Latest News
Adrian Lewis
26 Oct 2011
ADRIAN fulfilled his long-held ambition of becoming Ladbrokes.com World Darts Champion in 2011, hitting a nine-dart finish in a thrilling final victory over Gary Anderson.
The youngster had never previously made it past the quarter-finals in the World Championship, but secured his first major title in style at Alexandra Palace.
He enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame after making his televised debut as a teenage star at the 2004 UK Open.
Having already won the British Teenage Open as a 17-year-old, he moved onto the professional circuit and swiftly followed up his appearance in Bolton with qualification for the Las Vegas Desert Classic and World Grand Prix in 2004.
Phil Taylor, who would become Lewis' mentor and practice partner in their home town of Stoke, defeated Lewis on his Desert Classic debut, while he defeated former World Champion Richie Burnett in the World Grand Prix before losing to Gary Welding in Ireland.
Lewis also claimed the Chris de Roo Open title in Holland in September 2004, defeating Colin Lloyd to pick up his first ranking title.
He enjoyed a run to the last 16 at the 2005 UK Open as his progress continued, whitewashing Colin Monk before going out to Chris Mason, and he also qualified for a second time at the Desert Classic, losing to Kevin Painter.
Having qualified for the 2005 World Matchplay, Lewis made his name in front of the television cameras with a run to the quarter-finals in Blackpool, gaining revenge over Painter in the first round and then defeating Denis Ovens before losing to eventual champion Colin Lloyd.
Lewis had now broken into the world's top 32, and he continued his rise up the rankings with a remarkable double success - winning the Scottish Players Championship and UK Open Scottish Regional Final in November 2005, the first time one player had claimed two PDC Pro Tour victories on the same weekend.
His displays ensured a debut in the World Championship that year, which brought both success and controversy in a run to the quarter-finals, where he included former champion Dennis Priestley and Roland Scholten in his victims before being defeated 5-3 by Peter Manley in their much-talked about encounter.
Lewis' progression into the top 16 earned him a spot in the World Series of Darts in 2006, when he stormed past Lloyd, Ovens and Priestley to reach his first televised final, where he lost to Taylor.
He was a quarter-finalist in the UK Open, and went down in the second rounds at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix before repeating his Scottish success with victory in a Players Championship in Irvine for a second straight year.
Although he lost in the 2007 World Championship at the last 16 stage to Andy Jenkins, he earned a place in Premier League Darts that year, winning three games with 100+ averages but paying for six straight defeats in the middle of the event to finish at the bottom of the table.
His experience on the big stage showed with a run to the semi-final of the International Darts League as well as the quarter-finals at the Desert Classic - again losing out to Manley.
The World Matchplay saw Lewis, buoyed by a run to the final of the Bobby Bourn Memorial Players Championship, produce some of his best displays to reach the semi-finals, defeating Raymond van Barneveld before losing to James Wade.
Van Barneveld gained revenge in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, and Stoke rival Andy Hamilton knocked Lewis out of the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts in round two before he progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Championship for a second time, losing out at Alexandra Palace to Painter.
His move to sixth in the PDC Order of Merit earned him a second Premier League Darts campaign, and he claimed a place in the play-offs with a strong campaign, edging out Wayne Mardle in the play-offs before losing to Taylor in the semi-finals.
He also reached the final of a UK Open Regional Final in Wigan early in 2008, but disappointing runs in the US Open and UK Open were followed by a second round loss to Manley in the Desert Classic and a first round exit to Kevin McDine in the World Matchplay.
Lewis recorded his first competitive nine-darter during the autumn, against James Wade in the internet-streamed Championship League Darts, although he would miss out on a place in the Winners Group from that tournament.
Following a second round exit in the World Grand Prix, he did reach a second televised final, this time at the in European Championship, where Taylor proved victorious.
A second round loss in the World Championship, to Paul Nicholson, was followed by defeat to Alan Tabern at the first round stage in the Players Championship finals.
Back-to-back PDC Pro Tour final appearances - Taylor once again proving too strong over a weekend in Germany in March 2009 - maintained his place amongst the top ten of the Order of Merit.
Quarter-final appearances in the Las Vegas Desert Classic and World Matchplay were summer highlights following a UK Open exit to Mark Walsh.
A superb 164 checkout denied Vincent van der Voort in a memorable Desert Classic deciding leg, and he also overcame Manley before losing to James Wade, while Taylor was once more too strong in the World Matchplay quarter-finals.
The summer of 2009 proved a significant time for Lewis, who became a father for the first time in August before ending a run of almost three years without a tournament victory in September.
His victory over Carlos Rodriguez in the final of the Austrian Open Players Championship also featured a nine-dart finish from Lewis, his second in competition.
He would pick up Players Championship win a month later, this time in Ireland with a win over Andy Hamilton, although his World Grand Prix challenge was ended in the last eight, once again by Taylor following wins over Scottish duo Robert Thornton and Gary Anderson.
After Lewis was a group stage victim in the Grand Slam, he would continue his rivalry with Taylor - who overcame him at the last eight stage again in both the German Darts Championship and the 2010 World Championship - where the youngster posted a ton-plus average in all four games but lost in straight sets at Alexandra Palace.
Lewis' consistency in the major events continued with a quarter-final finish in the Players Championship Finals, losing to eventual winner Paul Nicholson in January 2010, while he also returned to Premier League Darts for the new season.
Alongside his participation in the Premier League, where he missed out on a play-off place, Lewis won a Players Championship in Gladbeck, Germany in March before reaching yet another quarter-final, at the UK Open.
Another ProTour win, this time in a Players Championship Crawley, saw Lewis bounce back from the disappointment of first round exits in the summer's World Matchplay and European Championship, and was followed by a brilliant World Grand Prix.
Lewis won through to the final in Dublin, defeating Taylor in a major for the first time in the semis before suffering a 6-3 loss to James Wade in the decider.
Although he was knocked out in the Grand Slam of Darts' group stage again, Lewis got his hands on the sport's biggest prize in January 2011 by winning the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
He dropped just two sets in his first three games, wins over Tony Eccles, Mark Dudbridge and Robert Thornton, before overcoming Vincent van der Voort 5-2 in the quarter-finals and Mark Webster 6-4 in the semis.
Having made the best possible start to the final, landing a nine-darter in the opening set to become the first player to achieve the feat in a World Championship final, Lewis went on to defeat Gary Anderson 7-5 to lift the title.
His first outing after that saw Steve Beaton take victory in the first round of the Players Championship Finals, but Lewis made a strong response on the PDC ProTour by winning one UK Open Qualifier and reaching two Players Championship Finals in the first three months of 2011.
Those performances came alongside his challenge in the Premier League, as he opened with victory over reigning champion Phil Taylor and - after finishing fourth in the regular league season - then knocked out his Stoke rival in the semi-finals, although he was denied a second major title by Anderson at the Wembley Arena in the final.
After being defeated by Terry Jenkins in the third round of the UK Open, Lewis continued his impressive form into the summer, reaching the World Matchplay semi-finals in Blackpool, where he went down to Wade, before reaching another major final at the European Championship - hitting a nine-darter in a semi-final win over Raymond van Barneveld before losing to Taylor in the decider.
Major Titles:
PDC World Championship: 2011
PDC non-televised wins since 2004:
Chris de Roo Open 2004
Scottish Players Championship 2005, 2006
UK Open Scottish Regional Final 2005
Austrian Open Players Championship 2009
Irish Players Championship 2009
German Players Championship 2010
Players Championship (Crawley) 2010
UK Open Qualifier 2011
Nine-Darters in PDC Tournaments
Championship League Darts 2008
Austrian Open Players Championship 2009
PDC World Championship 2011
European Championship 2011
The youngster had never previously made it past the quarter-finals in the World Championship, but secured his first major title in style at Alexandra Palace.
He enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame after making his televised debut as a teenage star at the 2004 UK Open.
Having already won the British Teenage Open as a 17-year-old, he moved onto the professional circuit and swiftly followed up his appearance in Bolton with qualification for the Las Vegas Desert Classic and World Grand Prix in 2004.
Phil Taylor, who would become Lewis' mentor and practice partner in their home town of Stoke, defeated Lewis on his Desert Classic debut, while he defeated former World Champion Richie Burnett in the World Grand Prix before losing to Gary Welding in Ireland.
Lewis also claimed the Chris de Roo Open title in Holland in September 2004, defeating Colin Lloyd to pick up his first ranking title.
He enjoyed a run to the last 16 at the 2005 UK Open as his progress continued, whitewashing Colin Monk before going out to Chris Mason, and he also qualified for a second time at the Desert Classic, losing to Kevin Painter.
Having qualified for the 2005 World Matchplay, Lewis made his name in front of the television cameras with a run to the quarter-finals in Blackpool, gaining revenge over Painter in the first round and then defeating Denis Ovens before losing to eventual champion Colin Lloyd.
Lewis had now broken into the world's top 32, and he continued his rise up the rankings with a remarkable double success - winning the Scottish Players Championship and UK Open Scottish Regional Final in November 2005, the first time one player had claimed two PDC Pro Tour victories on the same weekend.
His displays ensured a debut in the World Championship that year, which brought both success and controversy in a run to the quarter-finals, where he included former champion Dennis Priestley and Roland Scholten in his victims before being defeated 5-3 by Peter Manley in their much-talked about encounter.
Lewis' progression into the top 16 earned him a spot in the World Series of Darts in 2006, when he stormed past Lloyd, Ovens and Priestley to reach his first televised final, where he lost to Taylor.
He was a quarter-finalist in the UK Open, and went down in the second rounds at the World Matchplay and World Grand Prix before repeating his Scottish success with victory in a Players Championship in Irvine for a second straight year.
Although he lost in the 2007 World Championship at the last 16 stage to Andy Jenkins, he earned a place in Premier League Darts that year, winning three games with 100+ averages but paying for six straight defeats in the middle of the event to finish at the bottom of the table.
His experience on the big stage showed with a run to the semi-final of the International Darts League as well as the quarter-finals at the Desert Classic - again losing out to Manley.
The World Matchplay saw Lewis, buoyed by a run to the final of the Bobby Bourn Memorial Players Championship, produce some of his best displays to reach the semi-finals, defeating Raymond van Barneveld before losing to James Wade.
Van Barneveld gained revenge in the World Grand Prix quarter-finals, and Stoke rival Andy Hamilton knocked Lewis out of the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts in round two before he progressed to the quarter-finals of the World Championship for a second time, losing out at Alexandra Palace to Painter.
His move to sixth in the PDC Order of Merit earned him a second Premier League Darts campaign, and he claimed a place in the play-offs with a strong campaign, edging out Wayne Mardle in the play-offs before losing to Taylor in the semi-finals.
He also reached the final of a UK Open Regional Final in Wigan early in 2008, but disappointing runs in the US Open and UK Open were followed by a second round loss to Manley in the Desert Classic and a first round exit to Kevin McDine in the World Matchplay.
Lewis recorded his first competitive nine-darter during the autumn, against James Wade in the internet-streamed Championship League Darts, although he would miss out on a place in the Winners Group from that tournament.
Following a second round exit in the World Grand Prix, he did reach a second televised final, this time at the in European Championship, where Taylor proved victorious.
A second round loss in the World Championship, to Paul Nicholson, was followed by defeat to Alan Tabern at the first round stage in the Players Championship finals.
Back-to-back PDC Pro Tour final appearances - Taylor once again proving too strong over a weekend in Germany in March 2009 - maintained his place amongst the top ten of the Order of Merit.
Quarter-final appearances in the Las Vegas Desert Classic and World Matchplay were summer highlights following a UK Open exit to Mark Walsh.
A superb 164 checkout denied Vincent van der Voort in a memorable Desert Classic deciding leg, and he also overcame Manley before losing to James Wade, while Taylor was once more too strong in the World Matchplay quarter-finals.
The summer of 2009 proved a significant time for Lewis, who became a father for the first time in August before ending a run of almost three years without a tournament victory in September.
His victory over Carlos Rodriguez in the final of the Austrian Open Players Championship also featured a nine-dart finish from Lewis, his second in competition.
He would pick up Players Championship win a month later, this time in Ireland with a win over Andy Hamilton, although his World Grand Prix challenge was ended in the last eight, once again by Taylor following wins over Scottish duo Robert Thornton and Gary Anderson.
After Lewis was a group stage victim in the Grand Slam, he would continue his rivalry with Taylor - who overcame him at the last eight stage again in both the German Darts Championship and the 2010 World Championship - where the youngster posted a ton-plus average in all four games but lost in straight sets at Alexandra Palace.
Lewis' consistency in the major events continued with a quarter-final finish in the Players Championship Finals, losing to eventual winner Paul Nicholson in January 2010, while he also returned to Premier League Darts for the new season.
Alongside his participation in the Premier League, where he missed out on a play-off place, Lewis won a Players Championship in Gladbeck, Germany in March before reaching yet another quarter-final, at the UK Open.
Another ProTour win, this time in a Players Championship Crawley, saw Lewis bounce back from the disappointment of first round exits in the summer's World Matchplay and European Championship, and was followed by a brilliant World Grand Prix.
Lewis won through to the final in Dublin, defeating Taylor in a major for the first time in the semis before suffering a 6-3 loss to James Wade in the decider.
Although he was knocked out in the Grand Slam of Darts' group stage again, Lewis got his hands on the sport's biggest prize in January 2011 by winning the World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
He dropped just two sets in his first three games, wins over Tony Eccles, Mark Dudbridge and Robert Thornton, before overcoming Vincent van der Voort 5-2 in the quarter-finals and Mark Webster 6-4 in the semis.
Having made the best possible start to the final, landing a nine-darter in the opening set to become the first player to achieve the feat in a World Championship final, Lewis went on to defeat Gary Anderson 7-5 to lift the title.
His first outing after that saw Steve Beaton take victory in the first round of the Players Championship Finals, but Lewis made a strong response on the PDC ProTour by winning one UK Open Qualifier and reaching two Players Championship Finals in the first three months of 2011.
Those performances came alongside his challenge in the Premier League, as he opened with victory over reigning champion Phil Taylor and - after finishing fourth in the regular league season - then knocked out his Stoke rival in the semi-finals, although he was denied a second major title by Anderson at the Wembley Arena in the final.
After being defeated by Terry Jenkins in the third round of the UK Open, Lewis continued his impressive form into the summer, reaching the World Matchplay semi-finals in Blackpool, where he went down to Wade, before reaching another major final at the European Championship - hitting a nine-darter in a semi-final win over Raymond van Barneveld before losing to Taylor in the decider.
| Name: | Adrian Lewis |
| Nickname: | Jackpot |
| Walk-On Music: | Papa's Got A Brand New Pigbag - Pigbag |
| Date of Birth: | 21/1/1985 |
| Place of Birth: | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Current Home Town: | Stoke-on-Trent |
| Darts Used: | 21g Target |
| TV Debut: | 2004 |
| Website: | Click here |
Major Titles:
PDC World Championship: 2011
PDC non-televised wins since 2004:
Chris de Roo Open 2004
Scottish Players Championship 2005, 2006
UK Open Scottish Regional Final 2005
Austrian Open Players Championship 2009
Irish Players Championship 2009
German Players Championship 2010
Players Championship (Crawley) 2010
UK Open Qualifier 2011
Nine-Darters in PDC Tournaments
Championship League Darts 2008
Austrian Open Players Championship 2009
PDC World Championship 2011
European Championship 2011
