Japan Darts Masters

The Japan Darts Masters were played on 27 and 28 June in the Osanbashi Hall in Yokohama. The field consisted of eight PDC top players who faced eight Japanese players in the first round. The eight PDC players were Michael van Gerwen, Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Adrian Lewis, Peter Wright, James Wade and Raymond van Barneveld and Stephen Bunting.

All eight PDC players win their first round match relatively easy, with the exception of Raymond van Barneveld who is pushed by Katsuya Aiba, but still wins 6-4.

Phil Taylor is the first ever winner of the Japan Darts Masters. He beats Van Barneveld in the quarterfinals, Gary Anderson in the semi’s and Peter Wright in the final. Taylor takes a 7-2 lead in the final, but sees Wright come back to level at 7-7, including three finishes of above 100. Yet Taylor is just the better in the decisive fifteenth leg.

Both semi-finals and the final all go the maximum fifteen legs and that makes sure that it is a true spectacle in Yokohama. Peter Wright beats Michael van Gerwen for the first time in his career on a big TV tournament and is moved to tears. Phil Taylor beats Gary Anderson in the other semi-final, which is of a very high level.