Latest News
Kevin Painter
04 Aug 2009
ESSEX-born Kevin broke onto the darts scene in the early 1990s, making his debut in the Embassy Championship in the 1994 event.
He picked up the England Open title the following year, and won both the British Open and British Matchplay in 1997.
In 2000, Kevin qualified for his first PDC tournament at the World Grand Prix, overcoming Mitchell Crooks but losing in round two 3-2 to Phil Taylor - a game which would prove the first of many televised battles between the duo.
He also won the 2000 Swedish Open and reached the quarter-finals of the Embassy Championship, but played in further PDC tournaments during 2001 before again qualifying for the World Grand Prix.
This time, he overcame Taylor in the first round, inflicting Taylor's first loss in the tournament's history, and went on to defeat Richie Burnett 3-0 before losing to Dennis Smith in the quarter-finals.
Painter also reached the quarter-finals of the 2001 World Masters but then opted to join the PDC circuit, making his World Championship debut with a defeat to Ronnie Baxter.
He reached his first PDC final at the Antwerp Open, losing to Colin Lloyd, before making his World Matchplay debut with a win over Dennis Priestley before going out to Taylor in round two.
Painter won the 2002 Bob Anderson Classic, seeing off Darryl Fitton in the final, before again defeating Priestley, this time in the World Grand Prix only to suffer a second round loss to Baxter.
A superb run of form saw Painter win through to the semi-finals at the 2003 World Championship, losing to eventual champion John Part, and further strong displays saw him reach five quarter-finals or better before being the runner-up to Les Fitton in the Sheppey Classic.
The summer of 2003 saw Taylor end his UK Open hopes and Alex Roy take a narrow 12-10 first round win at the World Matchplay, but another quarter-final appearance followed at the World Grand Prix, where Part was again victorious.
Arguably his most famous performance was to come at the 2004 World Championship, where defeated Paul Williams, Ronnie Baxter, Mark Dudbridge and Bob Anderson to reach the final.
There, he took a 4-1 lead against Taylor only to be pegged back as the game went to a deciding 13th set, and he eventually lost in a sudden-death leg to be denied the World Championship title.
Buoyed by that display, he went on to take victory in the UK Open South-West Regional Final, defeating Roland Scholten in the decider, and at the Sheppey Classic, where he overcame Darren Webster.
Painter also went on to reach the semis of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, where Taylor won 4-2, but lost to Baxter in both the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.
His rivalry with Taylor continued with defeats for Painter in the final of the Global Cup in China and also in the quarter-finals of the 2005 World Championship.
Having worked his way into the world's top eight, an ankle injury hampered his form during the first half of 2005.
A last 64 exit to Steve Alker in the UK Open and a first round loss to Adrian Lewis came either side of another quarter-final at the Desert Classic, where he lost to Taylor following wins over Lewis and Alex Roy.
He reached at least the quarter-finals of four ranking events in the second half of the year as his form returned, before suffering a second round exit to Mark Dudbridge in the World Grand Prix.
For a third successive World Championship he would be defeated by Taylor at the World Championship, losing in the last eight once more, but bounced back to claim another title at the UK Open North-East Regional Final with victory over Lloyd in the final.
John MaGowan ended his hopes in the UK Open finals at the last 64 stage, while Andy Hamilton condemned him to a first round exit in the Desert Classic and James Wade knocked him out in round two of the World Matchplay.
An appearance in the final of the Ireland Open Classic was followed by a less successful return to the Emerald Isle, with Andy Callaby inflicting a 2-0 first round win at the World Grand Prix.
A loss to Colin Osborne in the first round of the 2007 World Championship continued a dip in form for Painter, who would reach his first quarter-final for nine months in the Thialf Darts Trophy in June.
Improved displays followed in the majors, reaching the last 16 at both the US Open and UK Open - losing to Taylor and Lloyd respectively - before qualifying for the Desert Classic only to lose to eventual winner Raymond van Barneveld.
Taylor proved too strong in the second round of the World Matchplay, while Roland Scholten ended his World Grand Prix hopes, but a return to form saw him reach two semi-finals on the circuit and also qualify for the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts.
Painter went on to reach the quarter-finals in Wolverhampton, losing to Gary Anderson, but maintained that form to overcome van Barneveld, along with Gary Mawson, Chris Mason and Adrian Lewis, in reaching the semi-finals of the 2008 World Championship, where Part took victory.
A steady first six months of the year culminated in a Players Championship final appearance in Bristol, but Colin Osborne was too strong in the last 64 of the UK Open, Taylor maintained his run of wins over Painter with victory in the Desert Classic and Tony Eccles edged him out in round one of the World Matchplay.
He did reach the last 16 at the World Grand Prix, losing to Lloyd, but was a first round victim in the European Championship amongst four quarter-finals or better on the PDC Pro Tour in the second half of the year.
The 2009 World Championship led to another meeting with Taylor, this time in the last 16, but he reached at last the last eight in five Pro Tour events during the early months of the year.
Painter then won through to the semi-finals of the UK Open, where he lost 10-7 to Osborne in his best-ever display at Bolton.
His Desert Classic campaign ended in a final-leg shoot-out against Mervyn King in round two, while he also reached the last 16 of the World Matchplay before suffering a further defeat to Taylor.
He picked up the England Open title the following year, and won both the British Open and British Matchplay in 1997.
In 2000, Kevin qualified for his first PDC tournament at the World Grand Prix, overcoming Mitchell Crooks but losing in round two 3-2 to Phil Taylor - a game which would prove the first of many televised battles between the duo.
He also won the 2000 Swedish Open and reached the quarter-finals of the Embassy Championship, but played in further PDC tournaments during 2001 before again qualifying for the World Grand Prix.
This time, he overcame Taylor in the first round, inflicting Taylor's first loss in the tournament's history, and went on to defeat Richie Burnett 3-0 before losing to Dennis Smith in the quarter-finals.
Painter also reached the quarter-finals of the 2001 World Masters but then opted to join the PDC circuit, making his World Championship debut with a defeat to Ronnie Baxter.
He reached his first PDC final at the Antwerp Open, losing to Colin Lloyd, before making his World Matchplay debut with a win over Dennis Priestley before going out to Taylor in round two.
Painter won the 2002 Bob Anderson Classic, seeing off Darryl Fitton in the final, before again defeating Priestley, this time in the World Grand Prix only to suffer a second round loss to Baxter.
A superb run of form saw Painter win through to the semi-finals at the 2003 World Championship, losing to eventual champion John Part, and further strong displays saw him reach five quarter-finals or better before being the runner-up to Les Fitton in the Sheppey Classic.
The summer of 2003 saw Taylor end his UK Open hopes and Alex Roy take a narrow 12-10 first round win at the World Matchplay, but another quarter-final appearance followed at the World Grand Prix, where Part was again victorious.
Arguably his most famous performance was to come at the 2004 World Championship, where defeated Paul Williams, Ronnie Baxter, Mark Dudbridge and Bob Anderson to reach the final.
There, he took a 4-1 lead against Taylor only to be pegged back as the game went to a deciding 13th set, and he eventually lost in a sudden-death leg to be denied the World Championship title.
Buoyed by that display, he went on to take victory in the UK Open South-West Regional Final, defeating Roland Scholten in the decider, and at the Sheppey Classic, where he overcame Darren Webster.
Painter also went on to reach the semis of the Las Vegas Desert Classic, where Taylor won 4-2, but lost to Baxter in both the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix.
His rivalry with Taylor continued with defeats for Painter in the final of the Global Cup in China and also in the quarter-finals of the 2005 World Championship.
Having worked his way into the world's top eight, an ankle injury hampered his form during the first half of 2005.
A last 64 exit to Steve Alker in the UK Open and a first round loss to Adrian Lewis came either side of another quarter-final at the Desert Classic, where he lost to Taylor following wins over Lewis and Alex Roy.
He reached at least the quarter-finals of four ranking events in the second half of the year as his form returned, before suffering a second round exit to Mark Dudbridge in the World Grand Prix.
For a third successive World Championship he would be defeated by Taylor at the World Championship, losing in the last eight once more, but bounced back to claim another title at the UK Open North-East Regional Final with victory over Lloyd in the final.
John MaGowan ended his hopes in the UK Open finals at the last 64 stage, while Andy Hamilton condemned him to a first round exit in the Desert Classic and James Wade knocked him out in round two of the World Matchplay.
An appearance in the final of the Ireland Open Classic was followed by a less successful return to the Emerald Isle, with Andy Callaby inflicting a 2-0 first round win at the World Grand Prix.
A loss to Colin Osborne in the first round of the 2007 World Championship continued a dip in form for Painter, who would reach his first quarter-final for nine months in the Thialf Darts Trophy in June.
Improved displays followed in the majors, reaching the last 16 at both the US Open and UK Open - losing to Taylor and Lloyd respectively - before qualifying for the Desert Classic only to lose to eventual winner Raymond van Barneveld.
Taylor proved too strong in the second round of the World Matchplay, while Roland Scholten ended his World Grand Prix hopes, but a return to form saw him reach two semi-finals on the circuit and also qualify for the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts.
Painter went on to reach the quarter-finals in Wolverhampton, losing to Gary Anderson, but maintained that form to overcome van Barneveld, along with Gary Mawson, Chris Mason and Adrian Lewis, in reaching the semi-finals of the 2008 World Championship, where Part took victory.
A steady first six months of the year culminated in a Players Championship final appearance in Bristol, but Colin Osborne was too strong in the last 64 of the UK Open, Taylor maintained his run of wins over Painter with victory in the Desert Classic and Tony Eccles edged him out in round one of the World Matchplay.
He did reach the last 16 at the World Grand Prix, losing to Lloyd, but was a first round victim in the European Championship amongst four quarter-finals or better on the PDC Pro Tour in the second half of the year.
The 2009 World Championship led to another meeting with Taylor, this time in the last 16, but he reached at last the last eight in five Pro Tour events during the early months of the year.
Painter then won through to the semi-finals of the UK Open, where he lost 10-7 to Osborne in his best-ever display at Bolton.
His Desert Classic campaign ended in a final-leg shoot-out against Mervyn King in round two, while he also reached the last 16 of the World Matchplay before suffering a further defeat to Taylor.
| Name: | Kevin Painter |
| Nickname: | The Artist |
| Date of Birth: | 12/7/1967 |
| Place of Birth: | Billericay, Essex |
| Current Home Town: | Daventry, Northants |
| Darts Used: | 19g Unicorn Kevin Painter |
| TV Debut: | 1994 |
| Website: | Click here |
PDC Tournament Wins
Bob Anderson Classic 2002
UK Open South-West Regional Final 2004
Sheppey Classic 2004
UK Open North-East Regional Final 2006
