On Friday the 2024 World Championships kick off at the Lakeside, Frimley Green. After taking over from the BDO as the secondary Darts organisation, the WDF continue to put on a good show. There is a mens, womans, boys and a girls tournament in the 9 day event.
Obviously the standard doesn't match the PDC, but there are still stars on show. Back in 2022 Luke Littler got to the quarters before being beaten by Richard Veenstra. Neil Duff, Veenstra, Cameron Menzies and Thibault Tricole all got to the semi finals that year, while last year it was Andy Baetens, Dennis Nilsson, Chris Landman and Jelle Klaasen.
Unfortunately it doesn't seem as if most of it will be on TV - though you can watch online. The semi-finals and final of each is set to be shown on BLAZE (Sky 164).
Mens
Because the PDC doesn't allow players to play in their tournament and this one, a few big names who qualified have declined to play. Defending champion Andy Baetens will not defend his title and the likes of Wesley Plaisier, Connor Scutt, Alexander Merkx and Leonard Gates will not participate.
Danny Porter is world number 1, but 2022 champion Neil Duff will be a threat. Some of the better known players include Matthew Edgar, Dennis Nilsson, Shane McGuirk and the everyoung Paul Lim! The 70 year old is still going strong some 34 years after that Nine Dart Finish in the World Championship. Lim starts against Moreno Bloom, with the winner facing Hong Kong star Kai Fan Leung in the second round.
Duff plays the winner of Darren Johnson and Reece Colley, while Porter has Francois Schweyen or Michael Cassar.
Womens
Beau Greaves has turned down the PDC place, so is here to defend her title. Fallon Sherrock and Noa-Lynn van Leauven both took the PDC place instead, so Greaves biggest threats come from the likes of Aileen de Graaf, Lisa Ashton and Deta Hedman. Beau starts ahainst either Amanda Loch or Kirsi Viinikainen, while unseeded Lisa Ashton starts in round 1 against Sophie McKinlay in a bid to meet Irina Armstrong in the 2nd round.
All 4 finals are on Sunday 8th December. Good luck to all!!
WDF World Championships!!!
posted 3 weeks, 6 days ago
5-0
Madness
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Paige Pauling with a very solid performance to take the girls title with a great T20 D10 finish. 2-0
Sophie McKinlay will now have to regroup before facing Beau in the womans final!
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Archie Self wins the boys singles.
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Sophie McKinlay takes the first set against Beau.
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Beau, unsurprisingly, came back to take the title. She hasn't been anywhere near her best and McKinlay gave her a game, but the big fish won it in the small pond.
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Paul Lim misses the big number to give him shot at tops for the first set and Shane McGuirk - who had already missed set darts - took it.
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Lim saves set 2 with a 97 - S19, D19, Tops.
Shane with the darts though, 2-2 set 2
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Paul Lim wins a SET!!!
The first McGuirk has lost all tournament.
It is 4-1 to Shane though...
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Paul Lim ain't taking it lying down...
5-3.
McGuirk is one away but Lim ain't out of it yet.
posted 3 weeks, 5 days ago
Shane McGuirk is World Champion.
Great performance by him all week, but Paul Lim has also been excellent!
It is not the PDC, but it is still fun!!