Warren and Williams set up all-Welsh BDO World Championship final

Wayne Warren will face Jim Williams in an all-Welsh clash in the men’s 2020 BDO World Championship final after the pair came through entertaining semi-finals on day eight at the Indigo at the O2. 

‘The Yank’ became the first Welshman to reach a BDO men’s final in 12 years when he produced a brilliant display to defeat Scott Mitchell 6-3, while Williams saw off Mario Vandenbogaerde 6-4 in the evening session.

Mitchell was the only former world champion left in the draw and he looked like the favourite to reach another final early on, racing into a 2-0 lead with Warren averaging below 80.

The reigning Antwerp Open champion began to find his mojo as the game progressed though, showing some clinical finishing to bring things back to 2-2.

Warren moved 3-2 up courtesy of a brilliant 12-darter that sealed the fifth set, but Mitchell took out double 10 to leave the pair tied at 3-3 heading into the second break.

While Mitchell remained remarkably consistent, hitting 73 scores of between 100 and 140 in the match, Warren continued to score highly and pinned the doubles when required.

Crucial breaks helped the Welshman move 5-3 up and despite a couple of wobbles that allowed Mitchell to level, he found double 20 once again to book his place in a BDO major final for the first time. 

England captain, Mitchell, finished with an 93.81 average, 0.49 higher than that recorded by Warren, but it was the 57-year-old’s masterful checkouts that made the difference. All told, the man from the Rhondda finished with a highly impressive finishing rate of 58.8%.

In the other semi-final, key breaks and clinical finishing were the key for Jim Williams early on, with the Welshman producing some of his best darts of the week to take an early 2-0 lead. Vandenbogaerde was at risk of getting blown away but a sensational 140 out helped him make it 2-1 before the first break.

Vandenbogaerde picked up the fourth set after Williams had missed a trio of darts to move 3-1 ahead and, although Welshman was back to form in the fifth, won it 3-0 with a 98 average, the Belgian then edged a tight sixth to make it 3-3.

The seventh set saw three breaks of throw, with Williams taking it 3-1 and the Welshman subsequently powering through to make it 5-3 heading into the final portion of the match.

Although the Belgian took a tight ninth set, the reigning World Trophy champion held his nerve in the tenth and overcame a few missed doubles to get through to the final.

Williams finished with just over 44% on his doubles, eight maximums and a 90.98 average, and will face his compatriot Warren in Sunday evening’s final, which will become the first ever contested by two Welshmen.

Photography by Chris Sargeant/TipTopPics

About The Author

You might be interested in

Post A Comment For The Creator: Andrew Sinclair

Darts Planet TV

FREE
VIEW