SUPER WADE SEES OFF NEWTON FOR SPEEDY HIRE UK OPEN TRIUMPH

JAMES WADE bagged the seventh major title of his career, defeating Wes Newton 11-8 in the Speedy Hire UK Open final at Bolton^s Reebok Stadium on Sunday.

Left-hander Wade followed up his 2008 success in Bolton with a second UK Open title, scooping £40,000 with wins over Paul Nicholson, Mark Webster and Newton in a gruelling final day of darts.

The Aldershot ace picked up his first major since revealing his battle with bipolar affective disorder and ADHD in a tight final against Newton as the lead changed hands three times.

Newton took three legs in a row to come from 4-3 down to lead 6-4, but Wade won four of the next five in taking command before going on to seal victory with double top.

"It^s amazing for me," said Wade. "I^ve had so many problems but I^ve got through it and I^m happier than I^ve ever been.

"My sponsors stuck by me and my manager stuck by me and this is dedicated to them. My life^s easier now and the World Championship is a possibility for me now after this.

"The UK Open^s such a hard tournament to win and I started in the first round on Thursday, which seems ages ago, so it^s a proud moment."

Wade, who won the final three legs of his dramatic semi-final against Mark Webster to win 10-9, started in good fashion winning the opening leg with a two-dart 78 finish and then doubled his lead with a 13-darter.

The world number four had a chance to win the third leg, but his attempt at double top was unsuccessful and Newton stepped in to land double ten and get off the mark.

Newton hit a 180 in the process of taking the fourth leg in just 14 darts, but Wade regained the lead by winning the next on double five.

Wade missed two opportunities to break throw in the sixth as two darts at double top were off-target, and Newton completed a 65 finish by hitting double four with his third dart.

Wade hit double ten in the seventh leg to lead again, but wasted four darts at doubles to lead 5-3 and Newton capitalised by hitting double eight to level.

Another miss at double top proved costly for Wade in the ninth leg as Newton hit a clinical 120 checkout to break throw and lead the match for the first time.

The same fate hit Wade again in the next leg as he missed one dart at tops for a 104 finish, and Newton stepped in to hit the same bed and establish a two leg advantage.

The Fleetwood ace missed the chance to claim his fourth successive leg, and Wade took out 74 before hitting a 13-dart finish to square the game at six apiece.

Wade won his third straight leg with the aid of his third maximum of the game to lead 7-6, before Newton held his nerve in the 14th leg to hit an 80 finish with his opponent waiting on double top to leave matters finely balanced.

Newton fired in his fourth 180 of the game in the next leg, but it wasn^t enough to see him reach a double first as Wade hit tops at the first time of asking to lead 8-7.

Wade then stepped up a gear in the next two legs as he put together consecutive 14-dart finishes to move 10-7 ahead and go one leg away from the title.

He had one chance to end the contest in the next, but missed tops for a 101 finish as Newton posted double 16 to stay alive.

Wade, though, hit back with his fifth maximum of the match to forge ahead in the next, and took out double top for a 13-darter to seal the triumph.

"Wes did really well to reach the final and both of us found it hard, but I really gave it to him in the final five or six legs," said Wade. "

"Each game becomes harder and harder, but it^s the same for every player. I^ve drunk four litres of water throughout the day and we were both tired.

"I^m back up to third in the world and I^m delighted. This time I^ll go away and really enjoy the win because it^s been a hard time for me, but I^m happier than ever."

Newton^s run to the final consolidated his place in eighth in the PDC Order of Merit, just two years after he had slumped to 36th in the world.

"I^m happy but at the same time I^m gutted," said Newton. "When you get to the final you want to win it, but James was the better player and I congratulate him for that.

"It was a battle of a game without us both producing our top form. It was new territory for me and I^ll take a lot of positives from it - it^s a great confidence boost for me.

"We went to the break when I was 6-4 up and that break seemed to kill me because he came back and won the next three legs, and I went from being in control to behind, and James didn^t look back."

Newton is due to become a father for the first time in a fortnight, and added: "Everything^s going well for me at the moment.

"I^m disappointed with the final because I know I can play better, but I^ve been in my first major final and I^ll hopefully be back for more."

Newton had won his place in the final with a comeback victory over Denis Ovens in the semis, as he overturned a 5-2 deficit by winning eight of the next nine legs, hitting a 170 finish in the process.

Wade had also shown his battling qualities in the tightest of semi-finals with fellow left-hander Mark Webster, who led 3-1 and 7-3 before Wade hit back to within a leg at 8-7.

Webster took the 16th to move a leg away from victory, but missed the bull for the match as Wade took out pressure finishes of 120 and 61 to force a decider, which he brilliantly won in 11 darts.

Speedy Hire UK Open
Semi-Finals
James Wade 10-9 Mark Webster
Wes Newton 10-6 Denis Ovens
Losers £10,000

Final
James Wade 11-8 Wes Newton
Winner £40,000
Runner-Up £20,000

 

SEMI-FINALS
JAMES WADE 10-9 MARK WEBSTER
JAMES WADE produced an incredible comeback to remain on course for a second title at the Reebok Stadium by knocking out Mark Webster in the semi-finals of the 2011 Speedy Hire UK Open.

Webster looked on course to reach his first PDC televised final when he led 7-3 and also had one dart to win the match.

But Wade showed his class as he fought back to win the final three legs and the contest, and will now face Wes Newton in the final.

Webster made a superb start as he broke throw with a 139 checkout and then started the second leg with back-to-back maximums.

Thoughts of a nine-dart finish were extinguished as Webster^s attempt at a seventh successive treble 20 was off-target, but the Welshman hit double ten to increase his lead.

Wade won the third leg with an impressive 12-darter before Webster took the fourth with the aid of his third 180 of the match.

Wade, who overcame Paul Nicholson in the Quarter-Finals, hit a brilliant 144 checkout to win the fifth leg but Webster restored his two leg advantage in the next with a 76 finish.

The next two legs were shared before Webster completed an improvised 80 finish on the bullseye to move three legs clear of his opponent at 6-3.

Webster, who reached the semi-finals of the World Championship six months ago, then hit a confident 13-darter to move 7-3 up and leave the world number four with plenty to think about.

Webster kept up the momentum in the 11th leg by hitting his sixth 180 of the game, but a missed bullseye was punished by Wade, who recorded an 80 finish to reduce the arrears to three legs.

Wade won the 12th leg by hitting double top, after his opponent had missed a dart at the same bed, and then took the next with a 115 finish to pull back to just one leg down at 7-6.

Webster won his first leg in four by holding throw in 14 darts, but Wade kept the pressure by winning the 15th leg on double ten.

The Welshman hit a 180 in the next leg and won it courtesy of a 73 finish to go leg away from victory.

Powerful scoring from Webster saw him leave 90 after just nine darts in the next, but a missed attempt at bullseye for the match proved costly as Wade took out 120 finish to keep his hopes alive.

Webster hit his eighth 180 of the game in the 18th leg, but Wade was first to a finish and he hit double 18 under serious pressure with his last dart for a 61 checkout to set up a deciding leg.

The final leg saw Wade hold the advantage of throw and he made that count by hitting a fantastic 11-dart finish, featuring a timely 180, to seal a place in the final and leave Webster stunned.

"I didn^t deserve to win that game but I kept going and managed to come through," admitted Wade.

"Mark kept hitting 180s at vital times and I just couldn^t keep with him. I virtually closed my eyes on the double 18 to get to nine all and then to hit the 11-darter in the last leg to win it felt fantastic."

 

WES NEWTON 10-6 DENIS OVENS
WES NEWTON reached his first major televised final with a fine 10-6 victory over Denis Ovens in the 2011 Speedy Hire UK Open at the Reebok in Bolton.

Newton looked to be in trouble at 5-2 down, but the world number eight won eight of the next nine legs to set up a clash against James Wade for the £40,000 first prize.

Ovens started the better of the two players by taking the opening leg against the darts, but Newton hit back quickly by hitting a 96 finish to level.

Ovens, who defeated Mark Hylton in the Quarter-Finals, missed two chances to win the third leg and Newton gratefully accepted the opportunity by hitting double eight to lead for the first time.

Ovens, playing in the semi-finals in Bolton for a second straight year, won the fourth leg with a 61 finish and then hit double 12 after Newton missed one dart at tops to lead the game for a second time.

Ovens managed to take the sixth leg by hitting double 16 after Newton missed double eight for a 133 checkout, and the man from Hertfordshire then won his fourth leg on the spin by recording a 14-darter to move three legs clear.

Newton, who defeated Dave Chisnall to reach this stage, stopped the rot by hitting a 127 checkout, which was completed on the bullseye, and the won the ninth leg with a 14-dart finish.

Ovens had a chance to move 6-4 up in the next leg, but a missed dart at double top allowed Newton in to hit the same bed and leave matters finely poised at five-all.

Ovens was off-target again on the doubles in the 11th leg as he missed two attempts at double 16, and Newton landed double two to lead for the first time since the third leg.

Newton then won his fifth leg on the spin in fabulous style with a 170 checkout to move 7-5 up, but Ovens stopped the run with double four with his last dart after Newton missed chances for a three-leg lead.

The Fleetwood ace put that disappointment behind him by hitting double top at the first attempt to go two legs clear once again.

The 15th leg saw Newton miss a dart at double top, but Ovens was unable to capitalise as he was off-target with his attempt at double 16, allowing Newton to return and hit tops and go one leg away from the winning post.

And Newton crossed over that line with ease as he hit back-to-back maximums in the process of hitting an 11-dart finish to seal his place in the final.

"I^ve been a bit disappointed with my last two games after the victory over Raymond van Barneveld, but it^s been enough to get through to final," said Newton.

"The 170 checkout was vital at that stage of the game and I kicked on from there. I^ve beaten James on the circuit before so I know that I can do it."