PDC World Darts Championship 2007, Final Taylor vs Barneveld Part17 - YouTube PDC World Darts Championship 2007, Final Taylor vs Barneveld Part17 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. The interactive transcript could not be loaded. Loading... Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on May 22, 2009 The 2007 PDC World Darts Championship Final between Phil 'The Power' Taylor and Raymond van Barneveld. This match was one of the greatest darts matches of all time between the two best players in the world. An absolute classic. Raymond van Barneveld made history when he became the first player to play in the BDO World final and the PDC World final in consecutive years after switching to the PDC shortly after the Lakeside final of 2006. He also broke the record for the amount of 180s hit in the World Championships with an amazing 51 maximums hit.

Road to the final First round: Raymond van Barneveld 3-0 Mitchel Clegg Second round: Raymond van Barneveld 4-3 Colin Lloyd Third round: Raymond van Barneveld 4-0 Rico Vonck Quarter finals: Raymond van Barneveld 5-0 Alan Tabern Semi final: Raymond van Barneveld 6-0 Andy Jenkins First round: Phil Taylor 3-0 Anton Pein Second round: Phil Taylor 3-1 Mick McGowan Third round: Phil Taylor 4-0 Chris Mason Quarter finals: Phil Taylor 5-1 Mark Webster Semi final: Phil Taylor 6-0 Andy Hamilton Final score: Raymond van Barneveld 7-6 Phil Taylor Averages: Phil Taylor 100.98 Match review (from Wikipedia): The final that had been much anticipated brought 13-time and defending champion, Phil Taylor against 4-time BDO World Champion, Raymond van Barneveld. The match more than lived up to the hype, as Taylor won the first eight legs of the match to lead 2-0 in sets and legs.

Barneveld only had one dart at a double in that time, a missed bullseye for a 167 finish. Barneveld hit a 14-dart finish to win the ninth leg of the match his first, but Taylor closed out the set to lead 3-0. Barneveld then started to turn the match around by winning all three legs in the fourth set, closing it out with the tournament's highest three-dart checkout, the maximum 170. He came from 2-1 down to win the fifth set in a decider and was now only one set behind. Taylor took the sixth set, then Barneveld took the seventh to stay just one behind at 3-4. The game then started to turn in Barneveld's favour as he won six out of the next seven legs and led the match for the first time 5-4. Taylor drew level and looked to be heading for a 6-5 lead, but lost a two-leg advantage and Barneveld went 6-5 up instead. The 12th set also went to a deciding leg, this time Taylor hit double 16 in successive legs to take the match to the final set.

Final set, 1st leg: Barneveld won with a 12-dart finish (1-0 Barneveld) 2nd leg: Taylor hits double 16 to level (1-1) 3rd leg: Barneveld back in front with double 4 (2-1 Barneveld) 4th leg: Barneveld missed 120 Shanghai and bends the wire on double top for the title, Taylor levels with double top and it's now a tie-break, players must win by two clear legs (2-2) 5th leg: Barneveld edges back in front (3-2 Barneveld) 6th leg: Barneveld misses two darts at double top and one at double ten for the title, Taylor this time hits double 8 to square it up again (3-3) 7th leg: Barneveld starts with a 180 and cleans up double 8 to retake the lead (4-3 Barneveld) 8th leg: Taylor hits double 4 with his last dart as Barneveld waits on his favourite double 18 to win it (4-4) 9th leg: Both players notch

 180s, but Barneveld holds his throw with double 10 (5-4 Barneveld) 10th leg: Taylor throws another superb leg to level and take the match to a deciding leg (5-5) Sudden death leg: The throw for the bull went Barneveld's way, he hit the centre of the bullseye, whilst Taylor managed to hit the 25.

Taylor hit a 180 with his first visit, but Barneveld also hit a 180, his 21st of the match and reached the double first. This time he hit the double top that eluded him twice in the final set to win the title. Raymond van Barneveld 7-6 Phil Taylor (set scores: 0-3, 0-3, 1-3, 3-0, 3-2, 0-3, 3-0, 2-3, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, 2-3, 6-5) visit us at Everything Darts and sign up to the forum, it's the best community of darts fans on the internet. You get a free set of flights just for signing up! Darts: Phil Taylor beats Raymond van Barneveld in PDC world championship final | Sport | The Guardian Close This article is 7 years old Normal service was resumed last night when Phil Taylor beat Raymond van Barneveld to win his 14th world title, his first in three years, with a magisterial display.

"The Power" easily defeated his good friend 7-1, thanks to a three-dart average of 110.94 – the highest in a PDC World Championship final. Taylor, the greatest man ever to throw a dart, admitted that his mantelpiece has not looked right without the trophy he was used to winning until 2006, joking that its place had been taken by a picture of him with the trophy. But the mantelpiece is fully laden again and the 48-year-old said it was the Professional Darts Corporation which is missing a trophy. "I've won that trophy twice before, so it's mine now and the PDC can go and buy a new one," said Taylor, who took home £125,000 in prize money. "I've got every PDC trophy now from the beginning and, if you come and have a look, each trophy from the very beginning gets bigger." Darts fans packed out the north London venue hoping for a repeat of the 2007 decider – a three-hour epic won by Van Barneveld in a sudden-death final leg in the 13th set.

But neither the drama nor the result was to be repeated as Taylor made his opponent look almost average. The man from Stoke-on-Trent said he was "over the moon" to move off 13 world titles, which he considered unlucky. "It's the most satisfying after not winning it for so long, I think. Being stuck on 13 was not great, to be honest, and obviously I wanted to beat 13 just to get it off my back." Having shot closer to the bull backstage Taylor opted to give the Dutchman the throw and the ploy worked. He took the opening set 3-0, denying his opponent even an attempt at a checkout. He took the second without reply too as he scored highly and hit his doubles with unerring regularity. Van Barneveld, a five-time world champion (four times at the Lakeside and once at the PDC), held his nerve to take the third set 3-2, hitting double five to halve the deficit. However, he was powerless in the face of the oncoming onslaught. Five 180s rained in during the next set as both players raised the already high standards.

The former postman took the second leg with just 11 darts but missed double 18 and double nine later in the set as Taylor took it 3-2 to re-establish his two-set lead. Barney took four legs from Taylor in the next two sets but lost both 3-2 while Taylor's average crept higher as the chants of "There's only one Phil Taylor" drowned out the groans of the Dutch contingent as their man fell 5-1 behind. The 41-year-old cut a forlorn figure by the start of the eighth and final set, having missed double top and double 10 when he had a chance to break in the previous set. Taylor was metronomic in the final set, winning it 3-2 despite the best efforts of the Dutchman, who could only stand and admire. "He's unbelievable," said the world No2, who won £60,000 for second place, along with a £20,000 bonus for his nine-dart finish in the quarter-finals. "I think he has 32 voodoo dolls that look like darts players.

He puts us out every time.He's the greatest on earth." A downcast Barney, who was amazed by Taylor's constant improvement, added: "What can you do? A couple of years ago he was averaging 102 every single time and now I'm averaging 102. I played a computer. Clearly practising 10 hours a day is not enough." Phil Taylor beaten by Michael Smith in World Darts Championship | Daily Mail Online An off-colour Phil Taylor crashed out of the PDC World Darts Championship as Michael Smith pulled off one of the biggest upsets in darts history with a stunning win at Alexandra Palace. Taylor produced an error-strewn display as he was beaten by Smith in the second round. The 16-time world champion was well below his best as he slumped to a 4-3 defeat against the world youth champion.

Scroll down for video Stunner: Michael Smith pulled off a massive upset by knocking Phil Taylor out of the World Championship Defeat: Taylor was below par all evening and paid the ultimate penalty for a poor performance FRIDAY RESULTS Peter Wright 4-2 Per Laursen Raymond van Barneveld 4-3 Jamie Caven Phil Taylor 3-4 Michael Smith 'I’m speechless right now and my heart's still pounding!' said the overwhelmed 23-year-old, after recording the biggest win of his career to date. 'Phil was really good in the first set and won it 3-0, but I drew a lot of confidence from taking the second and I sensed an opportunity when I realised Phil wasn’t really firing on all cylinders. 'I’ve shown tonight that I’ve got the fight for a tough battle and the tenacity to mix it with the biggest stars in the game. Lots of players have beaten Phil in a big televised tournament and gone on to lose next game, so I know the job’s not done. 'I want to go on now and prove this win over Phil wasn’t a flash in the pan.

Tonight’s win is a great achievement for me, but I want to win the whole tournament.' Jumping for joy: Smith shows his delight after an incredible victory at Ally Pally Hero: Smith takes the acclaim from the crowd at Alexandra Palace VIDEO: Interview with Michael Smith The 23-year-old finished Taylor off in style, producing 11 and 13-dart legs in the decider before clinching the set 4-2 on the bull. Taylor sought to stamp his authority on the match from the start and produced a 156 checkout to win the opening leg of against the throw, rattling through the first set without missing a double. The second leg was a different story, though, as Taylor's accuracy on the doubles deserted him. Both players went down to double one in the second leg, with Smith ending the agony on the way to levelling the match. Taylor started the third set slowly, but fought back to edge into a 2-1 lead, only for Smith to punish more inconsistency from the world number one to make it 2-2.

Taylor lurched into a 3-2 lead after Smith threw away six darts to take the set, but the young challenger was throwing the more fluent darts and made it 3-3. Progress: Raymond Van Barneveld held off Jamie Caven to win his second-round match on Friday Tormentor: An elf with a Mitchell Johnson moustache in the Ally Pally crowd An 11-dart leg put Smith within one leg of the biggest win of his career and a 13-dart leg did so again at 3-2. And this time he closed out the victory, punching the air in celebration. Elsewhere, Raymond van Barneveld survived a major scare against Jamie Caven before clinching a 4-3 victory. The five-time world champion fought back from a set down to take a 2-1 lead, a 12-dart leg against the throw looking set to prove a turning point in the match. Colourful: Peter Wright saw off Per Laursen to reach the third round But Caven battled back, missing a dart at double 12 for a nine-dart finish on his way to making it 2-2 and then moved 3-2 ahead.

But he lacked the killer touch to finish the Dutchman off and Van Barneveld fought back again to take a topsy-turvey contest. 'What a player,' Van Barneveld said of Caven. 'He was never ever missing doubles tonight. That's why he kept me under pressure.' Peter Wright was also a second-round winner as he saw off Per Laursen 4-2 in the first match of the evening. “I’ve been practising with these for quite some time, so I felt I comfortable using them for the first time in a competition, the world No 16 told PDC.tv. “I’m a much better player than I was a few years ago, when I reached the third round.

I always feel capable of challenging the best and that’s what I’m here to do.” William Hill World Darts Championship | PDC William Hill World Darts Championship William Hill World Championship Semis January 03 2015 PRINT GARY ANDERSON will face Phil Taylor for the William Hill World Darts Championship title on Sunday after he knocked out defending champion Michael van Gerwen 6-3 in an enthralling semi-final at Alexandra Palace, as the number two seed got the better of old rival Raymond van Barneveld with a 6-2 victory. Taylor will go in search of an amazing 17th World Championship title in his 20th final on Sunday night when he takes on the in-form Scot, who is on course to claim the biggest title of his career. Anderson - a former Premier League champion and the recent Players Championship Finals winner - ended van Gerwen's title defence in a brilliant semi-final clash to secure his second appearance in the final, after losing out to Adrian Lewis in 2011.

The number four seed produced a fabulous performance where he recorded a 102 average and checked out 50 percent of his doubles to prove just too good for the Dutchman, who himself averaged 101 and threw 11 180s. In a breathless start packed with quality Scotsman Anderson raced into a 3-1 lead - just as he did 12 months ago in their third round contest, which saw van Gerwen hit back to win 4-3 on that occasion. Again the Dutchman threatened a comeback as he produced two sets of brilliance, hitting three 180s and a 177, two 12-darters and a 118 checkout to level the game. The seventh set, though, proved crucial as Anderson took the deciding leg to move 4-3 up in the game after four missed doubles from van Gerwen, before taking the next two to book his place in the final. "It's nice to be in the final again and I'm enjoying my darts again," said Anderson. "It went quite well, and double tops served me well tonight.

"I was going great then there were a couple of sets that I gave to Michael and I didn't keep the pressure on and it got to 3-3, but I dug in deep and the more pressure I put on him, the more he missed. "I shouldn't have given him a chance to get it back to 3-3 in the first place. I let him back in the game, so I just concentrated on playing the same way and just hitting the doubles. "Last year I was fuming after losing to Michael, I had it in the bag and really did let it go so I wasn't going to do the same again." Anderson had defeated Taylor in the final of the 2007 World Darts Trophy and five weeks ago on his way to the Players Championship Finals title, and added: "To me if you're going to win a title you have to beat Phil Taylor. "If Phil smashes me in the final then I've been beaten by the best player in the world, but if it's a reverse then I've beaten the best player ever and that's a bigger notch on my belt. "Phil's the best there has ever been and ever will be.

In 2007 I beat Phil in a final and that's the only one I keep lodged in my mind because it was Taylor and if I did that again here it'd be one I always remember." The night's other semi-final - a repeat of the 2007 and 2009 finals between Taylor and van Barneveld - saw the Stoke superstar prove too strong for his great rival as he progressed with a 6-2 triumph. Van Barneveld may have found it just a game too far following his draining quarter-final win over Stephen Bunting on Friday night, as Taylor matched Anderson's 102 average and maintaining his unrivalled record of having never lost a World Championship semi-final in 20 matches over 25 years. Taylor hit eight 180s and averaged 102.39, while a 121 finish - his first ton-plus checkout of the event - gave him the opening set as he created a 2-0 lead.

Van Barneveld hit back to level by taking six legs out of seven, but a 13-darter in the fifth set's deciding leg gave Taylor back the lead before he claimed the next three sets in ruthless fashion, including a 124 checkout, as he joined Anderson in the final. "I feel great," said Taylor. "When I was two sets up I as buzzing, but he came back to two each and I started to struggle a little bit. "I don't know why and I knew I had to start concentrating because it was a World Championship semi-final. "I played some proper darts after that and Barney had to dig in deeper. I was on the nine-darter a couple of times and I'll be after it again in the final. "It will be a scrap in the final and Gary Anderson's in for a battle. If he's going to beat me he has a fight on his hands, and I've got a fight on my hands with him. "It's going to be a cracking final." Sponsors William Hill make Taylor their 8/11 favourite to lift the Sid Waddell Trophy on Sunday night, with Anderson 11/10 to become World Champion for the first time.

On The Wire - Episode 13, Saturday January 3 Dan Dawson with Rod Harrington Featuring a review of the semi-finals, match reaction from Gary Anderson and Phil Taylor, more Walk-On Girls v Dancers and a look ahead to the final GET INVOLVED Join in the conversation online during the William hill World Darts Championship with the PDC's Social Media channels: - using the tournament hashtag #WHDarts Viasat - Scandinavia, Bulgaria & the Baltic States Sport TV - Czech Republic, Slovakia & Hungary PLUS every session is live through LIVEPDC.TV for International Pass Subscribers (outside of UK, Ireland & Holland), with highlights available for all subscribers worldwide on a 24-hour delay. LIVE SCORES If you can't watch the William Hill World Darts Championship, follow the latest scores at the PDC Live Scores Website - EVENT PROGRAMME The William World Darts Championship programme is available from sellers in the Fans Village at Alexandra Palace, costing £5. The programme will also be available to purchase online through Programme Master at this link .

WILLIAM HILL WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIP Saturday January 3 Michael van Gerwen 3-6 Gary Anderson Phil Taylor 6-2 Raymond van Barneveld Best of 11 sets Gary Anderson v Phil Taylor Best of 13 sets MICHAEL VAN GERWEN 3-6 GARY ANDERSON (1-3, 3-2, 1-3, 2-3, 3-0, 3-2, 2-3, 1-3, 2-3) GARY ANDERSON secured a place in his second WIlliam Hill World Darts Championship final after producing some amazing darts in a pulsating 6-3 win over defending champion Michael van Gerwen. Anderson - a former Premier League champion and the recent Players Championship Finals winner - ended van Gerwen's title defence in a brilliant semi-final clash to secure his second appearance in the final, after losing out to Adrian Lewis in 2011.

The number four seed produced a fabulous performance where he recorded a 102 average and checked out 50 percent of his doubles to prove just too good for the Dutchman, who himself averaged 101 and threw 11 180s. In a breathless start packed with quality Scotsman Anderson raced into a 3-1 lead - just as he did 12 months ago in their third round contest, which saw van Gerwen hit back to win 4-3 on that occasion. Again the Dutchman threatened a comeback as he produced two sets of brilliance, hitting three 180s and a 177, two 12-darters and a 118 checkout to level the game. The seventh set, though, proved crucial as Anderson took the deciding leg to move 4-3 up in the game after four missed doubles from van Gerwen, before taking the next two to book his place in the final. "It's nice to be in the final again and I'm enjoying my darts again," said Anderson. "It went quite well, and double tops served me well tonight.

"I was going great then there were a couple of sets that I gave to Michael and I didn't keep the pressure on and it got to 3-3, but I dug in deep and the more pressure I put on him, the more he missed. "I shouldn't have given him a chance to get it back to 3-3 in the first place. I let him back in the game, so I just concentrated on playing the same way and just hitting the doubles. "Last year I was fuming after losing to Michael, I had it in the bag and really did let it go so I wasn't going to do the same again." Anderson had defeated Taylor in the final of the 2007 World Darts Trophy and five weeks ago on his way to the Players Championship Finals title, and added: "To me if you're going to win a title you have to beat Phil Taylor. "If Phil smashes me in the final then I've been beaten by the best player in the world, but if it's a reverse then I've beaten the best player ever and that's a bigger notch on my belt. "Phil's the best there has ever been and ever will be.

In 2007 I beat Phil in a final and that's the only one I keep lodged in my mind because it was Taylor and if I did that again here it'd be one I always remember." Van Gerwen hit a 180 in his second throw when taking the opening leg, but Anderson responded with three straight legs, including two 80 checkouts, to claim the set 3-1. Anderson made it five legs in a row with a 13-dart break as he moved 2-0 up in set two, but van Gerwen produced three straight 12-dart legs - including a brace of 130 checkouts either side of an 88 finish - in a truly magical spell of darts as he levelled. Anderson regained the lead by taking the third set 3-1 with the aid of two 180s as he maintained his perfect record of six double tops from as many attempts before defying legs of 11 and 12 darts from van Gerwen to edge a high-quality fourth set with a 14-darter in the decider to take a 3-1 sets lead.

A year ago Anderson also led 3-1 in the third round before losing out 4-3, and the memories began flooding back as van Gerwen raised his game again to draw level, taking the fifth set 3-0 with two 12-darters, a pair of 180s and a 177 score, before hitting back from 2-1 down in the sixth - after a pair of 13-dart legs from Anderson - to take out 118 and 66 to edge the set and level at three-all. Double ten from van Gerwen put him ahead for the first time since the opening leg in set seven, but he then missed three set darts leg four and another in the decider to allow Anderson to take out tops for a 14-darter as he moved 4-3 up. Anderson then kicked off the eighth set with a sensational ten-dart leg, before taking out 56 and 66 - inevitably on tops - to lead 5-3.

A 14-darter to break throw set up Anderson nicely in the ninth set, and though van Gerwen took out 149 and double five to move 2-1 up, the Scot hit a 180 to set up a 64 finish as he levelled before landing double eight in the decider to seal the win. Match Stats PHIL TAYLOR 6-2 RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD (3-2, 3-1, 0-3, 1-3, 3-2, 3-1, 3-0, 3-1) PHIL TAYLOR maintained his remarkable unbeaten record in World Championship semi-finals as he defeated Raymond van Barneveld 6-2 to win through to the final of the William Hill World Darts Championship against Gary Anderson. Van Barneveld may have found it just a game too far following his draining quarter-final win over Stephen Bunting on Friday night, as Taylor matched Anderson's 102 average and maintaining his unrivalled record of having never lost a World Championship semi-final in 20 matches over 25 years.

Taylor hit eight 180s and averaged 102.39, while a 121 finish - his first ton-plus checkout of the event - gave him the opening set as he created a 2-0 lead. Van Barneveld hit back to level by taking six legs out of seven, but a 13-darter in the fifth set's deciding leg gave Taylor back the lead before he claimed the next three sets in ruthless fashion, including a 124 checkout, as he joined Anderson in the final. "I feel great," said Taylor. "When I was two sets up I as buzzing, but he came back to two each and I started to struggle a little bit. "I don't know why and I knew I had to start concentrating because it was a World Championship semi-final. "I played some proper darts after that and Barney had to dig in deeper. I was on the nine-darter a couple of times and I'll be after it again in the final. "It will be a scrap in the final and Gary Anderson's in for a battle. If he's going to beat me he has a fight on his hands, and I've got a fight on my hands with him.

"It's going to be a cracking final." Following a tight opening set, Taylor produced a typical hammer blow in the deciding leg with a 121 checkout on the bull - his first ton-plus finish of this year's event - to claim the lead before landing an 11-darter in the second, after teeing up a possible nine-darter with back-to-back 180s in the opening leg. Van Barneveld, though, hit his stride in set three as a pair of 14-darters helped him take the set 3-0 to get off the mark before winning the fourth 3-1 with the aid of a ten-darter as he levelled the contest. The Dutchman landed an 11-darter as he shared the opening four legs of a pivotal set five, with Taylor scoring 140, 140 and 137 in the deciding leg as a 13-darter moved him back ahead at 3-2.

After trading 14-darters with the Dutchman to open set six, Taylor then teed up another possible nine-dart leg with successive 180s in leg three, missing out on a perfect leg but taking that leg, and the next, in 11 darts as he opened up a 4-2 lead. Taylor then produced legs of 13, 14 and 12 darts - with a 124 finish on the bull - as he claimed set seven without reply before taking the next 3-1 to reach the 20th World Championship final of his glittering career. Match Stats Darts' Phil Taylor believes age is no barrier as he chases 17th world championship - Mirror Online Sport Darts' Phil Taylor believes age is no barrier as he chases 17th world championship The 54-year-old darts legend prepares for quarter-final action at Ally Pally by warning his younger rivals: You haven't got rid of me yet! Share People's champion: Phil 'The Power' Taylor says he is getting better with age Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing!

Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Phil Taylor rang in the New Year with a warning to his younger rivals: In darts, Auld Lang Syne is still the old gang’s chime. When he wakes up in 2015, after a curry and his time-honoured tradition of hitting two maximum 180s in practice on the stroke of midnight, the ‘Power’ will find himself in familiar company at the William Hill PDC World Championship. Although the competition is getting younger, feistier and brasher, two of the quarter-finalists have 101 years and 21 titles on the clock between them. And age shall not weary Taylor, nor his most enduring rival, the Dutchman Raymond van Barneveld . Taylor, chasing an astonishing 17th title, had to draw on all his experience to edge out pumped-up Belgian Kim Huybrechts 4-3 to reach the last eight, while Barney, 47, survived a nine-darter from Adrian Lewis to win by the same margin. Dutch courage: Raymond van Barneveld. (Photo: PA) The Power warned: “I may be 54, but I’m getting better with age.

I am practising better, resting up smarter and, trust me, I am going to improve. You haven’t got rid of me yet. “I am not going to bow down to anybody. The players are hungrier, more aggressive, but in tight games I can fall back on so much experience that some of them had not even been born when I won my first world title. “These young kids have so much energy, pounding away, they don’t fear anyone. But I don’t surprise myself with the way I come back in these close matches because I’ve done it so many times before. “When I broke Kim’s throw in the final set on Tuesday night with a 96 finish, it was a real punch in the chops, right in the Belgian waffle. "To pull that one out of the fire was massive. That could win me the world championship because the other seven guys left in the field will be going, ‘Oh s**t, look who’s still here’. “I have the experience, I have the game, I have the record to go on and finish the job.

I’m not frightened – the fear of failure is your reputation, when all the crowd is against you, but luckily I haven’t had to worry about that too often.” Taylor was carried past the winning post on a wave of support in the final set against Huybrechts, and he admitted it raised his game. He may have to beat three Dutchmen, Vincent van der Voort in the last eight, Barney in the semi-finals and Michael van Gerwen in the final, but Taylor is still the people's champion . He said: “The crowd lifted me in that last set without a doubt. They pulled me through. Up to now I’ve been playing like John Lowe, nice and calm, but I need to be more like Eric Bristow from here on – a streetfighter. “Experience counts in any job, but that does not put you in the final on its own. You have to work for it, and I am sweating for it.” Barney, who plays Stephen Bunting on Friday night, claims he has seen the light in his quest to hit his three main targets for 2014.

He said: “Before the Premier League play-offs this year, the four semi-finalists did a shoot for the sponsors and above us there was a sign in red neon lights which read, ‘Everything is possible.’ “I was looking at the lights and thinking, ‘Why not? I am a five-times world champion. Believe in yourself’. “I had three aims - to win the Premier League, the World Cup of Darts and the world title. I have won two out of three, and if I can beat Adrian Lewis after he has hit me with a nine-darter in the first set, like the sign said, Everything is possible.” poll loading Player Profiles | PDC Player Profiles Snap - (I've Got) The Power Date of Birth: Follow Phil Taylor on Twitter Watch Phil Taylor Highlights in LIVEPDC.TV * The PDC are not responsible for the content of external websites Biography Titles THE greatest player ever to throw a dart, Taylor exploded onto the darts scene at the end of the 1980's and has rewritten the history books since, with his achievements headlined by an unrivalled 16 World Championship wins.

A protege of five-time World Champion Eric Bristow, he picked up his first major title at the 1990 Embassy Championship with a 6-1 thrashing of his mentor. He also added the 1990 World Masters title before picking up a second World Championship two years later in one of darts' greatest matches against Mike Gregory. Since the formation of the PDC, Taylor has dominated professional darts and picked up an unparalleled number of titles, with his achievements leading to him being compared to the likes of Mohammed Ali and Sir Donald Bradman as a sporting great. Eleven victories at the Circus Tavern - following a loss to Dennis Priestley in the inaugural PDC World Championship in 1994 - plus two World Championship wins at Alexandra Palace have been complemented by success every other major tournaments. He claimed a first World Matchplay title in 1995 and also won the title in 1997 before being unbeaten at the Winter Gardens from 2000 to 2004 to claim five successive titles - a record he broke with a sixth successive triumph in 2013.

Taylor's rivalry with Priestley saw him repay the Yorkshireman for that 1994 World Championship loss many times over in major finals - winning the World Championship deciders between the duo in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000 as well as the 1995 World Matchplay final. The new Millennium saw the emergence of a new challenger to his throne, John Part, with Taylor coming out on top in one World Championship final, one World Matchplay decider and two World Grand Prix finals and the Canadian claiming a 7-6 win in the 2003 World Championship. Taylor regained the World Championship title 12 months later, coming from 4-1 down to win in a sudden-death leg against Kevin Painter in arguably the sport's best-ever game. The introduction of the double-start World Grand Prix in 1998 saw Taylor win that event for five of the first seven years, only losing in 2001 and 2004 in the first round to Painter and Andy Callaby.

He was also the Las Vegas Desert Classic champion in 2002 and 2004, and he won the first-ever UK Open in 2003 before being the unbeaten victor in the inaugural Premier League Darts in 2005. Taylor's place in the record books had also been assured after he hit the first live nine-dart leg on Sky Sports during the 2002 World Matchplay - a feat he repeated in both the 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008 UK Open and in the 2007 International Darts League, and he was unbeaten for two years in a televised match from 1999 to 2001. 2005 also saw Taylor retain his World Championship title by defeating Mark Dudbridge, and claim a second UK Open and a third Las Vegas Desert Classic, before Part ended his bid for a clean sweep of honours with a defeat in the World Matchplay, although he bounced back to win the World Grand Prix against defending champion Colin Lloyd.

Taylor then went on to retain the World Championship with a 7-0 defeat of Peter Manley at the Circus Tavern in January 2006 to claim his 13th crown, but that year saw the arrival of another new challenger to his throne - Holland's Raymond van Barneveld. After retaining the Premier League crown - again unbeaten - and then winning the first World Series of Darts, he lost twice to van Barneveld, in the UK Open and Las Vegas Desert Classic. However, he recaptured the World Matchplay title in the summer of 2006 by seeing off James Wade in Blackpool to take the trophy back to Stoke for an eighth time and also retained the World Grand Prix by defeating Terry Jenkins. Van Barneveld inflicted another defeat on Taylor in a dramatic 2007 World Championship final, the Dutchman overturning a 3-0 deficit before winning a sudden-death leg and taking the title.

Although Taylor won the Premier League for a third successive year, once again being unbeaten in the event, he also lost once more to van Barneveld in the UK Open, and then went out in the Las Vegas Desert Classic at the first round stage against Mark Dudbridge and to Terry Jenkins in the World Matchplay semi-finals. A loss to Adrian Gray in the World Grand Prix, for a third time in the event at the first round stage, was followed by a quarter-final exit to Wayne Mardle in the World Championship - the first time in the PDC event he had failed to reach the final - and even victories during the autumn of 2007 in the inaugural Grand Slam of Darts and German Darts Championship failed to prevent talk that Taylor's power may be on the wane. His defeat in the opening game of the 2008 Premier League, to James Wade, was his first ever in the history of the tournament, and two more in his opening four games left Taylor second bottom in the table.

But a change of darts marked an incredible turnaround, with an 8-0 whitewash of Wayne Mardle followed by nine successive wins which saw him top the league table and then take play-off glory against Wade. Taylor also won six successive PDC Pro Tour events in the spring of 2008, and hit a nine-darter during a Players Championship in Germany, which was followed by a fourth perfect leg in the UK Open before he suffered a third successive quarter-final loss to van Barneveld in Bolton. Wade was also defeated in the finals of the Las Vegas Desert Classic and the World Matchplays as Taylor regained the number one position in the PDC Order of Merit in the summer of 2008. He went on to win an eighth World Grand Prix in the autumn, as well as retaining his Grand Slam of Darts title and taking victory in the inaugural Championship League Darts and European Championship events. Although Taylor was victorious in another five straight Players Championships in the second half of the year, he lost in the final of the German Darts Championship to Co Stompe - only to avenge that in the 2009 World Championship.

The clash with Stompe came at the quarter-final stage, with Steve Grubb, Michael van Gerwen and Kevin Painter already defeated. Mervyn King was Taylor's semi-final victim before he defeated van Barneveld 7-1 to claim a 14th World Championship, having dropped only four sets in the tournament and averaged a record 110 in the final. His run of form continued into the early part of 2009, with victory in the inaugural Players Championship event at the Circus Tavern, where he defeated Robert Thornton in the final of the new televised event. His reign in the Premier League Darts was ended in May 2009, losing to Mervyn King in the semi-finals after topping the league table for a fifth successive year. However, he bounced back to win the UK Open for a fourth time, overcoming Colin Osborne in the final, and then take a fifth Las Vegas Desert Classic with victory against Raymond van Barneveld. The summer of 2009 saw Taylor claim his tenth World Matchplay title, overcoming Terry Jenkins 18-4 with a record winning margin at the Winter Gardens, having also twice averaged 109 earlier in the event.

He returned to action in September in Championship League Darts, before retaining his South African Masters title in Johannesburg with a victory over James Wade in the final at Emperors Palace. A Players Championship win in Dublin was followed by a ninth World Grand Prix title in October, with a 6-3 comeback victory over Raymond van Barneveld, after he was initially 2-0 down, maintaining Taylor's record of holding all major ranking titles at once. Taylor then claimed a second successive European Championship - hitting a then record average for a major championship of 118 against Gary Anderson during the event - and also won a Players Championship in Killarney before retaining the Grand Slam of Darts title in November with victory over Scott Waites in the final in Wolverhampton. Taylor also won back the German Darts Championship title, defeating Mervyn King in the final to take his prize money for 2009 beyond £750,000 and add a 22nd tournament win of the year to his CV.

He then went on to win yet another World Championship, his 15th, with victory in the 2010 event at Alexandra Palace, overcoming Australian Simon Whitlock 7-3 in the final following another imperious display throughout the event. While Paul Nicholson knocked him out in the semi-finals of the Players Championship Finals, Taylor's challenge to regain the Premier League Darts crown saw him create further history by hitting two nine-dart finishes in the final against James Wade, being the first player to achieve that feat and also to land a perfect leg in a televised final. Further success in the UK Open - defeating Gary Anderson in the final after recording another 118 average, against Kevin Painter - and World Matchplay, where he overcame van Barneveld, followed as he retained those titles, and a third successive European Championship win in August 2010 proved to be his last major title of the year. Adrian Lewis ended his World Grand Prix hopes, while Steve Beaton denied him in the Grand Slam of Darts and Mark Webster knocked him out of the World Championship, as Taylor endured an unusual barren spell.

Taylor returned to form in the early part of 2011, though, edging out Anderson again to win the Players Championship Finals trophy back, and then seeing off van Barneveld in the RTL7 International Masters in Holland during his bid for a sixth Premier League Darts title. However, that aim was ended with a semi-final defeat to Lewis in the Premier League, and Paul Nicholson's final-leg victory in the last 16 of the UK Open saw another title slip from Taylor's grasp before he returned to defend his World Matchplay title in July 2011. Mark Hylton, Wayne Jones, Wes Newton and Andy Hamilton were defeated as Taylor reached a fourth straight final, before claiming his 12th World Matchplay victory with an 18-8 win over James Wade. The winning feeling continued as Taylor then won the European Championship for a fourth successive year, this time defeating Lewis in the final after also seeing off Nicholson in the quarter-finals. Taylor's success continued into the autumn as he regained the World Grand Prix, Championship League Darts and Grand Slam of Darts titles in a brilliant run, defeating Brendan Dolan, Nicholson and Anderson in the respective finals.

However, the year would end in disappointment as his defence of the Players Championship Finals crown was ended by Mervyn King in the second round before he was knocked out in the last 32 of the World Championship to Dave Chisnall. Victory alongside Adrian Lewis in the World Cup of Darts was a superb way for Taylor to open 2012, before he went on to reclaim his Premier League title in impressive style - hitting a nine-darter as he topped the league table in the group phase, before defeating Simon Whitlock in the final. Taylor also hit nine-darters in successive days on the PDC ProTour and won a Players Championship and back-to-back UK Open Qualifiers, before winning through to the UK Open final in Bolton in June, where Robert Thornton denied him another Reebok Stadium triumph. Taylor, though, responded to win the German Darts Championship European Tour event in Berlin before continuing his incredible domination of the World Matchplay in Blackpool, picking up a record-equalling fifth straight victory and his 13th Winter Gardens title in July - again defeating Wade in the final.

An exhibition tour of Australia followed during the summer, but Taylor was to lose his European Championship and World Grand Prix crowns in the early autumn, being defeated by Brendan Dolan in Germany and Robert Thornton in Dublin. Michael van Gerwen would also end his hopes of retaining the Grand Slam of Darts title, but - after winning a third Players Championship Finals title by seeing off Kim Huybrechts in Minehead - Taylor avenged that defeat to win his 16th World Championship. Taylor trailed 4-2 in the World Championship final but reeled off five straight sets to become the first winner of the Sid Waddell Trophy as he returned to the very top of the world! The rivalry with van Gerwen would continue as the Dutchman claimed victory in the 2013 Premier League final, although Taylor had already won a second World Cup of Darts title alongside Lewis before going on to pick up another UK Open title, overcoming Hamilton in the final in Bolton. Taylor also won the Gibraltar Darts Trophy event and then bounced back from a second round exit in the European Championship by winning yet another World Matchplay title, extending his winning run to six successive years at the Winter Gardens by seeing off Lewis in a final of incredible quality.

A first World Series of Darts win at the Sydney Darts Masters, where he overcame van Gerwen in the final, was followed by a tenth World Grand Prix title as Taylor crushed Dave Chisnall 6-0 in a one-sided final. He landed a nine-darter in claiming a fourth Championship League Darts win and then took victory in the inaugural Masters tournament, sweeping past Lewis in the final in Edinburgh. Taylor and Lewis also clashed in the Grand Slam of Darts, in a classic semi-final, but it was Taylor who took victory on his way to another title in an imperious autumn. Van Gerwen, though, proved too strong as he took the Players Championship Finals title with a win over Taylor in the final at Minehead, and the Dutchman also succeeded his rival as World Champion, and world number one, with his success at Alexandra Palace after the reigning champion was knocked out by Michael Smith. Despite hitting two nine-darters in victory in a UK Open Qualifier, Taylor also saw the UK Open title slip away from his grasp in March 2014 when newcomer Aden Kirk produced a huge upset, and van Barneveld then ended Taylor's hopes of regaining the Premier League title with a semi-final triumph.

Taylor, though, bounced back in style with yet another World Matchplay triumph, hitting a nine-darter against Michael Smith before overcoming van Gerwen to claim his seventh successive Blackpool win. World Series glory followed in the Perth Darts Masters and Sydney Darts Masters, and after losing out in the World Grand Prix, European Championship and The Masters, Taylor picked up another Grand Slam of Darts success as he defeated Chisnall in the final in Wolverhampton. The year, though, ended in disappointment as Taylor lost to Gary Anderson in the Players Championship Finals and was then defeated by the Scot when they met again in the 2015 World Championship final. Victories in two PDC ProTour events in the early stage of 2015 were bright spots as Taylor again missed out in The Masters and at the quarter-final stage of the UK Open, before he failed to reach the Premier League Play-Offs for the first time in the event's history as he was edged out of the top four despite some stellar performances.

The runner-up in May's Dubai Darts Masters, he returned to winning ways on the big stage in June by partnering Lewis once again to World Cup of Darts glory in Germany before then winning the Japan Darts Masters with a narrow defeat of Peter Wright. Taylor's incredible winning run in the World Matchplay, though, was also ended in July 2015 as James Wade inflicted his first defeat in Blackpool since 2007 with his semi-final triumph. Taylor avenged that loss to Wade in the Perth Darts Masters final as he retained that title before landing a nine-dart finish on his way to a third successive Sydney Darts Masters win.

Question: Who defeated Phil Taylor to win the 2007 PDC world darts championship?
Answer: Raymond van Barneveld