Dimitri van den Bergh claims Betfred World Matchplay title

In his debut year at the event, the Belgian claimed the Phil Taylor trophy in emphatic style at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.

A nervy start to the final saw the pair struggling to score freely with both players averaging just 87 going into the first break, van den Bergh leading 3-2.

The quality significantly increased during the second session but five consecutive holds of throw saw the match level at 5-5.

The 11th and 12th legs saw two moments of magic as Anderson pinned double five for a 130 finish to break before van den Bergh took out 170.

Both players missed darts to break and take control of the match in the following legs but it was van den Bergh who took an 8-7 lead into the third interval.

The 26-year-old, playing in his first televised ranking final, then won four of the next five legs to open up a four-leg advantage.

Another incredible session for van den Bergh saw him pull further clear of the two-time world champion, starting with a 124 finish on the bull, before another bullseye checkout in the following leg on 132.

Anderson was unable to get a foothold in the game and van den Bergh went on to secure a 18-10 win just a few legs later, pocketing the £150,000 top prize.

“My dreams have come true, what a beautiful trophy, I’m so happy,” said van den Bergh.

“I have so much respect for Gary, to beat him is showing me how far I have come and now I know I can win, I can’t believe this.”

Not only was the event staged outside of Blackpool for the first time in its history, it was also the first time it had been played without a crowd as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdown.

During lockdown, van den Bergh was forced to spend a total of 11 weeks living with world champion Peter Wright as he was unable to return home to Belgium.

He added: “I spent a lot of time with Peter Wright over the lockdown and he has taught me so much. I’m so grateful to him and his family for everything they did for me during a difficult time.”

The run to the final saw Anderson defend a major chunk of the ranking money he won at the 2018 World Matchplay but he conceded his opponent deserved the victory on the night.

“He played well right from the off, I just wasn’t there tonight. All credit to Dimitri, he is a lovely lad and deserves his win,” said the Scot.

“I’ve got a few weeks off now to sort a few things out, I had a few issues with my grip and darts dropping low but no excuses, he deserves it.”