Phil Taylor has defied his doubters again during a trip Down Under, says Rod Studd
Thursday 25 August 2016 13:23, UK
Phil Taylor's win over Michael van Gerwen in the Sydney Masters final was further proof that 'The Power' should not be written off, says Sky Sports expert Rod Studd.
After the World Matchplay final, people were asking 'would Phil Taylor ever defeat Michael van Gerwen again?'. Well, it has taken him less than a month. Not only did Taylor beat him, he's beaten him 11-9 while averaging 105 in a close fought game. Almost every time you dismiss Phil Taylor, tell him he can't do this, he can't do that, he goes and does it again.
The quarter-final win over Gary Anderson was an absolutely terrific performance. To beat the world champion 10-2, averaging 112, was a performance of the highest class, the highest quality. He absolutely dismantled Gary Anderson. You would struggle to remember the last time Anderson was handed such a beating.
The Van Gerwen win could be significant too. There had been a lot of occasions when Taylor had almost beat him. He did of course defeat him in the World Cup singles 4-3, but people said it was a short game - then he got thrashed in the World Matchplay final.
In Sydney, Taylor missed a dart to win the match while 10-8 up and Van Gerwen pinched it. In the next leg, Van Gerwen went off with a 180, and Taylor still held it together to win it. There must - even in Taylor's mind - have been something saying 'it's all going to go wrong again'. It's just another case of how mentally strong this bloke is.
When he does pack up, whenever that may be, people will think 'that was just incredible.'
To come back after that World Matchplay final and defeat Van Gerwen takes some bottle, just a week after turning 56. We forget that a lot. He's 56 years of age and is still capable of beating the best.
In the midst of it all, you don't really sit back and think how remarkable it all is. When he does pack up, whenever that may be, people will think 'that was just incredible'. Taylor has been at the top of the sport for 25 years, still producing darts like that deep into his 50s. I don't think we realise quite how extraordinary he is.
