Painter on playing during dominant Taylor era after announcing retirement: “If Phil wasn't about, I'd have won a World title”
PDC
Kevin Painter retired from professional darts following Q-School where he failed to reclaim his Tour Card.
Painter announced the news on Twitter and it has since been backed up by the PDC who did a full interview with him looking back on his career.
‘The Artist’ is well known for his 2011 Players Championship Finals triumph and also the 2003/04 World Championship final against Phil Taylor which he lost in sudden death.
Speaking to the PDC, Painter believes that he underachieved due to being in the Taylor era and that he would have won a World title if not.
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"I think I underachieved in some ways but a lot of that was because [I] clashed with Phil," he said to the PDC having often met Taylor in quarter-finals or semi-finals of tournaments.
"Phil was winning everything, and if Phil wasn't about I'm pretty sure that I'd have won a World title for a start, and I might have won several other majors that we played in that Phil took me out in when I was on a good run!
"There's plenty of other players could say exactly the same, but I can look back and I've done a lot of decent things that a lot of players would have a hard time nowadays to emulate."
I was at Lakeside when Kevin made his debut in 94 against Kevin Kenny, I was a real Kevin Kenny fan, it was a nervy and close game and to my delight Kenny won - It was a shame Kenny stopped playing darts so soon. I thought from that moment KP was very talented and also became a fan, he has hardly aged in 27 years, I think without Phil Taylor many other players would have won more, I think he deserved a big win and the 2004 final was one of the best ever - I was there too. Good luck Kevin, I will miss you, thanks for the exciting matches and always having time to chat and sign my programmes.
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