A review of Saturday's action at the BDO World Darts Championships, as Glen Durrant and Scott Waites booked their places in the Lakeside final.
- Click here for full draw, schedule, results & TV guide
- CLICK HERE FOR DURRANT v WAITES FINAL GUIDE & PREDICTIONS
- Follow @ChrisHammer180 on Twitter
Glen Durrant is one win away from a third successive Lakeside title after he overcame a gutsy challenge from Jim Williams to advance to Sunday evening's final.
Duzza, who is bidding to emulate Eric Bristow's feat from 1984-86, completed his 6-3 victory with a match-high 123 checkout but the match was much closer than scoreline suggested, with Williams taking 19 legs compared to the victor's 21.
Duzza finishes with 123 to reach the final
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 12, 2019
Brilliant arrows in the World Championship semi-final👏@BDOdarts #lakesidedarts pic.twitter.com/tMfFJOXnIS
The Welshman's average of 94.47 may have been slightly less but he hit three more 180s than Durrant with 14 and his checkout percentage of 44% was also higher than the Teesider's 36.
But it ultimately boiled down to the defending champion's clinical finishing in the key legs, such as the 110 checkout to clinch the decider in the second set while he also edged the next two 3-2 for a 3-1 lead after 'The Quiff' took the opener 3-0 with help of a finish from 120.
With both players averaging around 100 in a thrilling affair that was living up to last year's epic quarter-final meeting between the pair, Williams refused to lie down and battled back to level up the scores at 3-3 - but that would be the last set he'd win despite continuing his barrage of 180s.
'Phew, he says..'
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 12, 2019
Jim Williams with a brilliant finish to level up👊@BDOdarts #lakesidedarts pic.twitter.com/T1vFeb5qbp
Three 15-darters saw Durrent take the seventh set 3-1 while a stunning checkout from 115 in the deciding leg of the eighth put him 5-3 up before closing it out with that superb outshot from 123.
Afterwards Durrant, who will attempt to win a PDC Tour card at Q School alongside Williams later this month, told Eurosport: "Eric Bristow is such a hero for all of us and to go three each with him would be something special - but if I think like that, I'll lose tomorrow."
Glen Durrant and Jim Williams speak to us following their Lakeside classic encounter on Saturday evening!
— BDO Darts (@BDOdarts) January 12, 2019
Full Interview Here: https://t.co/lmsu0Cr5e3#BDOWorldDarts #LakesideDarts pic.twitter.com/dXawKerX1Q
The 48-year-old will now meet Scott Waites, who reached his third Lakeside final as he crushed Michael Unterbuchner 6-1 in a one-sided contest.
The Yorkshireman, who was tipped up to Sporting Life followers at 25/1 each-way in our pre-tournament preview, is now one win away from becoming just the fifth player to lift this prestigious trophy three or more times but obviously Durrant is also chasing his third.
But to do this, 'Scotty-2-Hotty' will need to raise his game despite this emphatic scoreline.
The 2013 and 2016 champion, who is another BDO star to have put his name down for the PDC Q School, averaged a fairly modest 85.29 by his high standards, hit just three 180s and pinned 34% of his doubles but it was still enough to win 19 of the 27 legs played against a below-par Unterbuchner.
His German opponent was appearing in his second semi-final on this stage following his heroics as a virtual unknown debutant 12 months ago and many expected the contest to be closer even though he was the marginal outsider.
But Unterbuchner, the third player in our staking plan at 10/1, never got going and couldn't reproduce the superb timing that had served him so well in the previous rounds, including a thrilling 5-4 triumph over Willem Mandigers in the quarter-finals.
That was a crucial reason for his downfall considering he only averaged 83.22 and hit just a single maximum in the seven sets although he did manage the highest checkout of 113 and a fine effort from 95 did at least prevent the whitewash when 5-0 down.
Scott Waites is through to the World Championship final at Lakeside👊
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 12, 2019
A 6-1 win for the two-time winner over Michael Unterbuchner @BDOdarts #lakesidedarts pic.twitter.com/fBiqBAz7X0
🎯 Glen Durrant v Scott Waites
— Sporting Life (@SportingLife) January 13, 2019
🏆 BDO World Darts Championship final
📺 5pm @Eurosport_UK & @QuestTV
👍 Our @ChrisHammer180, who backed Waites at 25/1 each-way, brings you his final guide with stats, facts, head-to-head records & bets to consider 👇https://t.co/qArDSJIyVv
Earlier in the day, the brilliant Mikuru Suzuki completed her history-making week at the Lakeside by becoming the first Asian world darts champion thanks to a crushing 3-0 victory over Lorraine Winstanley.
And the Japanese star, who didn't even drop a set during her tournament debut which included a win over four-time champion Lisa Ashton last Saturday, did it in style with an average of 90.12 - the first above 90 in a women's final.
You can read a full report and reaction on the women's final by clicking here.
Mikuru Suzuki's historic week in darts...
— Chris Hammer (@ChrisHammer180) January 12, 2019
First Asian women to compete at the Lakeside
Starts debut by beating 4-time champ Lisa Ashton
Ends it as the first female champ outside Europe
Average of 90.12 is the 1st above 90 in a women's final
👏 @MIKL396https://t.co/qzZdSdY0YL
Saturday results and Sunday schedule
Saturday January 12
Afternoon Session (2pm)
Men's Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
Women's Final (Best of 5 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Lorraine Winstanley 0-3 Mikuru Suzuki
CLICK HERE FOR FULL WOMEN'S FINAL REPORT & REACTION
- Michael Unterbuchner 1-6 Scott Waites
Evening Session (7pm)
Semi-Finals (Best of 11 sets)
TV Coverage: Eurosport
- Glen Durrant 6-3 Jim Williams
Sunday January 13
Evening Session (5pm)
Final (Best of 13 sets)
TV Coverage: Quest (freeview channel 37) & Eurosport
- Glen Durrant v Scott Waites
Click here for the full Lakeside draw, schedule, results & TV guide
