dawes makes the world open singles quarter finals

23 January, 2020

Last match of the afternoon in front of a packed International Arena at Potters Resort in the ‘Just’ 2020 World Indoor Open Singles Championships was between Scotland’s Darren Burnett and England’s Mark Dawes. Both players are former Champions, Burnett in 2014 and Dawes in 2018 so both are well used to the tensions of playing such a high profile event.

Burnett looks on as Dawes delivers his bowl

First set though it was Dawes that started off really well taking seven shots off Burnett in the first two ends before Burnett could get into his stride. Burnett fought Dawes over the next three ends hard but it was Dawes that still came away with three singles to go ahead 0,10 . End six and and Burnett managed to take a three away from Dawes but Dawes played a great end in seven to take a single. With two ends left in the first set this left Burnett with a hard climb to save it but with only a count for two allowed in end eight it was set to Dawes 5,11.

Second set and this was a lot tighter as Burnett and Dawes had a hard fight between them and neither able to wrest much away from the other and by end five it was just 3 all. End six Dawes managed to take away a double to slide ahead but Burnett turned it on and took the next two ends to level it all at 5 all. On the final end though it was Dawes that managed to fend off Burnett with a single for the second set and match 5,6