From Friday’s session, current World Champion Scott Mitchell headed the list of players securing a place in the second round.  Mitchell survived a difficult first round tussle against David Cameron, courtesy of a 6-3 win.  While the scoreline looks comfortable, it actually came down to just a solitary break of throw.  After losing the first leg, the Canadian had a shot at 74 to tie the score, but missed, leaving Mitchell to forge a 2-0 lead.  Every other leg went with the darts, which was enough for the Englishman.  Cameron’s fellow countryman Jeff Smith, however, kept the maple leaf flying with a 6-4 victory over Scot Ross Montgomery.

Glen Durrant recorded the best average of the tournament with a mighty 34.48 against Karel Sedlacek.  Despite pocketing just one leg, the Czech had the satisfaction of posting the highest checkout of the match, a tidy 136.  Both England’s Jamie Hughes and Jeffrey de Graaf (Netherlands) made it through without dropping a leg, while Darryl Fitton lost just the one against Ritchie Edhouse in a game much closer than the final score would suggest.  Pip Blackwell and Martin Phillips were the other two men’s winners.

Best women’s averages of the day were Lisa Ashton’s 26.90, and Sweden’s Maud Jansson’s 25.60.  Unfortunately for Jansson, she was taking on Ashton at the time, and could reach the winning double in one leg.  Aileen de Graaf (Netherlands) gave a steady display to beat Denmark’s Ann-Louise Peters, but her compatriot Anneke Kuijten went down to Zoe Jones.  Russian Anastasia Dobromyslova completes the quarter-final line-up, after beating Casey Gallagher by the odd leg in seven.

The second round commences at 4.30pm (local time) this afternoon (Saturday).  North American hopes remain with Jeff Smith facing Sam Hewson (8.30pm), and our own Jim Widmayer taking on Geert de Vos at 6.00pm.  Pick of the day’s matches could be Scott Mitchell against Welsh Wayne Warren.

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