RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD won the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with an incredible sudden-death 7-6 win over Phil Taylor.
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RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 7-6 PHIL TAYLOR
(0-3, 0-3, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 6-5)
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD won a final-leg shoot-out with Phil Taylor to be crowned the 2007 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion.
The Dutchman, 39, joined the PDC in February and capped his first year in style in one of the greatest matches the sport has ever seen.
He trailed 3-0 in sets for the second time in the tournament, and as in his second round contest with Colin Lloyd fought back to take the match in the final leg.
Taylor opened the match in blistering fashion, winning the first eight legs without reply and restricting the Dutchman to just one dart at a double - for the bullseye and a 167 finish - in the first two sets.
The defending champion's average sat at almost 110 going into the third set, which he won to move 3-0 up despite a 14-darter which saw van Barneveld get off the mark.
The Dutchman lifted in the fourth set and took three successive legs to open his account, including a 170 finish - the highest of the tournament - in leg three.
He also came from 2-1 down to win the fifth set in a decider, taking the fourth leg with a 129 finish and the decider on double 12.
Both players' averages stood level at 99 - but a change of shirt from Taylor, who discarded his specially-made orange top for a white and black effort, signalled a renewed vigour from the 13-time champion.
Some clinical darts gave Taylor the sixth set without reply, although van Barneveld hit back in kind to take the next and stay a set behind at 4-3.
The Dutchman landed maximums in the first four legs of the eighth set, but missed doubles allowed Taylor to stay in contention and then sneak the decider on double two with his final dart.
Taylor was the one to be punished in the next set, as van Barneveld stepped in to win all three legs before levelling the contest by taking set ten 3-1 - after hitting six perfect darts in leg one.
The Dutchman also landed back-to-back maximums in leg two of the next set, but lost the leg to fall 2-0 behind.
Further 180s helped him win the next two legs to force a decider, and a superb 78 finish put him ahead for the first time at 6-5.
Van Barneveld battled to go 2-1 up and put himself within a leg of victory, but Taylor kept himself alive with double 16 in the fourth leg - when his opponent was sat on 24 - and then hit the same bed to win the 12th set and send the game into a decider.
A 12-darter put the Dutch star ahead before Taylor hit back to level on double 16.
Double four gave van Barneveld leg three, and he set up a 120 Shanghai finish for the title - landing a treble and single twenty but bending the wire of tops for victory.
Taylor stepped in on double top to keep the game alive, and after van Barneveld edged back in front had to once more and put himself in a position to seal the win.
Double top again let him down, missing twice before also being wayward with double ten to let Taylor land double eight and a 3-3 scoreline.
Van Barneveld opened leg seven with a 19th maximum of the contest before hitting double eight himself for a 4-3 cushion, only for Taylor to take out double four with his final dart - with his opponent sat on 36 - to further extend the drama.
Both players landed maximums in the ninth leg before van Barneveld hit double ten to keep his nose ahead, but a superb tenth leg from Taylor sent the match into a sudden-death final leg.
Taylor's throw for the bull landed in the 25 before van Barneveld landed plum in the centre to keep the throw - although an opening maximum from the defending champion sneaked him in front.
Van Barneveld replied with an incredible 21st 180 of the match, and was first to the double to set up a finish - ironically landing the double top which had proven so elusive earlier in the game.
"I can't believe it," said the 39-year-old. "At 3-0 in sets I thought I might not win a leg!
"Phil didn't miss a thing and was unbelievable. He was unstoppable on his legs and put so much pressure on me.
"Maybe I was the better player but I love him and what he has done for the sport is unbelievable."
Taylor admitted: "In that last leg I thought I had him when I started with a 180 but he came back with one.
"He's got loads of bottle, I tried my hardest and couldn't quite get over the final hurdle.
"I would probably say that this is the greatest final I've played in. He came back well and fair play to him."
Match Stats
Watch highlights in DartsTV from Tuesday - click here to visit DartsTV
Listen to both players' reaction in DartsTV
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 7-6 PHIL TAYLOR
(0-3, 0-3, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 6-5)
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD won a final-leg shoot-out with Phil Taylor to be crowned the 2007 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion.
The Dutchman, 39, joined the PDC in February and capped his first year in style in one of the greatest matches the sport has ever seen.
He trailed 3-0 in sets for the second time in the tournament, and as in his second round contest with Colin Lloyd fought back to take the match in the final leg.
Taylor opened the match in blistering fashion, winning the first eight legs without reply and restricting the Dutchman to just one dart at a double - for the bullseye and a 167 finish - in the first two sets.
The defending champion's average sat at almost 110 going into the third set, which he won to move 3-0 up despite a 14-darter which saw van Barneveld get off the mark.
The Dutchman lifted in the fourth set and took three successive legs to open his account, including a 170 finish - the highest of the tournament - in leg three.
He also came from 2-1 down to win the fifth set in a decider, taking the fourth leg with a 129 finish and the decider on double 12.
Both players' averages stood level at 99 - but a change of shirt from Taylor, who discarded his specially-made orange top for a white and black effort, signalled a renewed vigour from the 13-time champion.
Some clinical darts gave Taylor the sixth set without reply, although van Barneveld hit back in kind to take the next and stay a set behind at 4-3.
The Dutchman landed maximums in the first four legs of the eighth set, but missed doubles allowed Taylor to stay in contention and then sneak the decider on double two with his final dart.
Taylor was the one to be punished in the next set, as van Barneveld stepped in to win all three legs before levelling the contest by taking set ten 3-1 - after hitting six perfect darts in leg one.
The Dutchman also landed back-to-back maximums in leg two of the next set, but lost the leg to fall 2-0 behind.
Further 180s helped him win the next two legs to force a decider, and a superb 78 finish put him ahead for the first time at 6-5.
Van Barneveld battled to go 2-1 up and put himself within a leg of victory, but Taylor kept himself alive with double 16 in the fourth leg - when his opponent was sat on 24 - and then hit the same bed to win the 12th set and send the game into a decider.
A 12-darter put the Dutch star ahead before Taylor hit back to level on double 16.
Double four gave van Barneveld leg three, and he set up a 120 Shanghai finish for the title - landing a treble and single twenty but bending the wire of tops for victory.
Taylor stepped in on double top to keep the game alive, and after van Barneveld edged back in front had to once more and put himself in a position to seal the win.
Double top again let him down, missing twice before also being wayward with double ten to let Taylor land double eight and a 3-3 scoreline.
Van Barneveld opened leg seven with a 19th maximum of the contest before hitting double eight himself for a 4-3 cushion, only for Taylor to take out double four with his final dart - with his opponent sat on 36 - to further extend the drama.
Both players landed maximums in the ninth leg before van Barneveld hit double ten to keep his nose ahead, but a superb tenth leg from Taylor sent the match into a sudden-death final leg.
Taylor's throw for the bull landed in the 25 before van Barneveld landed plum in the centre to keep the throw - although an opening maximum from the defending champion sneaked him in front.
Van Barneveld replied with an incredible 21st 180 of the match, and was first to the double to set up a finish - ironically landing the double top which had proven so elusive earlier in the game.
"I can't believe it," said the 39-year-old. "At 3-0 in sets I thought I might not win a leg!
"Phil didn't miss a thing and was unbelievable. He was unstoppable on his legs and put so much pressure on me.
"Maybe I was the better player but I love him and what he has done for the sport is unbelievable."
Taylor admitted: "In that last leg I thought I had him when I started with a 180 but he came back with one.
"He's got loads of bottle, I tried my hardest and couldn't quite get over the final hurdle.
"I would probably say that this is the greatest final I've played in. He came back well and fair play to him."
Match Stats
|
Raymond |
7-6 |
Phil |
|
70 |
100+ |
82 |
|
50 |
140+ |
42 |
|
21 |
180 |
10 |
|
33.64 |
Ave1 |
33.62 |
|
100.93 |
Ave3 |
100.86 |
|
170,121,101 |
High Finish |
164,121,111 |