With my practise and games going well I was eagerly awaiting the WDF Silver and Bronze double header at the fantastic X Bionic Hotel Slovakia on Friday 25th February.
With my flights, entries and accommodation booked weeks prior it became pretty touch and go as to whether I could actually go due to being hospitalised Thursday 16th February. Hooked up to numerous IV drips and on quite strong painkillers for 3 days it was looking more and more unlikely I would be physically able to fly, let alone play.
However thanks to a very overstretched NHS and after numerous tests and scans I was finally given the all clear to fly just a couple of days before the competition was due to begin. Taking it easy, still in quite a bit of discomfort and rattling from all the medications we drove to Stansted to catch our flight. I relaxed and put my feet up until I could find the energy to get my game face on and try to forget all the pain and discomfort I was in.
I entered the Warm Up Ladies singles as a tester to see just how I would cope actually playing. Due to the medications I was on I would not be able to drink any alcohol at all. After a bit of a shake start I actually found that I put more concentration on my darts rather than my pains and they were going well. I played some great darts, against some great darters and found myself romping to a 3.0 win in the final. I had finally got over the finishing line.
Saturday saw the start of the WDF Silver ranked Ladies Open. I found myself to be the second seed amongst some world class ladies darters. I had some very tough games especially against Swedens Maud Janssen. I knew I had to hit the ground running here. I hit at least one treble every throw and taking a 3.0 lead only to find Maud throwing her full arsenal back at me to come back to bring it to the deciding leg. The final leg went all the way however I pinged the double first. I was ecstatic at how I had played. This was possibly the best ever game I have played in.
I also had such a battle against a very talented and young Italian lady Aurora Fochesato. I felt exhausted after the game but had to find more because I was next to face the lovely Laura Turner. I had to grit my teeth and dig in a couple of times but with my confidence brimming from my warm up victory I found the extra gears I needed to reach the main competition final.
The final was against WDF number 1 seed at this event, the very dangerous, Suzanne Smith ( a fellow Left Handed thrower ). It was a good game apart from one leg that dragged us both down.
Slovak Ladies Open final starts 38 mins in with presentation ceremonies at the end
With my scores going up and down but ( apart from the leg from hell ) I found my doubles fairly easily. After almost 2 years on the WDF darting circuit I had finally got over the finish line to claim the Slovak Ladies Open Championship title. The title and prize money is fantastic however it's the WDF ranking points and the great start to the season I needed.
I may only make Lakeside this year as a standby, incase someone can't make it but next year I yearn to make it on merit. This weekends point should move me up the World Ranking to around 7th place. Long may the good results continue.