JAMES WADE produced one of the finest fightbacks of his career, coming from 7-3 down to edge out Mark Webster in a deciding leg to reach the final of the Speedy Hire UK Open, where he will face another comeback kid, Wes Newton.
Wade's hopes of a second major title were left hanging by a thread when Webster followed up an opening leg 139 finish with a fine run to move 7-3 up.
Wade hit finishes of 144 and 115 in pulling back to 7-6, but Webster took two of the next three to move to the brink of victory - only to miss the bull in the 17th leg.
Wade took out 120 to stay in the game and a pressure 61 to secure a deciding leg, which he won with a brilliant 11-darter to book his final place.
Newton was also forced to come from behind, as he overturned a 5-2 deficit to win 10-6 against Denis Ovens.
Ovens had reached his only previous major semi-final at last year's UK Open, and won four successive legs to come from 2-1 down to lead 5-2 in this game.
But Newton hit a 127 bull finish in levelling, punished a miss from Ovens to regain the leg and hit a 170 before taking the final three legs without reply to reach his maiden major final.
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Speedy Hire UK Open
Semi-Finals
James Wade 10-9 Mark Webster
Wes Newton 10-6 Denis Ovens
Best of 19 legs
JAMES WADE 10-9 MARK WEBSTER
JAMES WADE produced an incredible comeback to remain on course for a second title at the Reebok Stadium by knocking out Mark Webster in the semi-finals of the 2011 Speedy Hire UK Open.
Webster looked on course to reach his first PDC televised final when he led 7-3 and also had one dart to win the match.
But Wade showed his class as he fought back to win the final three legs and the contest, and will now face Wes Newton in the final.
Webster made a superb start as he broke throw with a 139 checkout and then started the second leg with back-to-back maximums.
Thoughts of a nine-dart finish were extinguished as Webster's attempt at a seventh successive treble 20 was off-target, but the Welshman hit double ten to increase his lead.
Wade won the third leg with an impressive 12-darter before Webster took the fourth with the aid of his third 180 of the match.
Wade, who overcame Paul Nicholson in the Quarter-Finals, hit a brilliant 144 checkout to win the fifth leg but Webster restored his two leg advantage in the next with a 76 finish.
The next two legs were shared before Webster completed an improvised 80 finish on the bullseye to move three legs clear of his opponent at 6-3.
Webster, who reached the semi-finals of the World Championship six months ago, then hit a confident 13-darter to move 7-3 up and leave the world number four with plenty to think about.
Webster kept up the momentum in the 11th leg by hitting his sixth 180 of the game, but a missed bullseye was punished by Wade, who recorded an 80 finish to reduce the arrears to three legs.
Wade won the 12th leg by hitting double top, after his opponent had missed a dart at the same bed, and then took the next with a 115 finish to pull back to just one leg down at 7-6.
Webster won his first leg in four by holding throw in 14 darts, but Wade kept the pressure by winning the 15th leg on double ten.
The Welshman hit a 180 in the next leg and won it courtesy of a 73 finish to go leg away from victory.
Powerful scoring from Webster saw him leave 90 after just nine darts in the next, but a missed attempt at bullseye for the match proved costly as Wade took out 120 finish to keep his hopes alive.
Webster hit his eighth 180 of the game in the 18th leg, but Wade was first to a finish and he hit double 18 under serious pressure with his last dart for a 61 checkout to set up a deciding leg.
The final leg saw Wade hold the advantage of throw and he made that count by hitting a fantastic 11-dart finish, featuring a timely 180, to seal a place in the final and leave Webster stunned.
"I didn't deserve to win that game but I kept going and managed to come through," admitted Wade.
"Mark kept hitting 180s at vital times and I just couldn't keep with him. I virtually closed my eyes on the double 18 to get to nine all and then to hit the 11-darter in the last leg to win it felt fantastic."
|
James Wade |
10-9 |
Mark Webster |
|
35 |
100+ |
27 |
|
10 |
140+ |
6 |
|
4 |
180s |
8 |
|
32.54 |
Ave 1 |
32.03 |
|
97.63 |
Ave 3 |
96.09 |
|
2 |
Legs Against Throw |
2 |
|
144, 120, 115 |
High Finish |
139 |
|
10/16 - 63% |
Finishing |
9/19 - 47% |
WES NEWTON 10-6 DENIS OVENS
WES NEWTON reached his first major televised final with a fine 10-6 victory over Denis Ovens in the 2011 Speedy Hire UK Open at the Reebok in Bolton.
Newton looked to be in trouble at 5-2 down, but the world number eight won eight of the next nine legs to set up a clash against James Wade for the £40,000 first prize.
Ovens started the better of the two players by taking the opening leg against the darts, but Newton hit back quickly by hitting a 96 finish to level.
Ovens, who defeated Mark Hylton in the Quarter-Finals, missed two chances to win the third leg and Newton gratefully accepted the opportunity by hitting double eight to lead for the first time.
Ovens, playing in the semi-finals in Bolton for a second straight year, won the fourth leg with a 61 finish and then hit double 12 after Newton missed one dart at tops to lead the game for a second time.
Ovens managed to take the sixth leg by hitting double 16 after Newton missed double eight for a 133 checkout, and the man from Hertfordshire then won his fourth leg on the spin by recording a 14-darter to move three legs clear.
Newton, who defeated Dave Chisnall to reach this stage, stopped the rot by hitting a 127 checkout, which was completed on the bullseye, and the won the ninth leg with a 14-dart finish.
Ovens had a chance to move 6-4 up in the next leg, but a missed dart at double top allowed Newton in to hit the same bed and leave matters finely poised at five-all.
Ovens was off-target again on the doubles in the 11th leg as he missed two attempts at double 16, and Newton landed double two to lead for the first time since the third leg.
Newton then won his fifth leg on the spin in fabulous style with a 170 checkout to move 7-5 up, but Ovens stopped the run with double four with his last dart after Newton missed chances for a three-leg lead.
The Fleetwood ace put that disappointment behind him by hitting double top at the first attempt to go two legs clear once again.
The 15th leg saw Newton miss a dart at double top, but Ovens was unable to capitalise as he was off-target with his attempt at double 16, allowing Newton to return and hit tops and go one leg away from the winning post.
And Newton crossed over that line with ease as he hit back-to-back maximums in the process of hitting an 11-dart finish to seal his place in the final.
"I've been a bit disappointed with my last two games after the victory over Raymond van Barneveld, but it's been enough to get through to final," said Newton.
"The 170 checkout was vital at that stage of the game and I kicked on from there. I've beaten James on the circuit before so I know that I can do it."
|
Wes Newton |
10-6 |
Denis Ovens |
|
24 |
100+ |
20 |
|
8 |
140+ |
12 |
|
4 |
180s |
4 |
|
31.52 |
Ave 1 |
29.58 |
|
94.55 |
Ave 3 |
88.75 |
|
6 |
Legs Against Throw |
4 |
|
170, 127 |
High Finish |
61 |
|
10/27 - 63% |
Finishing |
6/21 - 29% |
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