It is finals day in the BDO World Trophy on Monday and we are set for a thrilling conclusion to both to the men’s and the women’s tournaments at the iconic Lakeside Country Club in Surrey.
There have been plenty of shocks so far in the tournament but you would think the longer formats which are being operated on Monday will play into the hands of the bigger names who remain as the action draws to an exciting climax.
Sunday recap
It was not a day to be either a seeded player or a favourite in the men’s draw on Sunday with the world number one Glen Durrant and former world champions Scott Mitchell and Martin Adams all sliding out of the tournament.
They weren’t the only big names to go either. The defending champion Geert de Vos was beaten as was the former Winmau World Master Martin Phillips while the popular Tony O’Shea was another one sent packing in a super day of darts.
That all plays into the hands of our two outrights Scott Waites and Mark McGeeney. Both made it through in different styles and both will fancy their chances of going the distance now on Monday. Jamie Hughes could be the spoiler to their hopes.
On the women’s side of things it was all about Lisa Ashton. The former world champion averaged a shade under 99 in her 5-1 win over Corinne Hammond in what was a phenomenal performance. She will face another former world champion Anastasia Dobromyslova in the semi-final on Monday.
It wasn’t such a good day for the reigning world champion though as Trina Gulliver was well beaten by Deta Hedman in the quarter final on Sunday with Rhian Griffiths the other lady making it through to the women’s last four.
Men
The four quarter finals, two semi-finals and the final will all be played in what is shaping up to be a really good day of darts on Monday and with the matches being the best of 15, best of 21 and best of 23 legs we truly are going to get the best player on the day crowned as the champion. You don’t fluke wins over that distance.
Our two outrights both have different matches. McGeeney faces the potentially dangerous Jamie Hughes while Waites faces the surprise package from Australia in the form of Peter Machin. I’m sitting their matches out in the hope both win and keep our chances of some nice payouts alive.
Danny Noppert has made it through and he’ll take on Dean Reynolds in the last of the quarter finals. I like what I see from Noppert but I’m interested to see how he goes as a warm favourite in a big match of this type. My gut feeling is he’ll be fine but he struggled to get over the line against Scott Mitchell and that’s enough to put me off a bet on him.
I will get involved in the opening match of the day though which sees Darius Labanauskas taking on the Dazzler himself Darryl Fitton for a place in the semi-final against either Hughes or McGeeney.
It has been really good to see Fitton winning matches back on the big stage again but I think he might meet his match here. Fitton has come through without playing fantastic but credit to him for getting the job done. His prolific 180 scoring hasn’t been there yet though and you always feel a meltdown on the doubles is just around the corner.
It was impossible not to be impressed with Labanauskas’ win over Glen Durrant on Sunday in a match which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the PDC code let alone this one. Both men averaged over a ton and looked really good in doing so.
I’m with the Lithuanian here. In the seven legs he won against Durrant in the previous round only one needed more than 15 arrers and at this level that is sensational darts. If he keeps that sort of form up he is going to take an awful lot of stopping and at 4/5 he’s a fair enough price to warrant a punt.
Women
With due respect to Deta Hedman and Rhian Griffiths who I’m sure will play out a perfectly competent semi-final the day surely revolves around the other semi-final. As for the Hedman vs Griffiths match you have to side with Deta’s experience but Griffiths has taken care of established talents in Fallon Sherrock and Lorraine Winstanley already this weekend and looks up for the job.
I’ll leave that alone though and hit the battle of the world champions for a bet. If Anastasia is right on it here this could be a classic but even though she’s come through so far she hasn’t played all that well and hasn’t yet registered a 75 average in the tournament. We’re playing at the standard now in the women’s game where you need to be pushing an 80 average to win the big events but Lisa Ashton has even raised the bar again this weekend.
Ashton looked superb against Hammond in the quarter final and really that performance wasn’t a fluke. She is that good. I know Monday is a different day and Ashton can have meltdown on the doubles but she’s scoring so well I don’t see how Anastasia gets close and I say that as a big fan of the Russian.
Their last three meetings have each gone the way of Ashton, all by a 4-0 scoreline and I’m expecting this one to be equally as comfortable even over this longer best of 11 leg distance. 6-3 or easier in Ashton’s favour for me.
Tips
Back D.Labanauskas to beat D.Fitton for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with Bet365
Back him here:
WON – Back L.Ashton (-2.5 legs) to beat A.Dobromyslova for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Coral
Back her here:
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