GENTLY DOES IT.. AND THE TEARS FLOW
GARY ANDERSON ended Phil Taylor’s dream of back-to-back titles at the Unibet Champions League of Darts – only to suffer the ‘Gentle’ touch.
In front of Britain’s biggest TV audience for arrows in 2017 – the Professional Darts Corporation’s annual excursion on to the BBC airwaves – the Flying Scotsman dumped Taylor out in the semifinals before being pipped 11-9 in a tense final against Mensur ‘Gentle’ Suljovic.
The Austrian dark horse, who had never won a major title on the PDC circuit, dissolved into tears at Cardiff’s Motorpoint arena after sinking double 14 to land the £100,000 winner’s cheque, by far the biggest of his career.
It was the second time Suljovic had beaten Anderson (below) in as many days after thrashing him 10-3 in Saturday’s group phase.
“This is unbelievable – I did not think I could win this tournament,” he blustered.
Taylor, 57, retires at the end of this year and looked favourite to claim a remarkable 85th major TV title when he came through his round-robin group with a 100 per cent record. But as Taylor struggled to sustain the demands of two matches per day, Anderson switched off the Power 11-6 in the semis, only to be on the wrong end of a major shock when the stakes were highest.
Taylor had reached the last four with a 10-9 win against reigning world champion Michael van Gerwen, but the pair’s feud erupted again.
At the World Matchplay in Blackpool two months ago, the ‘Power’ told his archrival to “grow up” after thrashing him 16-6 in the quarter-finals.
And with Taylor needing to win or take at least eight legs, to reach the semi-finals, their rivalry spilled over again.
The 16-times world champion accused MVG of sour grapes after Mighty Mike allegedly complained that Taylor was moving his darts case and accessories on the table while he was throwing.
Taylor, who milked the moment when he won his eighth leg to eliminate the Dutchman from the tournament, scoffed: “Moving his stuff around? What a load of rubbish!
“He winds people up, but so can I – he gives it large when he goes ahead, but when he loses he’s the biggest mard a*** who ever drew breath.” Once he has decoded Taylor’s quaint Potteries colloquialism, Van Gerwen may not be flattered. He may also be inclined to think pots and kettles.