BDO World Darts Championships results: Mark McGeeney and Wesley Harms crash out
A review of Wednesday's action at the BDO World Darts Championship, as two big names crashed out but Scott Waites and Jim Williams advanced.
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Conan Whitehead caused a huge shock as he thrashed 2018 runner-up Mark McGeeney in the second round at the Lakeside.
The unseeded 'Barbarian' produced a superb average of 96.24 as he blew the 'Gladiator' away 4-0 to move into the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
Checkouts of 60 and 119 helped Whitehead, 32, win the opening set 3-1 before making the most of McGeeney's clostly missed darts at doubles to take the second by the same scoreline.
The Kent-based thrower raised his game further in the third set as he averaged an astonishing 108.46, helped by checkouts of 105 and 89, to move into a commanding 3-0 lead.
McGeeney, who lost an epic final to Glen Durrant 12 months ago, had no intention of giving up as a 72 checkout forced a deciding leg in the fifth but Whitehead closed it out in style by following up his fifth 180 of the match with a finish from 86.
Whitehead will next meet former two-time Lakeside champion and ninth seed Scott Waites, who secured his place in the last eight with a 4-1 triumph over highly-rated Dutchman Richard Veenstra.
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The 41-year-old from Halifax, who triumphed here in both 2013 and 2016, was one of Chris Hammer's pre-tournament tips at 25/1 but he's now 8/1 third favourite.
Waites blew a 2-0 leg lead to lose the opening set but checkouts from 79 and 101 helped him level the match before holding his nerve in a deciding leg to move ahead.
The Yorkshireman bossed the fourth set 3-1 but saved the best moment of the match for the fifth when a 160 checkout saw him move one leg from victory, which he sealed on double 10.
Jim Williams was another of our Chris Hammer's tips at 25/1 but he's now 9/1 after an impressive display saw him defeat fellow Welshman Dean Reynolds 4-0.
'The Quiff, who reached the final eight last year before losing to Durrant in an epic clash, averaged over 100 in the opening set consisting of one 12-dart leg and two 15 darters as his opponent failed to have an attempt at a double.
The 34-year-old took the next two sets by 3-1 scorelines before racing through the fourth 3-0, closing it out with a superb 15-darter.
Williams will face either Scott Mitchell or Krzysztof Kciuk in the quarter-finals.
In the afternoon session, number four seed Wesley Harms was sent crashing out after losing his second round battle against fellow Dutchman William Mandigers.
Former semi-finalist Harms was beaten in one of the best games of the tournament so far at the Lakeside in an all-Dutch second round showdown.
Harms recovered from losing the opening set to put two together on the spin to lead, only for Mandigers to level before pulling out the visit of the match to forge a second lead.
Sparky pulled out a sublime 136 checkout to move 3-2 in front, and Harms then stuttered from leading in the sixth set to allow Mandigers to level with back-to-back legs.
Again it was Harms who faltered in what turned out to be the final leg of the match as he missed two darts at tops to allow Mandigers to step up and take out double 10 for a famous win.
Michael Unterbuchner breezed past Wayne Warren 4-0 in a one-sided affair that showed the German to have his game in good working order.
The fifth seed, who reached the semi-finals last year as an unknown quantity before going on to have a superb 2018 including a run to the Grand Slam of Darts quarter-finals, was backed at 10/1 by our Chris Hammer pre-tournament but is now down to 7/1.
Unterbuchner edged the opening set 3-2 when a 104 checkout followed a superb visit of 140 while he took firm control of the match when dropping just one leg over the next two.
He then finished the match in style with back-to-back 15-darts, the last of which being completed with a 130 checkout.
Ten-time ladies' champion Trina Gulliver was pushed all the way by Karolina Podgorska as she needed a thrilling final leg decider to secure a 2-1 win and avoid a shock first round exit.
Gulliver had to come from a set down to tie the match up at 2-2 in the third set, but then crucially won the throw for the Bull to go first in a tense deciding leg.
The Golden Girl has a perfect record in these tie-breaking legs though and made it five wins from five to book a huge quarter-final showdown with top seed Lorraine Winstanley.
Wednesday results & Thursday schedule
Wednesday January 9
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Second Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Wesley Harms 2-4 Willem Mandigers
- Trina Gulliver 2-1 Karolina Podgorska (Best of 3 sets)
- Michael Unterbuchner 4-0 Wayne Warren
Evening Session (7pm)
Second Round (Best of 7 sets)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Mark McGeeney 0-4 Conan Whitehead
- Jim Williams 4-0 Dean Reynolds
- Richard Veenstra 1-4 Scott Waites
Thursday January 11
Afternoon Session (1pm)
Men's Second Round (Best of 7 sets)
Women's Quarter-Finals (Best of 3 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Leighton Bennett v Nathan Girvan – BDO World Youth Championship Final
- Mikuru Suzuki v Sharon Prins
- Maria O’Brien v Fallon Sherrock
- Scott Mitchell v Krzysztof Kciuk
Evening Session (7pm)
Men's Second Round (Best of 7 sets)
Women's Quarter-Finals (Best of 3 sets)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Lorraine Winstanley v Trina Gulliver
- David Cameron v Kyle McKinstry
- Anastasia Dobromyslova v Aileen de Graaf
- Glen Durrant v Scott Baker
Click here for the full Lakeside draw, schedule, results & TV guide