Simon Whitlock performs ‘heartwarming tribute to BDO’ with 30-dart leg won on D1
Simon Whitlock squeezed into the second round of the World Darts Championship with an attritional and tense victory over Christian Perez.
The Aussie veteran was taken all the way by the player from the Philippines, who could easily have won the match with better finishing. A case in point was the pivotal third leg of the deciding set, which saw both players encounter chronic double trouble.
Perez missed nine darts to edge in front while Whitlock missed the same number before eventually taking out double one to win what proved to be a 30-dart leg. The Wizard then closed out the match by winning the next leg.
READ MORE: Richie Burnett wins leg by hitting three doubles in a row to leave darts fans stunned
The drama triggered howls of derision on social media, with one fan saying it reminded them of the standard often seen in the BDO.
They wrote: “Heartwarming tribute to the now defunct BDO.”
“Embarrassing. Seen better darts at Flight Club,” said another.
A third fumed: “Perez and Whitlock need to be removed from the tournament entirely after that leg.”
However, other fans were more sympathetic, with one saying: “Not unlike games thrown in every pub across the world. Why not at the world championship too?”
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“I’d be ecstatic if I hit a 30 dart leg, think my PB is about 45,” joked another. One fan commented: “Whitlock and Perez serving up a leg of darts that I’d knock out in the pub after 8 pints.”
Another added: “Pure pub darts at its finest there – 18 missed darts in just one leg from Whitlock and Perez.”
Whitlock spoke of his relief after the victory which set up a second round clash against Jose de Sousa on Monday afternoon.
“Christian played really well, he was amazing, that could have gone either way at the end,” he said. “Whoever won that [penultimate] leg was going to win it.”
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