| |
 |
|
|
|
Phil 'The Power' Taylor
Born in Stoke-on-Trent in 1960, Phil Taylor first made his mark on the world of darts in 1990, beating his mentor and legend of the sport Eric Bristow in the World Championship final. With his career in its early stages, Taylor had relied on Bristow for the financial backing that allowed him to hone his skills and enter low-level tournaments, though surely neither man could have anticipated the success that was to follow.
Rightly considered the best player ever to have played the sport, Phil 'The Power' Taylor has enjoyed incredible dominance over the last decade and a half, and in 2006 won his 13th World Championship title. Having now won 2 Premier League titles as well as 8 World Matchplays and 6 World Grand Prix added to his success in 2 of the 5 UK Open tournaments to date, Taylor simply loves performing on the big stage. A true sporting legend who has consistently raised both the profile and the standard of his sport, Taylor was finally recognised for his incredible achievements as he was nominated for the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
|
|
Previous UK Open Performances
|
|
2003
|
Champion
|
|
2004
|
Quarter-final |
|
2005
|
Champion
|
|
2006
|
Quarter-final
|
|
2007
|
Quarter-final |
|
However, Taylor's dominance over the sport has been severely tested with Raymond van Barneveld's move to the PDC, and the Dutchman's epic 7-6 win over Taylor in the 2007 World Championship final followed a quarter-final victory over Taylor during his run all the way to the 2006 UK Open title.
Taylor lost out to Barney at the same stage of the 2007 event with a somewhat surprising 11-4 defeat, but not before he had managed an amazing third 9-dart finish at the Reebok Stadium, again captured live by the Sky TV cameras.
Brilliant player that he is, Barneveld still has an awful long way to go if he is ever to match the achievements of Phil Taylor, the greatest darts player the world has ever seen.
|
|
