WAYNE MARDLE 4-2 JOHN PART
(3-2, 0-3, 3-1, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2)
WAYNE MARDLE displayed his title credentials at the Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship with a superb 4-2 win over John Part.
The Essex star has reached the semi-finals at the last two World Championships, and remains on course to at least match that feat after taking out the 2003 winner.
Part matched Mardle blow-for-blow throughout a titanic struggle, but the world number five's more clinical finishing helped him through.
Mardle took the first set 3-2 with a 126 finish, with Part twice missing the chance to move ahead in the match.
He won the next three legs - hitting a maximum 180 in each - to level matters at 1-1, but Mardle held his nerve to take the third set.
Canadian star Part responded to win the fourth set 3-1 and level matters at 2-2, but Mardle again bounced back, moving ahead once more by winning three straight legs.
The opening two legs of the sixth set were shared before Part struck a 119 finish.
Mardle came back with two maximums in the next leg to hit a 12-darter and move to within one leg of the match, and struck his favourite double 18 to seal a sweet win.
"I'm absolutely over the moon," said Mardle.
"I was quite relaxed and focused when I had a chance, and I probably only blew one throughout the match.
"If you're going to win anything you cannot afford to let chances pass you by. I said to myself that if I got one shot to win it, I would take it - and I did.
"It's not been the greatest year. On TV I reached the semis here last year, the final in Las Vegas and the quarter-finals in Blackpool, but I've been very in and out and I haven't played consistently well for a while.
"The Circus Tavern is one place that gets me going and hopefully I can carry that on now."
Match Stats
|
Wayne Mardle |
4-2 |
John Part |
|
32 |
100+ |
28 |
|
16 |
140+ |
17 |
|
7 |
180 |
9 |
|
30.73 |
Ave1 |
31.13 |
|
92.18 |
Ave3 |
93.39 |