New Australian Singles Darts Champions
It has taken Carol Forwood (right) seventeen years to finally crack the big title of Australian Singles Champion. She has won all of the big tournament there is on offer in Australia and has won international events overseas as well, but at long last Australia's current No.1 ranked and World No.5 ranked player has final won her countries title. She has been competed at this level for many years and has played for three different states over those years yet she has never made the final before. A semi final twice but never a final.
Competing at the Croatian Club in Adelaide at the 27th Puma Australian Darts Championships Forwood played another very experienced player in Queensland's Pam Burr in the final. This is Burr's eighteen consecutive Championships and she has been up on stage for a final of this event before. Burr won this title back in 1995 and has continued to play great darts ever since. She won the Australian Pairs title last year in Perth.
The Final saw Forwood won the first leg breaking Burr's lead. Not to be out done, Burr immediately broke back with a finish of 70 with her eighteenth dart. Forwood took control of the final from this point, winning the next three legs in 22, 24, and 21 darts to take a 4 - 1 lead in the best of nine legs final. Burr threw another 18-darter to win her second leg but it would not be enough. Forwood cleaned up the next leg to claim the title winning 5 - 2. Forwood had been in brilliant form all day and thoroughly deserved her victory. (Both pictured left)
Average per dart in the final was:
Carol Forwood 23.10
Pam Burr 21.82Forwood played Joanne Hadley from Victoria in the first semi final. She dominated this match winning 4 - 0. She won the legs in 21, 25, 19 and 23 darts which was highlighted by her finishing of each leg which took just one dart in three of the legs. (The other leg took two darts). Hadley had been playing great darts all day but in this match the big scores deserted her.
Burr like Carol Forwood cruised into the final with a 4 - 0 in the second semi final. She played young Simon Devereaux from Geelong in Victoria. This is Simone's first senior championships and has represented Victoria at junior levels as well. She claimed some big scalps on the way to the semi finals but this match would not be hers. Devereaux had a few chances but missed a few doubles which gave Burr the opportunity to steal legs from her.
Ladies Semi Finals:
Carol Forwood (22.77) NSW defeated Joanne Hadley (19.00) VIC 4 - 0
Pam Burr (21.548) QLD defeated Simone Devereux (20.413) VIC 4 - 0Quarter Finals:
Carol Forwood (22.10) NSW defeated Lauren Peters (17.70) QLD 3 - 0
Joanne Hadley (18.79) VIC defeated Samara Ash (19.15) WA 3 - 2
Pam Burr (21.642) QLD defeated Corrine Hammond (24.41) NSW 3 - 1
Simone Devereux (20.202) VIC defeated Janine Cassar (18.112) VIC 3 - 1Men
Australia's top darts players saw a new Australian Singles Champion crowned in a ripper final. Ian Brown from Mackay in Queensland became the 2006 Champion with a 6 - 3 victory over Mick Mullaney from Canberra.
Ian Brown (right) is a great darting story. This is his first year representing Queensland at this level and to come and win the Australian Singles at his first attempt is fantastic. He has always had great ability even as a junior. He represented Queensland Juniors on three occasions at Australian Junior Championships and won the Australian Junior Singles title in 1988 when competing in those Championships. He represented Australia at the World Youth Masters in England back in 1989 finishing fifth. He gave the sport away for a while to play rugby but he is now back playing this great sport and what an impression he has made this week. Brown became only the 29th player to win the Australian Men's Darts Singles title since the event started in 1964.
Mick Mullaney is no stranger to Australian Championships. This is his fifteenth time he has represented the ACT. Mick has probably been in the shadow of some other great players that have come out of the ACT over the years, but he is now creating his own place in ACT and Australian darts over the last few years.
Mullaney was away first and won the opening leg. Brown had a chance to steal the leg but wasted a few darts at the double. Brown was scoring brilliantly but just could not finish cleanly. The next three legs went with the darts to see the score at 2 - 2. Still wasting darts at the double Brown managed to break Mullaney in the fifth leg with a 14-darter. That clean finish seemed to give Brown a little more confidence. He won the sixth leg to lead 4 - 2. Mullaney won the seventh leg with a nice 89 finish. Brown was on fire though. He was hitting the big scores including a 180 in the eighth leg for a 16 dart leg to lead 5 -3. The ninth leg would be the deciding leg. He just missed a 152 finish but cleaned up double 8 with his next shot to win the title. Mullaney was around the mark on every leg and had great finishes of 76, 115 and 89 but he missed a few chances in a couple of legs. (Both pictured above)
Average per dart in the final was:
Ian Brown 27.54
Mick Mullaney 26.30Mullaney and Tony David from Western Australia contest the first semi final. A very tight contest here saw David start with a break against the darts. Mullaney fought straight back to finish the second leg in 15 -darts. The next three legs went with the darts with all games a 15 or 16 darter. Mullaney broke David in the sixth leg with another 15-darter. At this stage both players were hitting the tons consistently but the difference between these two was Mullaney was hitting the bigger scores - 140's and 137's. The seventh leg saw Mullaney hit 123,137,134 and wired a 107 finish. He hit double 16 with his first dart with his next shot to win a place in the final with a 13 -darter. Mick Mullaney was to play in his first Australian Singles final.
Brown took on Graham Hunt from Western Australia in the second semi final. This match fluctuated in standard from average to outright brilliant legs for this level of competition. Brown won the opening three legs which included a break against Hunt with a 14-darter in the second leg. Hunt claimed the fourth leg to get on the scoreboard. Leg five was brilliant by both players. Hunt threw 100, 123, 174 while Brown went 100, 100, 180 121 finish. That had everyone including Hunt applauding in admiration. The next two legs went with darts. Brown stitched up a place in the final winning the seventh leg in 15 darts which could have been another 12-darter.
Men's Semi Finals
Mick Mullaney (30.41) ACT defeated Tony David (29.742) WA 5 - 2
Ian Brown (27.88) QLD defeated Graham Hunt (27.50) WA 5 - 2Quarter Finals:
Tony David (29.93) WA defeated Jo Comito (29.56) WA 4 - 2
Ian Brown (27.45) QLD defeated Brad Austen (24.20) WA 4 - 0
Mick Mullaney (28.78) ACT defeated Andrew Townes (27.553) SA 4 - 2
Graham Hunt (26.29) WA defeated Kim Lewis (24.68) WA 4 - 3
