Colin Lloyd narrowly failed in his bid to win the Antwerp Open Darts Trophy for a second time, as the Unicorn star lost in a close final to Terry Jenkins. Lloyd, who won the event back in 2004, looked on course to repeat that success when he took the opening set against ‘The Bull’ but Jenkins hit back to win the next three and take the title for the 3rd consecutive year.
He won the second set 2-0 and the next two both by 2 legs to 1 to edge out Lloyd, who collected £2,500 for reaching yet another final on the PDC Pro Tour.
The in-form Andy Hamilton was left thinking of what might have been. He looked on course for a 3rd title this year but lost his semi-final to Jenkins by 3 sets to 2, with every set going to the deciding leg.
Elsewhere a day of mixed fortunes in Belgium for Team Unicorn….In the 1st Round, Adrian Lewis was beaten 3-1 by Michael Van Gerwen, Bob Anderson lost by the same score to Dutchman Jan van der Rassel, while Kirk Shepherd beat Mick McGowan 3-1 in an all-Unicorn affair.
Shepherd then lost in the 2nd Round – failing to win a set against Matt Clark, while there was disappointment for Wes Newton, who lost 3-1 to the in-form Adrian Gray…..Gray also disposed of Kevin Painter in the 3rd Round by 3 sets to 1, beat Peter Manley in the 4th Round by the same score, before eventually losing to Lloyd in a tight semi-final.
James Wade and Barrie Bates both reached the last 16 – losing to Hamilton and Jenkins respectively….the 2nd time of course that Hamilton has got the better of Wade in the last couple of weeks – after his victory in the final of the UK Open Midlands Regional.
It was a good day for Colin Osborne, who beat Van Gerwen on his way to the quarter-finals, where he came unstuck against Jenkins in another close encounter…Osborne going down 3-2.
Antwerp Darts Trophy results:
Last 16 (sets):
Steve Brown 3-2 Denis Ovens
Losers - £300
Quarter-finals:
Andy Hamilton 3-2 Steve Brown
Losers - £600
Semi-finals:
Terry Jenkins 3-2 Andy Hamilton
Losers - £1,250
Final:
Terry Jenkins 3-1 Colin Lloyd (0-2, 2-0, 2-1, 2-1)
Winner - £5,000
BY STUART PYKE
