Gary Anderson said beating 16-time world champion Phil Taylor in the final of the PDC World Darts Championship on Sunday night made the victory “that bit more special”.
Anderson, who had roared into his second world final with a superb 6-3 semi-final win over defending champion Michael van Gerwen on Saturday evening, edged a thrilling 7-6 nail-biter at London’s Alexandra Palace to claim the prestigious Sid Waddell Trophy and £250,000 in prize money.
Taylor was seeking his 17th world crown and fought back from 3-1 and 6-4 down to level at 6-6.
Anderson, a runner-up in 2011 at the same venue, won the first leg of the decider and then secured the sport’s biggest prize when Taylor missed double 16 in the next.
‘The Power’ missed a total of 55 doubles as he suffered only his fourth defeat in 20 world final appearances and Anderson said he did not want to pass up his chance of glory.
“Me and Phil have had some battles over last five or six years, he’s won a lot of them but I’ll take my win now!” ‘The Flying Scotsman’ told reporters.
“Phil is the best, he always will be the best – even 100 years from now – so that makes winning this against him that bit more special. I think it’s going to take a while to sink in.
“When Phil got back and won those two sets to make it 6-6 I thought the game was gone – Phil’s been there 16 times and knows how to win it from there, but I came out strong in the last and managed to take it in the end.”
Taylor told reporters: “Doubles cost me a couple of sets and he took advantage. My double eight and 16 were awful but Gary put me under pressure.
“At 6-6 I felt I had him and my energy levels were good, but he did a job on me and he beat me up in the last set.”
Harry James' love for sports began in his high school basketball days. Sadly, an injury meant he couldn't further his NBA dreams, but the hooper's loss is our gain as he then found journalism.
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