Brilliant Taylor's German Masters Triumph

BRILLIANT TAYLOR PICKS UP GERMAN DARTS MASTERS TRIUMPH
 

PHIL TAYLOR claimed German Darts Masters glory on Monday night as he defeated Michael van Gerwen 6-4 in a thrilling final at the Maritim Hotel in Berlin.

Taylor picked up his third title of 2014 on the PDC ProTour with the Easter triumph, claiming a £20,000 first prize as he denied van Gerwen a second successive European Tour win.

Taylor had overcome van Gerwen in the Betway Premier League Darts on Thursday in Aberdeen, and repeated the feat four days later as he completed a brilliant two days of darts.

Having whitewashed Sweden's Magnus Caris in his opening game on Sunday, he then saw off a trio of St Helens players on Monday to reach the decider.

He firstly saw off Dave Chisnall 6-3 before whitewashing Michael Smith - Taylor's conqueror in the World Championship in December - with a 109.98 average and then overcoming Stephen Bunting 6-3 in the semi-finals.

Taylor then saved some of his best darts for the decider against van Gerwen, taking an early 3-1 lead as he landed scores of 177 and 174 and a 12-dart finish.

World Champion van Gerwen hit back to level, breaking throw in leg five after a miss at tops from Taylor before posting a 13-darter to square the game.

Taylor replied with a 13-darter, and then traded 11-dart legs with van Gerwen to move 5-4 up before landing his third 180 of the game and double 16 as he sealed the win in style with another 13-dart finish.

"I'm delighted," said Taylor. "It's always special to win tournaments and this was an amazing line-up, because we both had tough games to get through and it was a difficult day.

"It was a good final but I think beating Michael in Aberdeen got into his head a little bit, because he's been blowing people away and maybe he started thinking about it, but he brings the best out of everybody.

"Winning this will set me up really well for the rest of the Premier League because I'm so determined to reach the Play-Offs and I'm having a big push this year too to try to get back above Michael to world number one.

"I'm not going to rest on my laurels and I'll get back on the practice board to prepare for playing Gary Anderson on Thursday in Manchester because it's a massive game for me."

Van Gerwen had won February's Dutch Darts Masters event in Veldhoven, but had to settle for the £8,000 runner-up cheque after matching Taylor for much of the weekend with some brilliant darts of his own.

He also opened his challenge with a whitewash, against German favourite Jyhan Artut, and then defeated emerging talent David Pallett 6-3 in Monday afternoon's last 16.

The world number one then whitewashed Steve Beaton in the quarter-finals and defied five 180s from great rival Adrian Lewis to take a 6-3 semi-final victory.

The Dutchman admitted: "I'm disappointed because I'm a winner and I want to win, but Phil played fantastically well in the final. I've really enjoyed the weekend and I'll be back."

Lewis had dropped just two legs in each of his earlier wins over Kim Huybrechts and John Henderson on Monday as he progressed to the last four, where he was joined by reigning Lakeside Champion Bunting.

The St Helens ace had won through to the semis on his European Tour debut with wins over Brendan Dolan and Vincent van der Voort on Monday before losing out to Taylor, but the £4,000 prize money moves him a step closer to qualifying for July's BetVictor World Matchplay.

Van der Voort's return to form this year continued as he battled through to the last eight, where he exited alongside Beaton, Smith and Scottish ace John Henderson, who had been brilliant in knocking out Peter Wright and Simon Whitlock but was unable to claim a third top-eight scalp.

The PDC's European Tour continues in June with events in Salzburg and Gibraltar, before returning to Germany in July at the Maritim Hotel in Dusseldorf. For ticket information, visit www.pdc-europe.net.

German Darts Masters
Monday April 21
Evening Session
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting 6-1 Vincent van der Voort
Michael Smith 0-6 Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis 6-2 John Henderson
Steve Beaton 0-6 Michael van Gerwen

Semi-Finals
Stephen Bunting 3-6 Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis 3-6 Michael van Gerwen

Final
Phil Taylor 6-4 Michael van Gerwen

All games are the best of 11 legs. Sunday's games to be played in draw bracket order as per above bracket.

Match Information
Quarter-Finals
Stephen Bunting secured his place in a first PDC European Tour semi-final with a clinical 6-1 win over Vincent van der Voort, who out-scored the Lakeside Champion only to be punished for missed doubles. Van der Voort opened the game with a 180 and capitalised on a miss at double 16 from Bunting to win the opening leg in 13 darts, before the pair traded maximums in the second, which the St Helens ace took on double four after the Dutchman this time missed two darts to double his lead. Van der Voort added further 180s in the next two legs, but more misses allowed Bunting in, firstly with a 12-darter before he took out double eight. The story was repeated in the fifth leg as Bunting took out double eight again to step in, before he hit two 180s in a 13-darter to lead 5-1. Van der Voort added a 177 score in the next, but was unable to keep his hopes alive as Bunting fired in another double eight finish to book his semi-final berth.

Ruthless Phil Taylor whitewashed Michael Smith to win through to the German Darts Masters semi-finals - denying the World Youth Champion a dart at a double during an 11-minute romp in which he averaged 109.98! Taylor made an ominous start with a 13-darter, before finishing 65 on double four to move two legs up. He then took out a superb 167 checkout to win the third leg, hit a 180 and tops to take the fourth and then completed a 13-darter on double 16 in the fifth. Taylor missed the bull for a showpiece 132 checkout which would have sealed the win - almost matching his miracle bullseye which won the 2008 World Matchplay final - but he returned to finish double 16 to seal a dominant win.

Adrian Lewis moved into the German Darts Masters semi-finals with a clinical 6-2 win over John Henderson. Lewis finished 89 to take the opening leg before Henderson landed a 180 as he levelled on double 12. Lewis, though, traded 180s with the Scot before posting double 18 to punish missed doubles from his opponent in the third, only to see the roles reversed as Henderson levelled in the fourth. Lewis, though, took out 71 in the fifth and landed a 180 as he broke for a 4-2 lead, before hitting double 16 and an 88 checkout to complete the win with four successive legs.

Michael van Gerwen powered into the German Darts Masters semi-finals with a superb 6-0 whitewash of Steve Beaton, the 2013 German Darts Masters winner. After Beaton missed tops to take out a 139 checkout in the opening leg, van Gerwen stepped in on double 16 to lead before breaking in the second with a 12-darter, hitting a 177 and double 16. The Dutchman defied a 180 from Beaton with a 14-darter in the third leg, and capitalised on a miss at tops from the former World Champion by hitting the same bed to move four legs clear. Beaton then hit a double 11, instead of single 11, to deny himself a dart at a double on a 121 finish in the next, as tops put van Gerwen five legs up, and though the Dutchman missed five match darts at double 16 in the next, Beaton missed double eight, four and two to keep his hopes alive to allow his opponent back in to complete the whitewash.

Semi-Finals
Phil Taylor won through to the German Darts Masters final with a heavy-scoring 6-3 win over Stephen Bunting at the Maritim Hotel in Berlin. Taylor hit a 170 score to leave 32 in the opening leg, but three misses at double 16 allowed Bunting in to take out 120 to move ahead. Taylor posted a 180 and double five to level, and added another maximum in the third leg only to miss two darts at double 14 as Bunting finnished 90 on the bull to edge 2-1 up. Taylor added another 180 and a 121 finish for a 12-darter as he levelled, before he finally broke in the fifth leg, responding to a 180 from Bunting with a 165 score, and when the St Helens ace missed the bullseye he capitalised on double eight for a 13-darter. Double 16 moved him 4-2 up, and though Bunting replied on double eight, Taylor finished double 16 to take a 5-3 led before sealing victory in style with an 11-dart leg, scoring a 177 on the way and jumping on a miss from Bunting at the bull for a 170 checkout.

Michael van Gerwen claimed victory over great rival Adrian Lewis as he reached the German Darts Masters final with a 6-3 triumph, despite the Stoke ace hitting five 180s. Lewis' first maximum came in the opening leg, but he missed double 16 as van Gerwen broke on tops and then doubled his lead with the aid of a 171 score. Lewis landed another maximum as he got off the mark in leg three, but van Gerwen posted a 180 in a 14-darter as he moved 3-1 up. Lewis replied in 13 darts, hitting a 180 and double ten - although van Gerwen had a dart at tops to finish 104. The Dutchman hit the bed in the sixth leg and left 40 after 12 darts in the next, only for Lewis to hit a 118 finish to pull back to 4-3. Van Gerwen posted a 180 and double eight to win his fifth leg, and though Lewis landed a maximum in the next, two misses at double eight allowed the Dutch ace in to hit the same bed and seal his spot in the final.

Final
Phil Taylor v Michael van Gerwen
0-0 - Phil Taylor wins the bull and will throw first.
1-0 - Taylor takes out 60 on tops to take the opening leg.
1-1 - Taylor misses double 13 to break throw, and van Gerwen takes out 48 to level.
2-1 - The pair each land a 177 score, before Taylor takes out 87 on double 18 for a 12-dart leg.
3-1 - Taylor hits a 174 score before van Gerwen misses the bull for a 170 finish, with two misses at tops from the Stoke great allowing his rival back in, only for the World Champion to miss two darts at double eight, giving Taylor a break of throw on tops.
3-2 - Taylor misses a second double top to complete a 100 combination, and van Gerwen takes out 80 on the same bed to break back.
3-3 - van Gerwen hits a 180 as he levels with a 13-dart leg, ending on double 16.
4-3 - The pair trade 180s before Taylor hits a 177 to leave 24, and he pins double 12 for a 13-darter to regain the edge.
4-4 - van Gerwen scores 140, 180 and 105 before finishing 76 on double eight for a fine 11-darter to level.
5-4 - van Gerwen opens with a 174, but Taylor lands a 180 and completes an 11-darter in reply to move a leg away from the title.
6-4 - Taylor seals victory in brilliant style with another 13-darter, opening with a 180 and wiring two darts at double 16 for the game only for van Gerwen to miss tops to force a decider, allowing him back in on double 16.
Final Averages: Phil Taylor 107.12, Michael van Gerwen 103.19

Match Stats