Tuesday 5 May 2015 07:36, UK
Keegan Brown won his first Players Championship title with an astounding display to defeat Adrian Lewis 6-3 in Sunday's ProTour final in Coventry, ending with a 111 average.
The PDC Unicorn World Youth Champion has previously won two Youth Tour events but confirmed his status amongst the world's elite stars with a relentless and mature display against the world number four.
Brown had already overcome Alan Norris, young rivals Jamie Lewis, Ricky Evans and Dirk van Duijvenbode as well as world number five Peter Wright and in-form Scot John Henderson in Sunday's £60,000 event.
He then took on Lewis in the final, and claimed the title in style with a brilliant display.
Brown took out 130 twice for 12-darters as he took a 2-1 lead, while Lewis landed a 180 in the second and another maximum as he levelled with a 14-darter.
Brown then landed a maximum in a 13-darter to edge 3-2 up before breaking throw in the sixth after posting another 180 and double five.
Lewis broke back with a fine 13-darter, landing a 177 and double ten, but saw his chance to level in the next ended when Brown fired in a 177 of his own to set up double 14 for a 13-darter, which moved him into a 5-3 lead.
Brown then scored 140, 180 and 145 in the next to set up 36 for the title, and though he initially missed three darts at double 18, returned to hit the bed for another 13-dart finish as he completed a memorable win.
"It's overwhelming," said Brown. "Adrian got the better of me the last time we played, he destroyed me, so I'm glad I got him this time - he's a Premier League player so you know what to expect.
"The Youth Tour has helped me over the last couple of years to progress onto the latter stages of the ProTour. In my previous final against Robert Thornton I lost 6-5 and in that last leg I'm glad the double 18 went in in the end!"
The £10,000 prize money will move Brown into the provisional qualifying places for July's BetVictor World Matchplay in Blackpool, and he admitted: "The World Matchplay is at the back of the mind of every player.
"I've got to move onto the next competition now, we're back in Crawley in a couple of weeks and I know if I'm not grounded then somebody's going to beat me 6-0 - I need to keep my feet on the ground and relax and play my normal game, but I'll enjoy this first."
Lewis' run to the final saw him bounce back well from his double of defeats in last Thursday's Betway Premier League in Birmingham.
He enjoyed two whitewash wins in his first three games on Sunday, against Mick Todd and Steve West, and also defeated Matt Clark, Mervyn King, Mensur Suljovic and Gerwyn Price on his way to the decider, picking up £5,000 prize money for his efforts on the day.
Watch Premier League Darts live on Sky Sports 1, Thursday May 7 at 7pm.
