Opportunity Looms for Atkinson in Seaham
Adam Atkinson will be hoping to an already significant week if he can make some ground at the top of the ADC table. His 2022 performances have already led to a new management deal from Bit of Bully, the same stable as Ryan Joyce.
At one stage Adam looked the player to beat in the ADC having clawed back a points deficit from Matt Jackson and taking the top spot. The Englishman did not play in the Winmau Championship Tours last week in Bristol after winning the very first event of the year back in Newcastle, beating ADC Number 4 Tony Wood in the Final.
ADC Number 1 Jackson has extended his lead at the top to 51 points after picking up a further 16 ranking points from two tournaments in the last two days. The Action reached the Semi-Finals of the Bar501 Kingswood Round Robin losing 3-1 to Robbie Long, with Winmau star Steve Brown going on to beat Long in the Final and earn 32 points for his troubles.
The 37-year-old also played the Grand Prix Event 1 on Wednesday and reached the Quarter Finals, losing 3-2 to eventual winner Simon Fouracres. 8 points were earned once more for the man who has played in the Online Live League and with his nearest competition not playing, the gap is seeming to only get bigger.
But with plenty of arrows still to play, 27-year-old Atkinson will be determined to get himself back in the race for the number 1 spot, as the Northeast thrower sits on 666 points in the rankings and ninth in the Winmau Championship Tour table with 14 points.
Registration for the Knack Rankings Series on Sunday provides a perfect opportunity to earn some points back on the number 1 after not playing an event since he won the Consett Station Club KO on the 23rd of June.
ADC Number 7 and Terriers Title holder Adam Warner is also in action across the weekend in the Riley’s Chorlton July GSoD, with the Englishman looking to go further into the rankings with victory on Saturday. Just the two events won so far this year for the Sheffield thrower including the 2nd ADC Championship Plate Tournament back in May.
Elsewhere Diogo Portela who represented Brazil at the World Cup in Frankfurt last month is entered for the 1st Riley’s South Benfleet GSoD set to take place in Essex on Saturday. The 34-year-old from Rio de Janeiro has played on the Ally Pally stage two times in his career, winning his first match on the famous oche in 2021 after whitewashing Steve Beaton 3-0 in the second match of the tournament.
With Championship Tours looming next month, the need for ranking points is really intensifying ahead of events such as the World Open, with the best wanting to be as highly seeded as possible when December 1st comes about.
ADC Sanctioned Events: 8/10th June
Saturday:
Riley’s Chorlton July GSoD: Manchester
1st Riley’s South Benfleet GSoD
Sunday:
The Knack Ranking Series #4: Seaham
1st Riley’s Harlow GSoD: Essex
Royal Oak, Wallasey July GSoD
Words by Darts World Magazine