2009 Lakeside World Championship Day 5
Posted on January 7th, 2009
Ruthless John Boy ends Webster’s hopes of retaining title
Former title-holder John Walton scorched to a superb 4-0 38-minute whitewash of defending champion Mark Webster.
It was an awesome performance from the 47-year-old Sheffield sharpshooter who recorded 11 and 12 dart finishes and four 100 plus finishes as shell-shocked Webster struggled to annex just four legs in the 38 minute encounter.
Walton set out his stall with a 12 dart opening leg of the match, finished on 86, taking the set 3-1.
He trailed the second 2-0 but then swept back, with a 15-darter finished on a 102 checkout, following up with a 17 dart and then powering in an eye-catching 11 dart (140, 180, 140 41 checkout) set winning leg.
A 111 finish in the opening leg of the third set laid the foundation for 3-0 whitewash and then veteran Walton launched into the fourth set with a 15 dart leg including his third 180 of the game.
Wounded Webster, the 25-year-old second seed from Denbigh exited on 103 to level but the comeback was shortlived, John Boy firing out another maximum to take the following set in 15 darts.
Superior scoring saw the 2001 champion pressurise Webster who hit a flurry of low scores to leave 80, Walton cooly clinching victory and a place in the last eight with a superb 126 checkout finished on bull.
Afterwards a smiling John Boy said: “I just relaxed and played the dartboard and not Mark.
“I have been suffering with what I thought was a wrist injury – tendinitis in my right wrist. It turns out the problem was a trapped nerve in my right shoulder which was affecting the whole of my right arm and wrist!
“I have been having manipulation on my shoulder and doing exercises and this has helped. I have to have an injection, which I have been told will be painful so I didn’t want it this week.”
Dejected Webster admitted: “It just did not happen. I thought I could make it 1-1 but knew after the second set that it was not going to happen tonight.
“As defending champion you are bound to feel more pressure and I have it all year, I just haven’t played well. “My main concern now is to start playing well again and return to Lakeside in 12 months time,” declared Webster.
Wolfie ends the title hopes of young pretender Gurney
For the second successive game former champ Martin Adams found himself on the rivet as he defied a spirited performance from debutant Daryl Gurney of Northern Ireland to win through 4-2.
Adams emerged from the 79-minute encounter bruised and battered as the man from the emerald isle battled back from 2-0 down to press the England skipper.
The opening leg went with the throwing advantage, Adams missing bull for a a 161 checkout to level and then taking the next against the advantage with his fourth attempt for double tops. He then left himself 100 after nine darts, eventually taking the set on double 20 with his 16th dart.
Both players throwing slowly and deliberately, showing immense respect for each other.
Despite missing doubles the young Irish player moved 2-0 ahead, Adams blasted in a brace of 180s and levelled with 76 and 69 checkouts. Adams led the sprint to the double and after missing double 16, fired out double eight to extend his match lead.
For the second successive set the man from the Emerald Isle edged 2-0 ahead but then wired double 15 for a set winning showpiece 150 finish, as Adam struck double four and followed up with his favourite double tops to level the set. Adams missed bull for a 121 finish and commanding match lead as the Londonerry player hit double 12.
Back-to-back maximums sent a murmur through the knowledgeable crowd but hopes of a perfect leg were dashed as Adams’ seventh bid for a 60 missed the tiny red segment. The following three legs went with the throw, Adams missing a bull for 121 and then double 16 and double eight, gifting the set on double tops to Gurney to pull the match back to 2-2.
Remarkably every leg in the fifth set went against the throwing advantage, Gurney hitting his second maximum as the experienced England skipper steered in set-winning 101 checkout, finished on double 16.
Trailing the sixth leg 2-0, Adams scrapped to level with a 102 checkout, completed with double 16.
Delighted Adams said “I would like to have won 4-0 but Daryl threw some very good darts and perhaps it is a case that these close matches wear me down because I am getting older and have lapses in concentration.
“ I even tried standing half an inch back from the oche but it didn’t help.
“Daryl is a great player and has a big future in the game. I have watched him play international matches and is very talented and will build on the match tonight,” said relieved Adams.
Ted “The Count” Hankey stakes his claim for title
Ted “The Count” Hankey swept into the last eight, driving a stake into the title hopes of Scot Ross Montgomery, toppling him 4-1.
Despite scorching temperatures on stage, which left him sweating profusely, Hankey remained cool to bully “The Boss” into submission.
“I didn’t play well in that one and didn’t play brilliantly in my opening game so there is still a lot of hard work to be done before Friday.
“Ross is big buddy of mine and those are always the hard matches, because there is so much respect. Neither of us played well.
“I couldn’t find my pitch tonight, I found it a long throw but know what I have to do before the quarter finals.”
Hankey squares up to the on-form John “Boy” Walton in Friday’s quarter final – a repeat of the 2001 world final when the Yorkshireman prevented Hankey from successfully defending his title.
A 15-dart finish in the deciding fifth leg gave Hankey the perfect start to his bid to reach the last eightl.
He reinforced this sweeping through the next unchallenged, clinching the set with a 13-darter but despite two maximums conceded the third set to the battle Scot.
A 12-darter (134, 140, 140 and 87 checkout) saw The Count swoop into the opening leg of the fourth set, adding the next and then the fourth leg for a decisive 3-1 match lead.
The Scot – who formerly played American football – converted both double attempts in the fifth set, Hankey taking the third leg and then blasting in a 13-dart finish to level the set.
Despite two tons from the battling Ross, it was Hankey who buried the Scotsman’s title aspirations, clinching victory with double 18 after Montgomery fluffed a match-saving double 16.
Big Robbo shoots down “The Assassin”
Sixth seed Gary Robson booked his place in the last eight, killing the hopes of 11th seed Martin “The Assassin” Atkins 4-x in
But Robson who has been prone to losing concentration on the Lakeside game once again suffered jitters after opening up a commanding 3-0 lead.
Robbo sporting an uncharacteristic blue shirt instead of his normal black one had throwing advantage in the opening set but failed to press home the advantage. But he responded immediately, taking three successive legs with precision one-dart finishes to establish a match lead.
Despite two maximums from the fast-throwing Atkins, Robbo played as if he was contracted to get rid of “The Assassin,” taking a 3-1 second set success, including an 81 checkout finished on bull.
Watched by his exhibitions partner Gary Anderson, who had already booked a place in the quarter finals, the Robson steam roller continued at high tempo, flattening Atkins 3-0 in the third set with barely 20 minutes of the match completed.
Robson’s merciless treatment of Atkins continued into the fourth set, his second 180 paving the way for the first leg success on double eight – against the throwing advantage.
Atkins visibly tried to slow the runaway Robson, levelling the set after narrowly missing a 120 checkout on double tops and finishing with double 10 and then nervously annexed the third leg with the same finish after Big Robbo uncharacteristically missed darts for double 11.
The Assassin, encouraged by his new found form stamped home the advantage to clinch the set on 96, with double 18, as Robson’s play dipped.
Sixth seed Robson slammed the dart into the bull to defend his throw in the fifth set, Atkins levelling and then taking the third against the advantage with double 16. Robson hit double four to level.
Big Robbo blasted home a crucial 180 to win the race to the double. He left 36 and Atkins hit back-to-back 60s and then wired double 19 for a match-saving 158 finish, Robson coolly killing out with his second dart for double 18.
Tags: Lakeside World Professional, Results, Review
Filed under BDO-WDF, Lakeside World Professional |
