European Championship - Semifinals
Wayne Jones 11-10 Colin Lloyd
Wayne Jones edged past Colin Lloyd in a deciding leg thriller to reach his first major PDC final at the PartyPoker.net European Championship.The pair had both enjoyed a fine weekend at the Stadthalle in Dinslaken, with Jones enjoying the best victory of his career by knocking out Raymond van Barneveld in the last eight.
Lloyd had seen off number three seed James Wade in the first round and averaged over 100 in wins over Michael van Gerwen and Ronnie Baxter - but crucially missed one match dart, at double seven for a 122 finish, to win the decider against Jones.
Lloyd had actually made the running for much of the match, recovering from Jones winning the opening leg to take the next three, following up finishes of double ten and double 16 with an 11-dart finish. He missed double top for a 4-1 lead as Jones took the fifth on double 16, although Lloyd won the next two to edge into a 5-2 cushion.
Lloyd then hit a second 180 of the game in leg eight, only to see a miss at double 11 punished as Jones took out double 18,
before regaining his clinical range on the doubles by taking out 110 for a 6-3 lead.
Jones hit a 180 and double eight to take the tenth, and three misses from Lloyd allowed him back to the oche in the next
for the same finish before double 16 saw him level after hitting two 180s in the 12th leg.
He also hit a maximum in the next, but missed double 18 to move into the lead as Lloyd edged 7-6 up on double five. The next two were shared before a 72 finish from Jones saw him level, and four missed doubles from Lloyd allowed him to regain the lead for the first time since the opening leg by finishing double 16.
Lloyd battled back to take out 104 to level and double top to lead 10-9, only for Jones to check out 86 and force a decider. The pair traded high scores in the final leg, with a 140 from Jones leaving him 61 before Lloyd returned for 122 - hitting two treble 18s but missing double seven for the win as Jones came back and took out 61 on double eight for the victory.
"I'm really pleased with that and to be in the final is brilliant for me," said Jones, who reached the 1999 World Masters in his only previous televised final. "I enjoy playing Colin anyway and this was another good game. It swung both ways and he had a chance at the end, but luckily I got the opportunity and took it."
Lloyd said: "It was a real battle of a game and Wayne dug in well. It's nice to see him playing well on the big stage. "I snatched at the double seven in the deciding leg and it could have been different for me, but I've played some good darts this weekend and am happy with how I played."
Phil Taylor 11-10 Terry Jenkins
Phil Taylor's bid for a third successive PartyPoker.net European Championship title continued as he edged out Terry Jenkins in the deciding leg of a thrilling semi-final at the Stadthalle in Dinslaken.Taylor had looked set to pull clear for victory when he produced a typical mid-game surge to move from four-all to lead 8-5 and 9-6, but Jenkins fought back to take the match all the way. The world number one, though, took victory with a brilliant 12-darter in the deciding leg of the match to progress to a final with Wayne Jones.
Taylor hit the first of three 180s in taking the opening leg in 13 darts, a feat he repeated in the third leg, while Jenkins hit double top in the second leg and took a 12-darter in the fourth, which featured two maximums. The next four also went with throw to leave the scores locked at four-all, before Taylor pulled away with legs of 13, 11 and 15 darts to put daylight between the pair.
Jenkins had been waiting on 40 in the 11th leg, and got a chance at the same bed in the next to halt Taylor's progress and pull back to 7-5. A 125 finish gave Taylor the next leg, while Jenkins hit his fifth maximum of the contest in an 11-darter to win the 13th and stay in touch at 8-6.
Double four put Taylor two legs away from victory, but Jenkins found his best form to win the next three and level the game, with a 122 bullseye finish for a 12-darter to break throw for the first time instrumental in him getting back into the game. He then missed the bullseye to take the lead, as Taylor posted double 16 with his third dart to move 10-9 up, only for Jenkins to finish 71 and send the game into a decider.
Taylor kicked off the final leg with a superb 177 - his fourth of the match - before Jenkins could only muster 21 in his first visit, and further scores of 82 and 137 left him 105 for the win, which he clinically took out on double 16.
"Phil was tremendous and it was a great game to be a part of," said Jenkins. "We both hit lots of big scores but he made it so hard for me to break him because his finishing was great. The 177 to start the last leg was great from him and that hurt me, but I'm not too disappointed because I've practised hard for the past three or four weeks and my form is coming back."