LEWIS’ DUBLIN DELIGHT
Adrian Lewis came from 4-1 down to defeat Andy Hamilton in the final of Saturday^s Irish Players Championship at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
Lewis followed up last month^s Austrian Open victory by taking the £6,000 winner^s cheque in Ireland, in the first of two PDC Pro Tour events being held over the weekend ahead of the Skybet World Grand Prix.
The 24-year-old produced some superb darts on the day, whitewashing Matt Clark in his opening match and also defeating Tony Ayres, Colin Lloyd, Peter Manley and Wayne Jones to reach the final.
Hamilton led 4-1 after making a strong start to the game, taking a break of throw in leg four, but Lewis took the sixth, hitting a 180 and then double ten, before punishing two misses from Hamilton in the next to cut the gap to 4-3.
Hamilton landed a maximum of his own in the eighth, but missed two darts to go 5-3 up before Lewis earned a reprieve from four earlier misses to take out double seven.
A 104 finish saw Lewis hit the front at 5-4, and he then kicked off the next leg with a 180 before taking out 135 on the bull for a 12-dart finish in sealing the win.
"It^s a massive boost for me," said Lewis. "I was delighted to win in Austria last month and I^ve managed to keep that form going.
"Playing for six days in a row in Championship League Darts has helped my form, even though it^s disappointing that I^ve not qualified for the Winners Group yet, but I know I^m playing well at the moment.
"Hopefully now I can take that into Sunday^s tournament and the Skybet World Grand Prix this week."
Hamilton^s run to the final included his first-ever competitive victory against Phil Taylor, with a 6-3 triumph in the semi-finals.
He also defeated veteran pair John MaGowan and Dennis Priestley, as well as Wayne Mardle and Martyn Turner.
Taylor^s semi-final loss was the first time in a ranking event this year he has not reached the final, having overcome Dutch pair Vincent van der Voort and Toon Greebe as well as in-form Wes Newton to progress to the last four.
Wolverhampton^s Wayne Jones joined the Stoke trio in the semis after defeating Yorkshireman Darren Johnson 6-5 in the quarter-finals.
Both James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld, ranked second and third in the world respectively, were eliminated in the last 32, losing out to Kevin McDine and Mark Walsh.
Irish Players Championship (Saturday)
First Round
Board One
Phil Taylor (1) Bye
Gary Welding 6-1 Andy Fordham
Toon Greebe 6-4 Steve Maish (32)
Mark Lawrence 6-5 Roland Scholten
Board Two
Vincent van der Voort (16) Bye
Felix McBrearty 6-0 Dave Ahmet
Denis Ovens (17) Bye
Justin Pipe 6-0 Geoff Whitworth
Board Three
Terry Jenkins (8) Bye
Mark Frost 6-0 Dylan Duo
Wes Newton (25) Bye
Chris Jackson 6-5 Jonathan Overton
Board Four
Ronnie Baxter (9) Bye
Dave Honey 6-5 Brendan Dolan
Andy Jenkins (24) Bye
Mark Stephenson 6-3 Ken Dobson
Board Five
Dennis Priestley (5) Bye
Andy Callaby 6-3 Davey Mansell
Jelle Klaasen (28) 6-4 Mark Webster
Shane O^Connor 6-0 Matt Gallett
Board Six
Mervyn King (12) Bye
Martyn Turner 6-3 Par Riihonen
Andy Hamilton (21) Bye
Wayne Mardle 6-3 Owen Caffrey
Board Seven
James Wade (4) Bye
John Part 6-5 Barrie Bates
Tony Eccles (29) 6-5 Louis Blundell
Kevin McDine 6-5 Richie Burnett
Board Eight
Jamie Caven (13) Bye
John MaGowan 6-3 Kirk Shepherd
Andy Smith (20) Bye
Mick McGowan 6-5 Chris Loudon
Board Nine
Mark Walsh (2) Bye
Dave Ladley 6-3 Andy Relf
Raymond van Barneveld (31) 6-2 Peter Wright
Dennis Smith 6-5 Jacko Barry
Board Ten
Steve Beaton (15) Bye
James Barton 6-1 Gary Barnett
Wayne Jones (18) Bye
Chris Thompson 6-1 Ian Eames
Board 11
Robert Thornton (7) Bye
Ian McFarlane 6-0 Tony Blundell
Alex Roy (26) Bye
Darren Johnson 6-4 Steve Grubb
Board 12
Gary Anderson (10) Bye
Stuart Bousfield 6-0 Nigel Birch
Kevin Painter (23) Bye
Ray Farrell 6-5 Nick Fullwell
Board 13
Colin Lloyd (6) Bye
Joe Cullen 6-0 Kevin Hill
Paul Nicholson (27) Bye
John Quantock 6-3 Dyson Parody
Board 14
Adrian Lewis (11) Bye
Matt Clark 6-3 Steve Hine
Michael van Gerwen (22) Bye
Tony Ayres 6-2 Dave Ansell
Board 15
Colin Osborne (3) Bye
Michael Barnard 6-4 Colin Monk
Peter Manley (30) 6-2 Matt Jackson
Steve Brown 6-2 Didier de Vuyst
Board 16
Alan Tabern (14) Bye
Wayne Atwood 6-2 Jon Archer
Mark Dudbridge (19) Bye
Adrian Gray 6-1 Stephen Hardy
Second Round
Phil Taylor 6-2 Gary Welding
Toon Greebe 6-5 Mark Lawrence
Vincent van der Voort 6-3 Felix McBrearty
Justin Pipe 6-3 Denis Ovens
Mark Frost 6-3 Terry Jenkins
Wes Newton 6-3 Chris Jackson
Ronnie Baxter 6-3 Dave Honey
Andy Jenkins 6-1 Mark Stephenson
Dennis Priestley 6-1 Andy Callaby
Shane O^Connor 6-4 Jelle Klaasen
Martyn Turner 6-5 Mervyn King
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Wayne Mardle
James Wade 6-3 John Part
Kevin McDine 6-4 Tony Eccles
John MaGowan 6-2 Jamie Caven
Andy Smith 6-0 Mick McGowan
Mark Walsh 6-1 Dave Ladley
Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 Dennis Smith
Steve Beaton 6-2 James Barton
Wayne Jones 6-3 Chris Thompson
Ian McFarlane 6-5 Robert Thornton
Darren Johnson 6-3 Alex Roy
Stuart Bousfield 6-5 Gary Anderson
Kevin Painter 6-2 Ray Farrell
Colin Lloyd 6-3 Joe Cullen
Paul Nicholson 6-2 John Quantock
Adrian Lewis 6-0 Matt Clark
Tony Ayres 6-5 Michael van Gerwen
Colin Osborne 6-3 Michael Barnard
Peter Manley 6-3 Steve Brown
Alan Tabern 6-4 Wayne Atwood
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Adrian Gray
Losers £200
Third Round
Phil Taylor 6-1 Toon Greebe
Vincent van der Voort 6-4 Justin Pipe
Wes Newton 6-2 Mark Frost
Ronnie Baxter 6-2 Andy Jenkins
Dennis Priestley 6-3 Shane O^Connor
Andy Hamilton 6-4 Martyn Turner
Kevin McDine 6-4 James Wade
John MaGowan 6-2 Andy Smith
Mark Walsh 6-4 Raymond van Barneveld
Wayne Jones 6-5 Steve Beaton
Darren Johnson 6-3 Ian McFarlane
Kevin Painter 6-1 Stuart Bousfield
Colin Lloyd 6-2 Paul Nicholson
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Tony Ayres
Peter Manley 6-5 Colin Osborne
Mark Dudbridge 6-5 Alan Tabern
Losers £300
Fourth Round
Phil Taylor 6-2 Vincent van der Voort
Wes Newton 6-4 Ronnie Baxter
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Dennis Priestley
John MaGowan 6-5 Kevin McDine
Wayne Jones 6-4 Mark Walsh
Darren Johnson 6-5 Kevin Painter
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Colin Lloyd
Peter Manley 6-2 Mark Dudbridge
Losers £400
Quarter-Finals
Phil Taylor 6-3 Wes Newton
Andy Hamilton 6-3 John MaGowan
Wayne Jones 6-5 Darren Johnson
Adrian Lewis 6-3 Peter Manley
Losers £800
Semi-Finals
Andy Hamilton 6-3 Phil Taylor
Adrian Lewis 6-2 Wayne Jones
Losers £1,500
Final
Adrian Lewis 6-4 Andy Hamilton
Winner £6,000
Runner-Up £3,000