Thursday, January 1, 2009

Webster set for BDO title defence

BDO World Darts Championship, Frimley Green, 3-11 January
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Red Button and website

Gary Webster
Webster beat Australian Simon Whitlock in the final last year

Welshman Mark Webster defends his title when the BDO World Darts Championship begins at its traditional home in Frimley Green, Surrey, on Saturday.

The 25-year-old is the second seed and plays Wily van der Wiel on Sunday, with top seed Gary Anderson starting the event against Robert Wagner.

Players from nine countries compete for a record prize fund of £320,000 and the winner collects £95,000.

Competitors include Krzysztof Ratajski, the first Polish player in the event.

Webster is one of four champions in the draw, along with Martin Adams, Ted Hankey and John Walton.

The 2007 winner Adams is the oldest player in the tournament at 52 but won the Winmau World Masters at the beginning of December.

Favourite Anderson faces an interesting reunion with Norwegian Wagner, who beat him at the last-16 stage at the World Masters.

Nine players are in their twenties, with 19-year-old Ross Smith making his World Pro debut after coming through the international play-offs.

In the women's event, Trina Gulliver, winner of the title seven times, is the top seed.

Her first-round opponent is debutant Lisa Ashton, who triumphed when the pair met in the final of the 2008 Zuiderduin Masters recently.

Extensive coverage of the Lakeside World Darts Championships will feature on BBC TV and the BBC Sport website.


Full first-round draw & schedule for Lakeside World Darts Championship:
Numbers denote seedings

Saturday, 3 January (all times GMT):
1300: Gary Anderson 1 (Sco) v Robert Wagner (Nor)
1350: Simon Whitlock 12 (Aus) v Mark Barilli (Sco)
1440: Eddy Sims 16 (Aus) v Robert Hughes (Wal)
1530: Tony O'Shea 9 (Eng) v Daniel Larsson (Swe)
1800: Darryl Fitton 5 (Eng) v Mark Salmon (Wal)
1850: Edwin Max 8 (Ned) v Krzysztof Ratajski (Pol)

Sunday, 4 January:
1300: Mark Webster 2 (Wal) v Wily van der Wiel (Ned)
1350: Scott Waites 4 (Eng) v Ross Smith (Eng)
1440: John Walton 15 (Eng) v Shaun Greatbatch (Eng)
1530: Steve West 13 (Eng) v Alan Norris (Swe)
1730: Ted Hankey 7 (Eng) v Brian Woods (Eng)
1820: Gary Robson 6 (Eng) v Stephen Bunting (Eng)

Monday, 5 January:
1745: Martin Atkins 11 (Eng) v Joey Ten Berge (Ned)
1900: Martin Adams 3 (Eng) v Dave Chisnall (Eng)
1950: Ross Montgomery 10 (Sco) v Martin Phillips (Wal)
2040: Garry Thompson 14 (Eng) v Daryl Gurney (NI)

Women's draw & schedule:

Saturday, 3 January:
1940: Trina Gulliver 1 (Eng) v Lisa Ashton
2015: Karin Krappen 4 (Ned) v Anne Kirk (Scot)

Sunday, 4 January:
1910: Francis Hoenelaar 2 (Ned) v Carla Molema (Ned)
1945: Julie Gore 3 (Wal) v Rilana Erades (Ned)

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