Best-ever run is a BDO final for Michael Baker
Wolverhampton's Michael Baker recorded his best-ever run in BDO competition after reaching the final of the French Open.
The 42-year-old was only thwarted by title winner Geert De Vos 5-2 in the decider after long and storied exploits overseas,
Baker had to win seven games just to get that far on a busy weekend of darts at the Salle Danny Boon in Bray-Dunes.
Bloxwich's Shaun Carroll also progressed past the group stages, where Cannock's Mark Craddock and Tipton's Scott Baker bowed out.
Craddock was in group eight, scoring 3-0 whitewashes over Alix Tempo and Christophe Snyders. The result was reversed against Carlo van Cleef in the last 64.
Scott Baker reached the group four final, the round of 32, but was beaten 3-1 by Martin Phillips. He had prevailed three times to get there.
First came a 3-0 landslide over Daniel Lemoine, before a 3-1 result over Danny Bosch. Another shut out, 3-0 against Dean de Wulf, set up the Phillips clash.
Carroll reached the last 16 as the pick of the bunch in Group Seven, after a bye past the last 256. He defeated Marc Wauters (3-0), Tony Bradley (3-2) and Maikel Verberk (3-1).
Baker was on a tear out of Group 12, with three out of four successes by whitewash. He beat Lionel Maranhao 3-1 to go with verdicts over Jessy Villiers, Fabian Theeten and Ken Smeets.
The journey ended from there for Carroll, who was downed 3-1 by van Cleef. Baker rolled over Davy van Baelen 3-0 to reach the quarter-finals, where play was upgraded to best-of-seven legs.
Baker fought tooth and nail to the last leg to get past Thomas Junghans 4-3, before seeing off Wouter Vaes 5-3 as the format was lengthened again. De Vos proved a step too far.
