UK Darts Issue 9 - December 2013 | Page 39

Defending champion Scott Waites knows how to mix it with the big boys having previously won the Grand Slam of Darts, the Winmau World Masters and of course the 2013 Lakeside World Championships. The bookmakers have him priced as the 5/2 second favourite for the tournament, but his relatively low seeding of 7 sees him set for a tough quarter final showdown with James Wilson. Stephen Bunting is the bookies favourite heading into the tournament, priced at 2/1 there is probably no value in backing him but he certainly has a massive chance of securing the Lakeside title to add to the Winmau World Masters crown that he won earlier in the year. Tony O’Shea has reached three Lakeside finals in his glittering career but has never managed to convert. Seeded third and priced at 12/1 for this years championship O’Shea faces a potential first round meeting with a resurgent Martin Adams, should Adams come through his preliminary round encounter with David Cameron of Canada. Wesley Harms is probably the best hope of a Dutch victory at The Main Contenders Ladies There are really three main contenders for the ladies crown, with nine-time champion Trina Gulliver looking to regain her crown after a two-year wait and Anastasia Dobromyslova looking to hold onto it after securing it for those two years, two of her three overall. Hot favourite Stepehn Bunting is looking for a first Lakeside title Then there is Deta Hedman, the World Number One probably would have claimed a Lakeside title had she not taken a long break from the sport, but as it was her great friend and rival Gulliver romped to seven consecutive titles from the tournament’s inception in 2001. The twice Winmau World Master finds herself on the opposite side of t