Darts: Steely Burnett edges out Ovens
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Your support makes all the difference.Richie Burnett produced an impressive fightback to come from behind to beat Denis Ovens 6-4 in the second round of the Skol World Championship in Purfleet last night.
Afterwards, Burnett admitted that he did not have a drink on New Year's Eve so he could prepare properly for his game with Ovens, but when he was 4-3 down the world No 8 began to regret his abstinence.
"It was a tough game for me tonight and he really tested me," Burnett said. "I wasn't really up for it tonight. I didn't have a drink on New Year's Eve and I wish I had because I couldn't sleep. Next time I will have a nightcap to try and get some sleep, but I'm pleased I got the job done in the end."
In a nervous opening set, Burnett had registered a 100 check-out to prevail 3-2. However, Ovens responded with a brilliant 145 check-out of his own to level matters in an equally tight second.
It was then neck-and-neck in front of a noisy crowd at the Circus Tavern until Burnett appeared to have gained the upper hand in the fifth set. Yet the Welsh player failed to take advantage of a number of promising positions and Ovens held his nerve to make it 3-2.
When the world No 9 from Stevenage cleared up in the first leg of the next set with a 150 check-out, Burnett seemed to be wobbling but kept his game together to take the next three legs.
Again Ovens went in front by making it 4-3, however Burnett dragged him back once more and, sensing that the game was finally going his way, won the next two sets to clinch the tie 6-4.
Burnett's reward for taking three successive sets to see off Ovens is a quarter-final tie with Colin Lloyd, fresh from knocking out the world No 1 Alan Warriner in a memorable encounter that went into the early hours of Monday.
Lloyd, known as "Jaws" to darts fans, is convinced that he can now win the title after edging out Warriner 6-4 in a fiercely-contested game.
"Alan Warriner will be back," the Essex player said afterwards, "but it's all about me now. Nearly everybody else has got to play the second round but I know I'm already in the quarter-finals and I'm very happy. I know what I'm capable of and all the other 31 players here know what I can do. The trouble is, I've never really performed at a televised event. But if I do hit form then everybody look out even Phil Taylor. Phil knows what I'm capable of he's played me in the open tournaments."
Lloyd who was followed round last year by the writer Niall Edworthy for his book Planet Darts has suffered a slump in form recently but on the basis of his second-round performance will prove a tough opponent for Burnett.
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