Issue 29 (July 15, 2016)

Friday 15 July 2016

Darts Weekly

Can MVG make

it a Blackpool double?

We preview this year’s BetVictor World Matchplay P2-12 MASON’S PROPHECY

KONG’S COMEBACK

PAYNE READY TO GO

Find out his surprise pick to reach the last four Pages 2-3

Robbie Green reveals his plan to beat ‘The Power’ Pages 4-5

Josh Payne chats to us ahead of his Blackpool debut Page 11

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Friday 15 July 2016 Darts Weekly

Van Gerwen is the favourite but faces best ever line-up in Get ready for more magical bid to retain the Matchplay moments at Alex Moss van Gerwen was priced as 11/10 CHIEF DARTS WRITER favourite by the tournament Blackpool sponsors BetVictor to retain his crown, with world champion Gary this year Michael van Gerwen completed Anderson next at 5/1. what many class as the triple crown in the PDC last summer when he lifted the BetVictor World Matchplay title for the first time.

The world number one returns to the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool this weekend aiming to retain the title he won 12 months ago, although recent history suggests he may not be getting his hands on the trophy a week on Sunday.

When the Dutchman claimed his first World Grand Prix crown in 2012 he could not successfully defend it the following year, and the same scenario occurred when he won the World Championship for the first time two years later.

Van Gerwen has backed up his maiden triumphs in the European Championship and the UK Open, but in terms of the unofficial triple crown (World Championship, World Grand Prix and World Matchplay), it has so far been a different story.

His bid for back-to-back World Matchplay titles also faces severe scrutiny from arguably the best ever line-up of players assembled in the tournament’s history.

Van Gerwen’s compatriot Benito van de Pas heads the list of 16 qualifiers from the Pro Tour Order of Merit, which includes several players who could still be in contention on the final weekend.

Northern Ireland’s Daryl Gurney and Australia’s Kyle Anderson are two of the form players so far in 2016, with both having impressed particularly on the European Tour.

Both have recorded wins over some of the top players on stage this season, and although they only have one previous Blackpool appearance between them, they will be confident of going far.

As we went to press the holder

The Flying Scotsman has been in excellent form on the World Series circuit this year, winning in Dubai, Auckland and Tokyo, but the World Matchplay crown still eludes his trophy cabinet.

His record at Blackpool is a peculiar one when put against his vast array of success in the last 18 months. Anderson has reached one semi-final in seven visits to the Winter Gardens, while his other bids have ended in either the first or second rounds.

The two players in the field with the best track record at Blackpool are easily Phil Taylor and James Wade, and the two could meet in

‘Anderson’s record is peculiar when you look at his success in the last 18 months’ the quarter-finals next week.

Taylor has won the World Matchplay an astonishing 15 times, the last of those coming in 2014.

Wade in fact ended Taylor’s seven-year winning streak when he beat him in the semi-finals last year, and the 2007 winner has looked in some of the best form of his career this season.

‘The Machine’ has recorded multiple wins over van Gerwen, Anderson and Taylor in 2016 and will go to Blackpool knowing that he has no one to fear.

The sixth seed first faces Mervyn King in the last 32 and if he gets through that, a potential clash with Raymond van Barneveld awaits him in the second round.

Whichever player ends up on top in Blackpool this year will have had to come through a few battles on the way in what is a highlycompetitive field of players.

Chris Mason 1998 MATCHPLAY SEMI-FINALIST There has been a lot of new events introduced onto the PDC calendar in recent years, but for me the World Matchplay is still the second most important one.

It’s the second longest running event on the PDC calendar and I think it’s one of the toughest ones to qualify for.

The Matchplay tends to produce some magical moments and I’m sure there will be some this year.

One of those moments is of course Phil Taylor’s nine darter which he hit against me in 2002.

It was the first live nine darter on British TV and it was fabulous to be involved in, although obviously I’d of preferred it if I’d have hit it!

I remember I had a great match with John Lowe at the Matchplay in 2000. It was 11-11 and I think he threw something like 12 and 11, or 13 and 11 dart legs to beat me by the two clear legs.

Anderson’s a different animal I think I even have a better record than Gary Anderson at the Matchplay!

For a player of his standard he doesn’t have a good record there, but he is a different animal nowadays and he’s certainly learnt how to win.

He was plagued with inconsistency, he looked like a million dollars in one game and then looked very beatable in the next one.

He’s won in Dubai, New Zealand and Japan in the World Series this year, and has beaten Michael van Gerwen in the final to win two of

Darts Weekly Friday 15 July 2016

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those which will stand him in good stead.

The two of them are in opposite sides of the draw, but if they do meet in the final Gary will be confident after his recent wins over Michael.

Heat is on at the Matchplay Some of the guys are going to feel the heat. I’ve experienced no other heat like it than at the Winter Gardens.

It’s got a reasonably high ceiling but for some reason it’s like a cauldron in there.

It is really hot and a few players do suffer with the heat, Adrian Lewis being one of them. He’s

is dominating. I don’t think that’s healthy, and to be honest the standard of all the players now is frightening.

The levels they play at, especially on the Pro Tour, some of the darts you’ll see there are incredible, with players reeling off games in 12, 11, 13, 12, 11 and 14 darts.

It’s phenomenal and the standard is at an all-time high.

Tough opener for Kong Robbie Green got into the Matchplay on the last knockings and he looks like he’s had a good year.

I don’t think he’s picked up any money on the European Tour, so to actually get up to 16th in the Pro Tour Order of Merit is impressive.

He’s not been given a very nice reward though with Taylor facing him in the first round, but you never know.

Robbie is a very capable player, he’s a big scorer, but he will have to come out of the blocks and start really well and put Phil under pressure.

Like at the Worlds, Phil has got a prolific record at the Matchplay and he’ll be prepared.

If there is any event he knows how to win then it is the Matchplay. I think he’s going to be tough to beat, but I honestly don’t fancy him for it this year.

Breakthrough for Gurney?

had some strange results over the years at the Matchplay.

He’s got to the final before and I think he’s one of at least five or six players who could win it.

A couple of years ago it was between two or three, maybe even four, but I think it’s wide open this year.

I’d love for a player to come out, like a Benito van de Pas or a Joe Cullen, a real new face to really make a breakthrough and get to a final and potentially win it.

Although Michael has been fairly dominant it’s nice that we’ve got an array of different winners.

I think that’s what the game needs. I don’t think we need an era like Taylor had, where van Gerwen

I don’t think there will be any real shock in the top quarter and van Gerwen will get through, but I fancy Daryl Gurney to come through in the second quarter.

In a recent exhibition the other night he missed double 12 for a nine darter and I think this could be his real breakthrough in the PDC. I fancy him to go deep.

In the bottom half I think it will be a Anderson versus Wade semifinal, and that’s just on recent form and maybe a hunch as well.

If I was going to have two tips in the first round, the double for me is Kyle Anderson to beat Vincent van der Voort, and I like Gurney to beat Ian White.

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Friday 15 July 2016 Darts Weekly

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

“If I can get my scoring game going I reckon I can give Phil a good game and maybe sneak a win”

Robbie Green chats to Alex Moss ahead of returning to the World Matchplay for the first time since 2004

hen Robbie Green takes to the stage on Monday night, it will mark what he hopes will be a satisfying end to the injury problems which have plagued his second stint in the PDC. The Liverpool-born thrower snuck into this year’s BetVictor World Matchplay on the last day, with a run to the quarter-finals of Players Championship 11 in Barnsley two weeks ago helping him take the 16th and final place up for grabs in the Pro Tour Order of Merit.

His reward for earning a return to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens for the first time in 12 years? A first round clash with Phil Taylor, a 15time winner of the popular summer tournament.

“It is what it is,” the 41-year-old admitted. “Obviously there’s better draws than that.

“He’s a high profile player. Let’s be honest he’s not as sharp as he was a few years ago, but I know he’s still knocking in 100 averages for fun and that he is the main man still.

“I’ve been finishing really well and if I get my scoring going I can beat anybody.

“My problem over the years has always been my finishing. I’ve always fluffed it at the last minute, but I seem to have got over that now and I’m finishing a lot better than I ever have.

“If I get my scoring game going I reckon I can give him a good game and maybe sneak a win.”

After a last 32 exit in Players

“I’ve had to fight for it and I’ll definitely be taking that to Blackpool with me”

W

Championship 10, Green’s hopes of qualifying for Blackpool looked slim, so much so that Rowby-John Rodriguez, who heading into Sunday occupied 16th place in the Pro Tour Order of Merit, was celebrating qualification already.

Green explains: “I went outside after my game and Rowby was out there high-fiving everyone. ‘That’s put me in the Matchplay. I’m in the Matchplay’ and all this.

“Me and Alan Norris sort of looked at each other and I said ‘I’m going to use that and smash it tomorrow.’

“I was in bed by half nine that night. I had a proper night’s kip got up in the morning and said to the missus ‘I feel fresh. I’m going to do this today, I’m going to get it done’ and luckily enough I did.”

It would not be a simple path to qualifying though. In the last 32, Green found himself 5-0 down to Jermaine Wattimena, but battled back to win 6-5, and in the end it was Joe Cullen’s win over Cristo Reyes in the semi-finals which secured a second visit for Green to the Winter Gardens.

“I know I’ve really had to fight,” the former Lakeside semi-finalist said. “I was 5-0 down against Jermaine and that took some fight to get that back.

“I’ve proved I can sort of do it again now. I was made up after that because it showed I still had that fight in me, the will to win, and Jermaine’s he’s a quality player is Jermaine.

“I feel more confident after going through like I have. I’ve not had it

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x

x

x x x

“x x x x” easy. I’ve had to fight for it and I’ll definitely be taking that to Blackpool with me.”

Green made the switch back to the PDC at the start of last year and earned his two-year tour card at Q-School, but his first year back on the circuit was ruined by an injury which came out of nowhere.

“I played at Q-School with the injury,” he reveals. “I’d come home from Lakeside and I’d woke up the next morning, I couldn’t move my arm at all. I was in agony.

“I thought maybe I’d slept on it funny but it just seemed to get worse over the next couple of days.

“I went to Q-School with it and each day I played it got worse and worse.

“I carried on the next couple of months thinking it was going to heal, but if I cut the practice out I was going to tournaments and I

wasn’t sharp enough to play those type of players.

“Then when I did practice I was going to tournaments with my arm in a mess. It was a vicious circle and I ended up going to the doctors.

“He said it was a torn tendon. It was just a really bad time. I went

“Last year was bad with my arm but now you’re starting to see what I can do” to the doctors and had more injections and he said: ‘look, after this injection this is the last one I’m giving you. You’ve got to have the rest, you’ve got to take some time off now.’

“I ended up having seven or eight weeks off and it got a lot better. I row, to follow on from triumphs in

qualified for the Grand Slam but I left it too late to do anything for the Worlds.

“Obviously I was gutted not to make the Worlds, but I looked at it as a chance to give the arm more rest and then start the new season fresh in January.”

Now up to 56th in the PDC Order of Merit, Green is on course to retain his tour card next year, but the man nicknamed Kong has far bigger aspirations for the rest of 2016.

Having qualified for the next three European Tour events, Green is in a good position to make his debut at the Alexandra Palace at the end of the year.

“Last year was a bad year with my arm and everything,” he said.

“I’ve started to settle down and now you’re starting to see what I can do.”

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Friday 15 July 2016 Darts Weekly

Greatest Matchplay memory involved Sid's backing vocals as I sang Bachelors hit tune John Gwynne COMMENTATOR Dave Lanning and I commentated on the World Championship at Purfleet, the very first one under the WDC jurisdiction and we were told there would be another competition in August.

It was announced some time during the spring or early summer that Sid Waddell, who had worked for the BBC for many, many years on the BDO World Championship and other BDO events, was going to join Dave and I in the commentary box.

So it was the first time in 1994, for the first World Matchplay, that Dave, Sid and myself all worked together.

It worked very well. Sky had obviously got Sid in because he added something and we probably needed three commentators anyway, because it was too much of a workload for just two people, and who else better than the great Sid Waddell?

We were right up in the gods in the Winter Gardens. It took about five minutes to get there from the press room.

We did a lot of climbing steps and ladders and there were one or two pigeons accompanying us I remember!

Larry Butler beat Dennis Priestley in the final and they played for £10,000, and of the 32 in the field, 11 were Americans, because here weren’t the players.

Anybody remotely connected with the BDO, who had anything to do with the WDC, would never play again in the BDO, that’s what they were told.

So the WDC had to commandeer Americans for the World Championship, and indeed the World Matchplay.

Two Scotsman, Jocky Wilson and Jamie Harvey, and one Irishman, the great Tom Kirby, played and all

the other 18 were Englishmen. It was a great tournament with Butler beating Priestley 16-12 in the final, coming from behind to do so.

We thought Dennis was nailed on to be honest and especially with him being the reigning world champion at the time, but it wasn’t to be.

The longest memory from that tournament was the second round game between Keith Deller and Jim Watkins.

Even in that first staging of the World Matchplay, each game had to be won by two clear legs and Watkins ended up beating Deller 18-16 in a game which was initially the best of 15 legs.

That went on forever I recall.

Dave and I were commentating on that one.

The first year at Blackpool also

“We did a live performance of ‘Smile for me, my Diana’ on Sky” provided me with my greatest memory working for Sky. Sky did their Saturday afternoon sports show from the Winter Gardens, and it was an entertainment show as well as sports news.

On the Winter Gardens stage, and this is absolutely true, I wish Sky would find the footage from somewhere, there’s Sid Waddell, myself and Dave Lanning as The Bachelors.

In the morning of that first Saturday we managed to secure the services of The Bachelors, who were in the Grand Theatre just a few hundred yards away from the Winter Gardens.

They gave us some advice and they coached us and we sang, I think it was ‘Smile for me, my Diana’ and I was the lead singer.

Sid and Dave were doing the

backing vocals and it was tremendous fun. It really was.

We did it live on Sky on a Saturday afternoon as part of the show and that was Sid’s introduction to Sky Sports. Those early days were absolutely magic.

I had met Sid before the first World Matchplay because I used to go to the Embassy World Championship.

From 1990 to 1999 I covered the Embassy World Championship for BBC 5Live, or BBC Radio Sport, before 5Live came into being.

I used to go to the Embassy every year. My first visit to Frimley Green was 1989, prior to that I’d been to Jollies two or three times.

I knew Sid, we knew each other fairly well, and I remember saying to him once when I bumped into him in the corridors of BBC Manchester: ‘Hello Sid, how are you doing? I wouldn’t mind your job mate.’

Little knowing that a few years later we’d be working together and for a very long time. The World

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THE DRAW Michael van Gerwen (1) v Jamie Caven x x x x x x xx x x x x x x x x

Matchplay was certainly Sid’s favourite tournament.

If it was up to me then the Sid Waddell Trophy would be at the World Matchplay.

He absolutely loved it. It was his first ever PDC tournament and it was his last ever PDC tournament in full.

He did the odd match in the Premier League when he was ill, so

“The Matchplay has got a special aura about it and it is a genuine event” there’s a nice bookend about the World Matchplay as far as Sid Waddell is concerned.

The World Matchplay is the best competition in some senses. It is a genuine darts competition and it hasn’t moved its venue since the outset.

It’s got a special aura about it and most of the players say it’s their favourite. I class it as one of the

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Vincent van der Voort (16) v Kyle Anderson

xx x x x

Gary Anderson (2) v Alan Norris

tournaments in the PDC’s triple crown.

The three are the World Championship, the World Matchplay and the World Grand Prix, I say those are the big three.

Yes, the Premier League is important, but it’s a limited field, and other events do carry some weight.

But those three to me are the three worlds, and are the three genuine majors.

There’s not a player in this year’s Matchplay who isn’t capable, if he hits it right, of winning the tournament.

Going back exactly 20 years to Peter Evison in 1996, no one backed Evison before it started.

Admittedly the field wasn’t as strong, but he beat Phil Taylor 8-1 and then beat Priestley in the final 16-14.

So who knows? 20 years later it could be someone outside of the seedings who could come through and win it. I can’t wait to see who will be lifting the trophy this year!

Robert Thornton (8) v Josh Payne Dave Chisnall (9) v Benito van de Pas Peter Wright (5) v Joe Cullen Ian White (12) v Daryl Gurney Adrian Lewis (4) v Mark Webster Kim Huybrechts (13) v Gerwyn Price

Terry Jenkins (15) v Justin Pipe Michael Smith (7) v Simon Whitlock Jelle Klaasen (10) v Steve Beaton James Wade (6) v Mervyn King Raymond van Barneveld (11) v Brendan Dolan Phil Taylor (3) v Robbie Green Stephen Bunting (14) v Mensur Suljovic Format First round - best of 19 legs Second round - best of 21 legs Quarter-finals - best of 31 legs Semi-finals - best of 33 legs Final - best of 35 legs  Each match must be won by two clear legs, with a maximum of five additional legs being played before the sixth extra leg is sudden death.

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Friday 15 July 2016 Darts Weekly

Wade is one of the masters of the Matchplay and has plenty of mileage left to win it again Dave South DARTS WRITER James Wade was the youngest player ever to win a PDC major at the age of 24, until Michael van Gerwen won the 2012 World Grand Prix at 23, but he still retains the honour as the youngest winner of the World Matchplay.

Looking back briefly at the early days of his career, ‘The Machine’ began his darting venture over in the BDO, where he was affiliated until the PDC switch in 2004.

In 2006, Wade entered the Matchplay as a non-seed and made a sensational impact, going all the way to the final at the tender age of just 23.

Having beaten 10th seed Denis Ovens 10-1 in the first round, he went on to beat Kevin Painter in the last 16, 13-9, with Chris Mason then a quarter-final casualty, 16-4.

Wade went on to defeat Dutch maestro Roland Scholten in a 19-17 thriller before being derailed by Phil Taylor in the final, where the left hander picked up the runners up prize of £15,000.

Wade’s journey to the final was no fluke as 12 months later in 2007, at the age of 24, he went on to lift the prestigious Matchplay trophy.

His supremacy on this occasion came as a seeded player, entering at 11th in the PDC Order of Merit that year.

Wade disposed of Wayne Jones 10-7 and Dennis Priestley 16-14, with Mervyn King the next victim in the quarter-finals 16-11.

After surpassing seventh seed Adrian Lewis with relative ease in the semi-finals 17-7, he defeated Terry Jenkins in the final 18-7 to pocket the £50,000 prize.

Wade returned the following year in 2004 to defend his title as world number three, only to be beaten by Taylor in the final.

In 2009, after three back-to-back

final appearances, local favourite Ronnie Baxter denied ‘The Machine’ in the quarter-finals.

Wade bounced back in 2010 and went one further than 2009, but was curtailed by Raymond van Barneveld in the semi-finals.

He would return in 2011 only to be denied a second coveted title by Taylor for the third time in five attempts.

Taylor again denied Wade in the 2012 final, but in a much closer display it finished 18-15, while their semi-final clash the following year ended 17-12 to the holder.

It was not to be Wade’s destiny in 2014, as close pal at the time Simon Whitlock stopped him in the quarter-finals 16-10.

Last year Wade finally got his deserved revenge on Taylor, the man who has denied him on

‘In his 10 visits to Blackpool for the World Matchplay he has made six finals’ multiple occasions in the final.

After beating Taylor in the semifinals, Wade lost out to Michael van Gerwen in the final.

Wade has been one of the most successful players on the Winter Gardens stage.

In his 10 appearances he has made six finals, finishing runnerup on five occasions and never failing to reach at least the quarterfinals.

His leg aggregate at Blackpool is 580 legs won to 450 legs lost and he has in excess of a 56 per cent win rate during this time.

Wade’s consistency in this competition is truly remarkable, he enters the 2016 World Matchplay with the possible last 16 clash with van Barneveld.

If things could not get any worse, Taylor, if games went with the higher seeds, could be waiting for him in the quarter-finals. Believing

x x

in Wade’s professional appearance he would say on camera that he did not particularly care about who he played.

Wade has earned his right to be here and on record Blackpool is his second home away from the outskirts of Aldershot.

If Wade was to deny not liking the Winter Gardens there would surely be an element of untruth in the matter.

Wade has certainly sparked consistent runs, even during his documented personal issues, but as a resilient individual he has overcome them and has remained in the top eight ever since his victory at Blackpool in 2007.

Wade’s opinion on his greatest success at the World Matchplay could perhaps be the final where he won it, but personally I believe

Darts Weekly Friday 15 July 2016

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YOUR GUIDE TO ROUND ONE

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GAME OF THE ROUND Gary Anderson v Alan Norris The last two and a half years have been the most successful of Gary Anderson’s career, yet the World Matchplay title eludes him. The Scot has only got past the second round once in his seven previous visits to Blackpool, and the first hurdle in his way this year is debutant Alan Norris, who came over to the PDC only last year.

After winning his tour card on the first day of Q-School, Norris has quickly risen up the rankings, with a run to the quarter-finals of the World Championship at Ally Pally helping him on his way to breaking into the top 32 this year.

Norris will go into his Matchplay debut with no fear and confident of dumping out the second seed.

Vincent van der Voort v Kyle Anderson The 16th seed has lost in the first round on his last three visits to Blackpool, and this year he takes on an in-form Anderson (above).

ORDER OF PLAY Seeds in bold

his conquest of Taylor last year gave him the belief that he can, and will, remain on top for years to come.

No doubt Wade’s record and defiance has helped him achieve what he has at the Winter Gardens, and as the sixth favourite by tournament sponsors BetVictor, he will be fancied by shrewd punters.

If Wade is to conquer Blackpool once more, after his worst case scenario with Barney and Taylor in his quarter he could face world champion Gary Anderson in the semi-finals.

A potential repeat of the 2015 final could then be in the pipeline with van Gerwen.

Despite there being a tricky path for him this year, Wade has plenty of mileage left for another triumph in Blackpool.

SEED IN DANGER

Saturday July 16 (7pm): (16) Vincent van der Voort (Net) v Kyle Anderson (Aus); (8) Robert Thornton (Sco) v Josh Payne (Eng); (1) Michael van Gerwen (Net) v Jamie Caven (Eng); (9) Dave Chisnall (Eng) v B van de Pas (Net).

Sunday July 17 (1pm): (14) Stephen Bunting (Eng) v Mensur Suljovic (Aut); (13) Kim Huybrechts (Bel) v Gerwyn Price (Wal); (15) Terry Jenkins (Eng) v Justin Pipe (Eng); (12) Ian White (Eng) v Daryl Gurney (Nir). (7pm): (6) James Wade (Eng) v Mervyn King (Eng); (4) Adrian Lewis (Eng) v Mark Webster (Wal); (2) Gary Anderson (Sco) v Alan Norris (Eng); (5) Peter Wright (Sco) v Joe Cullen (Eng).

Monday July 18 (7pm): (10)

Jelle Klaasen (Net) v Steve Beaton (Eng); (11) Raymond van Barneveld (Net) v Brendan Dolan (Nir); (3) Phil Taylor (Eng) v Robbie Green (Eng); (7) Michael Smith v Simon Whitlock (Aus).

Tuesday July 19 (7pm): 4x second round games Wednesday July 20 (7pm): 4x second round games Thursday July 21 (7pm): 2x quarter-finals Friday July 22 (7pm): 2x quarter-finals

ORDER OF Saturday July 23 (7pm): Semifinals PLAY Sunday July 24 (7pm): Final

All sessions will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports

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World Matchplay debut is ‘a dream come true’ for Payne Sean McCormick TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE DART Josh Payne admits playing on the opening night of the 2016 World Matchplay is a dream come true, as he prepares to make his debut in the competition.

The 22-year-old ace takes on three-time major winner Robert Thornton at the Winter Gardens on Saturday, in what will be his first match on a TV stage.

And the Kent thrower is relishing the opportunity to play on one of darts’ most iconic stages.

“It is a dream come true,” Payne said. “Obviously the World Matchplay and the World Championship are the two biggest tournaments to play in and I need to take it all in.

“I’m really looking forward to it.

It’s going to be a good experience and with it being my first major it’s quite a big step forward in the right direction.

“If I play like I have been and bring my practice game out on the stage, I can do well.”

Payne heads into the clash with reigning World Grand Prix champion, Thornton, as heavy underdog with the bookmakers.

Yet ‘The Thorn’ has not won a game on the Winter Gardens stage, losing in the first round in each of his six previous appearances at the World Matchplay.

Poignantly, Thornton was defeated by a young debutant in Keegan Brown last year, and despite being unware of the Scot’s dismal record in the competition, Payne is confident he too can enjoy a dream debut at the world number eight’s expense.

“Robert has been there and done it,” he said. “I’m not sure how well he’s done in the Matchplay before, but with it being my first time I can go in there with nothing to lose, and just go out there and play darts.

“Obviously it’s a tough game, but if I can play my game, I think I can get through Robert.

“I’m just going to take one game at a time and it’s all on the night really. If I play well, I’m quite confident.”

Payne secured his first-ever PDC senior title in April when he edged out eight-time major winner James Wade to secure the Players Championship Six title in Barnsley.

Having been a tour card holder

“My concentration levels are better and I’m taking it a lot more seriously” since 2013, Payne has predominantly experienced success on the PDC’s Youth Tour system.

Yet this year has seen him make an enormous breakthrough on the professional circuit, and the youngster credits this to a change in approach.

“It’s been a realistic ambition to win a title for the last year or so,” he said. “For the first two years I had my tour card, my concentration levels weren’t right but I’ve tried to change my whole

outset on the game. My concentration levels are a lot better, I’m taking it a lot more seriously, and everything seems to be coming together.

“This year it was my target to push on in the Players Championships and to make the latter stages of the floor tournaments.

“Winning one has come a little sooner than I expected really.”

Payne now looks certain to qualify for the World Championship at the end of the year, however the world number 52 insists that isn’t where his ambitions end for 2016.

“There’s a lot more for me to do this year,” Payne said. “As it stands I’m in the World Championship, and qualifying for the World Grand Prix is a big ambition.

“I should be in the Players Championship Finals, and I want to qualify for all the TV tournaments. The big stage is where I need to be at now really.”

DID YOU KNOW? Josh is coached by former England ladies captain and 1985 WDF World Cup singles champion Linda Batten (now known as Dr Linda Duffy)

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Friday 15 July 2016 Darts Weekly

Harrington/Baxter epic tops list of your Matchplay classics The votes are in and we can reveal your top 10 matches in the history of the World Matchplay: 10. 2002 semi-final - Phil Taylor 17-15 John Lowe 9. 2014 semi-final - Phil Taylor 17-15 Gary Anderson 8. 1996 final - Peter Evison 1614 Dennis Priestley 7. 2006 semi-final - James Wade 19-17 Roland Scholten 6. 1996 second round - Phil Taylor 1-8 Peter Evison 5. 2008 final - Phil Taylor 189 James Wade 4. 2013 final - Phil Taylor 1813 Adrian Lewis 3. 2013 semi-final - Michael van Gerwen 15-17 A Lewis 2. 2011 quarter-final - Simon Whitlock 15-17 A Hamilton 1. 1998 final - Rod Harrington 19-17 Ronnie Baxter Database PDC WILLIAM HILL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP DARTPLAYERS NEW ZEALAND QUALIFIER Quarter finals - C Harris 6-2 T Weko, W Parry 6-4 M Cleaver, J Kelly 6-5 M Lacey, R Szabo 6-3 N Herbert. Semi finals - W Parry 6-3 C Harris, R Szabo 6-2 J Kelly.

Final - W Parry 7-3 R Szabo.

WDF JAPAN OPEN Men’s singles - S Asada (winner), T Yachi (runner-up), H Murmatsu and S Tatsuya (semi-finalists).

Ladies singles - F Sherrock (winner), M Ouchi (runner-up), S Oshiro and M Suzuki (semi-finalists).

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