Taking on the greatest of all time in his final tournament would get to anyone – even rookie turned champion Rob Cross.
Cross caused an almighty upset by winning the 2018 PDC World Darts Championship on his debut, but showed some nerves while taking down Phil Taylor on the way.
AFPCross defeated the most legendary of opponents[/caption]
PDC YouTubeBut not before an awkward slip-up[/caption]
Taylor – the 14-time record champion – had announced the event would be his last and booked a final slot against Cross with Alexandra Palace giving the legend their backing.
Yet the upset was soon on as Cross took the first set and was brimming with confidence.
But there were hints that may have been a facade when ‘The Power’ began the new set by plotting a nine-darter with two treble-20s and a treble-19 to kick things off.
Cross, though, struck back, and with a 180 set himself up for an early check out.
It looked like he was back in the rhythm that got him to the final, but then an incident off the oche took the attention as he clumsily dropped his glass of water.
Taylor was looking for a treble 19 and a bull to redress the balance, but was knocked right off of his stride by the incident and turned around to get an apology from ‘Voltage’.
Cross waved to the crowd in forgiveness as the two titans exchanged smiles, but as Taylor missed his checkout and looked to the scoreboard confused – perhaps distracted by the spillage.
Cross looked a little flustered though, and commentator John Part remarked: “He may have distracted himself as much as Phil.
“He’s a little embarrassed and this takes away your focus, this is a tough finish now, you just feel a little bit sheepish after something like that.”
Cross then missed two chances to clinch the leg with a double 16, but was gifted a lifeline as Taylor then fluffed a double 20 checkout.
“I don’t expect a second chance for Phil,” Part continued. “I don’t know if Cross was feeling guilty or something like that but he won’t be now.”
Cross took the leg, and then the set, going 2-0 up before his opponent got on the board.
At this point the distraction of the spillage was now in the past, but Taylor tried to get in his opponents head with a jokey chat as they crossed paths.
The younger talent didn’t have any of it, though, with Part commenting: “This is where Rob Cross is a player well beyond his years of experience which rank at basically one.
“He was not going to be engaged in any kind of silly nonsense on the stage.
“Taylor was trying to make eye contact but Cross wasn’t interested, why should he be?
“He’s just interested in restarting the game and trying to put another leg on the board and another set on the board. He’s got an old head on his young shoulders.”
Cross eventually assailed to a statement 7-2 win and has since become one of the biggest names in the sport.
Nerves of steel have taken him there, but so has his ability to overcome distractions in a game that is often decided by the smallest of moments.
