Brum joy for Baxter
Blackpool ace wins ranking title in the Midlands
Birmingham finalists Adrian Lewis
and Ronnie Baxter (pic PDC, from skysports.com)
Ronnie Baxter
defeated world Champion Adrian Lewis to win his first ranking title for 10
months in Saturday's Players Championship in Birmingham.
The
Blackpool ace claimed the £6,000 first prize
in the tournament at the NIA Community Hall with a brilliant display in the
final, taking a 6-3 win over Lewis in a heavy-scoring contest.
Baxter
showed strong form throughout the event in wins over Steve Grubb, Dennis Smith,
Joe Cullen, James Hubbard and Peter Hudson to reach the semi-finals, where he
hit back from 4-1 down to defeat Wes Newton.
Baxter
could have taken a 6-4 win only to miss his chance to win the game as Newton
forced a decider, before the world number five missed two darts for victory
himself in the final leg as his local rival prevailed.
Baxter
then raced into a 3-0 lead against Lewis in the final, aided by back-to-back
13-dart finishes before Lewis traded 180s with the Blackpool
star to win the fourth in the same manner.
Lewis
also hit a 180 in leg
five, but missed the bull and two darts at double eight to hit back as Baxter
finished double ten to lead 4-1.
Lewis
produced a superb 11-darter to win his second leg, but another miss on the
bullseye allowed Baxter to follow up another 180 with a third-dart double five
to move a leg away from the win.
The
pair also traded maximums in the eighth leg as Lewis produced a 14-darter to
keep the match alive, but Baxter's sixth 180 of the game pushed him clear in
the next before he landed double ten for victory.
Baxter
finished the final with an average of 100.55, hitting six 180s plus a 174 and a
171, while Lewis hit four maximums and averaged 105.79.
The
win could prove vital for Baxter in his bid to qualify via the ProTour Order of
Merit for next month's World Matchplay in his home town, cementing his place
amongst the 16 qualifying positions.
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