"It wasn't pretty but I'll take the win" - Nicole Regnaud sets up generational clash with Deta Hedman at Lakeside

Nicole Regnaud has qualified for the quarterfinals of the 2024 WDF World Championship at the Lakeside. The 25-year-old Kiwi was too strong in the second round, 2-0, for her compatriot Wendy Harper. In the quarterfinals she will now face women's darts legend, Deta Hedman.

Regnaud is seeded fifth at Lakeside this year and therefore entered the tournament in the second round. Harper, on the other hand, defeated Hungarian Gréta Tekauer 2-0 in the first round. "I'm relieved. Yeah that's hard playing another Kiwi, especially someone as greatcas Wendy. But just happy to get over the line, it wasn't pretty but I'll take the win," Regnaud said in her post-match interview. "I think we both wanted it for ourselves, but we also wanted it for each other as well. I know that Wendy will still be there at the next game cheering me on, and I would have done the same for her."

Regnaud impressed at last year's WDF World Championship. She may have lost 2-1 to Aileen de Graaf in the second round, but with an average of 81.10 she scored higher than her opponent and than many other players on the women's side the WDF World Championship.

"That's such a highlight and it's weird for that to be a loss to be a highlight but I think losing in such an amazing game like it was, you can only be happy. I mean, the next best thing is winning and that's obviously the goal for this year," Regnaud assesses. "Playing in tournaments like this and playing against world class players, it always makes you want to do more and be more and play amongst them all the time. So I'll definitely be looking for those opportunities next year and I'll be trying my hardest to get back to Lakeside whatever happens."