Darts: Lorraine scoops Isle of Man title

Buxton’s Lorraine Winstanley sealed victory at the Isle of Man Open last weekend, after a tense showdown in the final.
Buxton's Lorraine Winstanley celebrates her win at the Isle of Man 2014 Open.Buxton's Lorraine Winstanley celebrates her win at the Isle of Man 2014 Open.
Buxton's Lorraine Winstanley celebrates her win at the Isle of Man 2014 Open.

She had to overcome Dutch opponent Sharon Prins 5-4 in a topsy-turvy encounter to seal her first title since her success at the Swedish Open last August.

Speaking to the Advertiser, she said: “The final was a great contest. Sharon took the first set and then she eventually opened up a 4-2 lead.

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“I then managed to pull myself back to 4-4 and obviously I won the deciding set.

“I think I’m playing really well at the minute. I’m practising a lot more often and that obviously showed last weekend.”

Lorraine, 38, had to overcome difficult opposition just to get to the final, with reigning women’s world champion Lisa Ashton standing in her way during the semi-final.

Lorraine added: “I beat Lisa 5-1 but that doesn’t tell the true tale of the match.

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“We were both scoring high finishes and I really had to dig in.

“It was a brilliant game. I think I threw three or four 100+ shots, whilst Lisa just missed a 170 finish so it was high quality.”

Lorraine says she is now hopeful that her good form can extend to next January when the World Championships come around again.

From now on her ranking position is likely to prove crucial when it comes to qualifying for the championships.

She added: “The Lakeside is why I play darts.

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“There’s no other place like it and it’s such a special place to play.

“This year was the first time they’ve extended the amount of women, from eight to 16.

“The way the rankings work, you have got to stay on your toes and continue to perform in every tournament.”

Lorraine’s husband Dean, who competes in the PDC, was also in action last weekend as he reached the last-16 stage of the Coral UK Open.

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