Darts: Steely Burnett edges out Ovens

Gavin Worley
Wednesday 02 January 2002 01:00 GMT
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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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