Semi-Final for Anca Zijlstra at Welsh Open
Wim Blokpoel - This weekend the WDF went to Wales for the 2022 Welsh Classic and Welsh Open!
Not many Dutch players were involved, but still some good results for the ones in it!
Welsh Classic:
Men
In the men Welsh Classic, young talent Moreno Blom was the last Dutchman standing in ghe last 64. After wins over Shaun Griffiths and Matthew Smith, he there faced Alex Howells who he edged out 4-3! In the last 32, Blom played Kevin McDine, who he lost to 1-4.
Women
In the ladies event, Anca Zijlstra and Aletta Wajer played in the last 64. Wajer was edged out by Lorraine Hyde 3-4, but Zijlstra did beat Sophie Davies 4-0 to make the last 32! There Zijkstra also whitewashed Jennifer Nuttall 4-0! In the last 16, it was a 4-1 win for Zijlstra over Denise Cassidy, but she lost in the quarter-finals 3-4 to Maria O’Brien.
Welsh Open:
Men
In the men Welsh Open, Moreno Blom and Jeffrey Bekema both made the last 64. After wins over Shaun Matthews, Neil Lewis and Timothy Jones, Bekema lost his last 64 game 1-4 to Gareth Starling. Blom already won against Neil Devlin and Jason Davies, and he continued winning as he beat Kieran Thompson 4-1 to make the last 32 again! This time though, he won his last 32 game as he edged out Mike Warburton 4-3! Into the last 16, Blom had a massive win as he beat WDF number one James Hurrell 4-2! In the quarter-finals, Blom got edged out by Wes Newton 3-4 but still a great run for Blom, as he’s still going strong in his attempt to qualify for Lakeside for the very first time!
Women
In the women Welsh Open, Anca Zijlstra and Aletta Wajer made the last 64 again. Having already beaten Nicola Biddick 3-1, Wajer this time did reach the last 32 after she also beat Carol Bufton 4-0! Zijlstra already won 3-0 against Vicky Martin, and then had another whitewash win 4-0 over Natalie Davey to also make the last 32. There, Wajer lost 1-4 to eventual winner Beau Greaves but Zijlstra kept winning again as she beat Gemma Bowen 4-1. Into the last 16, and Zijlstra beat Natalie Gilbert 4-2 to make it back to back quarter-finals! This time though, Zijlstra won her quarter-final 4-1 against Jo Clements! In the semi’s, she lost 0-4 to Fallon Sherrock but still a very good weekend for Zijlstra.