Simon Whitlock has finally qualified for the winner’s group of Championship League darts….at the 6th attempt!
On the night that 2009 winner Colin Osborne crashed out, the Australian beat Vincent van der Voort 6-5 in a thrilling final…..Whitlock had previously lost in three finals and two semi-finals at this year’s event!
But he finally crossed the finishing line – winning a last leg decider in 12 darts against the Dutch ace.
So Finals Day next Thursday is shaping up to be a classic…..Gary Anderson, Phil Taylor, Paul Nicholson, Mervyn King, Mark Walsh and now Whitlock…..and of course, there are two spots still to be filled next week.
In the semi-finals, Van der Voort took out 118 to take a last leg decider against Steve Beaton, who was sat on D8! And Whitlock proved too strong for Andy Smith for the second consecutive day in the last four.
But it was another strange day for Kevin Painter…..some good stuff, some bad stuff along the way, but he will be glad to get the chance to come back for another crack on Tuesday.
The Unicorn star finished 6th in the group after winning three and losing four matches…..the day started in the worst possible fashion for ‘The Artist’ as he was thrashed 6-0 by Denis Ovens.
But wins over Colin Osborne, Van der Voort and then Smith in his last match guaranteed Painter another go next week.
Sadly though, Osborne will be cursing his luck, as he was eliminated from the tournament.
The Unicorn man – who won CL Darts in 2009 – came a cropper at Crondon, as he failed to win a single match.
It was a major surprise, because Osborne was hotly tipped to reach the semi-finals after just missing out on Wednesday.
But it all went wrong from the start and frustration kicked in, because Osborne lost his first three games in last leg deciders…..in truth, he could and should have won all three, but those 6-5 defeats against Andy Smith, Painter and Alan Tabern cost him in the end.
It was always going to be difficult to get back in contention after that and his confidence took a big hit, as Osborne lost the next four games.
Denis Ovens was also eliminated from the event.
But Osborne and the rest have a chance to make a mark at the weekend as the PDC Pro Tour circus heads back to Ireland for the Killarney Darts Festival…..and there will be first news here on the Unicorn website.
Results Day 6 – Final:
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Semi-Finals:
Steve Beaton 5-6 Vincent van der Voort
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Andy Smith
Day 6 Group results:
Simon Whitlock 6-5 Vincent van der Voort
Alan Tabern 2-6 Steve Beaton
Kevin Painter 0-6 Denis Ovens
Andy Smith 6-5 Colin Osborne
Steve Beaton 3-6 Simon Whitlock
Vincent van der Voort 6-5 Alan Tabern
Colin Osborne 5-6 Kevin Painter
Denis Ovens 1-6 Andy Smith
Steve Beaton 6-5 Andy Smith
Simon Whitlock 6-2 Denis Ovens
Colin Osborne 5-6 Alan Tabern
Vincent van der Voort 3-6 Kevin Painter
Andy Smith 6-3 Simon Whitlock
Steve Beaton 6-1 Denis Ovens
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Colin Osborne
Alan Tabern 6-2 Kevin Painter
Alan Tabern 3-6 Andy Smith
Kevin Painter 3-6 Simon Whitlock
Denis Ovens 2-6 Vincent van der Voort
Colin Osborne 1-6 Steve Beaton
Kevin Painter 4-6 Steve Beaton
Vincent vaan der Voort 5-6 Andy Smith
Denis Ovens 4-6 Alan Tabern
Simon Whitlock 6-4 Colin Osborne
Alan Tabern 5-6 Simon Whitlock
Steve Beaton 6-4 Vincent van der Voort
Colin Osborne 4-6 Denis Ovens
Andy Smith 4-6 Kevin Painter
Final Group table day 6:
1 – Steve Beaton – 12pts (+16 leg diff)
2 – Simon Whitlock – 12pts (+10 leg diff)
3 – Andy Smith – 10pts
4 – Vincent van der Voort – 6pts (+1 leg diff)
5 – Alan Tabern – 6pts (-2 leg diff)
6 – Kevin Painter – 6pts (-9 leg diff)
7 – Denis Ovens – 4pts
8 – Colin Osborne – 0pts
Championship League darts resumes at Crondon Park next Tuesday, with Mark Dudbridge, Co Stompe and Robert Thornton coming into the competition for day seven.
By STUART PYKE at Crondon Park Golf Club, Essex
Photo courtesy Lawrence Lustig / PDC