Ilagan secures World Darts Championship return as Malicdem misses out at Philippines Qualifier
Lourence Ilagan secured his World Darts Championship return on Saturday evening in Tacloban City as he reigned victorious at the Philippines Qualifier.
Ilagan’s opportunities of playing competitive darts have been limited throughout this year following the cancellation of the PDC Asian Tour, but he will be back at Alexandra Palace next month.
The seven-time Asian Tour event winner overcame fellow countryman Paolo Nebrida well into the early hours of the morning to claim his fifth appearance at the sport’s showpiece spectacle.
It was youngster Nebrida who took the opening set of the final, converting combination checkouts of 56, 86 and 91 on the bullseye to get off to a flying start.
Nevertheless, his hopes of a World Championship debut soon diminished as an excellent Ilagan reeled off three sets in succession to book his ticket to London.
Beforehand, Ilagan came through a deciding set thriller against former qualifier Christian Perez, with missed attempts at double proving particularly costly for Perez.
It will be the 42-year-old’s third consecutive appearance at Alexandra Palace, having topped the Asian Tour rankings to qualify in the past two years.
Meanwhile, having missed match darts to defeat eventual champion Peter Wright at the World Championship last December, Noel Malicdem failed to qualify for a third time.
Emerging youngster Dolreich Tongcopanon whitewashed Ilagan’s World Cup of Darts partner in the quarter-finals, before being denied by Nebrida in the last four.
Further qualifying events on the Asian continent are scheduled to take place in Hong Kong and Japan on Sunday.
PHILIPPINES WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER
Saturday November 28
Tacloban City, Philippines
Quarter-Finals
Lourence Ilagan 3-1 Wilmer Ong
Christian Perez 3-0 Melvin Kent Pelona
Dolreich Tongcopanon 3-0 Noel Malicdem
Paolo Nebrida 3-2 Guillermo Nival Jr
Semi-Finals
Lourence Ilagan 3-2 Christian Perez
Paolo Nebrida 3-2 Dolreich Tongcopanon
Final
Lourence Ilagan 3-1 Paolo Nebrida
(Featured Image: Lawrence Lustig/PDC)