Lukasiak & Bellmont claim Challenge Tour wins in Milton Keynes

Oskar Lukasiak (PDC)

Oskar Lukasiak and Stefan Bellmont each picked up titles as the 2024 Winmau Challenge Tour continued in Milton Keynes on Saturday.

Friday's opening day of the 2024 season saw Richie Burnett and Danny Jansen celebrate Challenge Tour successes, and Lukasiak denied Jansen back-to-back titles with victory in Event Three.

Lukasiak recorded a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Jansen to scoop the £2,500 top prize and become the second Swedish player – along with Dennis Nilsson – to clinch a Challenge Tour crown.

The 32-year-old dumped out former PDC Tour Card Holders Andy Boulton and Chris Quantock on his way to the title, rallying from 4-3 down to edge out Quantock in the quarter-finals.

Sweden’s World Cup quarter-finalist then averaged 98 in his semi-final thrashing of former World Youth Champion Ted Evetts, registering winning legs of 12, 15, 10, 15 and 17 darts to triumph.

Meanwhile, Jansen extended his winning run to 16 matches before succumbing to Lukasiak, recording whitewash wins against Darryl Pilgrim and Daniel Ayres in the quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively.

Pilgrim – who made back-to-back finals on Friday – posted sensational 108.91 and 110.97 averages to reach the last eight, only to be swept aside by Jansen in a repeat of Friday's Event Two decider.

Switzerland’s number one Bellmont later rounded off Saturday’s action with a whitewash victory over Hungary’s Pal Szekely to claim the Event Four spoils.

Bellmont defeated former Lakeside Champions Scott Mitchell and Burnett to progress to the last 32, averaging 101 to demolish Event One winner Burnett in five straight legs.

The Swiss star also edged out Croatia’s Romeo Grbavac in a last-leg shoot-out to seal his place in the last eight, where he overcame a spirited Andy Boulton.

Bellmont continued his sparkling form with a 5-2 victory against Aden Kirk in the semi-finals, converting a brace of ton-plus finishes to prevail with a 99 average.

The 34-year-old then swept aside Szekely in the Event Four showpiece, but it was a memorable day for the Hungarian, who dumped out Bellmont’s World Cup partner Marcel Walpen in round two.

Szekely produced his best performance in his semi-final success over Pilgrim, recovering from 4-2 down with legs of 12, 15 and 15 darts to progress to a maiden PDC final.

The 2024 Winmau Challenge Tour continues on Sunday, as the opening weekend of action draws to a close with Event Five.

The top two players from the final 2024 Challenge Tour Order of Merit will secure a PDC Tour Card for 2025/26 and a place in the 2024/25 Paddy Power World Darts Championship.

Click here to view Event Draws & Results.

Match stats can be viewed through DartConnect.

2024 Winmau Challenge Tour
Saturday January 20
Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes
Event Three
Quarter-Finals

Danny Jansen 5-0 Darryl Pilgrim
Daniel Ayres 5-4 Thomas Lovely
Oskar Lukasiak 5-4 Chris Quantock
Ted Evetts 5-2 Dragutin Horvat

Semi-Finals
Danny Jansen 5-0 Daniel Ayres
Oskar Lukasiak 5-2 Ted Evetts

Final
Oskar Lukasiak 5-3 Danny Jansen

Event Four
Quarter-Finals

Darryl Pilgrim 5-3 Arjan Konterman
Pal Szekely 5-2 Martin Grearson
Aden Kirk 5-4 James Beeton
Stefan Bellmont 5-3 Andy Boulton

Semi-Finals
Pal Szekely 5-4 Darryl Pilgrim
Stefan Bellmont 5-2 Aden Kirk

Final
Stefan Bellmont 5-0 Pal Szekely