TAYLOR COMPLETES CASH CONVERTERS PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS TREBLE
PHIL TAYLOR won his third Cash Converters Players Championship Finals title with an imperious 13-6 win over Kim Huybrechts at the Butlins Minehead Resort on Sunday night.
Taylor scooped the 60,000 pound first prize with a brilliant display in the final, sharing the first 12 legs with the emerging Belgian before finding another gear to run away for the win.
Taylor had stared defeat in the face earlier in the day, with Andy Hamilton missing one dart to defeat him in the quarter-finals before the 15-time World Champion hit back from 9-5 down for a 10-9 win.
He then swept past Simon Whitlock 11-2 in the semi-finals and pulled away in mid-game, winning the final seven legs without reply.
"I'm chuffed to bits to have won this," said Taylor. "It's a really tough day and to win three matches and take the title is a big challenge, so I'm over the moon.
"It's been a tough day today. Winning against Andy Hamilton was probably my greatest escape and it's been an unbelievable day to be honest.
"Kim came into the final full of confidence but I wanted to keep putting him under pressure and making him think and eventually I got on top of him.
"He's got a huge future in the game and whoever plays him in the World Championship will be scared of him now. He'll be in loads more finals in the future."
The victory is Taylor's third major of the year, following his previous Premier League and World Matchplay wins, and will be ideal preparation for the Ladbrokes World Darts Championship, which begins on December 14.
"Like every other player, me and Kim are going to go away now and prepare for the World Championship now," added Taylor. "We'll be getting our practice and rest in and doing everything properly."
Huybrechts opened the final in fine style by winning the opening two legs, hitting 180s in both and capitalising on a missed double from Taylor in each to lead 2-0.
He also missed a dart to lead by three legs, at double top for a 160 finish, as Taylor hit back-to-back double 16 checkouts to level and double top to lead 3-2.
The game's next seven legs all went with the throw, including finishes from 109 and 97 from the Belgian, as the pair reached mid-game locked at six-all.
Taylor edged the next on double one to lead 7-6 and then produced the key break on double ten to lead by two legs as he began his charge, adding double four and double 12 - for an 11-darter - to lead 10-6.
A further brace of double 16 checkouts saw Taylor take a 12-6 cushion, and he sealed the victory in style by hitting tops.
Huybrechts' run to the final earned him a
24,000 pound cheque as runner-up and sees him rise to 21st in the PDC Order of Merit, having won through to his maiden major final with impressive wins over Peter Wright and Justin Pipe in Sunday's final stages.
"I'm really proud," said Huybrechts. "To play in my first TV final and for it to be against Phil is a dream and, at the moment, I can't ask for much more.
"I could have done better but I was a bit nervous and I didn't hit as many 180s or doubles as I did in other games and that was the difference.
"At the beginning it didn't matter to me that I was playing Phil but at a certain point you start realising that you're playing the 15-time World Champion, and then you start missing some trebles and some doubles.
"It's my first year on the PDC circuit and I've had an amazing year. I've got a lot of self-confidence and I believe I can beat anyone if I play at my top level.
"I'll be back for the World Championship and I'll be practising more ahead of that. Last year I reached the quarter-finals in my first time there but I'll have even more confidence now so I'm really looking forward to it."
Huybrechts was in sensational form with an 11-6 semi-final win over Taunton's Justin Pipe, hitting 11 out of 22 attempts at a double during the contest as he ended the local star's best-ever run in a major tournament.
Kim's finishing was brilliant and the best man won," said Pipe. "It may have been different if I'd taken the first couple of legs but it's another learning curve for me.
"It's my first TV semi-final and I'm up to ninth in the world, so I'm really happy."
Australian star Whitlock was unable to reproduce the performance which had seen him overcome Gary Anderson in the quarter-finals earlier this year, as Taylor took an 11-2 triumph in their clash.
"I missed some doubles early on and you can't afford to do that against Phil," said Whitlock, who moves above Anderson to fifth in the PDC Order of Merit. "Phil capitalised on that and bashed me up but I never gave up.
"I kept fighting but you can't give him that sort of lead. I felt good towards the end of the game but it was too late for me."