Friday 12 December 2014 10:36, UK
Phil Taylor stormed to a 10-3 victory over Michael van Gerwen in the final of the inaugural Sydney Darts Masters at Luna Park in Sydney.
Taylor was at his imperious best as he ended Australian hopes with a sensational 10-6 semi-final win over Simon Whitlock, the world No 4 who never recovered from going 4-1 and 8-2 down.
Taylor averaged 109.42 in his semi-final and bettered that mark in the decider with another unstoppable performance.
Van Gerwen had powered in seven 180s and three ton-plus checkouts as he defeated Adrian Lewis 10-7 in their last four clash, but the Dutch star was unable to repeat the feat in the final.
Taylor won the game's opening four legs to take command, punishing a missed double from van Gerwen in each, and though the world number two halved the gap with finishes of 66 and 70, he was powerless to halt another charge from the World Champion.
Taylor won the next five legs as he moved into a 9-2 lead, and though van Gerwen took out 81 to hit back, the 53-year-old took out a fine 134 checkout to seal glory in the first televised tournament to be held in Australia.
The 16-time World Champion had overcome home opposition in each of his first three games, against Kyle Anderson, Paul Nicholson and Whitlock, and ended the event with a tournament three-dart average of 107.28.
"I'm absolutely delighted," said Taylor. "I felt very comfortable today but it was a tough event.
"I think Michael's semi-final took a lot out of him because it was a tough match and he took out some unbelievable finishes. He's a fantastic player and I knew I had to get on top of him straight away in the final, which I did.
"It's been fantastic to come to Sydney and not just play well but to win this title. I'm trying to push the standard up and it will improve the game, and people will see unbelievable darts in the future.
"The future's certainly bright in Australia because the crowds were fantastic, the players who qualified did well and Simon Whitlock was superb throughout the week."
Van Gerwen added: "Phil played well in the final and deserved to win. I'm disappointed because I wasn't able to repeat my form of the semi-finals but it's been a great tournament."
