PHIL TAYLOR retained the PartyPoker.com Grand Slam of Darts title with a brilliant 18-9 win over Terry Jenkins.
Taylor was at his imperious best to power past Jenkins and pick up the £100,000 title in Wolverhampton, hitting 12 maximums and a 106 average.
Taylor punished missed doubles to twice win six straight legs in establishing leads of 10-3 and 16-7 up before closing out victory.
"I'm absolutely over the moon," said Taylor. "It's a massive honour to have retained this title.
"Terry had a tough half of the draw and did great to get into the final, but maybe beating Raymond van Barneveld and Gary Anderson took too much out of him.
"He let me in and I took advantage early on, but the gap got too big for him and I kept up the pressure."
Taylor kicked off the game with a 14-darter before securing a break of throw in leg two, with Jenkins landing a maximum but missing two darts at a double.
Jenkins produced a superb finish to leg three to get off the mark, hitting a 180 to set up a two-dart 96 finish only for Taylor to break throw with a 13-darter in the next.
Taylor opened leg five with a 180, but a perfect start was followed by a comical finish as both players missed a host of doubles before Jenkins hit double ten.
The next three legs also went against the throw as Taylor moved 5-3 up, before he hit 180s in taking the next two, double top for an 8-3 lead and an 11-darter to move further clear.
A 12-darter took Taylor's run to six successive legs and a 10-3 cushion before Jenkins hit legs of 13 and 12 darts and a 118 finish in taking four in a row to pull back into the contest.
But misses at double 18 and double nine in the next allowed Taylor to take an 11-7 cushion with a 13-darter, and he also hit two 12-darters in another six-leg burst.
A 100 checkout from Jenkins and a double top finish slowed Taylor's charge to the title as he pulled back to 17-9.
Taylor, though, was in no mood delay the inevitable any further, and took out another 14-darter on double top for the title.
"I missed too many doubles early on," admitted Jenkins. "I could have been 3-2 up but Phil doesn't give you a second chance.
"The double top wouldn't go in for me tonight when it has been important for me all week, but I've had a great tournament."
Match Stats
|
Phil Taylor |
18-9 |
Terry Jenkins |
|
31 |
100+ |
34 |
|
25 |
140+ |
24 |
|
12 |
180 |
8 |
|
35.42 |
Ave1 |
33.64 |
|
106.25 |
Ave3 |
100.92 |
|
102 |
High Finish |
118,100 |
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