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BDO LAKESIDE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2007 - a review With no Raymond van Barneveld this year all eyes were on the Dutch superkids – Michael van Gerwen and Jelle Klaasen to see what the future of darts could hold. No one could perhaps have predicted the return of the old guard and possibly the strangest world final to date. ROUND ONE Dutchman Mario Robbe made his Lakeside debut but he was brushed aside 3-0 by Ted Hankey who looked to be in his best form for a long time. Next up saw Vincent van der Voort against Davy Richardson who had fallen at the first hurdle in all his previous Lakeside attempts. Richardson took the first set with a 100 checkout and pegged set 2 back to 1-1 with a 120 finish. Van der Voort replied with a terrific 167 finish in the next leg and the Dutchman levelled the match in the deciding leg (averages- van der Voort 91, Richardson 94.8). Van der Voort missed key doubles in set 3 with Richardson remaining solid for s 2-1 lead and only 1 more leg went the Dutchman's way as Richardson broke his Lakeside duck with a 3 sets to 1 victory. Martin Adams comprehensively beat Tony O'Shea by 3 sets to 0 including a 121 finish in the final set. Mervyn King also looked good with 2 100+ checkouts in the first 2 sets as he beat Paul Gibbs 3-0 finishing the match in style with a 101 finish. The reigning champion Jelle Klaasen did not make a successful return to Lakeside as he was brushed aside 3-0 by fellow countryman Co Stompe and Mike Veitch progressed to the last 16 beating Sweden's Goran Klemme. Darryl Fitton took the first set against Phil Nixon but with some solid darts Nixon turned the game around to lead 2 sets to 1. A 121 checkout followed by a break of throw meant Nixon had won 8 successive legs. Nixon finished the match in style winning with a 110 checkout. Gary Anderson was tipped to do very well at Lakeside after a terrific year on the BDO circuit. However his history of underperforming on television came back to haunt him yet again. Anderson led 2-1 against Albertino Essers, but the Dutchman turned the game around to win by 3 sets to 2. Shaun Greatbatch beat Paul Hogan 3-1 and one of the ties of the first round was next up in the draw. Much was expected of Michael van Gerwen but Gary Robson is a seasoned professional with a major title under his belt. Van Gerwen took the first set in the deciding leg and started set 2 with a terrific 123 checkout (25, T20, D19). Robson won the next leg and was easily the more consistent (Van Gerwen averaging 88.3, Robson 94.4). Robson broke throw in the next leg and soon levelled the match at a set apiece. Robson also took the third set maintaining the difference in the averages. A storming 4th set saw Van Gerwen right back in the game as he won it 3-0 finishing with an 11 dart leg. Robson wasn't finished yet though and the deciding set went to a tiebreak. Robson held advantage all the way through the set and finally broke Van Gerwen to win the set in the 8th leg and with it of course the match. Much was expected of young Welsh star Mark Webster and indeed he hit a 142 and 116 finish in the first set. This wasn't enough to stop it being won by Tony Eccles in the decider. "The Viper" looked to be in great form and wasn't pressured much from then on as he wrapped up the match 3-0. Martin Atkins then beat Gary Fenn also by 3 sets to 0. Sadly Andy Fordham had to pull out of his match against Simon Whitlock just a couple of hours before it was due to commence as he had to be hospitalised due to suffering from breathing difficulties. So an unfortunate way for the Australian to go through to the last 16. John Walton often doesn't seem to get the rub of the green in recent years and losing the first set in the deciding leg against Denmark's Brian Sorensen didn't help his cause. However a break in the next set ultimately gave it to Walton and he took the third as well to lead 2-1 (averages – Walton 95.3, Sorensen 87.0). Sorensen levelled the match at 2-2 and took the first leg against the throw in the deciding set. Walton fought back to 2-2 forcing a tiebreak and then fired in a 120 finish to lead 4-3. That was the impetus "John-Boy" needed as he won the match and booked his place in the last 16. In the remaining first round matches, Dutchman Niels de Ruiter beat Brian Woods 3-0 and Paul Hanvidge beat Martin Phillips 3-2.
LAST 16
First match of the last 16 saw Holland's veteran Co Stompe against another Lakeside veteran Martin Adams. Despite missed doubles Adams took the first set and he also took the second set with the first break of throw in the match. Stompe broke throw in the opening leg of set 3 and that was enough for him to follow through and take the set. Adams then flew to life in set 4 breaking throw in the first leg and then checking out 126 to win leg 2. Anoher break with 12 dart leg made it 3 sets to 1 to Adams (averages- Stompe 87.9, Adams 93.6). The fifth set went to a deciding leg and Adams took it and the match. Ted Hankey seemed to have given up as he went 2 sets to 0 down to Davy Richardson, but "The Count" suddenly found hidden reserves to mount a great comeback and win 4-3. Mervyn King had a tough time with Mike Veitch in their second round encounter. King took the first set but an inspired 11 dart leg saw Veitch save the second by taking it to a decider, which he then won making it a set apiece. King took set 3 with Veitch again coming back to take the 4th. Taking the deciding leg in set 5 again gave King the advantage and this time he was able to capitalise winning ultimately by 4 sets to 2. Tony Eccles notched up and impressive 4-0 win over Shaun Greatbatch and Niels De Ruiter progressed beating the fancied Simon Whitlock by 4 sets to 3. Paul Hanvidge beat Albertino Essers 4-1 and Phil Nixon's fairytale story continued beating Martin Atkins by the same scoreline. Gary Robson broke John Walton's throw in the first leg and that was enough to carry him to the first set. Walton pulled back level then went ahead taking the deciding leg in set 3. Walton pulled 2 sets clear winning the deciding leg again in the 4th but Robson then began a spirited fight back. A 109 checkout won him the 3rd leg against the throw in set 5 (although the 1st 2 legs went against throw as well). Watlon broke back and amazibgly Robson broke again to save the match and make it 2-3. Robson won the 6th to draw level and an early break to "Robbo" in the deciding set was enough to see him through to the quarter finals.
QUARTER FINALS Martin Adams against Ted Hankey was a high octane affair and both players starting strongly with 180s each at the beginning of the seocnd leg. Adams won the first set 3-0 as Hankey missed doubles to hold his throw and a further break in the next set saw Adams 2-0 up. Hankey fought back winning the deciding leg in the next set and taking set 4 by 3 legs to 0, so now 2 sets apiece. Adams again broke Hankey to win set 5 by 3-0 and "The Count" won the decider in set 6 to make it a level game once again. Hankey led 2-1 in set 7 but Adams broke throw to save it and then held his own throw to lead 4-3. A mid set break in th next saw Adams win through to the semis 5-3. If Adams against Hankey was a good game, then Tony Eccles against Mervyn King was a great game that had it all. Eccles took a 2 set lead putting in a 12 darter with a 141 finish to take the second set. He followed this with an 11 darter to open set 3 and a break of throw sent him on his way to the third set. Things were looking desperate for King but he clawed back the fourth set taking it in the decider with a 156 finish. Eccles hit a 121 in reply opening the next set but crucially King broke throw in the third leg and this was enough to follow through with the set, so now 2-3. Eccles broke throw first leg of set 6 and King broke straight back with a 100 checkout. A huge effort from "The King" saw him level the match at 3-3. Eccles went 2-0 up in set 7 but King then took 3 legs in a row to steal the set. Eccles finally had some joy taking set 8 in the deciding leg and meaning that the match would go to a deciding set. King broke in the first leg and went 2-0 up and despite Eccles then holding his throw, it wasn't enough and Mervyn King had booked his place in the semi-finals. Gary Robson took a 2 sets to 0 lead against Niels De Ruiter before the Dutchman clawed a set back winning the deciding leg in the 3rd. De Ruiter then levelled the match again in a set deciding leg. The deciding leg of the 5th set was soemthing special. De Ruiter hit 6 perfect darts of a potential 9 dart game, only for Robson to check out 121 and put in a 12 dart game of his own and take the lead in the match once again! Robson then went 4-2 up and seemed to have the match in the bag, but De Ruiter came back again to level at 4-4. Into the deciding set and De Ruiter broke throw to lead 2-1. Robson levelled with a 93 checkout. Three subequent breaks of throw occured with the nerves getting to both players. De Ruiter held his throw to win the decider 5-3 and achieve a remarkable semi-final place. Phil Nixon led 4-2 against Scotland's Paul Hanvidge, but the Scotsman pulled back to 4-4. Nixon finished in style with a 105 finish to continue his dream tournament.
SEMI-FINALS The match everyone wanted to see was the first semi-final. Martin Adams against Mervyn King was the match. King's tournament had been the story of much controversy with rumours of an impending move to PDC darts along with his Dutch team's co-sponsored players Jelle Klaasen, Vincent van der Voort and Michael van Gerwen. King was so angered by the reaction he was getting he threatened to pull out of his quarter-final match. Despite protestations from BDO public relations, as we know now the Dutch trio moved to the PDC in January with King following a few short weeks later. Anyway onto the match and Adams broke throw in the 4th leg to take the 1st set. King came right back winning set 2 by 3 legs to 0. Adams led 2-0 in set 3 with King breaking throw in the next leg and then forcing a decider by checking out 126. Another break followed and King now led 2 sets to 1. Adams broke in the opening leg of set 4 and King responded with a 146 finish. Adams broke yet again and set himself up to level the match at 2 sets apiece. Set 5 went to a decider won by Adams and a terrific 3-0 set saw "Wolfie" go up 4-2. King broke throw to check out in 12 darts in set 7's opener but Adams stormed back to take the set in the decider to lead 5-2. King broke throw to win set 8 and missed darts cost Adams set 9, so now 5-4 to Adams. An impressive 113 finish from King and then a break of throw led him on to set 10 – and put the match into a deciding set. Adams had the throw and crucially broke throw in leg 2 to hold on for a terrific victory. In the second semi-final Phil Nixon raced off to a 3-0 head start and then held his lead at 4-1. Nerves crept in and De Ruiter clawed back, but Nixon held firm to win by 6 sets to 4.
THE FINAL Well the Lakeside final of 2007 will be talked about for years for all sorts of reasons. At first it looked like the most pedestrian of encounters and it actually turned out to be an unexpected thriller. Martin Adams raced to a 4-0 lead averaging 95.8 to Phil Nixon's 85.4 and by the mid match interval he was coasting at 6-0 needing just one more set for victory. Nixon pipped the 7th set with a 112 finish and as commentator Tony Green said, "one set at a time Phil." And that is exactly what Phil Nixon did. Adams went to pieces as Nixon clawed back set after set and eventually levelled the game at 6-6. Adams then finally composed and took the decider 3-0 in what was possibly Darts most unusual world final to date. So the title that had eluded Adams for so many years was finally his – despite a brave comeback from Phil Nixon, who at 50 years old probably didn't expect to be thrown into the World Darts spotlight.
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