PHIL Taylor produced a brilliant display to thump Raymond van Barneveld 7-1 in the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London last night and take his 14th world title.
Taylor had not won the title for three years but the result was never in doubt as he racked up a three-dart average of 109.76 – breaking his own record for a major final. The 48-year-old, who took advantage of some poor finishing from Van Barneveld,
has now won 12 of the 16 PDC championships.
Taylor admitted the night could not have gone any better. He said: "I feel absolutely fantastic, I really do. It was a great game and obviously that score was great for me.
"Nine darts would have been nice as well. It didn't come off this time, but next time. I feel very sorry for Raymond but one of us has got to lose and I'm glad it's not me."
Taylor began impressively, taking the first leg against the throw, but it was Van Barneveld who claimed the first maximum of the match in the second leg. It was not enough for him to level, however, as Taylor coolly found double eight. "The Power" lost the last time the pair met in the PDC showpiece in 2007 and he was in no mood for a repeat, taking his first opportunity to seal the set.
Taylor made his first mistake in the opening leg of the second set when he missed two chances at double 14 but Van Barneveld could not hit double eight. He missed another chance to break his duck in the next leg and Taylor made it six in a row to take a two-set lead.
Van Barneveld did finally get on the scoreboard with a 110 checkout in the first leg of the third set, but Taylor was soon level. The third leg was nip and tuck with the second seed eventually prevailing. Taylor forced a decider with a 126 checkout but Van Barneveld took the set after both players had missed straightforward chances.
Taylor's heavy scoring was proving impossible for Van Barneveld to keep up with, although two 180s helped him force a deciding leg in the next set. Taylor gave his rival a chance but he could not take it and the top seed moved 3-1 ahead. By now it was much closer, however, and Van Barneveld won the opening two legs of the next set, but Taylor forced another decider.
A dominant leg from Taylor saw him take the set against the darts, and it looked to be a defining point when Taylor opened the next set with a maximum and went on to win it, to take a 5-1 lead, shrugging off Van Barneveld hitting back twice.
The Dutchman forced a decider in the eighth set but Taylor finished off the match in fittingly emphatic style.
Van Barneveld admitted he had no answers to the maestro's brilliance: "I played a computer. He's absolutely brilliant. Practising ten hours a day is not enough. But I'll be back."
At the BDO Championships at Frimley Green, Shaun Greatbatch stole the show despite failing to win a set in his first-round clash with John Walton. The 39-year-old is battling cancer, which has left him four inches shorter, and was given a players' guard of honour as he departed following his 3-0 defeat.
The full article contains 578 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
