Despite the slashing in prize money, the Women’s BDO World Championship runs alongside the men’s tournament inside the Indigo at the o2 over the next week with 16 players all eyeing up the title of world champion at a time when the ladies game is very much in the spotlight.
Mikuru Suzuki turned the women’s game upside down to win this title 12 months ago and she will be back looking to defend the crown, albeit on a different stage to the one which she won on. This looks like the best field there has been though so this might take some winning.
Recent Winners
2019 – Mikuru Suzuki
2018 – Lisa Ashton
2017 – Lisa Ashton
2016 – Trina Gulliver
2015 – Lisa Ashton
2014 – Lisa Ashton
2013 – Anastasia Dobromyslova
2012 – Anastasia Dobromyslova
2011 – Trina Gulliver
2010 – Trina Gulliver
The Format
In keeping with the men’s tournament, the ladies play over sets but once again the format is ridiculously short for the standards that are now on show in this event. The first round, quarter finals and the semi-finals will all be played over the best of three sets with the title winner being confirmed in a final which will be over the best of five sets and played between the two men’s semi-finals on the second Saturday of the competition.
Top Half
The four time champion Lisa Ashton is heading the field in the top half of the draw and you would have to suggest that things are a bit lopsided in this section as this is the part of the tournament which should have included Fallon Sherrock before she pulled out recently. The beaten finalist of last year in Lorraine Winstanley is here as is the three time runner up Deta Hedman, who will hope to emulate Peter Wright and finally get over the line in this event.
The five unseeded players probably aren’t of the standard that they need to be although Laura Turner has been talking a good game on Sky over the last three weeks and Corrinne Hammond was a former finalist here having lost out to Lisa Ashton back in 2017. Casey Gallagher, Paula Jacklin and Vicky Pruim make up the top half of the field.
Bottom Half
This part of the draw is absolutely loaded with talent and it is where Mikuru Suzuki will attempt to defend her title from. There are champions and title winners everywhere you look in this half with former winner Anastasia Dobromyslova also in here, while Aileen de Graaf is another top level campaigner looking to come through. The other seeded player is sure to get plenty of attention as it is Beau Greaves, the 15-year-old who is supremely talented.
The qualifiers in this section are of a better level than the one above as well with the semi-finalist from last year in Maria O’Brien heading up things. She is set to give Suzuki a decent test in the first round while Sharon Prins, Kirsty Hutchinson and Tori Kewish will all look to show the form which got them into this tournament in the first place.
Betting
It is 2/1 the field for this tournament with Lisa Ashton the favourite but it feels a little more open than that with seven or eight genuine contenders to win the title, boosted by the crazily short format that this event continues to operate under. There are the likes of Mikuru Suzuki, Anastasia Dobromyslova, Beau Greaves, Aileen de Graaf and Lorraine Winstanley to name a few but I’m siding with a veteran at a huge price to pull off something of an upset.
Deta Hedman goes into the tournament as a 25/1 shot but if there is a soft section in the draw she heads it up. The second quarter was meant to contain Fallon Sherrock but she has pulled out and left the path clear for Hedman to launch another strong run. Hedman has been runner up in this tournament on three occasions, going down in a final set on each occasion so she’ll be desperate to get over the line and finally land this title. Lisa Ashton is a sizeable obstacle but her and Deta have shared their meetings in 2019. Hedman won two titles earlier in 2019 and lost out in three other finals and also won the Basingstoke Open last weekend to show she’s in decent nick and 25/1 just feels too big on a seasoned campaigner.
Tips
Back D.Hedman to win Women’s BDO World Championship (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 26.00 with Betfair (1/3 1-2)
Back her here:
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