SUPER PART IS UK MASTERS CHAMPION AS KELLETT REACHES FIRST PDC FINAL
JOHN PART won his first PDC ranking title for over 18 months with a brilliant 6-4 defeat of emerging star Stuart Kellett in the final of the UK Masters at the Butlins Minehead Resort on Sunday night.
The Canadian three-time World Champion had dropped to 25th in the PDC Order of Merit since winning a Players Championship in Canada in August 2011, but rolled back the years with a weekend of thrilling displays .
Part overcame Kim Huybrechts and Gary Anderson to reach Sunday's final stages in the year's first £100,000 European Tour event, before coming from 5-2 down to defeat Austria's Mensur Suljovic and reach the quarter-finals.
He then saw off Simon Whitlock and Adrian Lewis to move into the final, where he came from 2-1 down to claim a 6-4 win.
Kellett, appearing in his first PDC final, hit double eight and then took out 122 as he took two of the opening three legs, and he also landed double ten to lead 3-2 before Part began his charge.
The Canadian hit a 180 as he levelled in leg six, broke throw with a superb 13-darter and then hit a maximum and double ten to move 5-3 up and to the brink of victory.
Kellett hit tops to stay in the game in the ninth leg after Part missed double 12 for a 144 finish which would have given him victory, but when the Cheshire thrower missed four darts to force a decider he took out 78 in two darts to complete the triumph.
The 20 000 pound first prize moves Part back up to 21st in the world rankings, but will also significantly help him to qualify for the year's major televised events through the ProTour Order of Merit.
"It feels awesome," said Part. "I've been working hard for the last couple of years and not had much luck but it's a hard tour, and it feels really good to get a win. It's huge for me but I'm still sticking to my plans and I'll be hitting every event because I want to prove that I'm still a force in the game - and this is a very good step towards that. I'm so happy and I'm glad the hard work has paid off. It was a packed venue and it was great to see so many fans here, and they made it worthwhile."
Kellett, a 31-year-old web designer from Northwich, had joined the PDC circuit just over a year ago and qualified for the World Championship last year, and picked up the joint biggest pay-day of his burgeoning career with the 10 000 pound runner-up cheque.
He also impressed throughout the weekend, whitewashing Peter Wright in Friday's first round before overcoming Colin Lloyd, Dave Chisnall, Robert Thornton and Andy Hamilton to reach the final.
"It's amazing," said Kellett, a former World Masters runner-up. "I've still got a full-time job but I want to go full-time in darts so that I can fulfil what I want to do, and hopefully this is a stepping stone to doing that. I've shown what I can do this weekend, so hopefully I'll keep it going now and kick on."
Kellett added: "Fair play to John, he took his chances in the final and for the first time this weekend I missed my doubles, but I'd have settled for getting to the final."
Hamilton had earlier defeated World Champion Phil Taylor for only the second time in his career as he took a 6-3 win from their memorable quarter-final,
Taylor opened with legs of 12, 12 and 13 darts as he led 3-2 with an average of over 120, but Hamilton took four successive legs with some fine finishing to claim the win.
Hamilton was unable to repeat the performance as he went down 6-3 in the semis, while fellow Stoke thrower Adrian Lewis lost out 6-2 to Part in the last four after producing some superb darts to drop only three legs earlier in the day in wins over Mark Webster and James Wade.
Quarter-Final Match Information
Stuart Kellett's brilliant weekend continued as he defeated Robert Thornton 6-1 to reach the UK Masters semi-finals. Thornton finished 82 to win the game's opening leg against the throw, but the Cheshire ace hit back in style to sweep to victory. He took out 78 to level in leg two, despite a 180 from Thornton, and punished missed doubles from the Scot in the next three to move 4-1 up. Thornton added another maximum in leg six, but missed the bull to finish 126 as Kellett took out 96 on double 18 before landing the same bed to complete a 121 combination in sealing victory.
Andy Hamilton picked up only his second career victory over Phil Taylor with a superb 6-3 defeat of the World Champion as the Stoke ace moved into the semi-finals of the UK Masters in a high-scoring contest - as both players ended with averages above 103. Taylor hit two 12-dart finishes in taking two of the first three legs, with Hamilton replying with a maximum in leg two and another 180 in the fourth as he levelled. Taylor took the fifth with a 13-darter - lifting his average to 123 in-running - before Hamilton posted a 180 and took out 92 on double 16 to square the contest. The pair traded 180s in leg seven, but when Taylor missed double 16 and double eight his rival stepped in to break for the first time with a 76 checkout. Hamilton then hit double 16 to lead 5-3 before finishing 70 to complete a memorable performance.
John Part secured a fine 6-4 victory over Simon Whitlock to move into the semi-finals of the UK Masters in a high-scoring last eight contest. Both players hit 180s as Whitlock took the opening leg, before Whitlock landed another maximum in leg two only to miss to darts at doubles as Part levelled on tops. The pair again traded 180s in leg three, with Part this time punished for a missed double as Whitlock posted double 16, before the Canadian took out 96 and double 16 to move ahead for the first time at 3-2. Whitlock broke back on double eight to level, and then landed another 180 in moving 4-3 up. Part, though, landed a maximum before levelling on double four before winning a key ninth leg in style, with both players hitting 180s before the three-time World Champion brilliantly finished 140 with treble 20 and two double tops. Whitlock had chances to force a deciding leg, but burst his score on 65 and then missed double six in his next visit to allow Part to finish tops f! or a significant win over the world number five.
Adrian Lewis powered into the UK Masters semi-finals with a fine 6-2 win over James Wade. Lewis made a lightning start to win the first four legs without reply, taking out 127 on double eight to win the opener, a superb 96 of single 20, double 18 and double top, double top in leg three and an 11-darter in the fourth, after both players hit maximums. Wade posted a 180 and double two to get off the mark in the fifth leg, but Lewis took out 76 to move 5-1 up. Wade hit a 180 as he took a second leg, but Lewis' third maximum edged him in front in the next leg and he finished double eight to secure a last four spot.
Semi-Final Match Information
Stuart Kellett won through to his first PDC ranking final at the UK Masters by knocking out Andy Hamilton 6-3 in the semi-finals at the Butlins Minehead Resort. The Northwich thrower continued his brilliant run this weekend with another clinical performance as Hamilton was unable to repeat the performance which had seen him defeat Phil Taylor less than two hours earlier. Hamilton had won two of the game's first three legs to lead 2-1, with Kellett finishing 78 in between. The Cheshire ace hit a 180 as he levelled in leg four, before finishing double four to break and double eight to move 4-2 up. Hamilton replied on double 16, but missed two darts at double 18 and nine to level as Kellett took out double four to move 5-3 up, and the pair traded 180s in the next leg before the Cheshire ace finished 122 on the bullseye to progress to the final in style.
John Part won the battle of two World Champions with a 6-2 defeat of Adrian Lewis to reach the UK Masters final. Part made a fine start, finishing 40 in the opening leg, 102 on double 11 to break in the second and 70 on tops in the third to lead 3-0. The Canadian also hit a maximum in the fourth, but double eight got Lewis off the mark before the world number two finished tops to pull back to 3-2. Part, though, took out double five to edge away and won a key seventh leg on tops to lead 5-2 - hitting a 180 to leave 67 before Lewis scored 165 to leave 20 and be on his tail. Lewis battled to stay in the game, but wired tops for a 145 finish in the next leg and Part stepped in to hit double 16 and reach the final.