Jenkins loses to Taylor in dramatic encounter (From Ledbury Reporter)

Jenkins loses to Taylor in dramatic encounter

4:30pm Thursday 4th February 2010

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Phil Taylor 8, Terry Jenkins 7.

PHIL TAYLOR was made to work hard before defeating Terry Jenkins in a deciding leg thriller in this totesport.com Players Championship second round clash.

There was never more than one leg between the two players throughout a tight battle.

Taylor defied a maximum from Jenkins to win the opening leg before the Herefordshire man levelled by hitting double 10 with his last dart.

Jenkins then secured an early break by landing double 10 with his last dart once again, after Taylor had missed two darts at double 16.

But Taylor soon put that disappointment behind him by immediately breaking back, courtesy of a 13-dart finish, to square the game at two apiece.

Taylor moved 3-2 ahead with the aid of a 14-darter before Jenkins won the sixth, hitting double three with his last dart after missing five previous attempts to win the leg.

Jenkins then broke Taylor’s throw for a second time with a clinical two-dart 80 finish to lead 4-3.

But once again the world number one hit back to level by hitting a crucial 70 checkout with his opponent waiting on double four. Taylor showed class in obtaining a 5-4 lead by hitting a 160 check-out before both players hit maximums in the 10th leg.

The world number one was at a finish first, but missed four darts at double 14 to establish a two-leg advantage.

Jenkins made his opponent pay by converting a 73 finish.

A tight 11th leg saw both players miss a dart at double top before Taylor won it.

But Jenkins continued to fight and won the next leg in 13 darts to leave the contest finely balanced at six-all.

Taylor moved one leg away from the match with a 14-dart-finish, but missed a dart at double top to take victory and Jenkins hit the same double to send the match into a deciding leg.

The 15-time world champion had the throw and that proved key as he pulled clear to land another 14-darter and settle a tight contest.

Jenkins overcame Vincent van der Voort 6-5 in their first round encounter.

‘The Bull’ now looks ahead to his next major tournament when he faces Ronnie Baxter in week one of the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts in London on Thursday.

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