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Stoke's world No1 won the first six legs and never looked like slipping up on his way to a three-dart average of 109.76 – breaking his own record for a major final.

Taylor admitted his 14th world title had been one of the most satisfying, having been in the unusual position of having to wait three years to reclaim the prize. "To win it back again is unbelievable for me, you do doubt yourself and think am I going to win this again," he said. "To get it back I'm absolutely made up."

Taylor revealed he had to stay focused and reveal a ruthless streak to ensure that there was no repeat of his 2007 slip-up against Van Barneveld – one of the greatest matches the sport had produced, which his great rival won 7-6 at the tournament's previous home at the Circus Tavern.

Taylor said that defeat was uppermost in his thoughts when he took to the oche on Sunday and added: "Once I started and I was playing well I thought, 'Don't stop now, don't give him a chance'. As soon as you relax with Raymond he seems to kick in, he gains on your weakness so I thought keep hitting him and keep hitting him because he's like Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe. That's what you have to do to him. It's very cruel but that's what you have to do.

"They are such good players nowadays that what you have to do when you are on stage is put them under pressure and keep them under pressure. The averages have got to be 100-plus or you are going home."

While Taylor displayed some of the best darts of his life at this year's championships, a world title looked a long way off at the beginning of last year, when he showed signs of vulnerability, which were clearly evident when he was thrashed 8-3 by Peter Manley in the Premier League.

Like any true champion Taylor knuckled down and changed his mindset, and used the Manley defeat to his advantage.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me I think," he said. "Once he (Manley] beats you, he rubs it in your face as well. I've got signed photographs for him because he sells them, but he doesn't half rub it in but I thank him for it in a strange way.

"Now I have to concentrate on defending my world title because there is nothing more important than that."

The beaten, but unbroken Van Barneveld was generous in his praise for Taylor and admitted he had no answers to the maestro's brilliance.

The Dutchman said: "I played a computer. All my congratulations to Phil. He's absolutely brilliant.

"I'll be back, don't worry, but beating this man – I don't know what to do? Practicing ten hours a day is probably not enough."

In Sunday's final, Taylor set the highest three-dart average for a final, scoring 109.76.

PHIL TAYLOR and Raymond van Barneveld will clash in the final of the 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship on Sunday night.

The duo will battle at London’s Alexandra Palace on Sunday in a repeat of the classic 2007 final - which van Barneveld won in a sudden-death leg after a three-hour epic.

The Dutchman followed up his nine-darter in his quarter-final win over Jelle Klaasen with a 6-4 win over world number three James Wade on Saturday night.

Wade produced his best display of the tournament, but van Barneveld crucially found an extra gear to win the final two sets of a pulsating clash.

“Getting into the final was my target now but am I good enough to beat Phil Taylor? I have to dig deep to give him a game,” said van Barneveld.

“He is so complete this year, so focused and is killing everyone at the moment. He is good enough to beat me 7-0, but I am good enough to beat him 7-0 and you never know.”

Taylor, meanwhile, powered past Mervyn King 6-2 to remain on course for an unprecedented 14th World Championship title.

He led 3-0 before King took two sets to hit back, but another three-set burst put Taylor into the final, with an average of just under 104 on the night.

“I’m over the moon to be in the final but it wasn’t as easy as it could have been,” said Taylor. “I went 3-0 up and started thinking about what I was doing.

“I thought I was going to be in the final and then started missing, and that was my mistake.

“I think I’ve earned my place in the final, Barney has done well but had a little bit of luck and I think tomorrow his luck will run out!”

King pockets £30,000 as a semi-final loser and will also win a place in the 2009 Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts after moving into the PDC’s top six.

Be he admitted: “You don’t expect to beat Phil Taylor when you play like that and it wasn’t good enough.

“I had my chance and blew it. I didn’t play anywhere near what I should have done - you’re not going to beat Phil Taylor with a 90 average and I got what I deserved.”

Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship
Semi-Finals
Raymond van Barneveld 6-4 James Wade
Phil Taylor 6-2 Mervyn King

Final
Sunday 7pm
Phil Taylor v Raymond van Barneveld

RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD 6-4 JAMES WADE
(3-2, 0-3, 1-3, 3-2, 2-3, 3-1, 3-0, 0-3, 3-0, 3-0)
RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD defeated James Wade 6-4 to reach his second Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship final.

The Dutchman, the champion two years ago in the last Circus Tavern final, gets his chance for glory at Alexandra Palace following another fine display.

After hitting the first nine-darter in the PDC World Championship during his quarter-final win over Jelle Klaasen, van Barneveld continued his march with another strong display.

World number three Wade put in his best performance of the tournament so far and should have led the match 3-1, but wasted opportunities cost him dear as the Dutchman finished the stronger.

Wade made a superb start to the match, hitting a maximum with his first three darts, and going on to break throw with a 13-dart finish.

Van Barneveld immediately hit back with a 121 checkout, but the Englishman won the third leg against the darts by landing double top.

But van Barneveld produced superb darts to win the next two legs, the fourth in 11 darts and the decider with a two-dart 64 finish.

Wade won the opening leg of the second set, before hitting a fabulous 11-darter of his own to double the advantage.

Both players hit maximums in the third leg, but it was Wade who hit double top to square the game.

Van Barneveld opened up a 1-0 lead in set three before Wade hit back-to-back maximums in a 12-dart finish to take the second leg.

The world number three then went on to win the next two legs, landing double ten on both occasions to win the set and go ahead for the first time in the match.

Van Barneveld broke throw with a clinical two-dart 93 finish at the start of the fourth set, but missed a dart at double 16 to extend his advantage, and Wade stepped in to win the second leg.

Wade went 2-1 ahead with a 14-dart finish before van Barneveld hit his sixth maximum of the match in the fourth leg and went on to win by landing double eight.

In the deciding leg Wade missed four darts to win the set and go 3-1 ahead - crucially bursting his score on two occasions before double nine allowed van Barneveld to level.

Wade won the opening leg of the fifth set before the Dutchman hit successive 14-dart finishes to take a 2-1 lead.

But van Barneveld missed two darts at double 18 to win the set in the fourth leg, which Wade won before breaking the Dutchman’s throw to lead for the second time in the game at 3-2.

The opening two legs of the sixth set where shared before van Barneveld broke throw in the third leg with an excellent 112 checkout, despite Wade hitting his 13th maximum of the contest.

The Dutchman then hit double 18 in the fourth leg to win the set and square the game at three-all, before taking a 4-3 lead after winning set seven without reply.

After conceding the previous six legs, Wade managed to win the opening leg of the eighth set after van Barneveld was off-target with a dart at double top.

Wade then broke the Dutchman’s throw with an 82 finish in the second leg, and followed that up with by hitting double eight in the next to win the set and level the game at 4-4.

But van Barneveld went on to take the ninth set to go within touching distance of victory, again storming through three legs without reply.

At the start of the tenth set, van Barneveld broke Wade’s throw to hold the advantage, before winning the second leg with a fantastic 128 checkout, with Wade waiting on a two-dart finish.

That took him a leg away from victory, which was wrapped up with a 100 finish to ensure his place in the final.

“I didn’t perform that well today,” admitted van Barneveld. “I was very tired last night and didn’t sleep at all after the nine-darter and the match against Jelle.

“I expected it to be a long game but the way I played tonight I won’t win the tournament.”

Van Barneveld defeated Taylor in a sudden-death leg two years ago, but believes he is facing a different Taylor this time around.

He said: “Getting into the final was my target now but am I good enough to beat Phil Taylor? I have to dig deep to give him a game.

“He is so complete this year, so focused and I have to go into myself tomorrow, maybe do some meditating and I hope it’s going to be a good final.

“Phil is killing everyone at the moment, big time, and everything has to be okay.

“If not, he is good enough to beat me 7-0. But I am good enough to beat him 7-0 and you never know.

“I am hoping I can dream of a new World Championship, but if I’m not I’m very pleased to be in the final.”

Wade said: “In the first four sets I played well and pushed Barney, and that’s a positive and I can take some confidence from this.

“I’ve gone back to my old darts and my old routines and rhythms and unfortunately it took me five games to realise what I needed to do.”

PHIL TAYLOR 6-2 MERVYN KING
(3-1, 3-1, 3-0, 2-3, 2-3, 3-0, 3-0, 3-1)
PHIL TAYLOR set up a final with Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld at the 2009 Ladbrokes.com World Darts Championship after defeating Mervyn King 6-2 in the semi-finals.

The final will be a repeat of their classic 2007 encounter, which van Barneveld won in a sudden-death decider at the Circus Tavern to deny the Stoke legend a 14th title.

However, Taylor’s determined charge towards regaining the trophy continued at Alexandra Palace with another powerful performance.

He led 3-0 before being pegged back to 3-2 by King, but Taylor raced to victory and ended the match with an average of 103.94.

King won the first leg of the match but Taylor took the next three, hitting a 131 checkout to break throw in the third leg and converting a 76 finish in the fourth to open up an early lead.

The opening two legs of the second set were shared before Taylor hit a maximum in the third, and landed double eight to take a 2-1 lead.

Taylor was on course for a nine-dart finish in the fourth leg, but the seventh treble 20 was off-target - ending his hopes of matching van Barneveld’s feat in the quarter-finals.

However, he completed the leg in 11 darts to go 2-0 up, before breaking throw at the start of set three with a 13-dart finish.

Taylor continued to dominate as he took the second leg with a 14-darter, and he broke King’s throw for the second time in the set in the third to increase his lead.

King stemmed the tide in the fourth set by winning the first leg, before breaking Taylor’s throw after the world number one missed three darts to lead.

Taylor won the third leg despite King hitting his second maximum of the game, but King took the set in the fourth leg in fine style with a 112 checkout to reduce the deficit to 3-1.

After both players held their throws at the start of the fifth set Taylor missed three opportunities to break in the third leg and King landed double top to lead 2-1.

Taylor levelled, but King won a pressure deciding leg in 13 darts to pull back to 3-2 in the game.

However, after King had won the fourth and fifth sets he only managed one more leg in the match as Taylor took complete charge.

He won the sixth set without reply, with a 12-darter giving him the first leg, double eight the second and a 13-darter in the third to stop the comeback in its tracks.

Taylor continued on in similar fashion in the seventh, building up a 2-0 lead before registering his fifth maximum of the game in the third leg to move a set away from victory.

A 101 checkout put him in front in the next before two maximums from King helped him to the second leg.

Taylor opened the third leg with his eighth maximum, followed by a 177 to give himself a second opportunity of a nine-dart finish.

He hit the first treble 20, but was off-target with the second to end his hopes of taking out a 144 checkout and with it the nine-dart finish.

Taylor went on to win that leg in ten darts by landing double eight at the first time of asking, before wrapping up victory in the fourth leg by landing double top to seal his place in the final.

“I’m over the moon to be in the final but it wasn’t as easy as it could have been,” said Taylor. “I went 3-0 up and started thinking about what I was doing.

“I thought I was going to be in the final and then started missing, and that was my mistake.

“I can just concentrate on winning on Sunday and I think it’s the final everybody wanted to watch.

“I think I’ve earned my place in the final, Barney has done well but had a little bit of luck and I think tomorrow his luck will run out!”

King - who pockets £30,000 as a semi-final loser - admitted: “You don’t expect to beat Phil Taylor when you play like that and it wasn’t good enough.

“It’s very frustrating. I felt good and thought I was going to push him all the way and maybe have a chance of nicking it, but I didn’t play well enough.

“I had my chance and blew it. I didn’t play anywhere near what I should have done - you’re not going to beat Phil Taylor with a 90 average and I got what I deserved.

“I had a slow start and you can’t afford that against Phil. I’m disappointed, but this will be gone on Sunday and I can look forward to the start of the new season.”

MARTIN Adams has high hopes of capturing the Lakeside World Championship for a second time next week.

The 52 year-old – known around the world as 'Wolfie' – already holds the big Winmau World Masters crown after ending a near 20-year wait to win that tournament last month.

And now he is desperate to reclaim the World Championship title he won in 2007 and gallantly defended before a semi-final elimination at the hands of eventual champion Mark Webster last year.

Number 3 seed Adams, who starts with a first round match against Dave Chisnall on Monday night, said: "Having been without the trophy for a year, I want it back badly.

"It is the greatest title of all in the game and holding it is a huge honour. Hopefully I can do that again and it would be wonderful to have both the World Championship and the World Masters in my possession side by side.

"Ideally I would love to do the hat-trick and get the World Cup singles this year as well, but I am only concentrating on part two at the moment.

"Winning the World Masters was a great preparation for this championship and practice has been going well.

"I had a stomach complaint for a few days over Christmas which meant I couldn't have too much turkey and kept me off the board for three or four days, but I have been throwing again since.

"I am going into the tournament with a pretty good feeling and I am delighted with how the draw has worked out."

A meeting with the winner of the Garry Thompson/Daryl Gurney clash lies ahead for Adams in the second round. Both those players are also making their first appearances in the event.

A repeat of his semi-final showdown with Webster last year is also on the cards should both successfully negotiate the early rounds.

Adams is joint 5-1 second favourite with Webster behind 5-2 shot Gary Anderson who heads the market. The Scotsman is regarded as the top talent in the BDO sphere but has fallen at the first hurdle at the Lakeside in the past two years and is facing another tough opener against Norweigan thrower Robert Wagner.

Raymond van Barneveld made ­history last night with the first nine-dart finish in the 16 years of the PDC World Championship. It capped a tremendous 5–1 quarter-final victory over his fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen.

In the second leg of the sixth set ­"Barney", the world No2, hit 180s in his first two visits to the oche before ­hitting treble 20, treble 19 and double 12 to become the first player since Paul Lim to achieve a nine-dart finish at a world championship — the American having done so at the BDO event in 1990.

"These nine-darters are really special to do on TV" said Van Barneveld. "Darts on TV makes me a darts hero. If darts was never on TV, I would still work as a postman."

Van Barneveld considered retirement earlier this year, during a slump in form, but he has cast aside those doubts now. "I went out for two months, " he said. "It wasn't my best year this year and I believe strongly I am back now. I believe in myself and, if you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything."

The five-time world champion (with four BDO titles and one here in the PDC) dropped the first set to the 24-year-old Klaasen but took the next two without dropping a leg, overpowering his ­opponent with a three-dart average of over 110 and a checkout average of 64%. These dropped a little as he took the next two sets 3–1 and 3–2.

After the nine-dart finish Van Barneveld carried his hot hand into the final leg of the final set and secured his semi-final place with a 161 checkout. He will face the world No3, James Wade, who came through a match against Paul Nicholson that seemed underwhelming even before it was overshadowed by Van Barneveld's historic performance.

Wade, the third seed, won 5–3 against the Australian No1, who emigrated from Newcastle three years ago, in a poor match. At least six of Wade's darts failed to stick in the board and at one stage Nicholson, aiming for double 10, hit the zero of the number, several centimetres outside his intended target.

Wade, known as "the Machine", was running reasonably smoothly early on and he took the first two sets 3–2. He allowed Nicholson to take the third 3–1 before hitting back with another 3–2 in the fourth.

Nicholson, something of pantomine villain here, took the next two sets without dropping a leg but the crowd were too disappointed to boo and hiss "the Asset".

As both players' three-dart ­averages and checkout success rates fell the announcer, John McDonald, began to sound more like a bingo caller than a darts MC. Unconventional scores such as 43, 26 and 28 became all too common. Wade won the final two sets, dropping only one leg. With an ­­average of 81.75 and a 30% checkout rate, ­however, the world No3 will know better than anyone that his game will have to improve exponentially if he is to defeat Van Barneveld.

Tomorrow will be a difficult yet proud day for many in the BDO fraternity as Shaun Greatbatch steps up to the Oche at the Lakeside Country Club.

The 39-year-old Cambridgeshire player takes on John Walton, the No15 seed, in the first round of the Lakeside World Professional Championship. But, it's fair to say that Match Three at 2.40pm tomorrow could be Greatbatch's farewell shot at big-time darts. Shaun has been battling valiantly against bone marrow cancer.

"It's going to be pretty emotional," said the Lakenheath marksman. "I've not been able to play competitively since May. The treatment has destroyed my immune system and I've got a cold, so I've no energy. It's not looking good, but I've just got to pick myself up and give it a go."

Because of the treatment Shaun has lost two stone and is four inches shorter (6ft 1in).

Greatbatch admitted: "I don't know what the future holds. To get to Lakeside next year I'd have to go through the qualifiers - I can't see myself travelling all over Europe for ranking points, I just couldn't do it.

"I might try to get involved in some other way, such as coaching the county youth team or something like that (his son Tom is a key member of the under-18s). But I can't see me carrying on, there's more to life than darts."

Good luck for the future Shaun - whatever that may hold.

PHIL Taylor remains on course for world title No 14 after his stunning demolition of rising Dutch star Co Stompe at the Alexandra Palace in London.

Taylor's 5-0 thrashing of Stompe takes him through to face Mervyn King in the semi-finals of the PDC Ladbrokes.com world championship.

He finished with a three-dart average of 108.80, the third highest in the tournament's 15-year history.

Stompe won only three legs in the match as Taylor comprehensively avenged the defeat he suffered in the final of the PartyPoker.net German championships in November.

Taylor oozed confidence from the start last night. He gave away the advantage of the throw after winning the pre-match nearest the bulls eye and that decision was soon vindicated.

Stompe started the match with only 59, Taylor replied with 177 and went on to take the opening leg in 14 darts.

Taylor then held his throw and wrapped up the set with an 11 darter.

He handed Stompe a lifeline in the second leg of the second set when three missed darts on a double gave the Dutchman the chance to win his first leg, but a 120 check out put Taylor back on course and he won the set in the deciding leg.

Taylor piled on the misery at the start of the third set – winning the opening leg against the throw, despite Stompe starting with 180 and then hitting two maximums on his way to taking the next leg. There was no way back for Stompe, who won only one more leg.

King, twice a beaten finalist in the BDO world championship, had earlier beaten Barrie Bates 5-2 to set up his last four clash with Taylor.

Bates battled back to level after going 2-0 behind, but then King stepped up a gear.

"I'm happy with the win and my performance was better," said King. "I did enough to get the victory, but I can still improve.

"I should have been 4-0 up really, or at least 3-1, and at two-all I had to find something, and I did that.

"I'm nowhere near my best, but it's there in flashes. I have peaks and troughs in my game anyway and I'm not as consistent as some players, but when I'm at the top of my game I'll beat anybody."

And looking ahead to the Taylor clash, KIng added: "I'm not here to lose in the semi-final, I'm here to win it. I've got it in me and it's got to come out at the right time."

Meanwhile, in tonight's remaining quarter-finals, James Wade takes on Paul Nicholson, while five times world champion Ray van Barneveld goes head-to-head with fellow Dutchman Jelle Klaasen in a repeat of the 2006 BDO world championship final.

"I've never beaten him on TV, but I know if I play my normal game I can beat anyone," said van Barneveld.

"However, Jelle is in good form and I think it will be a good match."

Can the self-styled Men In Black take the BDO World Championship by storm! Gary Anderson, BDO Number 1 seed, and his friend Gary Robson surely hope so.

The BDO World championship gets underway on Saturday at the Lakeside Country Club.

Anderson will play the Norwegian Robert Wagner and Robson will battle Stephen Bunting in the first round.

Anderson is quoted as saying that "Robert is another toughie because he is very classy and a very heavy scorer. I just want to get that first win and then get into the tournament properly."

Robson said: "I turned pro in 2005 and Gary did the following year. We met our manager Davie Hanson and he got us a few bookings.

"The two Garys was quite a good gimmick. The next thing Iknew it had become the Men In Black! Gary and I always wore black shirts and it's a good little gimmick.

"Myself and Gary have another joint venture called G-Force. We make darts for other players and have a few of the boys on our list such as Daryl Fitton, Martin Adams and Co Stompe. It's a business and it's for the future.

"For just now, we are concentrating on being the Men In Black at the Lakeside!"