Australia has new Singles Darts Champions

Sandra Smith (pictured right) claimed her first Australian Ladies Darts Singles Champion title today in Canberra. It has been a great week individually for her after winning the Australian Ladies Doubles on Tuesday. She becomes only the second player from Tasmania to ever win this title joining Lee-Anne Faulkner who her titles back in 86 and 89. Today she accounted for Janine Cassar from Victoria 5 – 3 in a great fluctuating final. Cassar started strongly hitting some big scores to win the first leg against the darts. Smith immediately broke back and looked unstoppable when she also claimed the next three legs to take a 4 – 1. Cassar is a fighter and swung the match around, taking the next two legs comfortably to get the score line back to 4 – 3. The eighth leg also was Cassar’s but she wasted two walks to the board in trying to finish the leg on double ten. This gave Smith a chance to catch up when she hit some big scores to set double 16. She did not miss at her only shot at the double in this leg and all of a sudden to her surprise the title was hers.

Cassar played her good friend and often doubles partner at other tournaments Joanne Hadley in the first semi final. This was also a very close contest with Cassar winning 4 – 3. Throughout this match the lead player was winning the leg. In leg six Hadley had the chance to win the match, but could not find that winning double after having six darts at double two. The final leg was also costly for her having busted on 100 and missing on her next shot. Cassar was coming down throwing steady darts to catch up to Hadley. She was able to hit the double with first dart at double eight to take the match.

Smith found Kerry Jacobs of NSW a tough opponent in the second semi final. Smith won three of the first four legs and only required on more leg to find a place in the final. Jacobs never gives up in any off her matches and fought back taking the next two legs to square the match away at 3 – 3. Jacobs was away in the final leg and both players were scoring consistently. Jacobs was first to the double but could not put the leg away from 40, leaving her self five. Smith was sitting on sixty and with her shot of three darts was able to hit the double to take the match 4 – 3.

Average per dart in the final was:
Sandra Smith 21.482
Janine Cassar 20.162

Men

Simon Whitlock (left) from NSW became only the 27th player to win the Australian Men’s Darts Singles title since the event started in 1964. Many of the big guns fell in the early rounds, which showed how close and tough the men’s competition is at the 25th Australian Darts Championships. This was Whitlock’s first shot at an Australian Singles title and he had to fight hard the whole way. The final went the full eleven legs in a brilliant exhibition of darts.

Whitlock defeated Frank Tarr from SA 6 – 5.The first six legs went to the player with the lead of darts. In the seventh leg Tarr was able to break the sequence and took the lead for the first time in the final. This fired Whitlock up and immediately broke back. He held the next leg with a 14-darter to be one leg from the title. Tarr was ready though and squared the final 5 –5 with a 17-dart leg of his own. A tie breaking leg was required to find our Champion. After six walks Whitlock had 16 left. Tarr threw 134 to leave 20 and put the pressure on Whitlock. Whitlock was up to the task and with his second dart hit the winning double and the title was his.

A brilliant exhibition of darts in the first semi final saw Tarr defeat WA’s Tony David in a match that every enjoyed. David won the first two legs, before Tarr fought back to 2 – 2 with a 119 pegout. Legs then went with the darts through to the last leg. Tarr had the slight advantage as he lead off the leg. Both players were hitting the big scores and David had one dart at double top for the match with his 15-dart but wired it. Tarr had 60 left and hit the winning double with his third dart to advance to the final.

Whitlock was also in scintillating form in the semis. He accounted for Tasmania Fred Cadby. Cadby was fired up at the start opening with a 180 with his first three darts. He won the first leg in 15-darts against the lead. Whitlock new he was in for a tough match when Cadby knocked in his second 180 in the second leg, but missed hitting double eight for the leg. Whitlock jumped in at the chance to take the leg which he hitting 32 1-dart. Whitlock held his lead in the third leg finishing in 15 darts with a 108 peg. He was really finding the mark now producing an 11-darter which included his own 180. Cadby showed he was no easy target and produce a couple of brilliant legs to square the match 3 – 3. Another 15-darter in the next leg saw Whitlock out to an advantage of 4 – 3. Cadby just dropped off the pace a little in the next two legs to let Whitlock into the final with Whitlock taking those last two legs in 15 and 18 darts.