Preview Wednesday for WDF World Championship at Lakeside: Teen sensation Mitchell Lawrie returns to action

At the WDF World Championship tonight, the final matches from the second round of the men's tournament will be completed. 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie, who particularly impressed in his opening match, will take on second-seeded American Jason Brandon.

In the women's tournament, look out for the clash between established names such as Deta Hedman and Mikuru Suzuki. By the way, only five matches at Lakeside will be played tonight instead of the originally scheduled six. After all, Jeff Springer Jr. does not have to be in action because his opponent Andy Davidson had to withdraw due to illness. Springer Jr. is thus immediately assured of a place in the last sixteen, where he takes on the winner of the duel between Brandon and Lawrie.

The evening session at Lakeside opens with Thomas Junghans taking on Stephen Rosney. Junghans returns to the WDF World Championships for a third consecutive year, having reached the quarter-finals last time out before falling 4–0 to François Schweyen. The 48-year-old Swiss, seeded 14th, begins his campaign against Rosney — and the Irishman already has momentum on his side. Rosney produced an emphatic 3–0 victory over Scotland’s Jim McEwan in round one and will be eager to build on that performance.

Sophie McKinlay and Paige Pauling meet in a rematch of last year’s girls’ final — only this time the stakes are higher in the women’s draw. Pauling lifted the title in their previous showdown, but this encounter promises to be far more finely balanced. McKinlay stunned the field last year by reaching the women’s final as well, eventually losing to Beau Greaves, and she will be keen to avenge that defeat to Pauling as the pair step onto the main stage once again.

Sixteen years after his first World Championship appearance — then under the PDC banner — David Fatum returns to the world stage, now with the WDF. The 57-year-old American has shown strong form this season, highlighted by a run to the Dutch Open final where he was beaten 3–0 by Jeffrey Sparidaans. Seeded sixth, Fatum begins his campaign against 19-year-old Jenson Walker. The young Englishman impressed in his opener, sweeping aside Czech player Jiri Brejcha 3–0.

The penultimate match of the evening features two icons of the women’s game: Deta Hedman and Mikuru Suzuki. Hedman’s legendary career includes virtually every honour the sport has to offer — except the world title. At 66, she makes yet another bid to complete her trophy collection, but standing in her way is a formidable opponent. Suzuki, already a double BDO world champion, is targeting a third crown and has started strongly, edging past Finland’s Kirsi Viinikainen 2–1 in round one. A classic is on the cards.

The evening concludes with second seed Jason Brandon facing one of the tournament’s brightest young prospects, 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie. Brandon reached the semi-finals last year and will be hoping for another deep run, but Lawrie has already signalled he is not to be underestimated. The young Scot lit up the stage in his opening match, producing a superb 10-darter and averaging 90.46 in a commanding 3–0 win over Japan’s Tomoya Maruyama. Should he replicate that level, Brandon will face a serious early test.