The Masters 2014 - Report Finals Day

Semi-finals and Final
COMEBACK KID WADE STUNS KING WITH UNIBET MASTERS TRIUMPH
JAMES WADE produced a remarkable comeback from 9-2 down against Mervyn King to take The Unibet Masters title with a stunning 11-10 triumph at the Royal Highland Centre on Sunday night.

Wade picked up his first major TV title for three years in an incredible final session in Edinburgh, following up his sublime wins over Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor in the quarter-finals and semi-finals with a gutsy display in the decider.
The left-hander had slumped to a 10-1 defeat to Taylor in the semis on the same stage 12 months earlier, but confirmed his resurgence into the winner's circle on the televised stage in gritty fashion. King, taking on the momentum of his 11-9 semi-final win over World Champion Michael van Gerwen, stormed into a 5-0 lead in the final with the aid of two 180s and some clinical finishing as he averaged 109 in the opening session. Wade cut the gap to 6-2, but paid for missed doubles in the next two as King moved into a six-leg lead and then posted double 16 for a 9-2 cushion.
The left-hander won the next four legs to pull back to 9-6 as King's doubles began to desert him, but a miss at double 12 for a 138 checkout saw the comeback halted in stunning fashion as the world number 12 took out a brilliant 158. The tension increased as King missed seven match darts across the next two legs and Wade continued his revival, before the world number six posted a fourth 180 of the game and hit tops to pull back to 10-9. King then missed the bull to take victory in the next with an eighth match dart as Wade finished double ten to force a deciding leg, which he claimed with a fabulous 135 finish on double top. Wade had been on the receiving end of a fightback from Scott Waites in the 2010 Grand Slam of Darts final as he saw an 8-0 lead slip away before he suffered a 16-12 defeat, but he was proud of a memorable display in Edinburgh.

"I'm still a little bit numb, but I'm feeling great and I'm so happy," said Wade. "I shouldn't have won that game but somehow I have and it's not sunk in yet. I didn't deserve to win and I feel a bit guilty, but somehow I did it. I've never won a game of darts like that in my life, but I took my chances. It hurt to lose to Scott Waites but when the 135 went in I couldn't hold my emotions in any more. I'm stubborn and I believe I'm the only person that could have won that game from that position at the moment. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals I think I was pretty good. They were both 105 averages and I don't think many players could do that two games in a row, especially against the players I played, Adrian Lewis and Phil Taylor."
The left-hander had reached last month's World Grand Prix final and has won two ranking events during 2014 in his return to top form, and added: "Everything's going brilliantly and I'm playing the best darts of my life at the moment. At the beginning of the year I set a target out to win a floor tournament and win a TV tournament, so I'm ahead of myself with two months to spare! I'm grateful to come back from where I was to be playing how I am right now. In the last six or seven months I've been doing a lot of harm and hurting a lot of players, and I wouldn't want to play me at the moment."

King - a semi-finalist in last weekend's European Championship - took home 20,000 pound as runner-up but was left to rue his eight missed match darts as he suffered defeat in a fourth major PDC final. Sponsors Unibet had stopped taking bets on King to win the game when he led 9-2, with Wade 50/1 at that time before mounting his fightback.

"I had my chances and didn't take it, and James did so fair play to him," said King. "James stuck in there and was the better player on the day, and he deserved to win. I've had a great weekend and I've done exceptionally well to reach the final, but I'll be back and hopefully I can take the chance next time it comes."
King had earlier defeated World Champion Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in a thrilling semi-final. King took out finishes of 128, 140 and 80 on the bull at key times during the game, and though van Gerwen hit back from 9-7 down to level, tops edged the Englishman away before he took out 121 on the bull for victory.

"It's very disappointing for me but Mervyn played superbly and deserved to win," said van Gerwen. I've had a great run recently and I played well again, but Mervyn was the better player in this game. I just wasn't good enough today to win, but I'll work hard this week ahead of the Grand Slam of Darts next weekend."


Quarterfinals
TAYLOR ENDS SCOTTISH HOPES IN UNIBET MASTERS WITH ANDERSON WIN
PHIL TAYLOR ended Scottish hopes at The Unibet Masters with a superb 10-6 win over Gary Anderson on Sunday afternoon, and he was joined in the semi-finals at the Royal Highland Centre by Michael van Gerwen, Mervyn King and James Wade.

Reigning Masters champion Taylor followed up Saturday's 110 average with a clinical display to see off home favourite Anderson, who led 2-0 and 4-3 only to see the Stoke great punish his missed doubles in the second half of the game.
Anderson had punished missed doubles from Taylor for ton-plus checkouts to win his first four legs, but saw the 54-year-old turn the tables as he won six legs out of seven to move 9-5 up. Anderson rallied briefly on double six, but Taylor sealed victory with a stylish 139 checkout as he moved through to the last four, where he meets Wade on Sunday night.

"It was a difficult game but my finishing got me through," said Taylor. "Gary let me off on a couple of finishes and I took advantage. I'm through to the semi-finals and I'll get myself ready for tonight because it will be a tough challenge."

Anderson admitted: "I missed a few doubles and there were a couple there on tops that couldn't get any closer, so it was frustrating."

Wade
overcame Adrian Lewis 10-6 in a game of the highest quality as the two-time World Champion hit eight 180s and averaged almost 107 in a brilliant display only to lose out to the left-hander.
Wade averaged 105 in reply, hitting an early 118 checkout before coming from 4-3 down to pull clear by winning five of the game's final six legs to reach the semi-finals in Edinburgh for a second successive year.

"To beat a players of Adrian's calibre is great and I'm grateful that he missed a few doubles in there because it made it easier for me in the end," said Wade. There are three or four players who you have to raise your game against and Adrian's one of them. If you don't play well against him, he beats you up but I kept up with his scoring and made the most of my chances, and I'll look forward to the next game now."
Lewis had been last year's Masters runner-up to Taylor, but said: "Fair play to James, his finishing was great. I was on for eight or nine ton-plus checkouts and missed the double, and James punished me. He played well but in the last few months I've not been at the races so it's good to play well like that."

World Champion Michael van Gerwen secured his spot in the semis by seeing off Dave Chisnall 10-7 in their last eight contest.
Van Gerwen opened the game with a brilliant 170 checkout and also finished 120 as he moved 120 into a 5-1 lead, before Chisnall finished 124 as he pulled back to 6-4. The Dutchman, though, landed seven 180s in a five-leg burst as he pulled away to move to the brink of victory at 9-4, and though Cihsnall hit a 129 finish as he took three legs to threaten a fightback, van Gerwen sealed victory on double three.

"I'm very pleased with the win," said van Gerwen. "It looked like after I hit my first 180 I couldn't stop throwing them, so I was really happy about that but Dave threw some fantastic legs too. I was really glad to hit that double three at the end and I wanted to win as quickly as possible because I could have two more long games tonight. I've played Mervyn a lot of times in the last couple of years and I've got a good record against him, so I hope I can keep that going tonight - but he's a strong player and I can't afford any mistakes."


Van Gerwen will meet Mervyn King in the semi-finals, as the Norfolk thrower matched last week's success in the European Championship by overcoming Justin Pipe 10-6. King took command with finishes of 146 and 136 to move into a 5-2 lead, and retained that advantage throughout the remainder of the game as he sealed his place in the last four.

"I had some great checkouts and finished well," said King. "Justin's a far better player than he showed today and he wasn't scoring as well as he normally does and maybe some of my finishes knocked him a bit."







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