HISTORY will be made in the William Hill World Darts Championship final as Gary Anderson and Adrian Lewis look to further enhance their statuses among the greats of the game.
The pair go head-to-head at Alexandra Palace for the first time since they met in the thrilling 2011 decider, when Lewis became the first man to hit a nine-dart finish in a World Championship Final before collecting the first of his two titles.
Reigning and defending champion Anderson is looking to join Lewis in an elite group of players who have successfully defended their first World Championship title.
The first player to achieve the feat was Eric Bristow (1980 & 81), followed by Raymond van Barneveld (1998 & 99) before Lewis followed up his famous victory over Anderson by claiming sport’s biggest prize again in 2012.
Should Lewis, who has not yet tasted defeat in a World Championship final, lift the Sid Waddell Trophy, he would join darts legends Phil Taylor, Bristow, van Barneveld, John Lowe, John Part and Martin Adams as a winner of three or more World Championship titles.
If Anderson is crowned as king of Alexandra Palace again, he would become the 11th player to achieve more than one World Championship triumph. Jocky Wilson, Dennis Priestley, Ted Hankey and Lewis have all achieved two-time World Champion status.
Aside from the winner’s roll of honour, a nine-dart-finish in tonight’s final would also be an historic event.
If Lewis were to achieve perfection, he would become the first player to hit nine-darters on the World Championship stage three times and the first man to hit two in finals.
If Anderson were to repeat his nine-dart leg from the semi-finals, he would become the first player to complete two perfect legs in the same World Championship.
Lewis could also claim a share of the £15,000 nine-dart bonus should he land a perfect leg, while sponsors William Hill are also offering a £9,000 donation per nine-darter to the PDC’s official charity, the Donna Louise Children’s Hospice.
Anderson is the 4/9 favourite with sponsors William Hill to take victory, with Lewis the 19/10 outsider, while a nine-dart finish in the final is 5/1.