Brilliant Painter claims first major title
Daventry darts star Kevin Painter claimed his first-ever major PDC title by winning the Cash Converters Players Championship in Doncaster.
In his third match of the day yesterday, ‘The Artist’ beat Mark Webster 13-9 to claim the £60,000 top prize.
It rounded off an incredible weekend, which started with a victory over Colin Osborne and then saw off Gary Anderson on Saturday to book a quarter-final clash with Mervyn King, who upset Phil Taylor in the second round.
In the first of three games yesterday, Painter beat King 9-7 to earn a last-four clash with Scott Rand.
It looked over when he was 9-6 down but he reeled off four successive legs to move into the final.
Webster beat Wes Newton in their earlier semi-final clash and Painter had just 20 minutes to prepare between the semi-final and showpiece.
Having trailed 3-2 at the first break, the Northamptonshire man stormed back to lead 6-4 and then pulled away to open up a 12-7 advantage in a race to 13 legs.
Webster hit back to make it 12-9 but Painter held his nerve to take out double 16 and seal his 13-9 success.
“People always talk about that 2004 final and said that I had missed my chance but I am glad I didn’t,” he said.
“I have always believed I could do it and you have to stick with it.
“Anything can happen in darts and people always say I am shaking my head and put myself under pressure. I do that but I can still play darts and that’s the way I am.
“The draw wasn’t great for me but Mervyn and Gary didn’t play their best games against me.
“I thought I played well in the final.
“I was 9-6 down in the semi-final but I hung in and it came right at the death for me.
“I only had a 20-minute break but I felt like I was playing well and I got the fluency back in that semi-final.”
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Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
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Angela Finn
Monday, December 12, 2011 at 12:00 AMWell done to my nephew Kev, he so deserved this, just brilliant.
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