Post by mrpro03 on Jan 12, 2009 1:17:29 GMT 1
COLIN LLOYD claimed victory in the first Blue Square UK Open Regional Final of 2009 with a 6-1 defeat of Colin Osborne in Doncaster.
Lloyd, a winner in two Regional Finals of last year's UK Open, kicked off the start of the 2009 event in style with a powerful showing at The Dome.
After coming through initial clashes with Jim Withers and Par Riihonen, he dropped only three legs in wins over Russell Mason, Chris Thompson and Wayne Atwood to reach the semi-finals.
He then defeated Kevin Painter 6-1 in the last four, after taking a 4-0 lead, and repeated that scoreline in seeing off Osborne in the decider.
Successive double 18 finishes helped him into a 3-0 lead before Osborne took out double top to get off the mark.
But Lloyd replied on the same double before hitting double ten and then double three in the next two legs to wrap up the win and a £6,000 cheque.
"I'm delighted with how I played today, and over the weekend as a whole," said Lloyd, a quarter-finalist in Saturday's Bobby Bourn Memorial Players Championship.
"To lose in the first round of the World Championship was disappointing, but this is a great start to the year.
"It's secured my place at Bolton for the UK Open finals, which is a relief, and I'll hope to build on this over the year."
Lloyd dedicated the victory to Eddie Cox, the late PDC players' marshal who passed away before Christmas, adding: "Eddie was a close friend and helped both myself and a lot of other players. We all miss him."
Osborne took out a 167 finish to seal a 6-2 victory against Jamie Caven in his semi-final victory, having also defeated Jelle Klaasen, Wayne Mardle and Vincent van der Voort on the day.
Klaasen's run to the quarters was his second of the weekend following his inclusion in the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts.
Adrian Lewis and Andy Jenkins also reached the last eight, while Welsh duo Barrie Bates and Steve Evans were narrow losers in the last 16.
Mardle ended the hopes of Anastasia Dobromyslova with a 6-1 first round victory, while Atwood defeated three-time World Champion John Part at the last 32 stage.
The next UK Open Regional Final will be held on March 8 in Irvine, while the PDC Pro Tour continues next weekend with two Players Championship events in Gibraltar.
www.planetdarts.tv/page/UKOpenDetail/0,,10180~1516144,00.html