Wayne Mardle
Darts Expert & Columnist @Wayne501Mardle
Welsh wonder Jonny Clayton produced a blizzard of blistering finishing to defeat No 1 and World Cup team-mate Gerwyn Price; Wayne Mardle: “You feel Jonny Clayton has got more because he doesn’t seem to get that flustered with all the big scores and big finishes that have come his way”
Last Updated: 10/10/21 12:13pm
“Jonny Clayton was just too good.”
Clayton triumphed at the Mornington Arena in Leicester, producing a remarkable doubling display in a 5-1 win over his Welsh World Cup team-mate, Price.
The 47-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Ferret’, shattered Price’s hopes of retaining the double-start title with one of the best performances of his career.
Speechless – what a feeling – ABSOLUTELY BUZZING ?????????- pic.twitter.com/4OhfJIGuGL
He started with 63 per cent of his darts at a double – compared to Price’s 40 per cent on the night – and averaged 94 for both the final and the tournament. Not only that, but Clayton reeled in big finishes of 170, 164, 152 and 110 before sealing glory with a 116 checkout.
“Jonny Clayton was just too good,” Mardle told Sky Sports.
“At times the darts were laughable. They were literally laughable and Price could do nothing. The 152 just kind of summed it up because he didn’t get off in that leg first dart and then started with a 152 and ended with a 152.
“It seemed fitting that Jonny Clayton takes out the double top for a 116, and by the way, just as a little by product to all of that, he broke the record for the highest finishing stats ever in the World Grand Prix.
“It was staggering from start to finish for The Ferret.”
“He’s got it, he’s definitely got it.”
Wayne ‘Hawaii 501’ Mardle on Jonny Clayton
Clayton added the World Grand Prix to The Masters and the Premier League titles he has already claimed this year and now moves up to seventh on the PDC Order of Merit.
“This tournament is a difficult one to win because it’s a different discipline and like Jonny said, and he’s quite right, he’s hit more doubles this week than any other week and he would do with it being double in, double out,” Mardle continued.
“He’s looked just so at ease with it and it’s not always easy to feel that way. He’s beat the world No 1, the world champion, in the final. This is right up there as well because it’s a ranking event.
“He’s won the Premier League and the Masters which are non-ranked so we know that he’s not the world No 15 or 16 which he came into this event. He’s way better than that and he’s proving it every single week.”
Mardle added: “I’m not going to say whether this is the start of many more because we just don’t know, but you feel Jonny Clayton has got more because he doesn’t seem to get that flustered with all the big scores and big finishes that have come his way.
“He’s got it, he’s definitely got it.”
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