Shaun Carroll records best-ever BDO run

The only West Midlands thrower to better his feat in the men's singles was Tipton's Jamie Hughes, who reached the semi-finals.

Carroll also teamed up with West Midlands county team-mate Mark Craddock to reach the semis of the men's pairs, writes Craig Birch.

The 34th Belgium Open was held at the Belgica Loods in Antwerp, with the city now preparing to host the Antwerp Open this weekend.

Wednesbury's Matthew Dicken and Wolverhampton's Michael Baker also made the trip, competing in singles and doubles action.

Dicken, Baker and Hughes were all in Group Nine of the men's singles. Dicken whitewashed Laurens van Haperen 4-0 in the last 512, where Baker and Hughes got a bye.

Baker then lost 4-3 to Stefaan Deprez in the last leg, with Dicken reversing the score-line to beat Deprez. He was then downed 4-1 by Davy van der Zande.

Hughes opened with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over Jannick Vankan, before shutting out Danny Blom 4-0. Two 4-2 successes, over Marcel Bilk and van der Zande, won him the group.

Carroll prevailed from Group Four with four imperious 4-0 whitewashes against Freddy Snyders, Charles Lammers, Harry Famaey and Dean Reynolds.

Craddock bowed out of Group Two, after winning one game by 4-0 landslide over Norman Pepers. He was then defeated 4-3 by Patrick Simons.

Hughes and Carroll's challenge continued to the last 16, where both were extended to the last leg. 'Yozza' saw off Geert De Vos 4-3, with Carroll vanquishing Wouter Vaes.

The challenge ended for Carroll in the quarters, where play was upgraded to a best-of-nine format. He lost 5-1 to Kyle McKinstry.

Hughes kept going with a 5-2 win over Maik Kuivenhoven. Only title winner Ross Montgomery could stop him in the semis, with a 2-0 result in sets.

Carroll went one better in the men's pairs, alongside Craddock. They were edged out 4-3 by Martin Atkins and Glen Durrant in the semis.

They won three games to take Group 10 with verdicts over Tobias Anliker and Philipp Ruckstuhl (3-1), Wim Roosemarijn and Kristof Rutten (3-0) and Eddy Bouten and Fabien Theeten (3-2).

Baker and Hughes got out of their groups, too, with Simon Stainton and Bradley Kirk respectively. Dicken, partnering Dean Allsopp, lost the Group 14 final.

Atkins and Durrant whitewashed them 3-0 after they had recorded victories over Pepers and Marco Stevens and Miguel Olivier and Gianni Vercaemer, both by 3-0 landslide themselves.

Baker and Kirk came out of Group Nine with three 3-0 shut-outs over Mike Huygen and Dennis Piepers, Lorenzo Van Hove and Kenny Verbeke and Billy Caluwaerts and Kenny Neyens.

Carroll and Craddock then drubbed them 3-0 in the last 32, before defeating Andy Baetens and Sven Verdonck 4-3 to reach the last four.

Hughes and Stainton were top dogs in Group Four and got to the quarter-finals, with all four results by a 3-0 score-line.

They claimed the scalps of Wim Dierickx and Andy Quireyns, Marnix de Beer and Marco Smit, Gary Thompson and Mario van Damme and Elvin Geerlof and Patrick van den Boogaard.

The eventual champions put paid to their ambitions in the last eight, Thomas Junghans and Wilco Vermeulen coming out on top 4-2.

Hughes also competed in the mixed pairs, with Paula Jacklin. They went down in the Group Six decider, 3-2 to Brian Raman and Kyana Frauenfelder.

They had taken two games 3-0 against Freddy Snyders and Brigitte Philtjens and Danny Verbaenen and Nicole Delie.