Devon
Petersen has claimed a maiden European Tour and PDC ranking title by seeing off
Jonny Clayton in an 8-3 win at the German Darts Championship in Hildesheim.
Petersen
has been one of the most in-form players on the PDC Tour in 2020 and has backed
that up after getting so close during the PDC Autumn Series.
It wasn’t
such woes this time as he produced a dominant display to dispel ‘The Ferret’ and claim glory on the return of the European Tour after no action since March in Hasselt. As a result also Adrian Lewis gets into the World Grand Prix by the skin of
his teeth.
Both players started well but a bounceout from Clayton proved
pivotal as he only left 84 which he missed on the bull. Petersen returned for a
48 checkout to make it 1-0 and break throw.
Clayton composed himself and hit a 180 to begin Petersen’s
throw but ‘The African Warrior’ hit back himself with a maximum of his own. He
left himself on 76 after nine darts.
He claimed it on double eight third dart in hand to go 2-0
up. A 180 was once again pinned by Clayton as he was first to a finish on his
throw and a 96 set up with Petersen on 191 left it handily placed.
He held his throw with a 25 checkout to make it 2-1. Another
180 put the pressure on Petersen but only a 60 following that meant Clayton was
under pressure to hit 124 with Petersen down to 70 and the latter pinned it
when Clayton missed the bull.
Another 180 was pinned followed by a 78 checkout saw
Petersen go halfway to the finishing line with another break at 4-1 up.
A rare treble less visit from Petersen towards the back end
of his throw wasn’t punished and 56 was left by ‘The African Warrior’ despite
Clayton missing double 15 for a 150 checkout. He was punished with that 56
checkout on double 20 as Petersen went 5-1 up.
Clayton stopped the rot on the second opportunity after initially
handing Petersen another chance to break. The latter put it behind him by kicking
off 180 once again on his own throw.
He hit another to leave 64 after nine darts. This was pinned
meaning an 11-darter to make it 6-2. Could Clayton offer any resistance?
Petersen missed the bull on a 90 checkout to make it 7-2 and
Clayton cleaned up to make it 6-3. It was six darts at 121 for Petersen in the
requisite leg though but he set up double 16 with Clayton on a bogey number.
He pinned double 16 to go one away at 7-3 up. Clayton made
it 10 180’s in the match as he hung in there but a 180 to leave 36 from
Petersen proved vital as ‘The Ferret’ went inside on double 11. Petersen returned
to pin double 18 first time to claim the title.
German Darts Championship 2020 schedule
Sunday, September 27
Quarter-Finals - Evening Session
Mervyn
King (99.78) 6-2 (87.55) James Wade
Jonny Clayton (103.86) 6-5 (102.93) Dave Chisnall
Danny Noppert (99.36) 6-2 (93.55) Daryl Gurney
Devon Petersen (99.79) 6-3 (91.18) Krzysztof Ratajski
Semi-Finals
Mervyn
King (90.13) 3-7 (97.69) Jonny Clayton
Danny
Noppert (94.57) 4-7 (100.75) Devon Petersen
Final
Jonny
Clayton (91.43) 3-8 (102.75) Devon Petersen