Ross Montgomery lifted a second title in a matter of weeks as the BDO’s Italian double-header took place in Bologna, as Tony Martin, Laura Turner and Aileen de Graaf also claimed titles.

Montgomery, who had not lifted a BDO title for over two years prior to last weekend’s Czech Open triumph, has produced some remarkable stuff in recent weeks after enduring a rough few months thanks to his wife’s ongoing illness.

The Scotsman began his campaign with back-to-back whitewashes, before thrashing France’s Steven Morrison 4-1, prevailing to the fourth round without much difficulty.

An emphatic 4-0 whitewashing of former PDC Tour Card holder, Scott Taylor, followed prior to a comfortable win over Craig Venman and a narrow 4-3 victory over Belgium’s Mario Vanderbogarde – which booked his place in the last eight.

Montgomery faced World Trophy champion, Jim Williams, and came out victorious, before a 5-1 demolition of Richard Veenstra sealed his final spot.

The 57-year-old would take on the world number one, Wesley Harms, in the final. The Dutchman had fought off the likes of Nick Kenny, Martin Adams and Slovenia’s PDC World Championship qualifier, Benjamin Pratnemer, on his way to the final.

Harms was hoping to lift a seventh title of the year, but it was Montgomery who prevailed a 5-3 victor and snatched the title from the hands of the defending champion.

Elsewhere, Cheshire’s Tony Martin added to his solitary BDO honour as he denied a below-par Thibault Tricole in Bologna.

Martin, who lifted the Slovak Masters in February, put his Grand Masters woes behind him as he opened Sunday’s event with wins over Kevin Thoburn and Scott Taylor – who both qualified for March’s UK Open.

The 38-year-old then enjoyed whitewash victories over the lesser known, Mirko Flumian and Paolo Bocchiddi, before successive 4-2 wins over Francesco Raschini and Anoop Ramdajal sealed his place in the quarter-finals.

Hungary’s Gabor Takacs was next to be ousted by Martin – who then defeated the in-form Mike Warburton of Wales in the semi-finals, before denying the Frenchman, Tricole, at the final hurdle.

Tricole was a beaten finalist for the second time in less than a week, having lost out to Joe Davis in Malta. The Frenchman will now set sights on a World Championship debut in early January.

Aileen de Graaf and Laura Turner shared the spoils in the ladies’ side of proceedings, with the duo contesting both finals as de Graaf achieved revenge on Turner on Sunday evening.

It was Turner who lifted the more prestigious of the two titles as she clinched the Category B, Italian Grand Masters. The Isle of Man Open champion denied the Dutchwoman 5-3 in the final.

Turner had saw off Paula Jacklin in the semi-finals, while de Graaf beat her partner Priscilla Steenbergen.

Sunday saw the final end in reverse fashion as de Graaf defeated Turner 5-3, having once again saw off Steenbergen in the last four.

The BDO tour now undergoes a short break over the festive period, with the next tournament being the big one – the World Championship – which commences on January 4.

The BDO men's top 26 after Italy (1/2). 1. Harms

2. Veenstra

3. Williams

4. Kenny

5. Kleermaker

6. Warren

7. Parletti

8. Mandigers

9. Warburton

10. Stainton — Inside the BDO (@InsidetheBDO) November 24, 2019