Phil Taylor books play-off place in Premier League but rivals still scrapping
Wednesday 27 April 2016 09:43, UK
Phil Taylor has qualified for the Premier League's play-off night at The O2, but there were further twists in the battle for a top four spot.
'The Power' has already made amends for his failure to reach the play-offs in 2015, becoming the first player to secure qualification after a 7-2 win over Robert Thornton.
Second-placed Michael van Gerwen has all but guaranteed his own appearance in London after winning both games in his double-header, but the scrap for the remaining two spots could go to the wire.
Taylor leads the way
The six-time champion was a shock absentee from the Premier League's top four places in the last campaign, missing the cut for the first time in the competition's history.
Van Gerwen's impressive reign as world No 1 has even raised debate about whether the Dutchman can replace the 16-time world champion as the sport's greatest player, but Taylor has proven his point in the Premier League.
After holding Van Gerwen to a 6-6 draw in week seven, Taylor threw down the gauntlet to his young rival, telling him: 'Let's see at the end of the Premier League.'
Both men will renew their rivalry in Rotterdam on the final evening of the regular campaign and Taylor will be determined to strike another psychological blow after proving himself as the stand-out performer in the Premier League so far.
MVG at the double
A run of four draws in the last five weeks had suggested that Van Gerwen was running out of steam following a red-hot spell which had seen him set the highest average in a televised match.
The world No 1 slipped below his sky-high standards in last night's double-header, offering a few chances to the off-colour Peter Wright in his opening 7-2 win, while he recorded an ordinary average of 96 in a closing 7-5 victory over Adrian Lewis.
But like any true champion, Van Gerwen did enough to win both those matches, and the 'Green Machine' is learning how to close out wins when he is not at his dazzling best.
Two's company, three's a crowd
Third-placed Gary Anderson, Lewis, and James Wade are only separated by a point after last night's results created even more tension in the tussle for qualification.
Anderson could barely contain his anger after being held to a 6-6 draw by Wade, while Lewis ended without a point from his two games, just seven days after he had thrilled the crowd with a nine-darter.
Next week's schedule in Birmingham could be crucial for defending champion Anderson, who plays twice - against Raymond van Barneveld and Peter Wright.
And it would be foolish to write off Van Barneveld, who kept his faint hopes of a top four berth alive with victory over Lewis.
All wrong for Wright
'Snakebite' Wright briefly topped the table after a flying start, but his slide out of contention has prompted even more concerns about his changing equipment.
Wright has tinkered with his darts since the start of the campaign, striving for that perfect set, and the lacklustre loss to Van Gerwen was further evidence of his failure to find suitable arrows.
After another disappointing showing, Wright could learn from the consistent Taylor, who is thought to have stuck with the same set of darts throughout.
Ray of hope?
Van Barneveld produced a remarkable run to the play-offs last year, although he would need an even more dramatic sequence of results to earn another semi-final spot at The O2.
The Dutch veteran with the 'Rocky' walk-on music only comes out swinging when his back is against the wall and he gleefully struck a blow to rival Lewis.
If, and it's a big if, 'Barney' can beat Anderson next week then we might yet see another late charge from RVB.
