LOURENCE ILAGAN picked up back-to-back victories in DARTSLIVE - THE WORLD with his triumph over Yuji Eguchi in Stage Six in Las Vegas.
Philippines ace Ilagan had been the Stage Five winner in Shanghai during August, and followed that up by winning through the 256-player field at Las Vegas' Riviera Hotel & Casino.
The field included top American aces Darin Young, Larry Butler, Ray Carver, Benjamin Dersch and Scott Kirchner, as well as PDC star Adrian Gray and Stage Three winner Stephen Bunting, who had picked up victory in France earlier this year.
Bunting won through to the semi-finals of Stage Six, but lost out 3-2 to Japan's Eguchi in a superb match.
Eguchi also went all the way in the final, but was edged out by Ilagan, who had also overcome Japanese opposition in the semi-finals, where he overcame Kenichi Ajiki.
Eguchi took the final's opening leg of 701, before Ilagan moved 2-1 by taking back-to-back games of Cricket, and though the Japanese ace levelled in the second 701 leg, it was the Stage Five winner who took the deciding Cricket game.
"I also won the USA stage of THE WORLD last year, so to defend my title is amazing," said Ilagan. "I'm so happy to have won two stages in a row, it's my proudest moment to date!"
It has also been confirmed that the highest ranked DARTSLIVE player following THE WORLD - STAGE EIGHT in Hong Kong on November 3 will progress to play in the 2014 Ladbrokes World Darts Championship in London.
Paul Lim is currently at the top of the 2013 THE WORLD rankings, ahead of Ilagan, Takehiro Suzuki and Kirchner, with Eguchi and Dersch in joint-fifth place.
DARTSLIVE - THE WORLD
Soft Darts World Championship 2013
Stage Six, September 21 - Las Vegas
Last 32
Brandon Kessler (USA), Robert Sinnaeve (Canada), Haruki Muramatsu (Japan), Michael Brooks (USA), Larry Butler (USA), Tony Martin (UK), Takehiro Suzuki (Japan), Joe Barcenas (USA), Brady McCaw (USA), Ramiro Guevara (Mexico), Haze Leung (Hong Kong), Benoit le Thomas (France), Paul Lim (Singapore), Richard Green (USA), Sho Katsumi (Japan), Willard Bruguier (USA)
Last 16
Eric Blackledge (USA), Leonard E Gates (USA), Benjamin Dersch (USA), Adrian Gray (UK), Morihiro Hashimoto (Japan), Shaun Narain (Canada), Scott Kirchner (USA), Yuta Miyamoto (Japan)
Quarter-Finalists
Alejandro Reyes (USA), Raymond Carver (USA), Richard Espinoza (USA), Michael Valentin (France)
Semi-Finalists
Kenichi Aijiki (Japan), Stephen Bunting (UK)
Runner-Up
Yuji Eguchi (Japan)
Winner
Lourence Ilagan (Philippines)
The Final
Leg-By-Leg - 701/Cricket/Cricket/701/Choice. Loser throws first.
0-1 - With the throw, Eguchi, known as 'Mr SUPERDARTS' due to his win at the inaugural SUPERDARTS competition in 2007, wins the first 701 game with a 142.25 average to Ilagan's 128.00.
1-1 - Ilagan known as 'The Gunner' wins the first game of Cricket comfortably with a 6.25 average to Eguchi's 5.00.
2-1 - Eguchi throws first in the second leg of Cricket, but the win again goes to Ilagan with a 6.33 average to Eguchi's 5.67.
2-2 - Eguchi throws first again in the loser goes first format, to tie the match with a 123.75 average in 701.
3-2 - With the match level, players shoot for bull, which Eguchi wins to throw first again - but Ilagan chooses Cricket and wins back-to-back THE WORLD stages with a 6.33 average to Eguchi's 5.17 average.
DARTSLIVE - THE WORLD
Soft Darts World Championship 2013 Schedule
Stage One - April 28, Hong Kong
Stage Two - May 26, Hong Kong
Stage Three - June 16, La Rochelle, France
Stage Four - July 13, Seoul, Korea
Stage Five - August 25, Shanghai, China
Stage Six - September 21, Las Vegas, USA
Stage Seven - October 13, Hong Kong
Stage Eight - November 3, Hong Kong
Grand Final - Dec 14-15, Hong Kong
For more information and entry details, please visit:
http://darts-theworld.com/en/schedule/