2 Jan 2018

Cross upsets The Power to win darts title

1:06 pm on 2 January 2018

Debutant Rob Cross sealed the PDC World Championship title as 16-time champion Phil Taylor's final appearance ended in a 7-2 defeat at Alexandra Palace.

English professional darts player, Rob Cross (L) reacts after beating English professional darts player, Phil Taylor (R) at the PDC World Darts Championship 2018 final game in London on January 1, 2018.

English professional darts player, Rob Cross (L) reacts after beating English professional darts player, Phil Taylor (R) at the PDC World Darts Championship 2018 final game in London on January 1, 2018. Photo: AFP

Cross, 27, who only turned professional at the start of 2017, hit a 167 to go 2-0 up and was soon three sets ahead.

Taylor, 57, who won his last title in 2013, won 10 legs and had 12 180s in the match, one more than Cross.

But he had no answer to Cross, who won the tournament in fantastic style with a 140 finish.

The pattern of the match was established in the opening set when sixth seed Taylor narrowly missed a 147 checkout but then squandered three more darts as Cross settled into a lead he never looked like surrendering.

After his superb 167, Cross maintained the momentum with a 153 to seal the second.

With the both capacity crowd and Taylor looking bewildered by the brilliance of former electrician Cross, the Stoke veteran finally put a set on the board when he recorded his highest finish of the tournament with a 151 and went on to take it 3-0.

Taylor then missed double 12 for a nine-darter and failed to finish with his next three attempts as Cross restored a three-set cushion.

Only one set from defeat, Taylor, who had an overall scoring average of 102, took the eighth set after an isolated blip from Cross, who missed with three darts at 30.

But Hastings-based Cross had a match average of 107 and secured the title in memorable fashion with two treble 18s and a double 16.

-BBC