CO STOMPE claimed his first PDC title with a 4-2 victory over Phil Taylor in the final of the 2008 PartyPoker.net German Darts Championship.
The Dutchman came from 2-1 down to win three successive sets in a brilliant final - matching Taylor blow for blow, with both players averaging over 107.
Taylor hit a pair of 12-darters to take the first set, and an 11-darter to level in the next, but Stompe landed double ten in the second set's deciding leg to level.
The duo shared 180s in the third set's opener, which was won by Taylor with a 101 finish for a 12-darter, only for Stompe to better a 174 from the Englishman with a 177 in the next and then step in to land double top.
But Taylor took the set's deciding leg with a 13-darter for a 2-1 lead, which was once again pegged back when Stompe took an extraordinary fourth set.
Taylor landed three 140s in the opening leg, but a missed bullseye allowed Stompe in for a 14-darter, before the Dutch ace set up a potential nine-darter in the next leg with scores of 174 and 180.
He hit the treble 20 and treble 17 but wired the double 18, and Taylor - who had landed a maximum of his own in the leg - took out double seven.
Stompe landed another maximum in the deciding leg, which he won on double nine to square matters.
Taylor led in the fifth set, hitting a second 101 finish, with Stompe sat on 40 after setting up a double with a 177.
Stompe hit scores of 174 and 128 in the next leg, and a missed bullseye from Taylor let him in on double eight, before a missed double top from the world number one was punished by the Dutchman on double ten as he took the lead at 3-2.
A 105 checkout put Stompe in front in the next set, with Taylor kicking off leg two with a 180 but missing three darts at double top and ten before Stompe sealed a remarkable win on double 16.
Stompe ended the game with a superb 107.28 average, with Taylor averaging 108.09 in defeat - having been close to 120 for much of the first five sets.
"In all honesty I never expected to win the game because of the standard Phil has set," said Stompe, who overcame Steve Hine and Andy Hamilton on Sunday to reach the final.
"In many ways we come into events trying to be the 'best of the rest', and to give Phil a run for his money.
"Phil is the best darts player the planet has ever seen and normally has an answer to everything but I found some answers too.
"I've been European Champion and reached the semi-finals at Lakeside but this is the PDC, and beating Phil Taylor in the final is the greatest moment in my career, there's nothing better than that."
Taylor had not dropped a set in reaching the final, powering past Wayne Jones with a 112.98 average in the quarters and defeating World Champion John Part 4-0 in the semis.
"Obviously I'm gutted but I lost to a better player in the final," said Taylor. "I was over the moon just to be in the final and thought I was going to win it after my performances over the last couple of days.
"But I didn't win and Co played better than me to be honest.
"I think a lot of other players would have folded after the start I made in the final but he didn't. He was enjoying himself and played fantastically.
"I put a lot of darts on the wire and not in trebles and I was pushing to win sets and when he won the fifth set, that was a killer."
He added: "The defeat won't do me any harm and it's given me a big punch in the mouth. I'll be locking myself away and getting ready now for the World Championship."
Picture courtesy Arno Witvliet/Darts International
Click here for Day One Results
PartyPoker.net German Darts Championship
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 3-0 Wayne Jones (2-0, 2-1, 2-0)
John Part 3-2 Mark Dudbridge (2-1, 2-0, 1-2, 0-2, 2-1)
Andy Hamilton 3-1 Denis Ovens (2-0, 2-1, 1-2, 2-0)
Co Stompe 3-0 Steve Hine (2-0, 2-0, 2-1)
Losers €3,000
Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor 4-0 John Part (2-1, 2-0, 2-0 2-1)
Co Stompe 4-2 Andy Hamilton (1-2, 2-0, 0-2, 2-0, 2-0, 2-1)
Losers €6,000
Final
Co Stompe 4-2 Phil Taylor (0-2, 2-1, 1-2, 2-1, 2-1, 2-0)
Winner €25,000
Runner-Up €12,000
Best of seven sets, best of three legs per set
QUARTER-FINALS
PHIL TAYLOR 3-0 WAYNE JONES
PHIL TAYLOR dropped just one leg in seeing off Wayne Jones in straight sets to move into the semi-finals.
Taylor opened the game with a 180, and took the first leg in 13 darts on double 12 before matching that with a second maximum in taking the opening set 2-0.
Jones opened the second set well, taking out 76 on double 18 with Taylor waiting on 80 after 12 darts, only for Taylor to reply in 13 darts to level.
Jones gave himself a chance to take the set in the decider, but missed the bullseye for a 121 finish before Taylor took out 87 on double five for a 12-darter.
Taylor kicked off set three with another maximum, taking out double 16 to push further ahead, and then sealed victory on double six after Jones missed one dart at double 16.
Taylor finished the game with four maximums and a 112.98 average, marginally lower than his near-114 average in defeating Kevin Painter in the last 16 on Saturday.
JOHN PART 3-2 MARK DUDBRIDGE
WORLD CHAMPION John Part edged a final-leg epic against Mark Dudbridge to set up a semi-final against Phil Taylor.
Dudbridge landed a 180 in taking the first leg, but Part levelled and then took out 81 on the bull for the set, with the Bristol man waiting on 32.
Part punished missed doubles from Dudbridge in the next two legs to take the second set without reply and a 2-0 lead in the game.
The next two legs were shared before Dudbridge took out a superb 144 finish to win the third set.
The fightback continued as Dudbridge - aided by another two maximums - won set four without reply thanks to legs of 12 and 11 darts.
Part led in the final set, only for Dudbridge to take out double 16 and send the game into a decider - but the Englishman missed one dart at double top for a 117 finish for the game, and the World Champion capitalised on double ten.
ANDY HAMILTON 3-1 DENIS OVENS
ANDY HAMILTON progressed to the semi-finals with a 3-1 defeat of Denis Ovens.
Ovens had defeated world number two Raymond van Barneveld in reaching the quarter-finals, but paid for missed doubles against the Stoke ace.
He had chances to win the opening two legs as Hamilton took the first set without reply, before the Stoke man matched a 14-darter from Ovens to level the second and took out a 12-darter on double ten for a 2-0 lead.
A 13-darter put him to the brink of victory, only for Ovens to reply in kind before taking advantage of two missed match darts from Hamilton to take set three.
Double eight put Hamilton in front in set four, before he stepped in following two missed darts at double ten from Ovens to take the win on double eight.
CO STOMPE 3-0 STEVE HINE
CO STOMPE powered past Steve Hine to reach the semi-finals with a 3-0 victory.
Dutchman Stompe was in superb form to see off Hine, who failed to reproduce the form which earned him wins over Adrian Lewis and Dennis Priestley on Saturday.
Stompe broke throw in the game's opening leg on double top, and double six gave him the first set without reply.
He also took the second set 2-0 before Hine took the third set's opener.
But a brilliant 150 finish, checking out on double 18, levelled matters before he punished three misses at double eight from Hine to seal victory - a 180 leaving him a double two checkout.
SEMI-FINALS
PHIL TAYLOR 4-0 JOHN PART
PHIL TAYLOR maintained his push for a second successive German Darts Championship title with a 4-0 defeat of John Part.
Taylor kept up his record of not dropping a set so far in the event with another fine display, hitting six 180s to defeat Part.
The Canadian had his chances, twice missing darts to take a set only to be punished by a clinical Taylor.
Taylor opened the contest with an 11-darter, with Part levelling the first set on double top before missing two darts to take the set, with Taylor landing double ten for a 1-0 lead.
Part missed double 18 for a 153 finish in the second set's opener, with double ten putting Taylor in front before an 11-darter - including a 180 for a second successive leg - doubled his cushion.
Another maximum set up a double six finish in the third set's opener, before a missed double top from Part was punished as Taylor moved 3-0 up.
An 84 finish put Part ahead in the fourth set, only for Taylor to fire in a 180 and a 104 checkout to level.
The 13-time World Champion then sealed the victory on double ten, after Part burst his score when needing double six.
CO STOMPE 4-2 ANDY HAMILTON
CO STOMPE took three successive sets to sweep into the final of the German Darts Championship with a 4-2 defeat of Andy Hamilton.
Hamilton edged the first set in a deciding leg, before Stompe punished misses to win the second without reply and level.
Double eight put Hamilton ahead in the third before he broke the Dutchman's throw on double 16 - after four missed doubles from Stompe - to move 2-1 up in the game.
A missed bullseye from Hamilton allowed Stompe in on double top to lead in set four, and he then landed a 180 and double ten to square the match.
Hamilton saw five missed doubles punished as Stompe landed double ten to break throw in the fifth set's opener, and a 171 score set up a 130 finish for Stompe, which he clinically took out on double eight for a 3-2 advantage.
Stompe landed a 170 score in moving in front in the sixth set, before a fine 11-darter kept Hamilton in the contest.
But Stompe pulled clear in the next, with another 171 score pushing him clear, before he landed double top for a place in the final.