Taylor was given a torrid time by Alan Tabern and ‘The Power’ should be renamed Harry Houdini after this latest amazing escape. Just like against Michael Van Gerwen and Mark Walsh, the Unicorn superstar came back from the brink in dramatic fashion.
And he won it in the final set tie-break by 6 legs to 4…..it was a true darting classic. What a performance from Tabern but yet another sensational comeback victory for Taylor who has never had it this hard at the World Championship!
In that deciding set, eight legs went with throw, before Taylor pounced to break the throw and in the leg that finally won it, he hit back-to-back 180s….fairytale darts – before double top took the match…..is his name written on the trophy?!
He missed double after double and the St.Helens man kept cashing in. Tabern led by 3 sets to 2…..staring at defeat though, ‘The Power’ needed a jolt.
It was unbelievable stuff….gripping, thrilling World Championship darts. In the 6th set, Taylor went two legs clear, only to see Tabern hit back to level, despite the first two 180s of the match from ‘The Power’.
Taylor then produced three of the best darts he has surely ever thrown….with Tabern on 116 to take the leg and the match, the Stoke star was on 187 and came up with a quite incredible 171! Tabern couldn’t check out and Taylor found double eight with his last dart to stay alive.
Earlier, with ‘The Power’ still at half voltage, Tabern seized the opportunity to go 2 sets to 1 in front…..a brilliant 137 finish from Taylor took the fourth set only for more and more double trouble to hand Tabern the 5th set….In fact, Taylor had missed darts at D16 and D8 to take that set.
It was nail-biting stuff! Taylor showed those true champion qualities to come through and he will now face Wayne Mardle in the quarter-finals…..Hawaii 501 came from 3-2 down to pip Roland Scholten in the deciding set.
After his latest epic, Taylor was yet again a very relieved man: “At certain times in games like that, you look at the score and say now is the time and that’s what I did with the 171 and the 180s in the final leg. Alan played superbly but I used all the experience in the world to see me through!”
Taylor added: “It is without doubt the hardest World Championship ever. Over the years, I have cruised to wins but it doesn’t happen any more because the other players are so good.”
