Taylor survives after being on the brink

Published on Wednesday 19 December 2007 09:46

PHIL TAYLOR came back from the brink of a shock first-round exit to keep his bid for a 14th Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship alive.

Taylor, who has not once failed to reach the final of the event since its inception in 1994, came from behind to beat Dutch prodigy Michael Van Gerwen 3-2 at Alexandra Palace.

He was out of sorts throughout and Van Gerwen missed a double 12 in the fourth set to seal what would have been the biggest upset in the tournament's history.

"I was trying to lift the roof off the building to be honest with you," Taylor said. "I was getting desperately frustrated.

"I could see Michael wasn't on his top game and I wasn't on my top game."

A desperately disappointed Van Gerwen was philosophical about his double 12 miss. "At this age, it happens," the 18-year-old said.

It all went Taylor's way in the first set thanks to a ruthless demonstration of finishing, but his slump began at the start of the second set and continued through a tight third and into the fourth.

With the score at 2-2 and Taylor throwing to stay in the tournament, he allowed his opponent the first chance at a finish but the Dutchman missed double 12 by a whisker and Taylor checked out 57 to level the match.

The deciding set was a topsy-turvy affair, neither player able to hold throw in the first four legs. Taylor missed bull for the match as the contest went all the way.

But the 13-time champion eventually found his form at 3-3 to close out the set 5-3 and win the match.

It was a night of 3-2 thrillers, with Roland Scholten edging Matt Clark by the same scoreline.

A high-quality encounter appeared to be going easily Scholten's way when he took the opening two legs.

But he soon knew he had a match on his hands as Clark hit back to level the first set and force Scholten to dig deep to go 1-0 up with an 11-dart finish.

The next five legs all went to Clark, before Scholten recovered deep into the third set and then came up with an 86 checkout for 2-1. Clark waltzed through the third set to level at 2-2.

Scholten spurned three chances to close out the match, allowing Clark in to take the contest to the wire. Eventually, however, Scholten just had the firepower to resist his opponent's determined challenge – taking the final two legs to close out the win.

Peter Manley also had a fight on his hands to get the better of Dutch teenager Toon Greebe 3-2.

The 19-year-old was up and running with a 180 in the opening leg but was still out-thrown by the Englishman, who took the first set 3-1.

Greebe showed his mettle to level the match with a 94 checkout and bullseye finish.

The third set went to Manley without reply, but Greebe levelled again before going 2-1 up in the deciding set.

Manley hit back to take the final three legs and belatedly see off the Dutch challenger with a double-20 finish.