World Grand Prix darts: Daryl Gurney defeats Simon Whitlock to claim his first major televised title

The Northern Irishman has enjoyed a real breakthrough season with semi-final runs at the UK Open and World Matchplay - but this triumph at the double-start tournament catapults him firmly into the world's elite and he'll no doubt be invited to play in the Premier League next year.

Gurney, who was a 33/1 outsider before the event began, had previously beaten Adrian Lewis, Joe Cullen, Robert Thornton and Michael van Gerwen's first-round conqueror John Henderson en route to his maiden televised ranking final although he showed early nerves on his finishing doubles as Whitlock surged into a 2-0 set lead.

The 31-year-old then suddenly got his act together with a string of five ton-plus checkouts, including a stunning 156, to take the next three sets in succession and it looked as though he'd motor on with the help of the vocal Dublin crowd.

Whitlock, bidding to win the second PDC major of his long career having been crowned European champion back in 2012, sparked back into life and capitalised on Gurney missing darts at doubles to win each of the next two sets that went the distance as he moved 4-3 up and became in-play favourite.

Gurney rallied again to force a decider after winning the eighth set 3-1 and his charge was further helped when Whitlock suffered badly with the pressure on his starting doubles - failing to get away first time in the opening three legs, albeit winning one of them with a 112 checkout.

Gurney fired in a 112 checkout of his own to go 2-1 up before completing the job on double 10 in the next leg, with Whitlock poised to swoop on 48.

Whitlock was 80/1 before the tournament began but when his potential second-round opponent Gary Anderson withdrew on opening night, his section of the draw opened up and he took full advantage by defeating Christian Kist, Richard North, Benito van de Pas) and most impressively man of the moment Mensur Suljovic, who was favourite at that point to win back-to-back TV titles having won the Champions League of Darts last month.

It was his first major final since being runner-up at the 2013 European Championship and afterwards vowed to come back strongly and launch another serious title tilt.

He said: "Daryl deserved to win tonight but I'm really happy to have reached the final. He's been a form player this year and for him to win this is amazing. It was a great game. I think I had a great tournament and I want to keep getting better and pushing my way up in the rankings.

"I'm disappointed I lost, but I've worked so hard for the past two years and especially in the last three months, practising double starts, so I expected good results but I was a bit surprised that I made the final in one respect. I'm back to winning ways and hopefully the only way is up now. I've got myself back in the Grand Slam, because that was important, and I want to get myself back in the Premier League and in the top five, where I think I belong."

World Grand Prix: Final statistics

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Daryl Gurney 5-4 Simon Whitlock

• Three-dart averages
  Gurney: 88.5
  Whitlock: 83.53
• 180s
  Gurney: 8
  Whitlock: 13
• 100+ checkouts
  Gurney: 156, 126, 112, 110, 110, 104, 100
  Whitlock: 112
• Finishing checkout percentage
  Gurney: 38.33% (23/60)
  Whitlock: 33.33% (18/54)

World Grand Prix final: Leg-by-leg blog updates

By Chris Hammer

GURNEY WINS THE WORLD GRAND PRIX!

SET NINE: LEG FOUR
Daryl Gurney is the World Grand Prix champion after a nerve-jangling 5-4 victory over Simon Whitlock in Dublin! The emotional Northern Irishman, who was 33/1 at the start of the week, sinks to his knees after holding his nerve on double 10 and it isn't long before the tears begin to stream from his eyes.

The 31-year-old, who was playing in his first major televised final, was the better player in the final despite Whitlock's stunning tally of 13 180s, boasting a higher scoring average and checkout percentage - but he had to show nerves of steal to get the job done in a deciding set.

Whitlock fell to pieces to be quite honest at the end as the pressure got to him (not for the first time in his career) but he can take immense credit from his superb run at an event which he went into as an 80/1 outsider.
Gurney 3-1 Whitlock (Sets: 5-4)

SET NINE: LEG THREE
Whitlock can't follow up his good work in the previous leg as he once more fails to get away on his first visit. Gurney subsequently reaches a finish first on 112 - with Whitlock back on 196 - and the Northern Irishman takes it out to move one leg away from his maiden major title!
Gurney 2-1 Whitlock

SET NINE: LEG TWO
Again Whitlock can't hit a double on his first visit but ends the leg by nailing a bullseye finish to checkout from 112! He's not done yet!
Gurney 1-1 Whitlock

SET NINE: LEG ONE - Gurney to throw first
The pressure has got to Whitlock - as we all probably expected it to given his history - and it takes eight darts for him to hit an opening double. Gurney had actually missed his first three arrows at a starter but the Aussie's blunders allowed him to eventually go on and take the leg on double eight, with Whitlock way back on 206.
Gurney 1-0 Whitlock

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