The date Oct. 8, 2014, has entered the history books as a special day in the history of the
World Grand Prix. On that day,
Robert Thornton and
James Wade both managed to throw a nine darter.
A unique feat, as it had never happened before that two players managed to produce a perfect leg in the same match at a television tournament. That this feat was accomplished at the World Grand Prix makes it even more special.
In the 26-year history of the World Grand Prix, only three nine-darters have been thrown, including two in one match. In fact, the difficulty level for a perfect leg is a lot higher at the World Grand Prix, because the leg must not only be ended with a double, but must also be started with a double.
Wade was the first of the pair to tally for a perfect leg. 'The Machine' began the first leg of the second set with a 160 score, then notched a 180. The leg then ended with a 161 finish.
In the fourth set, it was Thornton's turn, taking the same route as his English opponent. It was a highlight on a sad day for the Scot, as he had gone to his mother's funeral earlier in the day.
The match between Wade and Thornton was eventually won 3-2 in sets by Wade. ''The first one here (Brendan Dolan's nine darter in 2011) was against me and now I've thrown one myself. I attract nine darters,'' Wade laughed at the time after the match. ''I'm just happy to move on to the next match and play how I can. After a match like that, it doesn't get any harder."
The left-handed darter then also reflected on the performance of his opponent, who had thus buried his mother earlier in the day. ''To do what he did there ... There is no man in darts who has a bigger heart than Robert,'' Wade said.