Sat, Jan 9th, 2010 7:10:00 pm
England skipper and third seed Martin Adams scrambled into the final after a 91-minute thriller with Welsh captain Martin Phillips.
Adams had charged into a 4-0 lead and then after the break had moved to 5-1 - within one set of victory.
But then nightmare memories of how Phill Nixon blazed back in similar fashion in 2007 began to play on his mind as the battling Welsh ace pulled back to 5-4, Wolfie hanging on to clinch the deciding leg in the 10th set.
Adams admitted: "I lost my a bit. Martin started to relax. I looked at his face and saw he was enjoying himself and I knew then he was dangerous.
"When he started coming back, I thought to myself, we have been here before, how do we resolve that problem. I tried play as I did at the start of the match and it worked.
"It should be a great final because you always get great players in the final in a tournament of this stature," declared Adams.
The England skipper used the benefit of experience of 17 years in the world championships to pressurise the fast-throwing Welsh skipper Phillips by slowing his naturally fast game.
After edging to the opening set 3-2 with the darts, he then took a 2-0 lead, wrapping up the second set 3-1 including a 12 darter after 18 minutes play.
Annexing the following two sets aided by an 11 and two 13 dart checkouts, the man from Peterborough, who was bidding to reach his third world final, took the opening leg of the fifth set with the throw but then went 2-1 down, levelling but losing the fifth leg, as left-hander Phillips blasted in a 78 checkout, finished on double tops to pull back a set.
The third seed blazed in his fourth 180 of the match to start the sixth set, finishing with 89 completed on double tops, notching another maximum in the next and firing in a 124 finish on double eight.
Phillips nipped in with double tops to take the third leg but rampant Adams hit his sixth maximum of the match and then took the set on double eight with his third attempt for a double.
The almost customary 180 came from Adams in the opening leg of the seventh set as he flashed in an 11-darter, finished with 81, finished on double 12.
There were agonising double misses by both players in the next leg, Phillips keeping his title hopes alive as he hit double four to hold his throw. Again in the next both missed doubles before Adams hit the required double 16 with his sixth attempt.
Phillips responded with a 12 darter, including a 180, finished on 81 to take the set to a deciding fifth leg.
The Welshman fired in his fourth 180 and then agonised as he missed bull for a match-saving 121, Adams then missing double 18 and double nine to win through, Phillips coolly exiting to rack up his second set, which was won against the throwing advantage.
And then as memories of the Phill Nixon comeback in the 2007 final came flooding back, Adams conceded the eighth set, Phillips firing in double 16.
An 11-darter, including a 180 and finished on double 16 gave Phillips a dream start to the ninth and he added the next with the same double, Adams blasting in his eighth 180 as he pulled back a leg in 12 darts finished on double 16.
Phillips missed three doubles for the set, Adams nipping in for double 16 to level the set, Adams racing down to a double but the Welsh skipper pounced with a blockbusting 116 finish on double tops.
The opening legs of the 10th set were traded, Philliips taking the third after Adams missed double 18 for a sensational 116 finish. Despite a shaking hand Adams levelled and then held his nerve to take the deciding fifth leg with double 12, ending the dramatic 91-minute gripper.
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