PDC World Cup of Darts 2015: Scores, Results, Draw and More from Frankfurt
England were crowned 2015 World Cup of Darts champions on Sunday after defeating Scotland in a thrilling final that ended 3-2 in favour of Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis.
It's the third World Cup title for the English pair, having also topped the international fanfare in 2012 and 2013 before succumbing to the Netherlands last year.
Read on for regular updates on the competition.
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Sunday Update
Final
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis sealed global glory for England on Sunday evening after beating Scotland in the 2015 World Cup of Darts final.
Jackpot threw the winning darts against Peter Wright at the end of a hotly contested curtain closer, where Gary Anderson showcased his credentials as the reigning world champion.
| Phil Taylor | 4-0 | Peter Wright |
| Adrian Lewis | 1-4 | Gary Anderson |
| Phil Taylor/Adrian Lewis | 4-3 | Peter Wright/Gary Anderson |
| Phil Taylor | 1-4 | Gary Anderson |
| Adrian Lewis | 4-1 | Peter Wright |
The final consisted of four best-of-seven legs singles matches, where the two teams drew with two wins apiece, but England triumphed 4-3 in the crucial doubles decider.
Live Darts confirmed Sunday’s rise to the top as a record third crown for England, building on the wins of 2012 and 2013:
Phil Taylor came up against Peter Wright in the first singles clash of the final and was leagues away from his Scottish foe, thumping his chest with a 4-0 thrashing to begin with.
However, Anderson showed form to hit straight back with a demolition of his own, the official PDC Darts Twitter account providing detail of his 4-1 win over Lewis:
With the scores level at 1-1, it came time for the doubles decider and after a 13-darter sealed a first-leg lead for the English, Taylor and Lewis combined to ensure they never lost their lead.
Throw for throw, Anderson and Wright did all they could to pull one over on their close rivals and nudge ahead, but Taylor was imperious at all the right times to see England into a 2-1 overall lead.
It couldn’t last, though, and Anderson once again proved to be England’s bane as the singles action resumed, this time handing The Power a 4-1 humbling to stun the German audience.
As Lee Wellings of Al Jazeera pointed out, however, part of Taylor’s appeal is his graciousness in defeat, showing his professionalism despite suffering that blow at such a critical juncture:
And just when his partner required it, Lewis stepped up his own game to surpass Wright 4-1 in the final decider, assembling a 3-0 lead his Scottish opponent just couldn’t pull back from.
Clinching the £50,000 grand prize in some style, Taylor and Lewis not only extend their record of successive World Cup final appearances to four years in a row, but have now claimed their third title in four years.
Semi-Finals
England were first up in the semi-finals and continued their perfect record at this year's tournament with a 2-0 victory over Belgium's Huybrechts brothers.
Despite the wide margin of their win, Ronny Huybrechts did pose a persistent issue for veteran Phil Taylor and never trailed his English opponent by more than a single leg. The Rebel even boasted a higher checkout percentage, per the official PDC Darts Twitter account, but that alone wasn't enough to overcome Taylor:
The Power showed the kind of form that's likely to make him a hit at this year's Matchplay Darts in the summer, gathering momentum at the precise right moment for a competition of this nature.
Lewis' manager, Keith Deller, was full of praise for the British pair, too, as his player ran to a 4-2 win over Kim Huybrechts, having led 3-0 at one point only to survive a late scare:
The exceedingly high level of entertainment continued into the second semi-final as Scotland's Peter Wright and the Netherlands' Michael van Gerwen laid on an excruciatingly close display, with the Dutchman just emerging as 4-3 victor.
Wright will have sensed that, could Van Gerwen have been taken out, Scotland really stood a chance of claiming a whitewash win, but after grasping the lead on three occasions, he fell at the most crucial hurdle.
| England | 2-0 | Belgium |
| Scotland | 2-1 | Netherlands |
Tied at three legs apiece, Mighty Mike opened with a maximum before finishing an 82 on double 16, leaving Wright to rue his missed opportunity.
Raymond van Barneveld, who has ever looked the more vulnerable half of this Dutch pairing, couldn't cope with the assault of Gary Anderson and fell victim to a convincing 4-1 defeat, inferior in every aspect:
That lack of cohesion between partners was made to look even more significant in the semi-final doubles decider, where Wright and Anderson soared past the reigning champions 4-1.
Van Gerwen won the Netherlands' only leg in the face-off, but Scotland were every bit the better party, recording a 13-darter along the way and finishing off a 61 with double tops.
Quarter-Finals
The four giants of world darts weaved their way into the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup of Darts on Sunday, with England set to face Belgium and the Netherlands ready to take on Scotland in the final four.
Australia and Northern Ireland succeeded in taking Belgium and the Netherlands to doubles deciders, respectively, but it was the latter pair who came together in the team format to book their places in the semis.
British contenders England and Scotland had no such frustrations against respective quarter-final opponents Germany and Hong Kong, however, each coming out on top of 2-0 victories in their singles duels.
The full results for Sunday's afternoon fixtures:
| Netherlands | 2-1 | Northern Irelands |
| Belgium | 2-1 | Australia |
| England | 2-0 | Germany |
| Scotland | 2-0 | Hong Kong |
Simon Whitlock defeated Ronny Huybrechts 4-2 to deal the Belgian brothers a major setback in their bid for tournament progress, and it looked as though sibling Kim would follow suit when trailing Paul Nicholson 3-0.
However, Nicholson then ran upon some misfiring form to let his foe slip back into the fixture and emerged 4-3 winner, forcing a doubles decider and keeping Belgium in the competition. The official PDC Darts Twitter account broke down the statistics of the clash:
The checkout percentage in particular is where one can see Huybrechts topped the Australian, with Nicholson missing six match darts over the final three legs to give his opponent a spring in confidence.
Devastatingly for the men from Oz, Belgium's comeback only continued in the doubles, where the Huybrechts brothers made no effort to hide their passion on the back of a 4-2 win, triumphing 2-1 overall:
Later on Sunday afternoon, the Netherlands dominated a doubles matchup of their own, where Michael van Gerwen and Raymond van Barneveld defeated Brendan Dolan and Micky Mansell 4-0 to take their perch in the last four.
Van Gerwen did his part to place one Dutch foot in the semis despite a spirited performance from Dolan, who tied the five-time world champions at two legs apiece before finally falling to a 4-2 loss.
Van Barneveld couldn't replicate his team-mate's achievement, though, missing four doubles in his first leg against Mansell to get off to a dismal start on Sunday.
Barney did manage to stay within touching distance of Mansell, tying first at 2-2 and then 3-3, but a clinical finish on 64 saw Northern Ireland level up and head to doubles, albeit performing poorly beyond that.
As aforementioned, England and Scotland enjoyed far more routine outings on Sunday, with Gary Anderson and Peter Wright making light work of Ting Chi Royden Lam and Scott MacKenzie, respectively, to each clinch 4-2 wins.
England were the most domineering nation of the quarters, however, where Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis dropped just a single leg between them, courtesy of Germany's Jyhan Artut.
Saturday Update
There were no surprises during Saturday's afternoon session, as Belgium, Australia and Northern Ireland predictably cruised to the quarter-finals, but the last match of the session between Hong Kong and Ireland produced some serious drama, with Punters Lounge Darts even calling it the most dramatic tie in World Cup history.
Scott MacKenzie gave up a 3-0 lead, as Ireland forced a doubles decider, but the Hong Kong ace bounced back just in time with a fantastic finish of 86, hitting double 16 on the bull to fire his nation to the next round.
The evening session continued the day's pattern, as defending champions Holland, England, Scotland and Germany all qualified for the next round without dropping a match.
The full results from Saturday's matches:
| Belgium | 2-0 | Spain |
| Australia | 2-0 | Gibraltar |
| Northern Ireland | 2-0 | New Zealand |
| Hong Kong | 2-1 | Ireland |
| Scotland | 2-0 | Hungary |
| Netherlands | 2-0 | South Africa |
| England | 2-0 | Japan |
| Austria | 2-0 | Germany |
Ronny and Kim Huybrechts were never expected to be troubled against Spain's Cristo Reyes and Antonio Alcinas, and the Belgian duo gave up just two legs, cruising to a 2-1 win with singles scores of 4-1 (twice).
Simon Whitlock was on point for Australia as well, beating Dyson Parody of Gibraltar 4-0, and while team-mate Paul Nicholson needed a decider to get past Manuel Vilerio, the 2-0 win means the Aussies wasted very little time on the stage.
They spoke to the PDC after the match, admitting they need some work on their doubles if they wish to go deep in the tournament. You can watch the interview by clicking here.
New Zealand shocked Canada in the first round but couldn't repeat their heroics against Northern Ireland, as Brendan Dolan and Mickey Mansell lost just a single leg on their way to a convincing win.
Connie Finn forced a doubles match for Ireland by beating MacKenzie 4-3 after trailing 3-0, and MacKenzie would suffer yet another meltdown in the doubles. Fortunately for him, he managed to halt his slide just in time, but his confidence has undoubtedly been crushed heading into the quarterfinals.
If the afternoon session was a bit one-sided, the evening session was filled with veritable walkovers. Scotland dropped just two legs against Hungary, and the Netherlands did even better, beating South Africa 4-0 and 4-1.
Michael van Gerwen, who remains the most in-form player in the world, steamed past Graham Filby, while Raymond van Barneveld surrendered just the one leg against Devon Petersen.
The duo looks more than confident heading into the next round, where they'll meet Northern Ireland:
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis cruised past Japan and should be considered favourites for the title, along with the Netherlands, while the Germans gave the home crowd the perfect end to the night, beating Austria 2-0.
Belgium will face Australia in what should be the top battle in the quarter-finals, and while Whitlock looks to be in impeccable form, the early edge goes to the Huybrechts brothers, who look more in control on the doubles.
Friday Update
| Canada (11) | 4-5 | New Zealand |
| Sweden (15) | 2-5 | Hungary |
| Wales (7) | 3-5 | Hong Kong |
| Republic of Ireland (10) | 5-0 | Poland |
| Northern Ireland (6) | 5-2 | Thailand |
| Scotland (2) | 5-1 | Singapore |
| Netherlands (3) | 5-2 | USA |
| South Africa (14) | 5-4 | Finland |
Friday's action started with a shock, as seeded Canada collapsed against New Zealand.
Rob Szabo & Warren Parry defeated three-times world champion John Part and his partner Ken MacNeil, as the Canadians became the first seeds to crash out.
The eventual losers were constantly chasing the match, as Szabo and Parry kept their heads above water.
Canada missed six doubles in the opening leg, with the Kiwis landing a double at their eighth attempt. Part then threw the first 180 of the night to bring the scores level.
The key leg came at 3-3 when Szabo checked out with a brilliant 102 finish to give New Zealand the slender lead. But Part showed his class and levelled the match once more to force a one-leg shootout.
And it was left to Parry to claim his country's first World Cup win since 2010, as he completed a 92 checkout.
There was to be a further shock on Friday as seventh seed Wales crashed out of the competition against a determined Hong Kong.
Ting Chi Royden Lam & Scott MacKenzie beat 2008 BDO World Championship winner Mark Webster and 23-year-old Jamie Lewis.
Hong Kong broke the lead in the fifth leg, with Lam finishing strongly from 131 to make it 4-2.
The Welsh never recovered—and it was left to Lam to win the tie on a double 10. PDC Darts took to social media to highlight the shock result:
In the nights other matches, 15th seed Sweden gave up their place in the latter rounds as they were eliminated by Hungary.
Magnus Caris and Daniel Larsson were beaten by Nandor Bezzeg and Gabor Takacs, with Takacs landing the doubles in the final two legs to give his country their first ever World Cup victory.
There were mandatory wins for the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, as they defeated Poland, Thailand, Singapore and USA to stroll into the next phase.
However, there was nearly a shock at the end of the night as 14th seed South Africa almost became the fourth seeded team of the day to bow out, narrowly avoiding a defeat to Finland in a final-leg decider.
Marko Kantele missed double top to win the match, leaving a relieved Devon Peterson a double 10 to claim the victory.
Thursday Update
The opening session on Thursday saw eight of the seeded countries in action against less illustrious opposition, but there were no surprises in store as the seeded nations thoroughly dominated proceedings.
The closest match came between Gibraltar and Italy in the former's first win in five World Cups.
Gibraltar pair Dyson Parody and Manuel Vilero punished Marco Brentegani and Daniele Petri for missing crucial doubles in the fourth and sixth legs as they cruised to a 5-2 win, which held extra significance for Parody, having been featured in all four of the team's previous defeats:
The pair face a tough ask in the next round, though, as they will take on Australia's Simon Whitlock and Paul Nicholson, who overcame a 110 checkout from Alexey Kadochnikov to win the final match of the session, per Live Darts:
Four teams romped home to whitewash victories in their matches, including hosts Germany, Spain, Japan and England.
Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis once again represented two-time winners England and did not disappoint in their comprehensive win over Denmark.
Lewis began the match in style as he hit a 180 before checking out on 91 in the first leg. Taylor cemented the lead in just 14 darts in the second, taking full advantage of Lewis, who set up the 16-time world champion with a double 16.
Danish duo Per Laursen and Per Skau had to live on scraps for the remainder of the match as the No. 1-seeded team left them just two darts at a double on the way to their 5-0 win.
According to PDC.tv, Taylor said after the match: "It wasn't our best performance but it's good to get that first game out of the way. Adrian's been practising really well and when we click it will be brilliant. It's a pleasure to play with him and we really want to win this title back."
England will face Japan in the second round on Saturday, who beat China with consummate ease in their tie.
Here are the full results, courtesy of PDC's official Twitter account:
The remaining eight seeded teams are in action on Friday as they seek to emulate Thursday's contenders in avoiding any upsets.
Defending champions the Netherlands will be in the spotlight, with Raymond van Barneveld and Michael van Gerwen sure to come out on top against Darin Young and Larry Butler of the United States.
Second-seeded Scotland will also feature in the day's action as they take on Singapore.
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