Belgian Brilliance as Raman and Schweyen through at Lakeside with top seed Danny Porter out

It was Belgian Brilliance on Night Two of the 2024 WDF Lakeside World Championship with Francois Schweyen and Brian Raman moving into the Last 16. Kirsty Hutchinson also set up a tie with Deta Hedman.

Schweyen was facing off against top seed Danny Porter albeit he was an unknown quantity, while The Clock played last night. Porter spoke in the buildup about wanting to do better than last year when he played at Lakeside but he lost out to Arjan Konterman perhaps not putting his best foot forward so to speak.

But he also lost early this time around with his spot as a top seed merely a number ahead of Jimmy van Schie who has now become WDF World No.1 and will be favourite to lift the title.

But in Porter's case, it was a tough tie against a player who was on the stage yesterday and has played on the European Tour previously so is a tricky customer.

Not high quality from either with Schweyen averaging 79 in the end, Porter started superbly with a 14-darter 80 checkout and despite losing the next leg to a 98 checkout from the Belgian was power scoring superbly.

But that slumped and Schweyen hit a 13-darter to hold throw for the set. Porter missed chances to break to open set two but the Belgian hit two 140's in a row and a 41 checkout to claim the second set and break at the last opportunity. Porter started his throw with 17 and was royally punished as he missed chances to hold albeit he broke back with a 157. Only for Schweyen to hit back with a 16-darter and then hold with a 60 checkout to fan the flames of a revival.

Deta Hedman now awaits Kirsty Hutchinson who saw off Veronika Ihasz. A match that on paper was a real top tie in the women's draw was a grueller in the end.

Both in particular struggled on the outer ring with Hutchinson potentially en route to winning it earlier before double trouble handed her a route back into the clash. The 2022 finalist will know it will need to be better next round to stand a chance of repeating that run.

Albeit Hedman hasn't had the best of it in recent years at Lakeside. But it is a tough section anyway with Beau Greaves likely in the semi-final for the victor of that tie and Nicole Regnaud v Wendy Harper. So we could feasibly get a repeat of that World final if Hutchinson manages to find her form again against Hedman.

Raman will face Schweyen in the Last 16 in all Belgian duel after he overcame a set deficit to see off 16th seed Martyn Turner who hasn't yet been able to master the Lakeside stage.

Turner though started the brighter of the two he produced a 117 checkout en route to taking the first set 3-2. Raman battled back in the second set coming from 2-0 down to take it 3-2 with finishes of 121 and 88 to make it 1-1. He continued that hot streak as he won six out of the previous seven legs to lead 2-1 and was just three legs away from the next round.

Turner went one away from forcing another set but couldn't seal it and Raman came back with a 92 checkout to send it all the way. He then produced a 14-dart curtain closer with a 100 checkout to surge through. Two nights, two wins for the Belgian pairing.