Trina Gulliver bounces back to avoid shock against Vicky Pruim

Gulliver, the ten-time BDO world champion, won six of the last seven sets to prevail 2-1. The game didn't have the same scoring power as its predecessor, Andy Baetens' defeat of Scott Baker, but Gulliver and Pruim taught their male counterparts a lesson in finishing. Both showed class on tops, but Gulliver blinked first. The Swede, who hit the first 180 of the game in the second leg, stayed cool to win the set.
Pruim was playing in her first World Championship since 2002, but did not look overawed. Gulliver needed some of the old magic to rekindle her hopes, and an excellent 125 checkout achieved just that. The pair both struck maximums in set two, but it was Gulliver who came out on top to force a decider. Averaging in the high 80s for parts of the game, Gulliver looked too strong for her opponent to handle. And so it proved. Gulliver cruised to a 3-0 win in the final set, landing double 16 to set up a quarter-final tie with Aileen de Graaf or Paula Jacklin. Despite suffering with back problems Gulliver, who last won at the Lakeside two years ago, set out her stall in fine fashion at the Lakeside.
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