BDO World Darts Championships results: Glen Durrant, Jim Williams, Scott Waites and Michael Unterbuchner reach semis
A review of Friday's action at the BDO World Darts Championships, as Glen Durrant kept his dream of a third Lakeside title alive and Scott Waites also won.
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Glen Durrant remains on course for a record-equalling third successive Lakeside title after a commanding 5-2 victory over the dangerous Kyle McKinstry booked his semi-final spot.
'Duzza' is bidding to become the first man since Eric Bristow from 1984-86 to lift this prestigious trophy three years on the trot and he's now just two wins away from achieving legendary status.
The early stages of this contest was closely-fought with no breaks of throw in the opening 12 legs but Durrant, who had lost the first set despite landing checkouts of 107 and 111, would then land that decisive blow with another from 124 on the bullseye to complete a 12-darter before a hold in the next put him 2-1 up overall.
McKinstry forced a decider in the fourth set after a superb 116 checkout only for the 48-year-old Teesider to take it with a tournament best 10-dart leg.
The Northern Irishman continued to hang in there despite Durrant's scoring power but once again the second seed edged a fifth leg to open up a three-set lead.
McKinstry showed no signs of giving in, especially having claimed two dramatic comeback victories in the previous two rounds, and took the next set 3-1 with a checkout of 76 to stay alive.
Durrant nipped McKinstry's resistance in the bud by winning the seventh set 3-1 with a closing checkout of 85 and finished the match with an impressive 98 average despite missing 45 of his attempts at doubles.
The Village Man, who averaged 91, can head home proud of his efforts this week having reached the quarter-finals on just his second appearance here and there can be little doubt he'll be striving more major titles in the coming years.
Duzza will now meet Jim Williams in a repeat of last year's epic quarter-final after the Welshman saw off Scott Mitchell 5-3 in a hard-fought battle.
Williams, who is third of our Chris Hammer's three pre-tournament tips to reach the last four, blew a 4-1 lead against Durrant at this stage of the competition 12 months ago and will need to produce the performance of his life to make amends on Saturday night.
The Quiff, however, will still be encouraged by his performance against the 2015 Lakeside champion as he averaged 93.29 and fired in 13 180s as he booked a place in his first World Championship semi-final.
With the aid of a superb 11-darter, Williams overturned a 2-0 deficit in the first set to go 1-0 up but with very little between both players, 'Scotty Dog' would take the second, fourth and sixth to keep the match on level terms at 3-3.
Mitchell looked like he'd go ahead for the first time when leading the seventh 2-0 - and knowing he'd be throwing first in the eighth - but the 32-year-old took out checkouts of 78 and 56 under pressure to keep his nose in front.
That seemed to knock the stuffing out of the Dorset thrower as Williams broke his throw with a 79 at the start of the eighth before taking two of the next three legs for victory.
The Welshman has won five titles on the BDO circuit since his defeat on this stage last year but he's also suffered the heartache of semi-final losses in three big majors - the World Masters, the World Trophy (to Durrant) and December's Finder Masters - so he now stands on the brink of a landmark moment in his career.
Scott Waites edged out Conan Whitehead 5-3 to book his place in the semi-finals as he also chases a third Lakeside crown.
In a largely nip-and-tuck affair, punctuated by superb finishes from both men, it was the former two-time champion's extra gear which eventually broke the heart of his younger opponent, good news for followers of Chris Hammer's staking plan.
Whitehead dominated only in bursts, notably the second and third sets, but was eventually seen off by the Yorkshireman man seeking his third Lakeside title.
The match started in thrilling fashion, Waites taking out 100 for a 12-dart opening leg, then hitting 68 to break before Whitehead took the next two to force a decider.
The following leg in the end represented the match in microcosm, Waites finding a way back into it with one of his eight maximums before hitting double 16 for a ruthless 66 finish and the first set, during which his average of 101.43 was bettered by Whitehead's stunning 102.66.
There was no let-up in the second, which Whitehead dominated, first holding in 13 darts, then stealing the second leg with a 76 checkout, at which point each of the seven had been won in 15 darts or fewer.
Whitehead, making his third BDO World Championship appearance, went on to hit double 10 for the set before a 154 finish in the third saw him move ahead in the match as Waites briefly went missing.
The 41-year-old, who triumphed here in 2013 and 2016, took the first two legs of the fourth and while his progress was halted by a 13-dart leg from Whitehead, he took the next in a sloppy 20 darts to level the match at 2-2.
As the momentum swung his way, Waites dominated the fifth set and he was at his blistering best in the sixth, averaging in the region of 110 thanks to finishes of 101, 81 and 68 as he moved into a clear lead for the first time.
From 2-0 down in the seventh, the Halifax thrower moved within one leg of the semi-finals only for the 'Barbarian', under the most intense pressure of his career, to hit bullseye followed by double 16 for a 102 finish and the set.
Waites quickly regathered himself, though, and when he took out 142 on double 11 to go 2-0 up in the eighth set it was clear victory was coming. In the end, it needed Whitehead to miss twice before Waites hit double 20 to cap an impressive display in which he averaged over 95.
"The nerves were trembling a little bit," said Waites. "When it counted, I think I hit the important doubles.
"You keep talking about the top eight players and I'm outside the top eight (but) I'm still one of the top players in the BDO, and it shows."
Germany's Michael Unterbuchner reached the Lakeside semi-finals for the second year running after fighting back to defeat Willem Mandigers 5-4 in a thrilling clash, and he's next for Waites.
The 30-year-old, who was another of Chris Hammer's pre-tournament tips at 10/1, was in real danger when trailing the 13th seeded Dutchman 3-1 and although he won the next two sets, he promptly fell 4-3 down as Mandigers sensed victory.
Unterbuchner, who took out a vital 104 finish to get back into the match, showed great character to win a nervy deciding leg in the eighth set and take a pulsating quarter-final the distance and then found himself ahead at 2-1 with three match darts in hand.
The fifth seed, who was beaten by Mark McGeeney 12 months ago, missed the lot and Mandigers made him pay in stunning fashion by taking out a spectacular 149 checkout.
Many players would have felt deflated by such a sucker punch at such a key stage in the match but Unterbuchner responded by taking the next two legs with finishes from 51 and 107 to set up a clash with either Scott Waites or Conan Whitehead.
The German averaged 88.35 compared to his opponent's 86.66 while he hit four more maximums with eight in total. Mandigers, who was playing in his first Lakeside quarter-final following his surprise victory over Wesley Harms last time out, hit the highest checkout of the match, a 158 to go with that thrilling 149 finish, but it was not quite enough.
In the women's tournament, top seed Lorraine Winstanley came from a set behind to beat Anastasia Dobromyslova 2-1 and reach her first Lakeside final at the eighth attempt.
Playing in her first semi-final here since 2012, the 43-year-old from Buxton was up against one of her best friends away from the oche but there was no time for sentiment until the last dart was thrown.
Former three-time champion Dobromyslova took the opening set with the help of a 180 in her very first visit that paved the way for an early break of throw.
Winstanley, who averaged 75 compared to the Russian's 78, levelled the match by taking the next set 3-1 before racing through the decider 3-0 to claim the biggest victory of her career.
She will now meet Mikuru Suzuki, who defeated Maria O'Brien 2-0 to become the first Japanese player to reach the final.
The rising star of darts had been backed from odds-against to odds-on in the build-up to this first semi-final and justified the faith of punters with a ready win.
Playing in the event for the first time in her career, Suzuki took out 106 to edge the first set and dominated the second to earn a place in Saturday's final.
Friday results & tournament schedule
Friday January 12
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Men's Quarter-Finals (Best of 9 sets)
Women's Semi-Finals (Best of 3 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Michael Unterbuchner 5-4 Willem Mandigers
- Mikuru Suzuki 2-0 Maria O'Brien
- Scott Waites 5-3 Conan Whitehead
Evening Session (7pm)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Anastasia Dobromyslova 1-2 Lorraine Winstanley
- Glen Durrant 5-2 Kyle McKinstry
- Scott Mitchell 3-5 Jim Williams
Saturday January 12
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Men's Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
Women's Final (Best of 3 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Lorraine Winstanley v Mikuru Suzuki
- Michael Unterbuchner v Scott Waites
Evening Session (7pm)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Glen Durrant v Jim Williams
Sunday January 13
Evening Session (7pm)
Final (Best of 13 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Winner SF 1 v Winner SF 2
Click here for the full Lakeside draw, schedule, results & TV guide