Singles Titles for Rebecca.

Rebecca Webster from nearby Wynnum here in Queensland won the Australian Girl's Singles title for the third successive time. She matches two other great junior players in Western Australian Harrena Williamson and another Queenslander in Brie Peters to become a three time Australian Singles Champion. One Rookie Player at these Championships in 2010 contested the Boy's final and came away a Champion.

Rebecca Webster (right) defeated fellow Queensland darts player Cassie Brackin 3 - 0 in the final to become the 2010 Australian Junior Girls Singles Darts Champion. She had gone back-to-back-to-back in winning the title for the third time having won the title in Perth in 2008, Adelaide 2009 and this year in Brisbane. Webster is just sixteen years of age and showed her class today to throw the big darts when she had too. She had some challenges along the way but was able to succeed at all of these challenges to come through. The opportunity is still there for her to compete at another Championship in 2011.

It is fairly hard playing a teammate you have been playing with all week but this game was for an Australian singles title. Two Queensland 16 year olds fronted each other for the premier singles tournament. Rebecca Webster the experienced player up against Cassie Brackin a player representing her state for the first time. There appeared to be some early nervous tension for these two campaigners but after a few throws the final was on in earnest. Brackin had the lead off shot and her first few throws were a little wayward and was struggling to find the twenty. Webster started with some good scores and found herself to the double first. She finished from 16 to give her the first leg and an early break in the best of five legs final. Webster was away in the second leg and started strongly with a 140. The good scoring continued as she approached the double. Brackin was throwing honest darts but could not find the triple. Webster had several darts at double 1 after leaving that score from 72. Here second shot at the double 1 and her third dart saw her take the leg. Away in the third leg Brackin had to keep up the pressure by hitting some big scores or her title hopes would be over. Both players were matching each other scoring wise and both were down to the double at the same time. Brackin missed a chance at finishing leaving 20, while Webster with the next shot cleaned up from 35 to take the leg and the title was hers again. A great achievement by Rebecca Webster to come to her third Championship and win the individual event three times in a row.

There did not appear to be much disappointment for Cassie Brackin (left) as I am sure she was extremely proud of what she had achieved. She is only 16 years of age and has the opportunity to represent Queensland again next year so there is still an opportunity there for her to win the title.

Rebecca Webster (17.476) (QLD) defeated Cassie Bracken (15.034) (QLD) 3 - 0

The semi finals were not a brilliant encounter but was an enthralling game between Queensland' s Cassie Brackin and South Australia's Asha Gurd with both these players being so evenly matched. They matched each other for scoring and finishing. Both were pretty nervous but Brackin gained the crucial first leg against the darts with a double 15 finish. The next legs also went against the darts with Gurd finishing off the leg from 14. Leg three and for the third leg in a row, the lead off player lost the leg. Both players were still matching each other score wise but Brackin found the darts to finish the leg from 16. Leg four saw Brackin make her move, picking up on her scoring early in the leg, but Gurd was not far off. Gurd had to win this leg to stay in contention. Both players had a shot at winning the leg. Brackin took her place in the final after finishing from 12 to win the semi final 3 - 1.

Cassie Brackin (15.129) (QLD) defeated Asha Gurd (14.533) (SA) 3 - 1

In the second semi final, Rebecca Webster played some brilliant darts with some high scoring and steady straight darts. She played Jucinta Dann from Western Australia who could match Webster scoring and finishing wise. This was by far the best contest played during the day. Dann started first with a ton. Some good scoring continued through the first leg. Webster was matching Dann. Dann nearly blew the first leg by wasting a shot at double 10, but next throw she finished off leg one. Leg two and Dann was throwing beautiful straight darts. She was well ahead of Webster and finished on tops with her 20th dart to break Webster's throw and lead 2 - 0. Webster had to break Dann's throw this leg or her title defense would be gone. Both players matched each other with good scoring coming down, but the first shot of 140 gave Dann the slight advantage. Dann missed double 8 and double 4 with her first three darts at the double putting big pressure on Webster. She handled that pressure finishing from 58 to get back into the semi final. Dann had missed a chance at the final. The fourth leg was just as close as the previous legs. Both players were finding the triple twenty regularly, with a timely 152 hit by Webster to leave 24 being crucial. Dann left 40 from 73 to set up her leg, but Webster hit double 12 with her first dart next shot to square up the semi final at 2 - 2. The deciding leg saw Dann away but it was Webster who this time out scored Dann on the way down with several 100+ scores. She had her first shot at a finish but busted from 48, Dann could not finish from 57 leaving 30. Next shot by Webster this time clean up the leg with two darts to finish a great high quality contest by two outstanding players. There can only be one winner and on this occasion it was Rebecca Webster.

Rebecca Webster (21.486) (QLD) defeated Jucinta Dann (21.705) (WA) 3 - 2
Quarter final scores:
Asha Gurd (SA) defeated Edwina Dryden (WA) 2 - 0
Cassie Brackin (QJD) defeated Naomi Power (SA) 2 - 0
Rebecca Webster (QLD) defeated Melissa Sica (NSW) 2 - 1
Jucinta Dann (WA) defeated Lee-Anne Watkins (WA) 2 - 0

The Girls qualified for the quarterfinals by either topping the six-player 'pool' or placing second. There were four 'pools' and each player in each 'pool' played a round robin against all players in that 'pool'

Congratulations Rebecca Webster - Australian Singles Champion

Rookie Boys Singles Champion

Young Phillip Stuart (left) from South Australia won his first Australian Junior Darts Singles title today when he defeated fellow New South Wales representative Luke Sipple. Phillip Stuart is only 15 years of age and has only being playing the sport of darts for about 18 months. This was his first year representing South Australia so this has been an outstanding performance winning some close encounters along the way to the title. Luke Sipple is a year older and this has been his fourth year playing for New South Wales at this level.

There was some brilliant darts thrown by both players in the final. Phillip Stuart started the better of the two opening with some big scoring which set him up well to take the first leg in 20 darts. The second leg saw Stuart start the leg with a couple of tons while Sipple was throwing straight darts the triple was a little elusive. Stuart hit double tops to take the second leg against the throw in 20 darts. Leg three saw the scoring lift. Stuart threw a 180 with his third walk which set him up for the leg. His missed tops trying to finish from 80 but cleaned up with his first dart next shot to open up a 3 - 0 lead. A 19-darter for that leg. It was time for Sipple to make his move or he was history. Sipple managed to find the triple twenty a number of times in getting down to the double in this leg scoring three scores of 100. Stuart was not far behind but Sipple only required one dart at double 10 to take leg four. Stuart was away first in leg five and was throwing great darts. Another leg with three scores of a ton or more saw him down to the double first. He missed tops (just inside) to finish from 60 but he had a bit of time as Sipple was still away behind. With double 10 left his first dart hit what was required for a 19-dart to win the title.

Luke Sipple (right) had thrown great darts all day and although disappointed he must have been happy with his performance. He will have other opportunities next year.

Phillip Stuart (24.697) (SA) defeated Luke Sipple (20.936) (NSW) 4 - 1

The semi finals saw some great action with the first match going the full distance in the best of five leg semi finals. In the first semi final Phillip Stuart played another rookie player to the Championships in Conan Ugle from Western Australia. Both players were in pretty hot form here. The first leg Stuart won against the darts finishing from 60 for a 21-darter. The second leg was also won against the darts by Ugle in 20 darts from 28 after Stuart had a chance at holding his throw missing one dart at 40. The third leg saw Ugle away and a timely 180 set him up for leg. Stuart was a little way behind but Ugle only needed two darts to take the leg and a 2 - 1 lead. Leg four and Stuart started strongly with a 123, but Ugle was hitting big scores as well. He out scored Stuart with two really big ton+ scores and just missing a 170 finish leaving 25. That miss was costly as he wasted another six darts and still had not finished the leg. Stuart was also wasting a few darts at trying to claim the leg, eventually doing so on double 6 though. The deciding leg was required to separate these two. Ugle again was scoring strongly, while Stuart who started the leg was not quite as consistent in hitting the triple twenty. Ugle missed a chance at claiming the leg from 60 leaving 14. Stuart was back on 98 and he managed to finish off the leg with his three darts to see himself into the final. Ugle had thrown brilliant darts and still could not work out several minutes after the match how he had not won the semi final and had missed out on being in the final.

Phillip Stuart (21.118) (SA) defeated Conan Ugle (23.257) (WA) 3 - 2

The second semi final saw 16-year-old Robbie King from Queensland take it right up to Luke Sipple in this final. King was in pretty good touch after coming off a great win in the quarterfinals. He was away first starting strongly with some big scores setting him up to win the first leg. He hit a 140 to leave 40. Sipple had started the leg strongly as well but his scoring went off for a few shots in the middle of the leg. King missed six darts at double 20 opening up the chance for Sipple. Sipple missed double 18 to leave 18, King missed double 20 to leave 20 before Sipple hit double 9 to claim the first leg. Leg two was forgettable for both players as both had four walks to finish the leg but wasted darts. Eventually King hit double 1 to even up the semi at 1 - 1. The third leg again saw both players match each other score wise. Both were at the double at the same time. Again King missed his chance while Sipple with his first dart at double 18 gave him leg three. King was a little shattered at the start of the fourth. Sipple took advantage of this and put in some big scores and was down to finish. King came back strongly late in the leg scoring 280 with his last three walks but it was too late. Sipple won the leg hitting tops with his first dart to make the final.

Luke Sipple (18.597) (NSW) defeated Robbie King (17.743) (QLD) 3 - 1

Quarter Final Scores
Conan Ugle (WA) defeated Jackson Wilson-Young (NT) 2 - 0
Phillip Stuart (SA) defeated Matthew Francois (VIC) 2 - 0
Luke Sipple (NSW) defeated Guy Holland (19.125) (NSW) 2 - 0
Robbie King (QLD) defeated Harlee Chauntler (QLD) 2 - 0

Congratulations Phillip Stuart - Australian Singles Champion