Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor went blow-for-blow in an absolute thriller, that was in the end edged by Taylor, with the sixteen time World Champion averaging a record breaking 111.23, the highest ever in a World Matchplay final. The pair traded thirteen dart legs to open the match, but it was Lewis who had the better of the early stages overall as he raced into a 4-2 lead. Taylor fought back however, and a 130 checkout saw him level the match at 6-6. ‘The Power’ pushed on and won the next four legs, a run which culminated in an eleven darter to push his lead to 10-6. Lewis then hit four maximums in the next four legs, going on to secure three of the, as he closed the gap to 11-9. Taylor pushed on, securing six of the final nine legs to seal victory. He landed another two ton plus finishes in the process and whilst he landed nine maximums, Lewis was able to end the match with a sublime nineteen 180s and having landed a 127 checkout of his own. “It was tough and it’s probably one of the best finals I’ve ever been involved in,” said Taylor. “It was a great final and there were two winners there.” “I knew that Adrian would throw a lot of 180s but my game plan was to hit the 140s and 137s and the odd 180 to keep him under pressure. I had to keep pounding him, and it felt that every time I turned around he was hitting a 180.” “He was phenomenal and I’ve never played anyone like him because it’s very difficult to keep up with him. He was superb.” “When I was 6-4 down I settled down a little bit and threw probably two seconds slower than I had been, because I’d been tending to rush in and I was getting involved with the crowd and with Adrian.” “It’s such a special venue for me and it’s fantastic for me to win this title again. It’s getting harder and harder every year, but it will be hard for it to get any better than this.” “I threw everything at him but he put me under so much pressure,” said Lewis. “I gave it my all but I fell short at the end, and Phil showed what a great champion he is.” “Phil’s averaged 111 over 31 legs and there will never be another Phil Taylor. He’s amazing and it was a great final to be involved in.” “I’ve had a brilliant couple of weeks and my form’s been superb. I’ve still got a lot more gears yet but I’ll stay focused on what I’m doing.” “I’m really pleased to have reached the final here, and I’ve got lots to look forward to in the rest of the year, starting with going to Australia for the Sydney Darts Masters and then the World Grand Prix in Ireland.”
“It was tough and it’s probably one of the best finals I’ve ever been involved in”
Phil Taylor