2007 World Championship
The 2007 Ladbrokes.com PDC World Darts Championship was the 14th World Championship organised by the Professional Darts Corporation since it separated from the British Darts Organisation. The tournament began on Monday December 18, 2006 and the final was played on Monday January 1, 2007. The championship was once again held at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex, where it has been staged since the first PDC World Championship in 1994. However it would turn out to be the last time the tournament would be held at the Tavern - in April 2007, the PDC announced that the event would be moving to the Alexandra Palace from 2008.
Ladbrokes were in the 5th year of their sponsorship deal, with the tournament prize fund now at a record £500,000. The organisers, the PDC introduced a bonus for a nine-dart finish at the World Matchplay of £5,000 and it rolls over to the next Premier tour event if not won. Having not been achieved at the Matchplay or the World Grand Prix, the bonus had reached £15,000. Having not been won, it goes up to £20,000 for the 2007 UK Open in June.
Raymond van Barneveld became the first player in the history of the sport to play in the BDO World final and the PDC World final in consecutive years after deciding to switch organisations after the 2006 Lakeside event.
Barneveld was close to defeat against Colin Lloyd in the second round, but then never dropped another set on the way to final - which was much anticipated between the best players of the current era. Barneveld and Phil Taylor had 17 World Championships between them and in one of the greatest matches in darts history, Barneveld battled from 3 sets to 0 down to win his first PDC Title and fifth world title overall 7-6 in the sudden-death leg.
Phil Taylor maintained his record of reaching every single PDC World Championship final to date, but his 21-match unbeaten run at the Circus Tavern came to an end as did his reign as World Champion, which went back to 2004. His overall record in the PDC World Championship now stands at 65 wins, 3 defeats.
First Round
Colin Lloyd 3–0 Tomas Seyler
Raymond van Barneveld 3–0 Mitchell Clegg
Mark Walsh 0–3 Rico Vonck
Barrie Bates 2–3 Brian Cyr
Wayne Mardle 2–3 Alan Caves
Dave Askew 3–2 Martin Burchell
Denis Ovens 3–0 Steve Smith
Alan Warriner-Little 0–3 Alan Tabern
Adrian Lewis 3–0 Anthony Fleet
Wayne Jones 3–0 Ian Branks
Andy Jenkins 3–1 Bill Davis
Andy Smith 3–0 Shi Yongsheng
Roland Scholten 3–0 Ron Miller
Alex Roy 3–0 Richie Burnett
Kevin Painter 1–3 Colin Osborne
Wes Newton 3–0 Tetsuya Wada
Phil Taylor 3–0 Anton Pein
Matt Clark 1–3 Mick McGowan
Chris Mason 3–0 Wayne Atwood
John Part 3–2 Alan Green
Peter Manley 3–0 Dave Jowett
Steve Maish 2–3 Wynand Havenga
Ronnie Baxter 2–3 Adrian Gray
Bob Anderson 1–3 Darren Webster
Terry Jenkins 3–1 Mark Lawrence
Steve Beaton 3–0 Gerry Convery
James Wade 3–1 Warren French
Lionel Sams 1–3 Dave Ladley
Dennis Priestley 3–0 Josephus Schenk
Colin Monk 0–3 Per Laursen
Mark Dudbridge 3–1 John Kuczynski
Andy Hamilton 3–0 Gary Welding
Second Round
Lloyd 3 - 4 Barneveld
Cyr 2 - 4 Vonck
Ovens 3 - 4 Tabern
Askew 4 - 2 Caves
Lewis 4 - 3 W.Jones
A.Smith 2 - 4 A.Jenkins
Osborne 4 - 2 Newton
Roy 3 - 4 Scholten
Priestley 4 - 3 Laursen
A.Hamilton 4 - 3 Dudbridge
Wade 4 - 3 Ladley
Beaton 3 - 4 T.Jenkins
Manley 3 - 4 Havenga
Webster 4 - 1 Gray
Mason 4 - 2 Part
McGowan 1 - 4 Taylor
Third Round
Barneveld 4 - 0 Vonck
Tabern 4 - 3 Askew
Lewis 3 - 4 A Jenkins
Osbourne 4 - 2 Scholten
Priestley 1 - 4 A Hamilton
Wade 3 - 4 T.Jenkins
Havenga 2 - 4 Webster
Mason 0 - 4 Taylor
Quarter Finals
Barneveld 5 - 0 Tabern
A. Jenkins 5 - 4 Osborne
Hamilton 5 - 4 T.Jenkins
Webster 1 - 5 Taylor
Semi Finals
Barneveld 6 - 0 A.Jenkins
Hamilton 0 - 6 Taylor
Final
Barneveld 7 - 6 Taylor
-wikipedia
