Premier League Darts Play-Offs 2016 Results: Scores, Standings and Analysis
Michael van Gerwen grabbed the second Premier League Darts title of his career on Thursday, beating Phil Taylor 11-3 in the final of the competition at the O2 Arena in London.
Having lost the last two finals of the tournament against Gary Anderson and Raymond van Barneveld, respectively, Mighty Mike cruised past Adrian Lewis in the semi-finals and continued his remarkable form against Taylor. The Power had beaten reigning world champion Anderson on his way to the final.
Here's a look at Thursday's results:
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| Michael van Gerwen | 10-4 | Adrian Lewis |
| Gary Anderson | 7-10 | Phil Taylor |
| Michael van Gerwen | 11-3 | Phil Taylor |
The final Premier League standings, via the PDC's official Twitter account:
Recap
Van Gerwen wasted little time in his semi-final win over Lewis, running out to a quick 6-1 lead and losing just four legs on his way to the final.
The Order of Merit leader entered the play-offs as the favourite to win the title, and he started his night in fine fashion, taking out 87 for the lead and breaking throw in the second leg. Lewis hit back with a 14-darter, but Mighty Mike took the next four legs with some magnificent darts.
Coral noticed his hot form:
Van Gerwen missed the bull for a 164 finish in the next leg, and Jackpot seized momentum, winning three in a row before the break. But those would be the last legs he'd win, as Van Gerwen hit an 11-darter in the first leg back, and he cruised to the finish line from that point onward.
Another 11-darter saw him seal his spot with an average over 103. Per Live Darts, he wasn't ready to celebrate yet:
Taylor didn't have it nearly as easy in his semi-final win over Anderson, as the six-time winner struggled for consistency at times, finishing with an average of 98 in the 10-7 win.
The defending champion hit on less than 25 percent of his doubles, but he came back from a four-leg deficit to put real pressure on the Power, whose experience made the difference in the end.
Per PDC's official Twitter account, he later revealed he had been feeling nervous, something that was evident in his play:
Taylor took the opening leg with a 96 finish and punished Anderson for a key miss in the second, but the Scotsman hit back with two 180s in two frames, setting up a tense start.
The two split the first eight legs before Taylor shifted gear, winning four in a row to move within two legs of the final. The next three would go to Anderson, who closed the gap to a single leg with an 11-darter, but Taylor grabbed the next leg and finished the job with a magnificent 13-darter to set up a date with Van Gerwen.
Taylor and Van Gerwen split the first four legs of the final before Mighty Mike grabbed the first break and went on a run of four legs in a row. Taylor closed the gap to 6-3, but a crucial miss allowed his opponent to take out 100 and take a four-leg lead into the break.
Here's a look at the finish:
He continued his fine play after the break, and Taylor seemed to lose hope in the 12th leg, throwing his darts away while Van Gerwen upped the pace.
Another key miss on double two by Taylor saw Van Gerwen move within a single leg of the title, and The Power didn't put up a fight in the final leg.
Van Gerwen is widely considered the best player in the world right now, and he looked the part on Thursday. The way he took care of both Taylor and Lewis, former world champions, is bad news for the rest of the pack heading into the Dubai Duty Free Darts Masters starting next Thursday.
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