PDC World Darts Championship: Gary Anderson crowned champion after another thrilling tournament
Monday 5 January 2015 12:19, UK
Gary Anderson was crowned as the new champion after another unforgettable World Championship at Alexandra Palace.
New breed of player
Benito van de Pas, Sascha Stein and Cristo Reyes - all described as 'soft tip players' by Sky Sports pundit Rod Harrington, yet they all showed they could throw darts at Alexandra Palace. Tenerife thrower Reyes blasted a field of 154 players to win the Iberian qualifiers and reach the World Championship. The 27-year-old followed up his shock first round victory against No 13 seed Wes Newton by seeing off 2004 finalist Kevin Painter before succumbing to Gary Anderson. He did walk away with £18,000 - so not a bad week's work. Giant killer Van de Pas came from 2-1 sets down against Paul Nicholson in the first round and then ousted No 8 seed Dave Chisnall. The 21-year-old eventually lost to Robert Thornton, but showed he has a future in the game. Germany's Stein looked to be on for a sensation when he shocked world No 1 Michael van Gerwen to win the first set. However, his excitement was short-lived when the defending champion roared back to win 4-1 and reach the third round.
Hanging out the Bunting
The Merseysider switched to the PDC shortly after winning the 2014 BDO world title and was hoping to become the first player to complete the double. The man known as Bullet showed impressive form early on and then booked a place in the quarter-finals recovering to an impressive 4-2 victory over fellow St Helens native Michael Smith to set up a date with Raymond van Barneveld. Bunting was seeking to become the holder of both major titles and before the much-anticipated clash, he said: "Coming in as the BDO champion, there is a lot of pressure, a lot of people have talked about me maybe winning the two titles. It’s never been done before, but I’m in the quarter-finals. I'm still in with a shout, so I just hope I can go all the way. It will be a dream come true." Sadly, there were only tears of sadness for Bunting as the experienced Dutchman wrapped up a thrilling 5-4 victory. Van Barneveld was impressed by his opponent and his calls for Bunting to be included in the Premier League have since been answered.
Nine-dart Jackpot
Adrian Lewis proved why he is one of the most exciting players in world darts when he landed his second career nine-dart finish at the world championship against Raymond van Barneveld. The Stoke thrower first lit up Alexandra Palace in 2011 against Gary Anderson in the final before going on to become world champion. He replicated the perfect leg of darts in this year’s tournament to win the first set only to go on to lose an Ally Pally epic 4-3. The first set went with the darts and Lewis wrapped it up in the best possible manner by landing two 180s and following it up with another treble 20, treble 19 and double 12 for his nine-darter - the third televised perfect leg of his career. Jackpot turned to the crowd, put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders before hugging Van Barneveld as they walked off the stage arm in arm. He earned £10,000 in prize money for achieving the feat.
Best semi-final line-up ever!
Michael van Gerwen v Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld - darts does not get any better than that. Reigning world champion Van Gerwen took on 2011 finalist Anderson while two of the greatest darts players in history went toe-to-toe as 16-time world champion Taylor faced five-time champion Van Barneveld. There was plenty of drama in the opening semi, with Anderson rattling in a string of maximums on the way to an early lead. Van Gerwen refused to relinquish his crown without a fight, hitting back with a hat-trick of 12-dart legs while levelling at 3-3. But the Scotsman produced a nerveless display of finishing as he racked up the next three sets for a place in the final. The stage was then set for another clash between Taylor and Van Barneveld, in a repeat of their bad-tempered 2013 showdown. On this occasion, there was little cause for complaint as Taylor overcame an early rally from Van Barneveld to seal a 6-2 win. 'The Power' had never lost at this stage of the tournament and was one match away from yet another title.
Anderson wins thrilling final
Gary Anderson stood in the way of Phil Taylor as he attempted to add a 17th world title to his extensive list of achievements. Following a stuttering start to the tournament, the Scotsman was showing an ice-cool demeanour, while Taylor’s annual trophy hunt appeared to be gathering pace at the right time. The two finalists swapped sets in a see-saw opening, with Anderson making the early ground before ‘The Power’ surged into a 4-3 lead. But Taylor then faltered with his finishing at a crucial time, allowing a grateful Anderson to level. With the pressure mounting, the Scot’s composure slipped away as three of his darts fell from a treble and he vented his frustrations at a fan. This bad luck seemed to spur on Anderson, who edged into a 6-4 lead, but Taylor produced his best darts with his back against the wall. The Stoke man narrowly missed out a nine-darter while closing the deficit and then forced a nerve-jangling decider. But Anderson refused to wilt, peppering the treble before sealing his first title win with double 12.
