REIGNING Players Champion Daryl Gurney has been knocked out of the 2019 PDC World Darts Championship following a dramatic deciding final set defeat against Jamie Lewis.
The Welshman hit 12 180s on his way to victory, a win that means that four of the top eight seeds have been eliminated from the tournament.
ANOTHER HIGH SEED FALLS | Gurney is the latest victim of this year’s World Champs for the underdogs! #WHDarts pic.twitter.com/6n5OWCunq6
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 22, 2018
The world number five, Gurney, was far from his best at Alexandra Palace starting slowly, while last year’s semi-finalist was excellent and surged into a 2-0 lead, hitting four 180s along the way.
Lewis missed four set darts to win a deciding leg in the third, which allowed his opponent to halve the deficit but last year’s semi-finalist dropped just one leg in the fourth set to restore his advantage.
The Derry man eventually found some form by taking the fifth set 3-0 and levelled the match with a 14-dart finish on his way to the sixth set.
Set six also went to the winner of the Players Championship Finals, with the match going to a seventh and deciding set.
Gurney took a 2-0 lead in the decider, but after seeing his opponent level at 2-2 he went on to miss darts at doubles in a crucial fifth leg.
The World number 28 seed then kept his cool, held his throw, and won the match – Gurney was eliminated.
Tags:“I don’t know how I won that game, I thought I was gone.”
Jamie Lewis reacts to his incredible 4-3 win over Daryl Gurney… pic.twitter.com/qUi1iAd30H
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 22, 2018
