BDO World Darts Championships results: Adam Smith-Neale plays on crutches and Scott Waites cruises into round two
A review of Sunday's action at the BDO World Darts Championships, as Adam Smith-Neale competed on crutches and two-time former champion Scott Waites triumphed.
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Adam Smith-Neale was the talk of darts on Sunday night as he turned up for his debut Lakeside appearance on crutches.
The 25-year-old from Coventry, who won the prestigious World Masters as an 80/1 outsider last season, would have been heavily expected to go deep in this tournament until he broke his leg at the end of November.
Smith-Neale was then only able to put weight on his leg after Christmas but despite all the pain and discomfort, he was desperate to realise his dream of competing in a World Championship.
Unsurprisingly, with his leg still strapped up and on crutches, he was unable to play anywhere near his best and his opponent Mark McGrath cruised through with a 3-0 victory, winning all nine legs without having to be at his best.
The New Zealander progresses to the main draw to face tournament favourite Glen Durrant.
Scott Waites made a winning start to his quest for a third Lakeside title as he brushed aside Jeffrey Van Egdom 3-1 in the opening round on Sunday afternoon.
The 41-year-old from Halifax, who triumphed here in both 2013 and 2016, was tipped up pre-tournament by our Chris Hammer at 25/1 and the relative smoothness of this win should fill backers with encouragement.
Waites cruised through the first set 3-0 and although his Belgian opponent hit back to take the second, Scotty-2-Hotty only dropped two more legs to complete a comfortable victory.
Although the Yorkshireman fired in eight 180s, some slopping finishing brought the average down to 86.55 and if he can make an improvement on his doubles then he'll be a real threat for either eighth seed Richard Veenstra in the next round.
Veenstra was involved in the game of the tournament so far, beating Nigel Heydon 3-2 in a sudden-death decider.
A former semi-finalist, losing a classic to Jeff Smith in 2016, Veenstra is the eighth seed at the Lakeside and progressed when he took the final set 6-5, after Heydon missed a dart at bullseye for the match.
"I started so good, and then the second set was so terrible for me, I thought 'oh no'," said Veenstra, who threw eight 180s but won the game with his superior doubles percentage, 57 comparing favourably to Heydon's 36.
Heydon threw checkouts of 132, 120 and 116 as he battled back to push his opponent to his limits with an average of 91.16.
"I enjoy playing darts, to play like we did today - at heart I'm a pub player..." said Heydon, unable to quite find the words to do justice to his performance. "I'm gutted. Thanks to everyone who supported me."
In the all-Welsh affair between close friends Wayne Warren and Mark Layton, it was the former who ran out an impressive 3-0 winner.
Four 180s helped towards the highest average of the tournament so far, touching 97, although with either Michael Unterbuchner or impressive prelim winner Justin Thompson up next, things are set to get tougher for the 12th seed.
Earlier, Krzysztof Kciuk beat Brian Lokken 3-1 in their preliminary-round match.
The Polish thrower earned a Tuesday meeting with Dave Parletti with four 180s and two 100-plus outshots, including a tournament-best 160 in the opening leg, as his opponent struggled along at an average of just 77.17.
The other preliminary game on Sunday went to Roger Janssen, a 3-0 winner against a poor Wouter Vaes.
In the women's draw, Maria O'Brien sprang a minor surprise with a 2-0 victory over three-time runner-up Deta Hedman.
O'Brien had been expected to ask questions of her opponent but Hedman was nevertheless an odds-on favourite prior to their match.
But it was O'Brien, despite her relative inexperience, who won both deciding legs at the end of tight, tense sets to advance to the next round.
Fallon Sherrock then laid down a serious market as she beat Corrine Hammond 2-0, averaging just under 90 in the process.
She averaged as high as 98 in a stunning first set that she took just 46 darts to win and by the end of the match had hit two 180s and chalked up three 15-dart legs and a 180 checkout.
With Hedman's defeat - and indeed Lisa Ashton's exit on Saturday - opening up her half of the draw, 24-year-old Sherrock oozed class as she raced to victory, good news for those who followed our pre-tournament advice to back her for the title at 10/1.
Sunday results & Monday schedule
(P) denotes Preliminary Round
Women's event in italics
Sunday January 6
Afternoon Session (1pm)
First/Preliminary Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Scott Waites 3-1 Jeffrey Van Egdom
- Brian Lokken 1-3 Krzysztof Kciuk (P)
- Deta Hedman 0-2 Maria O'Brien (best of 3 sets)
- Richard Veenstra 3-2 Nigel Heydon
Evening Session (7pm)
First/Preliminary Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Roger Janssen 3-0 Wouter Vaes (P)
- Fallon Sherrock 2-0 Corrine Hammond (best of 3 sets)
- Mark McGrath 3-0 Adam Smith-Neale (P)
- Wayne Warren 3-0 Mark Layton
Monday January 7
Afternoon Session (1pm)
First/Preliminary Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- David Cameron v Andy Hamilton (P)
- Oliver Ferenc v Ryan Hogarth (P)
- Willem Mandigers v Paul Hogan
Evening Session (7pm)
First/Preliminary Round (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Michael Unterbuchner v Justin Thompson
- Anastasia Dobromyslova v Laura Turner (best of 3 sets)
- Jim Williams v Roger Janssen
- Daniel Day v Dean Reynolds
Click here for the full Lakeside draw, schedule, results & TV guide