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Fitton eyeing bumper Masters pay day

Simon Smedley
20/10/2004

Darts

Stockport star Darryl 'the Dazzler' Fitton fancies his chances of winning the British Darts Organisation's second-biggest tournament this weekend.

Fitton, along with great friend and fellow local hero Tony O'Shea, will head off to the Winmau World Masters at the Spa Royal Hall in Bridlington in good heart, and chasing a whopping £15,000 winner's cheque.

Speaking from Holland on Tuesday, Fitton said: "The World Masters is a big tournament and people from all over the world come over to compete.

"But I think I've got a good chance, I really fancy my chances up there.

"I need to get off to a good start in the group stage, and then it's looking like I could come up against Ritchie Davies, but I'm confident of reaching the last eight at least."

The group stages take place this Friday, with the last 16 ties and quarter-finals on Saturday and the semi-finals and final on Sunday. Saturday's and Sunday's action will be featured on BBC television.

Fitton has had a good spell on the professional darting circuit lately, winning the British Classic at Kettering and the Cheshire Open at Rudheath.

He is currently playing darts full-time and this week has been playing exhibition matches in Amsterdam and Nijmegan in Holland.

Fitton is seeded number five for the World Masters, while O'Shea is seeded six. The top seed is Dutch star Raymond van Barneveld.

The draw for the first round of the prestigious Lakeside World Professional Championships - which take place in the first week of 2005 - will also feature at Bridlington this weekend, but looking ahead to November Fitton is set to play a major role in Phil 'the Power' Taylor's preparations for the much-heralded £100,000 'Head-to-Head' challenge between the PDC world king and BDO world champion Andy Fordham.

Fitton will take on Taylor in a challenge match a week before the big showdown at Purfleet on November 21, and he's confident of ruffling the PDC champion's feathers.

Fitton added: "I'm not sure whether Andy Fordham will beat Phil Taylor in the big clash as he has been suffering from an injured hand this year, but Taylor doesn't worry me. I think I can beat him."