REDDITCH darts star Zoe Jones tasted victory on her BDO World Darts Championship debut before exiting the competition at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Russian world number one Anastasia Dobromyslova.
The 22-year-old, known as the Pink Panther, triumphed 2-0 on Saturday’s opening day at the Lakeside Country Club in Surrey as she saw off the challenge of fellow debutant Sarah Brent from Nottinghamshire in a competition screened by both the BBC and BT Sport.
However, Jones was defeated by the same scoreline by the three-time world champion on Thursday as Dobromyslova advanced into the last four in her bid to regain the crown.
Jones, who averaged just under 70 in the last eight clash, threatened a comeback in the second set but it was not to be against her more experienced opponent.
However, the youngster, who has over the past six months reached seven semi-finals, finished runner-up in the Swedish and Belgium Opens and won the Turkish Open and England Matchplay for the second time in three years including beating Dobromyslova and nine-time world champion Trina Gulliver on the way to the title, can take great pride from making her bow on the biggest stage for women’s darts.
After her victory on Saturday, Jones tweeted on Sunday morning: “Last night was the best of my life, I’ve dreamt of that stage and now I’ve won on it! Didn’t play well but I’ll take the win!”
