De Schot William Borland haalde krantenkoppen met zijn historische negen-darter in zijn eerste ronde partij tegen Bradley Brooks. Vandaag speelt hij in de tweede ronde.
Borland werd de eerste speler die een PDC-wedstrijd op TV wist te winnen met een perfecte leg en liet daarmee het publiek in het Alexandra Palace uit zijn dak gaan.
De 25-jarige keert vandaag terug op het podium en neemt het dan in de tweede ronde van het toernooi op tegen Ryan Searle na een wervelwind aan media-aandacht.
BORLAND: “I’ve had a couple of sleepless nights since through excitement and adrenaline.
To finally produce something like that is very pleasing. I’m enjoying all the attention that has come since. I’m a young lad and I’ve had a great time in the last few days since it happened.
Overall, though, I’m just glad to have been able to show what I can do on stage.
Bradley was phenomenal in the match. I had to come back at him and I managed to keep calm, keep playing and try to raise my game. I’m really happy I was able to do that as I think that’s a sign of progress as I would have lost that match a few months ago. I kept my head and I got over the line.
Going into the last leg I was just thinking I need to go out in 15 darts or fewer. After the 180 I just thought if I hit another big score it would put him under pressure and I managed to hit a 177. Then, when the first treble 20 went in, it was perfect so I knew the next one would go in. Then it was all about the double 12.
My main focus was to win the leg and the match but it was amazing to it in that way.”
Mocht het Borland lukken om tijdens dit toernooi nog een negen-darter te gooien, dan wint hij £50.000, gaat er £25.000 naar een willekeurige fan en wordt er £25.000 gedoneerd aan Global's Make Some Noise.
BORLAND: "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had some thoughts about hitting a second nine-darter and winning £50,000 for me and the money for the member of the public and the charity.
It's a huge amount of money and a brilliant initiative from Selco which has added even more interest to the tournament.
Hitting the first nine-darter was the highlight of my career, especially given the context of it, but if I was to do it again either against Ryan or later in the tournament, that would certainly top it.
My main aim remains to go as far as I can in what is the biggest tournament of the year but I certainly wouldn't say no to the nine-dart bonus, so that will be on my mind as well."
De wedstrijd tussen Searle en Borland is één van de acht wedstrijden die op woensdag gespeeld zullen worden in het Alexandra Palace.
© Foto: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)