World Grand Prix - Report Final

RUTHLESS TAYLOR RECLAIMS PARTYPOKER.COM WORLD GRAND PRIX TITLE
Phil Taylor won an amazing 11th partypoker.com World Grand Prix title with a ruthless 6-0 demolition of Dave Chisnall at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Sunday.

Taylor proved himself once again as the master of the double-start format with an incredible performance, winning the games first FIVE sets without reply, in a run which saw Chisnall only have one dart at a finishing double. Chisnall, appearing in his first major PDC final, won the opening leg of the sixth set to finally get off the mark, but was denied any further chance of mounting a comeback as Taylor took out a 164 checkout in claiming the 100,000 pound title.

"It's a great night for me but I feel for Dave," said Taylor. "It's his first major PDC final but it won't be his last major final. After I went 5-0 up my concentration started to go, and I felt a bit sorry for Dave - which is not me. He started coming back and the crowd were singing that he was going to win 6-5 - and that started going through my mind a little bit, so the 164 was important, it was the best shot I hit all night. In my mind tonight, it was going to be a close game and I was preparing for it to go all the way. Sometimes in sport that doesn't happen."

Taylor set his stall out early on, finishing 86 on double seven to win the final's opening leg, hitting a 180 and double 16 to break in leg two with a 14-darter and tops to take the first set. Finishes of double four, double 16 and double 12 gave clinical Taylor the second set with legs of 14, 14 and 15 darts, and he also romped through the third without Chisnall having a dart at a finishing double, hitting a 13-darter and two double 16 finishes. Chisnall missed the bull to take out 126 in the fourth set's opening leg, as Taylor hit tops to continue his charge with a 14-darter, then finished 78 to move 2-0 up and double 16 for a 13-darter in the next to take a fourth set. He posted a third 180 of the game in the fifth set's opener, which he took on double 12 before checking out 86 for a 14-darter in the second - with Chisnall waiting on 24 - and added another maximum and tops with a 13-dart finish to win the third leg in moving a set away from the title.
Chisnall finally got off the mark in the sixth set's opening leg, which proved bizarre as Taylor missed 12 starting doubles, with the world number seven getting away with his first dart and taking out double 16 for a 13-darter. Taylor took out 44 to level, hitting his fifth maximum of the game in the process, before Chisnall landed a 180 of his own in leg three, only to miss tops as the World Champion took out a deadly 164 finish of two treble 19s and the bullseye. Chisnall took out 76 for a 14-darter as he levelled the set in the fourth leg, but was unable to continue his fightback as Taylor stepped up to hit double eight to regain his World Grand Prix crown.

"It's the best night and the worst night of my career," admitted Chisnall. "I wasn't nervous, but the darts just weren't going in and I was trying too hard. I'm proud of what I've done this week but I'll sleep on this and probably wake up in the morning really gutted. It's been a hard week because every player I've played has been really good, but tonight there was nothing there. It wasn't my night and nothing went for me. He didn't give me any chance and didn't seem to miss - I'd leave a double and he checks out, like the 164. I probably gave him too much respect in the practice room, and I wish I could play the game again. I'll learn from it but Phil was just too good, he played brilliantly."

Taylor added: "Dave's got great ability but he had a bad night at the office, and maybe the double-start format doesn't quite suit his game. He seemed to struggle to get off and the World Championship suits him better, like Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson [because of] the scoring power in their game. He didn't quite click tonight, and I think it would have been a cracking game if he had clicked. He'll be back and he's got plenty more tournaments in him - he'll be winning tournaments when I'm gone."







Contact © Global Darts. All Rights Reserved. Impressum