Sunday 2 November 2014 23:43, UK
James Wade staged a remarkable comeback to beat Mervyn King and win the Unibet Masters in Edinburgh.
Wade, going for an eighth major PDC title, was 9-2 down but came back to win 11-10, taking out a 135 checkout to land the £50,000 prize.
King looked certain to win his first major tournament at a fifth final attempt but he missed eight darts for victory – including an agonising six in leg 17.
King started much the better, breaking three times to race to a 5-0 lead at the first break before Wade finally took out an 88 checkout with double seven to land his first leg against the throw.
King hit back, sinking double 16 to checkout 101 and go 6-1 up before Wade took out tops to break back.
But Wade missed four darts at tops in the next leg and King sunk double two to go 7-2 ahead and then took the next two legs to give himself a huge lead.
However, Wade broke back with double five and then held his throw for the first time with tops to reduce the arrears He broke once more with double four to make it three legs on the trot and held with a two-dart 94 checkout – treble 18 and then tops - to give himself real hope going into the next break.
Yet King landed a massive 158 checkout – two double 20s and double 19 – to stop the rot and move to within a leg of victory.
The next leg then proved pivitol to the match - King missing six darts at a double and Wade eventually sinking double ten to make it 10-7.
King, still smarting from the previous leg, missed at double four in the next and Wade hit double seven to further reduce the arrears.
He then held his throw with tops to make it 10-9 and although he couldn't locate double ten for a 128 checkout in the next, King missed a bull to win the tournament as the match was taken the distance.
With the darts, Wade reached his finish first and clinically took out the 135 – bull, treble 15 and tops - to cap a remarkable comeback.
In the semi-finals, Wade had beaten reigning champion Phil Taylor 11-9, hitting shanghai to take out a 120 finish to break Taylor and go 10-9 ahead and then finishing with tops to complete his victory.
King, meanwhile, had knocked out world champion Michael van Gerwen 11-9 in the other semi-final, taking out a 121 with bull to reach the last two in style.
